Tag Archive for 'Meeting'

Mobile Monday Nairobi: Meeting 1.

Published on April 19, 2010 in Uncategorized. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

This evening the Nairobi Chapter of MobileMonday held its first meeting for mobile application developers at the iHub. MobileMonday is a global community of mobile industry visionaries, developers and influentials fostering cooperation and cross-border business development through virtual and live networking events to share ideas, best practices and trends from global markets. This is post is a summary of what was discussed at the meeting:

  • In terms of mobile platforms for applications for Kenya, Symbian (via Nokia Handsets) and Nokia’s OVI have the largest penetration in the marketplace. Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android are yet to gain use in Kenya as the penetration is very minimal at this juncture.
  • When building for the PC web, applications tend to be expensive. faster to deploy and have more control when deployed. On the Mobile web, its cheaper to deploy, access tends to be slower, requires a smaller skill base but is not good at handling rich content such as Flash. Mobile applications tend to be faster at accessing online content than the mobile web as well as synchronizing to the cloud.
  • John Karanja is behind Whive is a Kenyan social network that started in 2008 on the PC web which recently has deployed a mobi web site following the realization that lots of local traffic comes from mobile handsets. The mobi Whive web site is Whive.mobi. Going forward it felt that location-based services will become popular in Kenya.
  • SIM Card-based applications could be the way for mobile applications in Kenya. In the case of Safaricom’s M-Pesa however they do not let application developers direct access to an API. This will need to change in the future so as to create an ecosystem as is the case with many global and leading platforms but for the time being workarounds are required.
  • Everyone seems to be talking about mobile applications but SMS is by far the most used form of communication on mobile phones in general (from an apps perspective). John Wesonga pointed out how his firm is building mobile SMS-based applications working with the United Nation’s Rapid SMS with structured SMS messages on the platform. However, structured SMS applications have limitations in that people think and use SMS differently so this represents challenges for widespread deployment and service convenience.
  • Mixit is very popular in South Africa which is a mobile based application that enables instant messaging at very low-cost. Mixit works on low-end feature phones that have basic internet connectivity (2G) and does not have to work on high-end smart phones and 2.5G or 3G. Kenya has a similar platform called Sembuse which works in more or less in the same way as Mixit but it has not gained major adoption in the marketplace (yet). The question that was left lingering is what did it take or how was it achieved in South Africa that Mixit has millions of users and is making good revenues? What can Kenya learn from the same?
  • Joshua Musau asked how can mobile application developers in Kenya come up with applications that can succeed to the same level as Safaricom’s M-Pesa. John Wesonga noted that the real reason for building mobile applications that would appeal to a large market with a big problem. The applications need to address a problem or else they may not be that successful, even if they are really “cool”. Its not the technology that holds back opportunity – its about find the right balance.
  • One of the big issues for mobile application developers is how they can market their offerings considering that they do not have the marketing muscle of Safaricom. How can the existing technology firms that are succeeding help these developers make headway. Liko Agosta from Verviant suggested that aspiring developers and technology entrepreneurs should get jobs for 5 years so that they can build their experiences and financial resources before stepping out on their own. They will also be able to approach financial institutions for support.
  • The smart phone (read iPhone and Android) business model and the feature phone business model greatly differ. In the smart phone model its all about enabling almost limitless possibilities. In the feature phone business model its about a fairly narrow and specific set of services being enabled. Since Africa and Kenya for that matter are largely feature phone markets and even then low-end feature phones application developers need to pay attention to this reality. An example was given of how an Indian developer built a B2B mobile application for the textile industry that has become really successful. Therefore, the challenge is how can Kenyan mobile application developers come up with applications that solve big problems and therefore can create business success – they key is to pay attention to the environment.
  • Can a “cool” app be profitable in Kenya? This is possible if application developers can think of how they plan to monetize their applications (for instance using Admob ads running in the application). Liko noted that we should stop focusing on the “bottom of the pyramid” when they can aim for the top and middle of the pyramid to make profits. One idea passed on was what if one could create an application that tracks Twitter trending topics in Kenya. Why was M-Pesa successful? It reaches everyone! Top, middle and bottom of the pyramid, all at once. However, it seems that getting the foot through the door in most cases for popular applications and web sites is to be free when launching.
  • Mixit was used during the latest Big Brother Africa for viewers to vote. It was also used to collect views during President Obama’s visit to West Africa not too long ago. The verdict is that mobile applications can make money in this manner so what can we learn in Kenya. Incidentally, Mixit plan to open begin marketing their application and services in Kenya. Ultimately, having a business model of sorts is key. Liko added that application developers need to have a value proposition that appeals to investors – “what’s in it for them before what’s in it for you”.

This is all I was able to capture before having leave. Hope you enjoyed reading the summary. You can also view a few pictures from this meeting here>

Kenya ICT Board to host “Connected Government” meeting.

Published on March 25, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

The Kenya ICT Board in partnership with listed telecoms operator Safaricom will host the Connected Government Summit from the 29th of March to 1st April 2010 at Leisure Lodge Resort in Diani. The Connected Government Summit, the brainchild of the Kenya ICT Board in consultation with industry players and key government decision makers, aims to establish a platform for collaboration, building capacity and sharing priorities between the government and the IT sector with a view to linking and hastening implementation of government IT projects to world-class standards.

Speaking about the Summit Paul Kukubo, CEO, Kenya ICT Board commented: “The Board created the Connected Government Summit to establish a platform upon which the government and the private sector come together to deliberate on key priority areas and identify areas for partnership that will deliver services to the public in a harmonious and timely manner. We expect this to be a successful event particularly in regards to speaking to the role that shared services plays in Kenya Vision 2030.”

Mr.Kukubo reiterated that in the backdrop of the gazetted regulations governing public private partnerships (PPPs), there were opportunities for government to work closely with private sector to implement key projects to help Kenya attain the goals of the Kenya Vision 2030 – especially to create wealth and employment for Kenyans while delivering better services to citizens.

“We have invited and confirmed that several key Permanent Secretaries, Members of Parliament, and other senior government officials will be attending this important event. We are committed to delivering results for Kenyans – better services through the adoption of ICT. We want to thank all our sponsors, Safaricom, Oracle, NetApp, and Microsoft for their generous sponsorship which has helped to make this Summit possible,” says Mr. Kukubo.

Some of the key ICT projects the Kenya ICT Board is facilitating with remarkable success include digitization of records at Ministry of Lands, Company Registry and the Judiciary. Some of these will be showcased during the Summit and best practice shared across ministries.

Speaking during the launch of the summit, Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said: “As a major player in Kenya’s fixed and mobile data market, Safaricom recognizes the government’s position as a key buyer and catalyst of demand for ICT and data products, which is why we are partnering with the Kenya ICT Board as the lead sponsor for this meeting,” said Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph.

He added: “Data products and services, if strategically deployed, can be used as an efficient and cost-effective tool for better delivery of public services. Safaricom has the products and services and backed by a wide customer base, is willing and ready to partner with government in this quest.”

Mr Joseph hoped the workshop would help forge sustained dialogue between the public and private sectors in the ICT and data space, which is key to coming up with optimal solutions for customers and citizens. Already, he noted, a majority of the estimated 3.5 million Internet users in Kenya access the internet through Safaricom services.

With increased use of the internet among Kenyans on the back of recent improvements in the country’s data infrastructure, the opportunity for providing government services online is tremendous. The theme for Connected Government 2010 this year is: Shared services to drive down cost to citizens.

About Connected Government:

Connected Government Summit has three main objectives. The first is to build capacity of the senior government officials in the implementation of ICT projects towards their transformed public services provision. The second, to increase the understanding of the participants of shared services, managed services and Public Private Partnership rules as well as their potential for supporting transformation in ICT projects. Lastly, the Connected Government Summit aims to provide a platform for the senior government officials to network with each other and to form lasting fruitful relationships for future partnerships with the various companies represented there.

About Kenya ICT Board:

The Kenya ICT Board was established by HE President Mwai Kibaki, as a state corporation under the State Corporations Act Cap. 446 on 19th February 2007.

The Kenya ICT Board’s mission is to champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment. Its vision is that Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub by 2030. Visit www.ict.go.ke

About Safaricom:

Formed at the turn of the decade as part of the liberalization of Kenya’s telecoms sector through a joint venture between Vodafone of the UK and the government of Kenya, Safaricom has firmly established its credentials as a regional leader, spawning a virtual telecoms revolution in Kenya. In 2008, it successfully listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange through a landmark initial public offering (IPO) and actively trades on the commercials counter. Growing from its cradle in mobile voice services, Safaricom has evolved into a total telecoms company. Safaricom, which has a subscriber base of over 15 million, offers all telecoms services under one roof: mobile and fixed voice and data services on a variety of platforms: Kenya’s widest and only 3G network; a growing fibre optic cable footprint and WIMAX technology. For more details please go to: http://www.safaricom.co.ke/

Program Thematic Areas:

Shared Services in government: What success will look like – case studies
Government anchor ICT projects: What we are doing and how far we have come
Breaking down the ‘Silo’ in Government : How can technology help
The role of local innovation
Managing data in Government
E-Commerce: Payment gateways and solutions
Smart Technology to deliver better citizen services

PARTNERS INVOLVED

The primary partners of the initiative are Safaricom and Kenya ICT Board.
Other partners include Oracle, Microsoft, NetApp and Seven Seas Technologies.

Other than sponsorships, the partners will be bringing together experts in the various subjects to facilitate conversations about the topics to be covered at the workshops. Additionally, government officials will present some of the key ICT projects that are transformational in nature.

Tandaa Kenya meetup on local (digital) content – Photos.

Published on March 12, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Here is a link to photos from the Kenya ICT Board organized Tandaa Kenya meetup on local (digital) content from earlier this week. You can view them (and tag them!) here>