January 2010 - KICTANet

Digital to Analog Conversion
by robert yawe 19 Jun '15

19 Jun '15

Hi, When the migration from analog to digital was initially raised fear was put into the public on how there would be no option but to throw away our analog TV sets and replace them with Digital. Now that digital transmission is finally here we need to look at how to make the migration as painless as possible while at the same time we do not disenfranchise any citizens. It has been mentioned that there are over 1 million TV sets in Kenya today, that means 1 million digital to analog converters will be required over the next 2-3 years. I believe this is a great opportunity for us to go into the electronic assembly business, I would like to propose that we 1st increase duty on converters from the current 35% to 250% so as to discourage the importation of the converters. Then exempt from duty and vat all assembly stations, test equipment and components for anyone who sets up a converter assembly plant, with a 3 year tax holiday. If you setup the plant more than 200 kilometers from Nairobi or Mombasa you receive an addition 2 years tax holiday. I believe this will sort out the issue of substandard converters and will also provide an opportunity for us to develop our electronic devices assembly skills. If you make a net profit of 1,000/- there is a clean 875,000,000/- to be made, close to what the government is spending on purchase of the Malili farm. This is assuming a standard device, there is still a market for those who want high end devices with recording, tuners, USB ports, etc which would mean that the returns could be much higher than projected above. So will we move away from juts being importers and retailers or do we have what it takes to do some value add? Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] JKIA-Lack of wireless internet
by robert yawe 13 Apr '10

13 Apr '10

Wesley, They are called ISPs, you can take the donkey to the river but you cannot make it drink. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 --- On Tue, 26/1/10, wesley kirinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: wesley kirinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [ke-internetusers] JKIA-Lack of wireless internet To: "ke-users" <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net> Date: Tuesday, 26 January, 2010, 15:46 *Sigh* I lack words on how to start this. I don't have to explain it. Can something be done ASAP so that JKIA can have free, fast WiFi Internet accessible everywhere (even from the toilets). Now, how can Kenya boast of broadband when the gateway to Africa (JKIA) has nothing to show of it. Imagine the very many passengers who use KQ (and other airlines) from all around Africa who pass by our airport: Company Directors, CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, ... Basically people who Kenya is trying to reach in order to attract investments in various sectors including IT. These are the same people going to invest in the rest of Africa. It's beyond my thinking why JKIA has never tapped into this even before the fibres came. It's been a couple of months since I was there. Perhaps someone who was there more recently can give us an update on the current situation. I sure hope it has changed. 8~( -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ ke-internetusers mailing list ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers

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Weekly unlimited internet connectivity
by Harry Delano 11 Mar '10

11 Mar '10

Listers, The decision by Safaricom to offer weekly unlimited internet connectivity, - as an alternative to Ksh 1,000 Per 300MB pricing model should be hailed as a step in the right direction,as we work towards bringing Broadband access prices down. It is laudable and other service providers should consider this worth emulating, and from all of them, we expect more. With reseach ( an earlier post from Alice Best), showing that usage is increasing, and especially the fact that there is a huge potential for growth in this market, should motivate service providers to re-look at their overall strategy in reaching out to the "untapped" mass market and increase their sales volumes. Ultimately, pricing will be a key factor here as well as investing in the best technology available to serve savvy Technobile Kenyans.. Harry

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[Fwd: Re: ICT TV Station]
by S.Murigi Muraya 10 Mar '10

10 Mar '10

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Re: [kictanet] Paypal Vs Mpesa
by Barrack Otieno 04 Feb '10

04 Feb '10

Honourable Members, I was just having a chat with a good friend who is a web developer over the issue of online payments. I realised paypal is common but the procedure and processes involved seem to be too complicated despite the fact that it is an important medium for online transactions globally. Does anyone has an idea of how we can encouarage local banks to interface with such systems to facilitate online transactions instead of the difficult route being undertaken currently, better still can mpesa be a viable option. They have an arrangement with pesa point which saved my neck on new year because of its efficiency can it be extended to facilitate online transactions international (say with Kenyans in diaspora Just curious On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 8:22 PM, Alex Gakuru <alex.gakuru(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > --- On Wed, 1/21/09, Okulo Anthony <anthony.okulo(a)okulo.co.ke> wrote: > > > From: Okulo Anthony <anthony.okulo(a)okulo.co.ke> > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Obama Speech puzzle: read, memorised or simply no > script? > > To: alex.gakuru(a)yahoo.com > > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 12:22 AM > > Most good speakers especially litigation lawyers memories > > their speeches and when making the speech they rely on > > points so that it looks as if they are not reading a script. > > most likely Obama had his "points" on a screen in > > front of him. > > > > > > Anthony Okulo > > > > A trick we used in O-Levels to "cram" formulas, make "words" shortened > abbreviations for Chemistry, Geo, Bio, Hist, Maths etc.. It works wonders-- > only remember "new word" only known to thyself and Hey Presto! UR genius;) > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254726544442 +254733206359 www.issenconsult.com http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Kenyan BPO fails to snap up the subsidy, why?
by Rebecca Wanjiku 01 Feb '10

01 Feb '10

Read more here... http://bit.ly/bnRo1r Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/

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Nairobi Super Highway Proposal
by robert yawe 01 Feb '10

01 Feb '10

Hi, It was sad to read about the KQ pilot who was robbed on Uhuru Highway and later died from injuries inflicted by the thieves. This is an opportunity to kill many birds with one stone. I want to make a proposal to all parties out there that we turn the entire mombasa rd, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki way into a digital super highway. How you ask? We have fiber optic cable laid along the length of the road from Athi River interchange to the Limuru Interchange. Then install solar powered wifi equipment and web-cams atop the street lights and also on any building with a fibre node along the stretch. The WiFi will turn the whole of the road into a hotspot which will enable tourists to use their WiFi enabled phones as they drive from & to the airport as well as business traveler and Yawe. Through the link we can feed country specific information such as weather, animal sightings, culture etc. In addition the links should enable the mounting of multimedia display boards along the road that can have content streamed to them remotely. This two areas will provide the revenue for maintaining the infrastructure. Traffic information can also be provided through the display boards to enable drivers decide if they want to remain in the jams especially when the president has been allowed out of statehouse. With the webcams the police will have a better view of what is happening on the road and can fine errant drivers such as the matatus that obstruct at the Shell near DHL. We can also connect the traffic light controllers to the police allowing the lights to be controlled remotely therefore leaving the extra traffic policemen to be redeployed. I have provided this information with no non-disclosures anyone out there who can pick it and run with it is welcome to do so. If you feel you would like to invite me to participate please feel free to do so. "don't hide your light under a bushel" Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Broadband my foot
by robert yawe 01 Feb '10

01 Feb '10

Hi, I notice the 3G discussion has come to an abrupt end, as usually, but I feel I need to share my frustration with all the GSM providers. I live in South C but frustratingly I can only use my phone (Safaricom, Orange GSM & Orange CDMA) from a particular corner of the house, if this is the service available in Nairobi how much worse is the condition outside the City. Many of you raised concerns about the 3G license issue and I said this should not be the issue, CCK needs to enforce service delivery levels for the GSM providers. I am forced to carry 4 modems with me if I am to get any miningful work done when I am at home as the providers services are erratic. As I write this the Orange Internet Nowhere service is offline. My Safaricom bambanet working but only working at edge speed, it normally would not work at all but I found a solution by purchasing an external high gain antennae. The other providers modems unfortunately do not have a facility for plugging in an external arial. CCK can you please do your work of monitoring the network operators performance, if you cannot monitor this in Nairobi how will you be able to do it nationally. Maybe we should devolve CCK. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Re: [kictanet] Hackers attack Tanzania government websites
by Gichuki John Chuksjonia 31 Jan '10

31 Jan '10

These defacers are not what we should entirely worry about, but the guys doing the cooperate cyber espionage are the greatest threat right now. ./Chuks On 1/31/10, Robert Alai <alai.robert(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Guys http://bit.ly/cWkvWq > > -- > TECHMTAA BLOG: http://bit.ly/cmRFZR > VALENTINES PLOT: http://bit.ly/dkzaxA > SHOP ONLINE AND GET DOOR DELIVERY: http://bit.ly/cwzi78 > VACANCIES: http://myafricancareer.blogspot.com/ > SOCIAL PLACE: http://bit.ly/5O6M8L > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "MlalaHoi" group. > To post to this group, send email to mlalahoi(a)googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > mlalahoi+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/mlalahoi?hl=en > -- -- Gichuki John Ndirangu, C.E.H , C.P.T.P, O.S.C.P I.T Security Analyst and Penetration Tester infosigmer(a)inbox.com {FORUM}http://lists.my.co.ke/pipermail/security/ http://nspkenya.blogspot.com/ http://chuksjonia.blogspot.com/ -- TECHMTAA BLOG: http://bit.ly/cmRFZR VALENTINES PLOT: http://bit.ly/dkzaxA SHOP ONLINE AND GET DOOR DELIVERY: http://bit.ly/cwzi78 VACANCIES: http://myafricancareer.blogspot.com/ SOCIAL PLACE: http://bit.ly/5O6M8L You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MlalaHoi" group. To post to this group, send email to mlalahoi(a)googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to mlalahoi+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/mlalahoi?hl=en

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Payment Portal Promises Major E-Commerce Shift in Kenya
by alice 30 Jan '10

30 Jan '10

(Balancing Act) Payment Portal Promises Major E-Commerce Shift in Kenya When Quentin Faulkner launched an online store for parents looking for good quality clothing for their children two years ago, his peers told him he would close shop in weeks. But the business - a baby clothing store that has no physical location and is solely marketed using social networking website Facebook - now handles up to 90 transactions a month. That growth has inspired him to launch a second e-commerce website – www.Bagalicious.co.ke <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/964/0/>, which sells handbags. We handle up to 155 orders a month on this website. January is shaping up to be our second best month in terms of orders and revenue," said Mr Faulkner. More recently, web commerce has become a key driver of the many online commercial portals that Kenya's restless technology entrepreneurs (also known as techpreneurs) have been trying to establish with the growth of internet use in the country. In this club of online commerce start-ups is Totallytoto.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/965/0/> launched at the beginning of the year to solely sell goods online. The firm joins a growing list of websites that are selling mostly foreign made goods to Kenyan consumers at competitive prices. Mystrawberrystore.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/966/0/>, pesapal.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/967/0/>, enrakenya.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/968/0/>, kalahari.co.ke <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/969/0/> and nsoko.co.ke <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/970/0/>, styleconnection.co.ke <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/971/0/> and intokenya.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/972/0/> are the vanguards of this budding internet economy. Growth of the internet sector is expected to create new opportunities for the development of e-commerce and m-commerce linking Kenya more closely to the global economy. This new push for e-commerce got an impetus mid last year with the landing at the Kenyan coast of two undersea fibre optic cables that linked the country to high-speed internet connectivity, laying the groundwork for a digital economy. E-commerce is expected to give rise to a digitally-enabled economy that runs on platforms such as e-government, e-health, e-education, social media and e-science. Because of its association with lower overhead costs, e-commerce has enabled retailers to charge lower prices besides offering consumers a more convenient shopping window. Globally, the e-commerce industry is now worth $500 billion, but Africa's many technological challenges, including the absence of local electronic payment portals, have ensured that the continent accounts for only a tiny fraction of it. With the arrival of broadband internet, Kenyan companies are now refocusing their strategies to tap on online commerce that is expected to grow at an annual average of 10 per cent in the next decade. Helped by the changing landscape in the travel industry, national flag carrier Kenya Airways is for example offering online ticketing and tens of small and medium-sized firms such as e-manamba.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/973/0/> are offering commuters the opportunity to purchase tickets online. Media companies such as the Nation Media Group have also gone online to sell digital editions of their publications. Nakumatt, the country's largest retail chain is planning to launch an online hyper-mart that offers for sale on-line all products available in its stores. It will work as a complementary sales tool that will serve customers in remote areas. And to ensure its success, we have enlisted the support of a leading logistics solutions provider to handle the delivery and logistics support elements," said Atul Shah, the Nakumatt managing director. Currently, MamaMikes.com <http://lists.balancingact-africa.com/t/6647/235533/974/0/> - the oldest locally developed e-commerce portal - draws its customer base from Kenyans living in the diaspora but now hopes the availability of a local payment portal launched by I & M Bank last week will open the online shop to the domestic consumers. The website has been offering its customers a platform to buy gifts for relatives and friends in Kenya from abroad. The menu of items on sale includes mobile phone airtime, Nakumatt or Uchumi vouchers, or cakes and flowers during special occasions. The company now handles around 500 orders a month, a figure that had grown steadily until last year when a number of small enterprises offering the same service entered the market. We never realised growth last year, partly because of intense competition from new players offering the same services," said Segeni Ngethe, the company's founder. Analysts say last week's launch of the country's first electronic payments system may not have an immediate effect on the budding e-commerce industry citing the pricing structure that I&M Bank and Visa will offer the retailers. That pricing will determine profit margins for online sales - a key ingredient for e-commerce. For many Kenyan e-commerce retailers, card use translates to higher transaction charges and reduced profit margins. The larger the profit margins, the easier it is to accommodate Visa transaction fees. When an online company sells products with margins of 70 per cent, it is easy to justify paying a fee of 5 per cent of the sale price to visa to make the sale possible," said Mr Ngethe. But for smaller firms that generate lower sales margins, hefty payments to Visa may force them to hike prices in order to make profits. "This is an unnecessary expense for us. Our margins are small enough that this has a significant effect on our bottom line. It will also involves a much higher level of security and protection to safely use credit cards for online transactions and that administrative cost is too high for us," said Mr Faulkner. In Kenya, alternative payment systems have been gaining popularity as consumer demand for different payment avenues, other than credit cards, intensifies. Online retailers say Kenyan consumers have been shying away from credit cards in favour of cash on delivery or mobile money transfers.And as security concerns surrounding e-payments increase, some online retailers are turning to outsourced payment processing companies such as Pesapal to manage their e-payments. A poll of e-commerce outfits reveals that the most used payment system in Kenya is cash on delivery, which accounts for 70 per cent of on-line purchases. A growing number of payments (around 20 per cent are made using M-Pesa or Zap, a segment that many industry insiders believe will grow as more consumers get online using their mobile phones or computers. With eight million users already on the system, M-Pesa is gaining ground as the cashless currency of choice because they offer instant payments at rates lower than those charged by banks or credit card vendors. Only five per cent of online purchases are paid for using credit or debit cards which two million Kenyans have access to. The remaining five per cent of the payments made through intermediary payment sites such as Pesapal or Paypal. (Source: Business Daily)

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