October 2010 - KICTANet

PC Tech's Technology of the year awards nominations open now
by Albert Mucunguzi 13 Oct '10

13 Oct '10

?Dear All, PC Tech's Technology of the year awards nomination forms are now available. Members are encouraged to nominate individuals and organizations for the various categories indicated. Please click the link below to download the nomination form. http://pctechmagazine.com/downloads/cat_view/64-pc-tech-awards As a reminder, registration for the Africa Internet and Mobile Entrepreneurs' Conference, 2010, scheduled to take place on December 10th, 2010 is now in progress on the conference website, www.afriec.com. Thank you. _______________________ Regards, Albert Mucunguzi Executive Director PC Tech Communications P.O. Box 32180, Tel: +256 712619812 / 700 297031 Kampala, Uganda. Email: ed(a)pctechmagazine.com Website: www.pctechmagazine.com / www.albertmucunguzi.com

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Job Openings at IDC East Africa (Kenya)
by Francis Hook 13 Oct '10

13 Oct '10

Hi Listers, IDC, one of the foremost global ICT research and consulting firms,with regional African hubs in Nairobi, Lagos, Casablanca and Johannesburg, is looking at expanding its presense in the region and would like to fill the following positions in its Nairobi Office. 1 - Senior Research Analyst 2 - Research Analyst 3 - Associate Research Analyst 4 - Editor. Interested applicants may request a job description, by citing one of the above positions in an email to fhook(a)idc.comm no later than 25th October 2010. Thanks Francis Hook Regional Manager IDC East Africa

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Re: [kictanet] The big Kwaheri: reflecting on 10 years on the MJ 10 yr safari and his-tory - day 1
by charles nduati 12 Oct '10

12 Oct '10

hi MJ Indeed you deserve all these acolades. For me the biggest lesson I learnt from you is that "Innovation is Taking knowledge and experience and aplying it in daily life" I wish you were eligible to run for presidency in 2012 and apply the same, we would be guaranteed of achieving vision 2030 by 2020 all the best charles nduati On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:54 EEST Edith Adera wrote: >Two things I remember Michael for: > >1. Taking PERSONAL interest in ensuring subscriber issues (brought to his attention) were sorted promptly. This is a point his successor, if listening, might want to keep! > >2. During a recent breakfast session for a youth program supported by Safaricom, MJ said (paraphrased) "Whatever you do in life, always remember to give back to society! You are considered a real success when you give back to society"...this touched my heart to the core and I got to know a part of MJ that I did not know before! That's a great corporate culture that MJ leaves behind! > >Kudos and all the best in your future endeavor! > >Edith

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ICANN head warns against putting Internet addresses under UN control
by alice 12 Oct '10

12 Oct '10

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/icann-head-warns-against-put… Alexander Dziadosz Cairo — Reuters Published on Tuesday, May. 25, 2010 8:00AM EDT The head of the U.S.-monitored organization in charge of assigning global internet addresses such as .com and .net has cautioned against proposals to put the group under UN or other international control. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), at the heart of global debate over who should run the Internet, is the closest thing the vast system of intertwined computer networks has to any central authority. Countries such as Iran and Brazil have argued ICANN, which was founded in 1998 under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Commerce and still reports partly to the U.S. government, should cede its authority to a global body such as the United Nations. “If you think of that rate, or pace, in technology, it’s just a lot more rapid than most traditional forms of policy development would be suited to,” Rod Beckstrom, the organisation’s chief executive, told Reuters on Monday. Multilateral state control could make ICANN less nimble, he said, and therefore less likely to quickly develop technologies like Arabic-language domain names that feed rapidly expanding Internet demand. “It’s hard to imagine any replacement for (the current system), and I feel I can say that somewhat objectively because I’ve worked for government as well,” he said, adding such a decision would be up to ICANN’s board of directors. Still, the U.S. government last September agreed to changes that meant ICANN would no longer report solely to the United States, part of a push to give global constituents more say. The agreement set up an international review team to monitor ICANN’s performance and it is due to issue initial recommendations at the end of the year. The deal also included guidelines aimed at making the group more transparent. In 2003 a group of nations suggested ICANN come under the authority of the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency, but that move stumbled on the view that the private sector is better able to run the Internet’s addressing system. A contract that gives ICANN authority over much of the Internet’s basic plumbing, such as allocating Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, is up for review next year. Mr. Beckstrom was in Cairo after Egypt became one of the first countries to win approval to use Arabic script on its national domain name, the last part of the address after the dot. ICANN approved use of non-Latin scripts in October. Egypt said this month it had launched the first domain name using Arabic letters under the name .misr – the Arabic word for Egypt, which is spelt in Arabic script. Countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have so far won ICANN approval to use their national language scripts on the top-level domain. ICANN is now on track to broaden the non-Latin script, top-level domain names that are available into generic names such as .org, Beckstrom said. “Of course you know .com and .net. Those are English language names that are shortened, basically. Where’s the equivalent of that in Arabic?” he said. He said ICANN might be able to introduce generic domain names in international scripts by the end of this year, but the approval process made dates hard to forecast.

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Re: [kictanet] Need for BPO sector re-alignment?
by Edwin Onchari 11 Oct '10

11 Oct '10

Hi Bobby, Thank you for your insightful contribution to the debate. Indeed, the answer lies with an industry driven implementation body, with the several government agencies being enablers. Kenya does not have a single representation to the market, in turn creating a lot of chatter, but without a consistent selling point. It is my hope that we have this in place in good time to put Kenya solidly in the world map. Kind regards, Edwin From: Bobby Varanasi [mailto:bobby@matryzel.com] Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 8:02 AM To: Francis.Hook(a)gmail.com; Edwin Onchari; Raychelle Injete; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions; Sean Moroney; godera(a)skyweb.co.ke Subject: Need for BPO sector re-alignment? Ladies & Gentlemen, Please find attached a brief document I've prepared, adding to the various perspectives presented over the past few days. I would love to hear from yourselves. Sean - thank you for including me into the very interesting and thought-provoking conversations, all in the right direction I must say. Best regards -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bobby Varanasi | Certified Outsourcing Professional | bobby(a)matryzel.com Chairman & CEO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matryzel Consulting, Inc Kuala Lumpur | New York | Davis | Dubai | Austin | Mumbai | Delhi | Manila M: +60.17.379.0215 | +1.302.465.6471 |Skype: bobbyvar www.matryzel.com Strategy. Sourcing. Globalization. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asia Ambassador - IAOP Authorized Global COP Trainer Chairman – Malaysia Chapter, IAOP Chairman – Pacific Rim Advisory Board, IAOP Member – Advocacy & Outreach Committee, IAOP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “The Certified Outsourcing Professional (COP) designation is awarded by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) to individuals who successfully complete its rigorous certification requirements.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. Thank you No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.448 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3189 - Release Date: 10/10/10 18:34:00

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Fw: ITU Elections - Africa Going Places!
by Shem Ochuodho 10 Oct '10

10 Oct '10

My Good Friend Brahima Sanou (formerly Head of ITU Africa Regional Office, Office) has just been elected Director of the BDT in Mexico - making him one of the senior most officers within the ITU system at #3. With Dr Hamadoun Toure at the helm (#1) and now Brahima, Africa could never ask for better. Congrats, Bro. Sanou, and warm rgrds. Shem Shem J. Ochuodho, MSc (Eng), PhD, LLD (Hon) Senior Advisor Ministry of Telecom & Postal Services Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), Juba Kenya Community Abroad (KCA) 2007 Excellence Award Winner AfricaOnline 2005 Industry Pioneer Award Recipient Father of Internet in Kenya (CSK 2000) Cell: +249-955-021-040/+256-477-232025/+254-734-137371 Skype: shem.ochuodho ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Brahima Sanou <brahima(a)bsanou.name> To: Brahima Sanou <brahima(a)bsanou.name> Sent: Sun, 10 October, 2010 11:46:35 Subject: ITU Elections This is to inform you that I have been elected Director of Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). Thank you for your valuable support. Best Regards Brahima Sanou Director elect, ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) Tel: +251 11 551 49 77 Mob: +251 91 120 86 06 Fax: +251 11 551 72 99 Website: http://www.bsanou.name

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Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand
by robert yawe 09 Oct '10

09 Oct '10

Hi, The BPO environment is changing as a result of the financial crisis and the new found American menial work ethic so where do we stand as a destination of choice when even Obama made it clear that no more off-shoring until the unemployment levels reduce substantially. http://www.silicon.com/management/cio-insights/2010/09/30/offshoring-why-in… So after reading this I am sure you will agree with me that the 2030 targets are not looking as rosy, our model should look at us being the preferred destination for BPO for African countries, we are already seeing it with the central depository system providing custodial services for Rwanda and the NSE working towards making the ATS available to other East African Countries. 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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Safaricom Wimax service
by robert yawe 08 Oct '10

08 Oct '10

Hi, I was most exited about getting the Safaricom Wimax service, they had teething problems with the role out which I suspect was because they did not anticipate the level of demand. The service finally worked, which took about a week from the time I applied for the service, but only for about 3 days then the problems started. What is most annoying is that the customer service number is not toll free and cannot be reached through the normal 100 or 200 numbers which to me suggests that Safaricom has not fully integrated the new baby into the rest of the organisation. The customer service number is also only manned during normal working hours which is unacceptable when you are dealing with residential users who need the service outside this hours. The fixed wireless business is also very different from mobile wireless which is Safaricoms forte, with fixed wireless the client cannot take the equipment to a customer service centre which would therefore mean the need for more personnel, vehicles and higher chances of providing mediocre services. This will be a good experience for Safaricom in dealing with a different type of client especially now that they are offering B2B solutions such as application hosting and collocation services. I am sure that after this experience they will never talk ill of Telkom and their landline service. When the initial team came to do the installation it was clear that they where not Safaricom employees but an outsourced provider who where not up to scratch on dealing with residential users. They had dropped the antennae cable down the side of the house from the roof and then through the window. I had them remove the shoddy installation and make sure they passed the cable through the provided conduits which meant that a single team outing turned into a 3 day affair, at the fixed cost I am sure they are being paid per installation I am not surprised that they have not been able to come and fix my link which has been down since Monday this week. Regards Sent from my laptop in the office since my Safaricom Nyumbani service is inoperative 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] What is the better option?
by ESTHER MUCHIRI 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Thanks Emmanuel. I am a faithful user of Safaricom and find it quite reliable. I should have clarified that what I need is a RELIABLE and yes, affordable internet for my office (5 people). I am currently using KDN but there service is very poor. From: Emmanuel Khisa [mailto:oloo.khisa@googlemail.com] Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 3:34 PM To: ESTHER MUCHIRI Cc: oloo.khisa(a)gmail.com; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] What is the better option? Esther, I think on the pricing aspect Zain beats Safaricom, in terms of service quality and other factors I would be extremely cautious make the call. At a personal level, the experience of using ZAIN other than the clear call quality n pricing was anything but pleasant. It took ages for them to respond to querries and customer service was dead. Safaricom takes the cup home any day for me in the areas of value additions, customer service and billing. But then that is just me, I guess the industry is really a free for all at the moment and dependent on our private choices, but to answer your question more directly, ZAIN is obviously cheaper than Safaricom both for local and International calls. As for Internet, Safaricom may be pricier but you want to spare yourself the heartache and stick to them. Ultimately though we will only be able to tell the winners in this segment (data market) after months since at the moment its a bit of a trial and error. Rgds On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 3:11 PM, ESTHER MUCHIRI <emuchiri(a)andestbites.com> wrote: Listers In yesterday's Daily Nation, a one-page advert by ZAIN titled "be the judge" revealed that Safaricom charges for SMS are 3/- within network and 5/- to other networks. However, in today's Daily Nation, Safaricom has hit back with their new SMS tariff of 20 cents for 100 sms per day etc. Unfortunately, one has to subscribe by dialing *188#, and I guess once you exhaust the bundle, you roll back to the standard rates?? Also, which telco is offering the most affordable unlimited broadband Internet? I want to shift.. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: oloo.khisa(a)gmail.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/oloo.khisa%40gmail.com -- Oloo Khisa P.O. Box 24324-00100 Nairobi 0721321086/0734321086 http://ke.linkedin.com/in/olookhisa

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ICTs for civic and political engagement
by Steven Clift 07 Oct '10

07 Oct '10

Warigia, thank you for passing along my request. I've joined your forum to help me become better informed about current examples of online engagement in Kenya - I have a hunch I will humbly learn far more than I will ultimately share with my upcoming speaking trip. This is me: http://stevenclift.com - I've spoken across almost 30 countries on "e-democracy" but this is my first opportunity to visit Sub-Saharan Africa. I run, http://E-Democracy.org which created the world's first election information website in 1994 and today focuses on hosting local online discussion that matter. We have a special Ford Foundation funded effort in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis which has large Somali and Oromo populations: http://e-democracy.org/inclusion So I've put out a few global queries: Digitial Inclusion Network: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/inclusion/messages/topic/2AiHjJ1MZ8Hr8… Democracies Online Exchange: http://groups.dowire.org/r/topic/3Y7NmSTaw3sb7cm7SGvtKz See the links for the great responses so far. Here is a query for your network ... I am interested in discovering both local and national Kenyan or African politicians who are quite active with social media. Being able to point out examples at a more local level where the feedback loop and closeness to the public is often stronger is quite useful. I am also interested in any political, government, or NGO-based "engagement" or "consultation" sites that have jumped on the mobile bandwagon. I am particularly interested in any mobile website or apps that are taking advantage of the increasingly popular smartphone broader net access beyond SMS. I am interested to understand what percent of Kenyan mobile phones are used to access the Internet in some way beyond SMS. Any suggestions? Links? Comments? Thanks for having me as a guest here. Sincerely, Steven Clift Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

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