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Develop the LOCAL outsourcing market
by Marcel Werner 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

We are encouraged by the developments in the BPO Sector. The recent meeting between Kenya BPO & Contact Center Society and the ICT Board revealed steps in the right direction as regards engagement by local entities and more specifically, Government, in taking the lead in outsourcing. The positive engagement between the BPO Society and The Ministry of Special Projects in establishing a call/contact center facility for the easy access by the displaced and other dis-enfranchised Kenyans following the recent sad events is a commendable effort. I am informed that the Kenya Police was severely constrained and could hardly cope with the numerous distress calls that it received because of inadequate technological systems. They may also similarly be looking to enhance their capability. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a healthy practice and common business sense that helps improve efficiency. Farming out non-mission-critical tasks to specialised service providers creates jobs. Not only if the client is off-shore, but also if the client is local and now more focused on its core business, thereby becoming more competitive and cost-effective. We have not seen much evidence that we are scouting around at home for BPO opportunities, more urgent now that the country's international image has taken a beating during the past few weeks. Those locally based companies that have capabilities to offer BPO services should be given more support, also from locally based clients. This is good for the economy, and good for the BPO industry. Positive steps being taken by the Kenya ICT Board in promoting Kenya as an Outsource destination should be fully supported. More should also be done by the local business that should equally be encouraged to outsource. Some, like Safaricom, had made some indications towards outsourcing and nobody knows where this process ended. The Kenya ICT Board, The Ministry of ICT and other ICT Sector Associations should be urged to lobby for such opportunities to be given to local BPO Operators, not only because it enables job creation in these hard times, but also because it helps establish a local competence and capability that we need before we embark on the international leg of selling Kenya as an outsource destination. What are the industry players doing in encouraging this? Over to you…. Marcel Werner, chairman Kenya ICT Federation - www.kif.or.ke please send any office correspondence to: marcelwerner(a)innovation-africa.net

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Online University Education, an opportunity from the post election fiasco
by robert yawe 10 Feb '08

10 Feb '08

Online University Education, an opportunity from the post election fiasco After reading the articles in the Sunday Nation about the problems being experienced by Universities due to the post election violence I remembered the following saying; "If life serves you lemons, make lemonade" The post election violence will definitely have a major effect on all sectors of education, but I believe there is a quicker fix for the universities in the form of applied technology. We all know that 90% of the content of a university lecture is exactly that, a lecture, this makes it an ideal candidate for audio conferencing with expansion into video conferencing. Masinde Muliro, Moi, Egerton and Kabarak should look into providing their lectures virtually. Telkom, Safaricom and Celtel have a country wide network all we therefore need is a audio/video conferencing bridge installed so that students can listen to the lecture from wherever they are, questions can initially be sent via sms and assignments e-mailed or even posted via snail mail (fine this might not be leading edge technology but I am working on a short leash here). Exams (CAT's, mice and lobsters) well here is a chance to carry them out online just like is done with TOEFL, SAT and PAT the exams required for entry to American universities, not forgetting those microsoft and Cisco exams many of us have done. We also will need to push the lecturers to provide their material in form of computer based training (CBT) format. Here is the catch are we as IT experts, gurus and nugus ready to take up the challenge? are we ready to work cheap, fast and furious? can we stand up and be counted. The post election violence has created a problem, lets use this as an opportunity to deliver a leading edge solution. Now if only the government had concentrated on the terrestrial fiber to the district we would be discussing a different issue. We are ready to take on this challenge, who else out there is game? Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 KEnya Tel: +254722511225 __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

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Small Medium Enterprise Symposium-March 22,2008
by Jose' 09 Feb '08

09 Feb '08

Small Medium Enterprise symposiums are programs that Kimathi Information Centre offers every year. The participants are introduced on ways that will make their small businesses have sound capability of growing positively by using computers as a tool to catalyze this process. This particular series focuses on emerging businesses with the theme; Emerging People, Emerging Markets, Emerging Technologies Among the key role players that will make this day a success will involve various practitioners who support Small Medium Enterprise they include; Kenya Youth Business Trust(KYBT) Equity Bank Ministry Of Youth Ministry Of Information and Technology Computers For Schools Kenya Mentors Business consultants. Small Medium Enterprise businesses lack an important growth ingredient which is lack of mentorship and exposure to business people, markets and technologies. This symposium acts as a catalyst to bring about sustainability in their business model. During the morning session, we shall have the opening remarks by Mr. Tom Musili who is the Executive Director of Computer For Schools Kenya then later on, we shall have three role players pick up topics that will go around; How to write business plans Business ethics and importance of networking The role of mentors. In the afternoon session, we shall have the mentorship clinic plus the exhibition whereby, the participants will have a chance to mingle with professional mentors from all walks of specialization. This will also bring alive the theme where entrepreneurs will emerge with new partnerships, get to network plus embrace new technologies that revolve around computers. We call for your participation that will make the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) breakthrough. Having your participation in the mentorship tent will go along way in support to Emerging enterprise. --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

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Is KRA ready for e-commerce
by robert yawe 08 Feb '08

08 Feb '08

Hi, I previously raised the issue of KRA's Lnad Rent Checker which does not work, still doesn't, this time I went to the KRA site to try and raise a complete so I clicked on the e-mail address of the staff responsible contact address is displayed as Fidelis.Mulei(a)kra.go.ke but when the mail was sent the e-mail address was Andrew.Okello(a)kra.go.ke. That should be fine, but the mail bounces with a recipient unknown message. I think KRA needs to apply their diligence in collecting taxes to maintaining their web site. Imagine if you mailed your tax return on the date of the deadline, I am a Kenyan so do not held this against me, just to realise the following morning that the e-mail address that KRA advertised in the press was actually the wrong one. Regards __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

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[Fwd: [governance] Summer School on Internet Governance] call for application
by alice 08 Feb '08

08 Feb '08

Call for Application 2nd Summer School on Internet Governance (SSIG) Meissen, July 25 - August, 31, 2007 <http://www.norid.no/> <http://www.eurid.eu/> <http://www.dotasia.org/> The Internet, with more than 1.2 billion users worldwide, is the most important infrastructure of the information age. The Internet influences policies, economics and cultures on the global as well as on the local level. Internet related issues like security and stability, freedom of expression, privacy, eCommerce, new market opportunities, protection of intellectual property, fight against cybercrime, development, digital divide and others getting higher and higher priorities on the national and international political agenda. To reach the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDG) until 2015 the Internet is a crucial tool. For some experts Internet Governance will become as important as it is climate change today. Do you want to understand, how and by whom the Internet is governed and what the issues are which have made Internet Governance as one of the new global conflicts of the diplomacy of the 21st century? Do you want to know what the political, economic, social and legal implications of Internet Governance are and what is behind ICANN, RIRs, ccTLDs, gTLDs, iDNs, IPv6, IGF, WGIG and WSIS ? Do want to get more detailed information on how technical Internet Standards, Protocols and Codes, how the Domain Name System and the IP Address Space or the Domain Name market is evolving? Than you should apply for the "2008 Summer School on Internet Governance" (SSIG). The 2008 Summer School offers a unique multidisciplinary high level 50 hours academic programme both for graduate students and young academics as well as for junior professionals from private sector, government and civil society. The programme is a well balanced mixture of theoretical lectures with world leading academics as well as practical presentations from well known experts working directly in the technical community, the market or in policy. It offers also opportunities for interactive communication with faculty members and among the fellows themselves by the daily evening programme of students presentations. Members of the 2008 Faculty include, inter alia Prof. Olga Cavalli, University of Buenos Aires Bertrand de la Chapelle, Envoy of the Information Society, French Foreign Ministry Avria Doria, Lulea Technology University, Chair of ICANNs GNSO Council Dr. William Drake, Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies, Geneva Philipp Grabensee, Chairman of the Board of Afilias Ltd., Dublin Ayesha Hassan, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris Markus Kummer, Executive Secretary of the Internet Governance Forum, (TBC) Prof. Milton Mueller, School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, N.Y. Michael Niebel, European Commission, Member of ICANNs GAC, Brussels Prof. Jonathan Zittrain, Oxford Internet Institute (TBC) The Faculty is chaired by Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter, University of Aarhus The 2008 Summer School on Internet Governance (SSIG) takes place in the St. Afra Monastery of the "Evangelische Akademie Meissen" in Germany, a historic place, where the father of the German enlightenment, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, went to school. Meissen is a 1000 years old small city, famous for its "Meissen China", its very dry white wine and its old fortress, gothic churches and historic wine cellars from July 25 - July 31, 2008. It is a 30 minutes train ride from Dresden Airport, which connected by six daily shuttles to Munich and Frankfurt. The Summer School on Internet Governance (SSIG) is organized by the University of Aarhus and the Medienstadt Leipzig e.V., a recognized "At Large Structure" (ALS) under ICANN Bylaws. It is sponsored by five TLD Registries, among them as Golden Sponsor DENIC (.de), as Silver Sponsor UNINETT (.no) and SIDN (.nl) and as Bronze Sponsor EURID (.eu) and DotAsia (.asia). Additionally UNESCO, Diplo Foundation, GIGANET, ENOM, Afilias, Dotberlin and others have partnered with the Summer School. The fee of 1.000.00 EUR (plus 19% VAT) includes, next to the full lecture programme * six nights accommodation in single guest rooms of the academy, * breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and snacks & wine at the daily night sessions, * one evening reception in the Meissen Procellanmanufactory, * a gala dinner in the historic wine-restaurant "Vinzenz Richter", * sightseeing events, * free WiFi access and * all teaching material. There is a special fee for students of 500.00 EUR (plus 19% VAT). There is also an opportunity to apply for support from the fellowship programme which is still under development. Students will get a certificate at the end of the Summer School. Detailed information, including the Draft Programme and the electronic "Application Form" as well as comments from 2007 Summer School Fellows can be found under www.euro-ssig.eu <http://www.euro-ssig.eu/> If you are interested in the Summer School on Internet Governance (SSIG), please send Applications until May 31, 2008 by using the electronic form on the website or contacting directly Sandra Hoferichter (info(a)hoferichter.eu) the Secretary of the Summer School or Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter (wolfgang(a)imv.au.dk) chair of the 2008 Faculty. Members of the 2008 Programme Committee Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter, University of Aarhus (Chair); Dr. William J. Drake, Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies Geneva; Prof. Milton Mueller, Syracuse University; Avria Doria, Lulea Technology University; Bart Vastenburg, SIDN; Giovanni Seppia, EURID; Sabine Dolderer, DENIC; Philipp Grabensee, Afilias; Axel Plathe, UNESCO ____________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: governance-unsubscribe(a)lists.cpsr.org For all list information and functions, see: http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

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ICANN 31st International Public Meeting in New Delhi Next Week
by alice 08 Feb '08

08 Feb '08

ICANN 31st International Public Meeting in New Delhi Next Week India, Asia represent future of the changing face of the Internet 7 February 2008 NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will open its 31st International Public Meeting on 11 February 2008 in New Delhi, India, a country and a region certain to be a the forefront of the waves of changes coming to the Internet. "India and Asia are at the heart of the Internet's future — a future that ICANN is working on as we speak," said Peter Dengate Thrush, ICANN's Board Chairman. "Internet penetration in India is at just over five percent and growing fast — considering that one per cent is 11 million people coming online. ICANN's work on Internationalized Domain Names and new top-level domains has the potential to reach out to rest of India and begin remaking the Internet as people connect in their own languages and scripts." Some highlights of the 31 st ICANN Meeting include: A Public Discussion of the Midterm Review of ICANN's Joint Project Agreement with the U.S. Government and ICANN's goal of continued transition of its role to the private sector; A Workshop on Progress on the Fast-Track Process to find a way to represent territory identifications in local languages as country-code top-level domains as quickly as possible in the areas of highest need; A workshop on ICANN's planning for what happens if a Registrar were to cease operating; A workshop on the pioneering work being done on IDNs in Indian Languages and Scripts; The signing of the fifth and final Regional At-Large Organization memorandum of understanding — this one for the Asia-Pacific Region — creating the formal structure for ICANN to obtain input into its policy processes from Internet users; An open and public ICANN Board Meeting. "It's fitting and exciting for ICANN to hold this meeting in India. This nation is the fastest growing IT hub in the world and at the foundation is the single, globally interoperable Internet coordinated by ICANN," added Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN's President and CEO. "ICANN and the Internet Community will be discussing the issues that will help the Internet expand to the next billion users — new top level domains and the ability to use scripts like Devanagari and Tamil after the dot in a domain name." These international public meetings are the ICANN model in action — bottom-up, consensus-driven discussions that help ensure the domain name system is coordinated rather than controlled. The New Delhi meeting is the first of the three public ICANN meetings in 2008. These meetings are crucial because ICANN's polices are created through a bottom-up, transparent process involving Internet Community. The complete schedule for ICANN's 31st meeting, as well as links to webcast sessions and our public participation website, can be found at: http://delhi.icann.org/ -30- About ICANN: ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org <http://www.icann.org/> . Media Contacts: Jason Keenan Media Adviser, ICANN Ph: +1 310 382 4004 E: jason.keenan(a)icann.org <mailto:jason.keenan@icann.org> International: Andrew Robertson Edelman ( London) Ph: +44 7921 588 770 E: andrew.robertson(a)edelman.com <mailto:andrew.robertson@edelman.com> ---

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Is KRA ready for e-commerce
by robert yawe 07 Feb '08

07 Feb '08

Yet again the Kenyan government is unable to show true dedication to implementing ICT. After my problem with sending an e-mail to KRA yesterday I decided to revert to our traditional means of communication, the telephone. I called the number listed for the party who could answer my query and instead of getting a human answer or at least an IVR the system sent my call directly to a message on hold system which proceeded to tell me about what KRA does. After staying on hold while listening to the pre-recorded message I gave up and disconnected. Ndemo and Co, we are talking about providing outsourcing services for foreign companies yet we have not even tried to outsource the largest local provider of services the Government. How difficult is it for KRA to setup a call center which we can call and get instant assitance, how do we expect to provide quality service to outsiders yet we do not have a culture of providing quality service to our own people. And better still this would not require a marine cable to land. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 KEnya Tel: +254722511225 ----- Original Message ---- From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> To: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wednesday, 6 February, 2008 10:02:22 AM Subject: [kictanet] Is KRA ready for e-commerce Hi, I previously raised the issue of KRA's Lnad Rent Checker which does not work, still doesn't, this time I went to the KRA site to try and raise a complete so I clicked on the e-mail address of the staff responsible contact address is displayed as Fidelis.Mulei(a)kra.go.ke but when the mail was sent the e-mail address was Andrew.Okello(a)kra.go.ke. That should be fine, but the mail bounces with a recipient unknown message. I think KRA needs to apply their diligence in collecting taxes to maintaining their web site. Imagine if you mailed your tax return on the date of the deadline, I am a Kenyan so do not held this against me, just to realise the following morning that the e-mail address that KRA advertised in the press was actually the wrong one. Regards Sent from Yahoo! - a smarter inbox. -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/robertyawe%40yahoo.co.… __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

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Fwd: [plans] Input sought on ICANN budget and operating plan
by waudo siganga 07 Feb '08

07 Feb '08

-- waudo siganga emailsignet(a)mailcan.com ----- Original message ----- From: "BC Secretariat" <secretariat(a)bizconst.org> To: "BC list" <bclist(a)bizconst.org> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 06:15:29 +0100 Subject: [plans] Input sought on ICANN budget and operating plan Your opportunity to provide input -- collectively, and individually -- on ICANN's budget and operating plan for the next three fiscal years has begun. A public comment email list will be opened on the "Initial Operating Plan and Budget Framework" <[1]http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-04feb08.htm>, and it will be discussed in Delhi at a workshop on Wednesday, 13 February from 16:30 - 17:30. Additionally, ICANN's COO, CFO, and I will be available to discuss the overall proposals, and elements directly related to Policy Development, with constituencies in Delhi and via conference calls afterwards. Please email me Glen to schedule a discussion. As I noted previously, a new approach has been taken this year to allow more time for community consultation and to provide a three year projection for ICANN's operating plan and budget. The process was launched four months earlier this year with the posting of initial proposals to jump-start discussions at the Delhi meeting. The proposed budget and operating plan is based on the June 2008 - July 2011 Strategic Plan <[2]http://www.icann.org/strategic-plan/>, on which public comment was sought last year, and on the current operating plan and department budgets. A series of consultations and a public comment period will be held through March (approximately), and then staff will incorporate the input, as appropriate, and a proposed Operating Plan and Budget will be available for further public comment until mid-May (approximately). The Board is scheduled to consider and vote on the Operating Plan and Budget in June. ICANN's next fiscal year begins on 1 July 2008. Please take time to review these initial proposals and provide your input. Items that may be of particular interest to the GNSO include: - A revenue budget for FY09 of about $61MM. This assumes modest transaction growth, contractually planned increases in Registry fees, and factors in the proposal of the elimination of ICANN fee refunds during the AGP. - Increases in the new gTLD and IDN projects from a base cost of about $3.7MM in FY08 to almost $14.3MM. This includes expenses to complete the policy implementation elements, and the start-up expenses for going into operation. In the three-year projection model, total expenses go down by almost $5MM in FY2010 as these start-up expenses are no longer needed. - Increases in other initiatives from about $13.1MM to about $19.9MM, including compliance activities, registrant protection, infrastructure, and security. The deliverables are shown in the operating plan. - Increases to complete organizational reviews and implement organizational improvements, including funding operational and structural changes to the GNSO. - Increases in Policy Development support over the next three fiscal years, including funds to retain expert analysis to inform key policy discussions, and provide additional secretariat support to SOs, constituencies and Advisory Committees. Again, the intent is provide a rough draft to engage the community in meaningful budget and operating plan discussions that will help us produce a draft plans for further comment. I look forward to seeing those of you who will be in Delhi. Regards, Denise -- Denise Michel ICANN VP, Policy [3]denise.michel(a)icann.org References 1. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-04feb08.htm 2. http://www.icann.org/strategic-plan/ 3. mailto:denise.michel@icann.org

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Alari's mass today @ 2.30
by Rebecca Wanjiku 07 Feb '08

07 Feb '08

Hi, The mass is today at 2.30 Holy family Basillica For those who did not know...Alari and his siblings were orphans, having lost their parents some years ago. As far back as I can remember, Alari has been the father and mother of his siblings. With this in mind there are two different groups in Nairobi (that I am aware of ) that are raising funds for his burial and for the upkeep of the siblings he has left behind. There is an ongoing fundraising here at The Standard Group from colleagues and the company itself and another one which i mentioned in an earlier email that involves friends, family etc. I think a bank account may be set up for donations for the upkeep of the siblings. Once this is confirmed we will let you know so that those who wish to make personal donations may do so. Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Public Comments Requested on DNS Stability: The Effect of New gTLDs on the Internet Domain Name System]
by alice 07 Feb '08

07 Feb '08

Public Comments Requested on DNS Stability: The Effect of New gTLDs on the Internet Domain Name System 6 February 2008 *DNS Stability: The Effect of New Generic Top Level Domains on the Internet Domain Name System <http://www.icann.org/topics/dns-stability-draft-paper-06feb08.pdf> [PDF, 53K] * The ICANN community has recently completed a policy development process regarding the introduction of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). This effort took place within ICANN's Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) (see http://gnso.icann.org/) and resulted in a set of recommendations (see http://gnso.icann.org/issues/new-gtlds/pdp-dec05-fr-parta-08aug07.htm#_Toc4…) to guide ICANN in introducing new gTLDs to the namespace. In its recommendations, the GNSO concluded that "ICANN must implement a process that allows the introduction of new top-level domains," and called for a procedure respecting the principles of fairness, transparency and non-discrimination. In preparing for the expected implementation of the gTLD policy recommendations, staff is conducting some review and analysis of the technical issues involved in this development. The addition of gTLDs to the namespace is an expansion of the DNS on a potentially large scale, to include many more names at the top level. One of the policy recommendations developed in relation to the introduction of new gTLDs included the requirement that "Strings must not cause any technical instability." ICANN is publishing this paper to solicit informed input on the technical issues relevant to the addition of new gTLDs, and to provide transparency toward how it will interpret and implement this recommendation. The goal is a clear set of rules that will be available to potential new gTLD applicants; so that it is known from the outset what tests will be applied to each application. ICANN is seeking feedback on the proposed approach as a step in its implementation planning for the introduction of new gTLDs. Comments may be submitted to new-gtlds-dns-stability(a)icann.org <mailto:new-gtlds-dns-stability@icann.org> by March 7 2008. Comments can be viewed at http://forum.icann.org/lists/new-gtlds-dns-stability/. For more information about the New gTLD Program, please go to http://www.icann.org/topics/new-gtld-program.htm. -- Anne-Rachel Inne _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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