- KICTANet - KICTANet

Advanced Recovery and Continuity Appliances
by Tuma Barua 10 Feb '10

10 Feb '10

Jambo! We (ICT people) are usually faced with server backup and restoration problems. I would like to share with you a "wonder drug" for disaster recovery and business continuity problems. This appliance can backup and restore an entire Windows (Server Farm), exchange mailboxes and other applications at bare-machine level. Restoration is in less than 15 minutes? Yes, including OS and the applications recovery. No need to re-install OS and re-configure it again. This solution has been and is being used across the world. Contact me directly, on email, if you need the vendor to call you and have a *live demo *before* *you can make a decision to buy. An online demo is also a possibility. Regards, T. Barua.

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initiatives related to ICT & environmental sustainability
by Alan Finlay 10 Feb '10

10 Feb '10

Dear colleagues The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is developing an action research network focused on ICTs & Environmental Sustainability. The initiative builds on work in this area undertaken by APC and its member organizations in the last few years. An important part of building the Action research network is to build stronger relationships with others who are active in the field, to exchange information and build collective knowledge and work towards common actions. To this end, we would be interested to learn about work your organisation is doing in this area. We are particularly interested in initiatives in the following areas, in the context of ICTs & Environmental Sustainability: - policy advocacy - environmentally-sustainable computing practices - use of ICTs for awareness raising and education about ICTS and environmental sustainability - use of ICTs in climate change (CCH) mitigation - e-waste disposal and CCH The outcomes of our research and activities will be made available to all who are interested. If your initiatives cover other areas where ICTs play an important role in environmental sustainability and climate change (or dealing with it), do let us know as well. Please send your feedback directly to karel(a)apc.org so we don't overload this list. Thank you to those of you who have already sent us feedback about your initiatives in the field, there is no need to resend it. * More about APC's research network ----------------------------------- The action research network will generate the research needed to create some basic tools and resources that have the potential to launch a campaign that can transform the ICT for development community into leaders of an emerging movement of environmentally conscious ICT use. APC will approach this work by addressing two exploratory research questions: How can national ICT policy environments in developing countries effectively address sustainability and climate change concerns? How can ICTs be used more sustainability by ICTD (ICT for development) practitioners and civil society organisations? We aim to achieve the above objectives by implementing four inter-related activities: - Mapping national policy environments: country baseline studies - Research into sustainable ICT tools and practices - Developing practical guidelines and check lists - Building research capacity and begin to establish a research network. Looking forward to hear about your work Best regards Karel Novotny Knowledge Sharing Projects Coordinator APC -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Karel Novotny working from Montevideo, Uruguay Knowledge Sharing Projects Coordinator Strategic Technologies & Network Development Programme APC - The Association for Progressive Communications http://www.apc.org GSM: +598 983 010 99 (GMT -2) sip:karelnovotny@ekiga.net ---------------------------------------------------- Online Monday - Thursday/en línea lunes - jueves ----------------------------------------------------

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Re: [kictanet] Vandalism menace
by emmanuel.khisa＠kadet.co.ke 10 Feb '10

10 Feb '10

On the creation of awareness on the fibre infrastructure, isn't it time some slotted this into the science education syllabus so that right from primary the children know what fibre optic is just as we did copper wires. This will achieve two things, bring up an informed generation next. Secondly bringing on board the TEACHER who is a great change agent in the village and in most communities into this war against ignorance. KIE could tell us how feasible this is. 1 pence! EK Sent from my BlackBerry® -----Original Message----- From: "Kai Wulff" <kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke> Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 18:01:36 To: <emmanuel.khisa(a)kadet.co.ke> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Vandalism menace _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: emmanuel.khisa(a)kadet.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/emmanuel.khisa%40kadet…

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Another wasted bumper harvest
by robert yawe 09 Feb '10

09 Feb '10

Hi, Yet again we suffer from a lack of information, farmers are pouring milk because the dairies cannot handle the increased volume and on another front maize is rotting in the shambas because NCPB do not have money to buy the maize due to an unexpected bumper harvest. I could understand the increased milk production as it could have been sudden but how is it that we did not realise, in good time, that there will be a bumper maize harvest. Well, application developers can we get out an application that can help the government and millers be better prepared for a good or bad harvest or are we waiting for 3G connectivity or a 3rd fibre optic cable to land before we can role out such a product. Even Joseph had a prediction system that saved Egypt from extinction yet he did not have a high speed Internet link nor a 3G mobile phone and definitely not an IPAD. Lets apply ourselves to solving this basic issues instead of lamenting about a lack of 3G infrastructure, this is a challenge to the strathmore, IFC and other incubeter initiatives as well. Have a good day 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] Another wasted bumper harvest
by Pius Walela 09 Feb '10

09 Feb '10

I believe that self- criticism is symptomatic of defeatism, however that which is done in moderation is healthy. In due regard I would urge my colleagues to make do with that which is available to the maximum. Optimal resource utilization would go a long way in rooting out existent problems e.g. improved revenue collection by the city council of Nairobi. More over I would reiterate by borrowing a leaf from a former US statesman who ranted , “do not ask what your country can do for you rather ,what you can do for it” end quote. The Tigers(Malaysia etc) made progress by developing customized local solutions adaptable to their contexts. Thus this case studies serve as a motivation that not all is impossible. Last but not least not all is lost as Obama deftly put it , “YES YOU CAN.”These produce could be sold in the wider COMESA market , all you need to do is provide effective structures and let the laws of demand and supply manifest. Regards Pius W Walela Research Programmes Administrator Faculty of Information Technology Strathmore University Tel : +254 -020- 606155 Ext 2320 Web : www.strathmore.edu/fit Email : pwalela(a)strathmore.edu ________________________________ Strathmore University provides all-round education in an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for use by the recipient(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email and/or any files attached to it from your computer. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Strathmore University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss or damages incurred, or suffered, resulting, or arising, from the use of this email and/or its attachments. The University warrants neither the integrity of the e-mail nor its freedom from errors, viruses, interception or any other form of interference. …………………………………………………………………. Website: www.strathmore.edu

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Reverse engineering - or patent infringement?
by S.Murigi Muraya 09 Feb '10

09 Feb '10

Results include your SearchWiki notes for *Cisco sues Huawei*. Share these notes Copy and paste this link into an *email* or *IM*: See a preview of the shared page<http://www.google.co.ke/search?q=Cisco+sues+Huawei&pov=11237935410132872717…> 1. *Cisco* drops *Huawei* lawsuit • The Register<http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAgQFjAA&url=h…> 29 Jul 2004 *...* The settlement comes 20 months after *Cisco sued Huawei * for allegedly using stolen Cisco's technology to develop a line-up of routers and *...* www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/*cisco*_*huawei*_case_ends/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: S.Murigi Muraya <murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? To: Brian Longwe <blongwe(a)gmail.com> Well Cisco had sued them for .... On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 10:49 AM, Brian Longwe <blongwe(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Murigi, > > Actually, if you look at all of Huawei and ZTEs CDMA products, they > purchase/license the core chip from Qualcomm, who have the patent for the > technology. In fact, they ate Qualcomms biggest partner. > > Brian > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 9, 2010, at 10:37 AM, S.Murigi Muraya <murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > > All well & good. If the Chinese listened to these kinds of (valid) points > there would be no Huawei or ZTE in existence. Knowledge first (primary) & > legalities (later but) not to be ignored. > > No nation has developed by impressing foreigners but primarily by being > civilized (not harming anyone including foreigners), believing in its own > people & by promoting learning with its boundaries. > > SMM > > ------------------------------ > From: Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> > Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 09:47 > To: murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? > > Good morning all, > > I didn't refer to Prof. Kamau, I referred to the statement of Dr Ndemo, > which he kindly qualified. I am aware of the debate of generic drugs and the > arguments made that the public good should override patent rights. But this > is, as I'm sure everyone is also aware of, a complex topic, with an equally > complex international legal framework, and as much as it's easy to hate big > pharma, I think some recognition needs to be given to companies that invest > heavily in R&D. > > In the Kenyan debate specifically, I would find it counterproductive if > senior government officials openly call for patent right infringements (and > again, Dr Ndemo did qualify his statement). Apart from the fact that I'd > rather like to see innovation encouraged, it does nothing for Kenya's image > towards international ICT and tech investors or people looking to outsource > processes. Copy right and patent infringement and intellectual property > right theft was and is a big concern in China, and Kenya has none of the > advantages that China offers to offset these: very low-cost manufacturing > environment and a huge domestic market. It's a bit of a contradiction to > call for e.g. certifications etc to build international credibility, and > then offset it with a signal like this. > > On the IPad specificially: I doubt that Kenyan companies, even if they > managed to copy the IPad, would be able to build it at a lower cost, and the > way the education sector is run now, they'd be stolen just as quickly as any > book - probably faster. I went to the Intel Classmate launch a couple of > years ago and they made a useful point that just handing out kiddie laptops > is not the solution: You need the whole ecosystem to make them productive. > Electricity, connectivity, a place to lock them up, and importantly a > teaching plan that they are integrated into. > > Have a lovely day, > Andrea > > On 9 February 2010 09:07, Walubengo J < <jwalu(a)yahoo.com>jwalu(a)yahoo.com>wrote: > >> @Andrea, >> >> Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? >> >> If I was Prof. Kamau, I would carefully ride on both - depending on the >> convenience of the laws applicable and the demand for public good. Draw the >> parallel with generic HIV medicines... >> >> walu. >> >> --- On *Tue, 2/9/10, Andrea Bohnstedt <<andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> >> andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com>* wrote: >> >> >> From: Andrea Bohnstedt < <andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> >> andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Getting a hold on cybercrime against women (cyber >> pests!) >> To: <jwalu(a)yahoo.com>jwalu(a)yahoo.com >> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" < <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 12:40 AM >> >> Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? >> >> On 8 February 2010 21:01, < <http://mc/compose?to=bitange@jambo.co.ke> >> bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: >> >>> Dear listers, >>> Prof. Kamau, University of Nairobi's engineering school has successifully >>> reverse engineered the converter box for digital TV. Those willing to visit >>> the fab lab next week should register with Awiti in my office. His e-mail >>> is <http://mc/compose?to=nawiti@information.go.ke> >>> nawiti(a)information.go.ke. >>> >>> I am hoping soon we can reverse engineer the ipad so that we can use it >>> to distribute e-books to all kids in the country and avoid this theft of >>> textbooks. >>> >>> Regards. >>> >>> Ndemo. >>> Sent from my BlackBerry® >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: "muriuki mureithi" <<http://mc/compose?to=mureithi@summitstrategies.co.ke> >>> mureithi(a)summitstrategies.co.ke> >>> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:14:20 >>> To: < <http://mc/compose?to=bitange@jambo.co.ke>bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> >>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<<http://mc/compose?to=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> Subject: [kictanet] Getting a hold on cybercrime against women (cyber >>> pests!) >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> kictanet mailing list >>> <http://mc/compose?to=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>> <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet> >>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>> >>> This message was sent to: <http://mc/compose?to=bitange@jambo.co.ke> >>> bitange(a)jambo.co.ke >>> Unsubscribe or change your options at >>> <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke> >>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> kictanet mailing list >>> <http://mc/compose?to=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>> <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet> >>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>> >>> This message was sent to: >>> <http://mc/compose?to=andrea.bohnstedt@ratio-magazine.com> >>> andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com >>> Unsubscribe or change your options at >>> <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/andrea.bohnstedt%40rat…> >>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/andrea.bohnstedt%40rat… >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Inline Attachment Follows----- >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> <http://mc/compose?to=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: <http://mc/compose?to=jwalu@yahoo.com> >> jwalu(a)yahoo.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com >> >> >> > > > -- > Andrea Bohnstedt > Publisher > +254 720 960 322 > <http://www.ratio-magazine.com>www.ratio-magazine.com > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: <blongwe(a)gmail.com>blongwe(a)gmail.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at > <http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/blongwe%40gmail.com> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/blongwe%40gmail.com > >

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Fwd: Skunkworks Meeting Reminder, Nokia Research, Networked Systems, Today, 9th February 2010
by Phares Kariuki 09 Feb '10

09 Feb '10

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Phares Kariuki <pkariuki(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 11:05 AM Subject: Skunkworks Meeting Reminder, Nokia Research, Networked Systems, Today, 9th February 2010 To: Skunkworks forum <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Hi, There will be a Skunkworks meeting today at Teleposta Towers, from 6.00 pm. The panel will be comprised of the following: *Jonathan Ledlie* is a Senior Researcher in Networked Systems at Nokia. His interests include experimental large-scale distributed and mobile systems and ICTD. He has a PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University and is currently based at the Cambridge (US) Nokia Research Center. *Jay Chen* is a fourth year Systems and Networking Computer Science PhD candidate at New York University. His research areas include AI, with a focus on Natural Language Processing, and ICTD. *Brian Omwenga* is a Research Engineer currently working at Nokia Research currently based in Nairobi. His interests include Large Scale Open Systems analysis and design, strategy and ICTD. He is a science master in Technology and Policy from the Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. *Billy Odero* is a Research Engineer at Nokia Research Currently based in Nairobi working on the development of mobile systems for emerging markets. *The projects*: [1] Tangaza - An audio based social networking service on mobile phones [2] NokiaSMSFind - An intelligent sms based search service -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares |

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Re: [kictanet] Reverse engineering - or patent infringement?
by S.Murigi Muraya 09 Feb '10

09 Feb '10

All well & good. If the Chinese listened to these kinds of (valid) points there would be no Huawei or ZTE in existence. Knowledge first (primary) & legalities (later but) not to be ignored. No nation has developed by impressing foreigners but primarily by being civilized (not harming anyone including foreigners), believing in its own people & by promoting learning with its boundaries. SMM -----Original Message----- From: Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 09:47 To: murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? Good morning all, I didn't refer to Prof. Kamau, I referred to the statement of Dr Ndemo, which he kindly qualified. I am aware of the debate of generic drugs and the arguments made that the public good should override patent rights. But this is, as I'm sure everyone is also aware of, a complex topic, with an equally complex international legal framework, and as much as it's easy to hate big pharma, I think some recognition needs to be given to companies that invest heavily in R&D. In the Kenyan debate specifically, I would find it counterproductive if senior government officials openly call for patent right infringements (and again, Dr Ndemo did qualify his statement). Apart from the fact that I'd rather like to see innovation encouraged, it does nothing for Kenya's image towards international ICT and tech investors or people looking to outsource processes. Copy right and patent infringement and intellectual property right theft was and is a big concern in China, and Kenya has none of the advantages that China offers to offset these: very low-cost manufacturing environment and a huge domestic market. It's a bit of a contradiction to call for e.g. certifications etc to build international credibility, and then offset it with a signal like this. On the IPad specificially: I doubt that Kenyan companies, even if they managed to copy the IPad, would be able to build it at a lower cost, and the way the education sector is run now, they'd be stolen just as quickly as any book - probably faster. I went to the Intel Classmate launch a couple of years ago and they made a useful point that just handing out kiddie laptops is not the solution: You need the whole ecosystem to make them productive. Electricity, connectivity, a place to lock them up, and importantly a teaching plan that they are integrated into. Have a lovely day, Andrea On 9 February 2010 09:07, Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: @Andrea, Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? If I was Prof. Kamau, I would carefully ride on both - depending on the convenience of the laws applicable and the demand for public good. Draw the parallel with generic HIV medicines... walu. --- On Tue, 2/9/10, Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> wrote: From: Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Getting a hold on cybercrime against women (cyber pests!) To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 12:40 AM Reverse engineering - or patent infringement? On 8 February 2010 21:01, <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: Dear listers, Prof. Kamau, University of Nairobi's engineering school has successifully reverse engineered the converter box for digital TV. Those willing to visit the fab lab next week should register with Awiti in my office. His e-mail is nawiti(a)information.go.ke. I am hoping soon we can reverse engineer the ipad so that we can use it to distribute e-books to all kids in the country and avoid this theft of textbooks. Regards. Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry® -----Original Message----- From: "muriuki mureithi" <mureithi(a)summitstrategies.co.ke> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:14:20 To: <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: [kictanet] Getting a hold on cybercrime against women (cyber pests!) _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: andrea.bohnstedt(a)ratio-magazine.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/andrea.bohnstedt%40rat… -----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: jwalu(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com -- Andrea Bohnstedt Publisher +254 720 960 322 www.ratio-magazine.com

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Is anytthing going on with Automation of Government Reciepting?
by Leonard Aloo 09 Feb '10

09 Feb '10

Listers, Can someone please let me know why with all the ICT brains in Kenya, Government Receipts are still issued in longhand using carbon paper! Without for a moment suggesting impropriety on the part of anyone currently using long hand, one suspects that, if the process is automated, revenue will rise significantly. After all, how does one know that the seven (7) in the customer copy of the handwritten receipt is not accounted for as a one (1) in the duplicate copy. Add zeros to the figures and see what effect it can have (7,000 = 1000; 70,000 = 10,000 etc). Imagine the resultant reduction in taxes. Do the government accounting officers not want to have a dashboard on their computers where they can see revenues coming in in real-time. Does any one know if there is anything going on to remove us from the carbon paper age? Regards, Leonard Obura Aloo Advocate

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Developing Botnets - An Analysis of Recent Activity
by Ian Cook 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

All Team Cymru has just published a new information paper detailing the last 6 months of botnet activity we've been tracking. See "Developing Botnets - An Analysis of Recent Activity" at http://www.team-cymru.org/ReadingRoom/Whitepapers The conclusions are quite interesting: HTTP based C&C's have doubled in number, there's a fascinating correlation between HTTP and IRC based DDoS attacks and the so called 'BRIC' countries are hosting many of the new breed of C&C's...except for India. You can also see a brief write up by Brian Krebs here: http://www.krebsonsecurity.com/ Warm regards, Ian -- Ian C Cook Security Evangelist Team Cymru 'To communicate simply you must understand profoundly' Work +1 312 924 5441 Mobile +44 (0) 797 773 1246 Home Office +44 (0) 208 291 0112 Skype ID togglergi PGP Fingerprint: D4CE 9F0D 77E7 3A66 83A6 3133 CBF4 E590 _ //` `\ _,-"\% // /``\`\ ~^~ >__^ |% // / } `\`\ www.team-cymru.org/News/secnews.rss ) )%// / } } }`\`\ http://twitter.com/teamcymru / (%/`/.\_/\_/\_/\`/ www.linkedin.com/in/ianccook ( ` `-._` \ , ( \ _`-.__.- %> /_`\ \ `\ \." `-..- ` ``` /_/`"-=-``/_/ ``` ``` Subscribe to my Security News mailing list at: https://cymru.com/mailman/listinfo/ians_dragon_newsbytes

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Re: [kictanet] Traffic Jams
by Solomon Mburu Kamau 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

My solutions to this quagmire. Complaining does not solve anything. It only makes things worse as people would be emotionally stressed to make any meaningful debate. As someone has put it, those who use Thika Road, will have to wait until 2011 to enjoy the benefits of the Super highway under construction. So that means patience. Secondly, only use your vehicle if it is necessary. If you choose to drive and your neighbour does the same, traffic will be unnecesary. The same applies to coming to Nairobi. Do you travel there as a matter of choice, convenience or reason? If in self-employment, ask yourself whether it is necessary to come to Nairobi - assuming you do not stay in the city. You see my friends, there is a need to know why a problem exist so as to find the solution. The last master plan of Nairobi was done when Dr. Gitu was the PS or Director at the Local Govt. Ministry and, it never saw the light of day, unfortunately. Solutions are within and the govt. acts as a medium to reaching the solutions. I rest my case! On 04/02/2010, Wilson kariuki <williekariuki(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > BECAUSE > 1- The land to transform the road network..some of it is occupied either by > rich or poor.. > 2- The pple u choose ie the city council r not doing their JOB > BOOT OUT UR COUNCILLOR > -----Original Message----- > Date: Thursday, February 04, 2010 7:33:22 am > To: mlalahoi(a)googlegroups.com > From: "Terry Shiundu" <terryshiundu(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: Traffic Jams > > Hi all, > > It is sad and this is a matter that Kenyan (Nairobians especially) will keep > complaining about if something is not done. I cannot blame Kenyans (I > included) for owning cars and even if we all carried people in our cars, it > would not make a difference coz the matatus also are increasing in number on > our roads. > > Kenya is growing, people are progressing and will keep on buying new cars > daily. The problem is not that passe..*.the main problem is that we're still > using the same road network that was constructed in the 70s when only few > Kenyans owned vehicles*. The problem is that our government and those > charged with the responsibility of planning in this Nation are > sleeping....yet they travel to the Nations and see the development that is > out there....places like SA, India....they have totally transformed their > road networks. Why can't our government do the same? Why can't they > replicate the same thing they see out there, here in Kenya? Or is it that we > don't have qualified men and women > > -- > VACANCIES: http://bit.ly/bU0336 > TECHMTAA BLOG: http://bit.ly/cmRFZR > VALENTINES PLOT: http://bit.ly/dkzaxA > SHOP ONLINE AND GET DOOR DELIVERY: http://bit.ly/cwzi78 > 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 > -- Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau P.O. Box 19343 - 00202 Nairobi Cell: (+254-0) 735 431041 Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! AND It is better to die in dignity than in the ignomity of ambiguous generosity! http://dawn-in-kenya.blogspot.com http://smiley2.wordpress.com http://mburu.sikika.co.ke -- VACANCIES: http://bit.ly/bU0336 TECHMTAA BLOG: http://bit.ly/cmRFZR VALENTINES PLOT: http://bit.ly/dkzaxA SHOP ONLINE AND GET DOOR DELIVERY: http://bit.ly/cwzi78 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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KDN Unveils Broadband for SMEs and SOHOs
by Kevin 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

I hear KDN has launched a new product for small businesses, 1Mbps for 4,000/=. Is there anything in the market that can rival this? Will this spur the market for broadband uptake?

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Kenya ICT board: What is the real problem?
by Rebecca Wanjiku 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

The promise of BPO marketing, digital villages..... www.wanjiku.co.ke Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog: wanjiku.co.ke

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India's Outsourcing Exports at US$50 Billion
by Edwin Onchari 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

Hi All, I find this article an incentive in refocusing our energy on the sector (both local and international). All is not lost, and against all critics.we can still get a share of the pie (http://www.pcworld.com/article/188514/indias_outsourcing_exports_at_us50_bi llion.html) India's revenue from exports of IT and BPO (business process outsourcing) services is likely to grow 5.5 percent to US$49.7 billion in the Indian fiscal year to March 31, 2010, according to estimates released Thursday by the country's National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom). The revenue figure includes exports by Indian outsourcers as well as by Indian services and software development subsidiaries of multinational companies including Microsoft, Dell, and Oracle. Nasscom has forecast higher revenue growth in the range of 13 to 15 percent from IT and BPO exports in the next fiscal year to March 31, 2011. India has emerged as a key supplier of IT and BPO services to customers in the U.S., U.K., and other markets. Its business was however hit in the fiscal year to March 31, 2010 by the recession in some of these economies. The growth rate of 5.5 percent estimated by Nasscom for the year ending March 31, 2010 is far lower than the 16 percent estimated by Nasscom for the previous year. The 2009 figure is still an estimate as the results of Satyam Computer Services, a large Indian outsourcer, are still being re-stated, after a financial scandal at the company. Top Indian outsourcing companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys Technologies, and Wipro said in January that they were seeing an improvement in demand for their services from customers in key markets, including the U.S. Indian outsourcing companies have also started hiring in large numbers again. Wipro's IT services business added 4,855 staff in the quarter ended Dec. 31. The company had cut staff by 630 in its IT services business in the previous quarter. TCS said in January that it is adding about 11,000 staff in the current quarter, including 8,000 trainees. The company added 7,692 staff in the quarter to Dec. 31. Direct employment by the country's IT industry is expected to be 2.3 million by March 31, 2010, with over 90,000 jobs added during the current fiscal year, Nasscom said. A number of new large IT services deals are expected to be signed by the second quarter of this year, Sudin Apte, principal analyst at Forrester Research, said in January. Indian companies are however not likely to achieve soon the revenue growth levels they had before the recession, he added. A lot of the expenditure by customers still falls under the category of necessary expenditure, with discretionary expenditure on IT services likely to start by the middle of this year, according to Diptarup Chakraborti, principal research analyst at Gartner. Besides a pick up in exports revenue for the year ended March 31, 2010, Nasscom is also expecting a growth in the domestic services business. Domestic revenue is expected to grow by 12 percent to Indian rupees 662 billion ($14 billion). In the next fiscal year, revenue growth from the Indian market is expected to pick up by 15 to 17 percent. Kind regards, Edwin M Onchari CEO- Kenya BPO Society +254-(0)720 755 951 eonchari(a)kenyabposociety.or.ke www.kenyabposociety.or.ke Blogs: <http://kenyabposociety.blogspot.com/2010/01/key-to-unlocking-kenyas-outsour cing.html> http://kenyabposociety.blogspot.com/2010/01/key-to-unlocking-kenyas-outsourc ing.html <http://kenyabposociety.blogspot.com/2010/01/discounted-medical-cover-for-in dustry.html> http://kenyabposociety.blogspot.com/2010/01/discounted-medical-cover-for-ind ustry.html

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Fw: Article: Broadband brings hope to Africa's poor, elderly - ITU
by michael Ouma 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

Hi All: here's a link to a story from the AU ICT Summit in Addis Ababa published in TheEastAfrican: http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/-/2560/856862/-/item/0/-/krl8swz/-… regards.

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Local Content: Cost of Local Hosting
by wesley kirinya 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

Bandwidth costs seem to be coming down and that's welcome news. However an important area seems to be largely ignored and that's the cost of hosting locally. A Dedicated server in the U.S/Europe (8 Core Processor, 6GB RAM, 3,000GB Bandwidth, 500GB disk space, ...) costs about $500/month. I believe in Kenya that would cost about 8-10 times more and that's without the 3,000GB bandwidth. With bandwidth becoming cheaper and better quality, it's far cheaper to host the local content internationally, and end-users might not feel a big difference in speed and quality. Factors leading to high hosting cost might be cost of physical space and electricity (highly priced and unstable). If these are the major reasons why hosting costs are high, then we cannot expect the cost to come down any sooner no matter how many fibres are coming to Kenya. Local companies (e.g. BPOs dealing with large volumes of data) and local branches of international companies looking for secure off-site back up might also do it from internationally located servers, where the companies running those servers not only offer lower cost but also more experience which leads to better service. As one of such companies puts it ,"98% of replies within 30 mintues, 99.9% Network Uptime Guarantee, ...". Therefore we are looking at a situation where local content might be hosted internationally. 8~!

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Request for input IGF Geneva open meeting 9th February
by waudo siganga 07 Feb '10

07 Feb '10

Dear IGF Colleagues, The agenda for next weeks open session in Geneva has been posted by the IGF secretariat http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/Contributions2009/Agenda.Consultat ions.09.02.2010.pdf One can see that a substantive agenda item is the Regional/National meetings. Please give me the input that I or MAG colleague Katundu can relay, such as activities planned for the year. Other useful input: 1. Your thoughts about the theme for Vilnius meeting. Last year it was "IG: Opportunities for All". In that meeting there was emphasis on development and capacity building for 2010 meeting so perhaps the theme can reflect that, plus some indirect suggestions that the IGF should continue. If the theme from Vilnius comes from EA that will be great! 2. Your thoughts on agenda item "Taking stock of the 2009 meeting – lessons learned" - give your views even if only a paragraph. 3. Your thoughts about the main sessions for 2010 and whether we should also keep the progam format or make changes from what we had in Sharm. After the MAG meeting 10-11th Feb. I will be able to share information on the final agreed program format for Vilnius as well as information for those interested in holding workshops. Kind Regards, Waudo "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the ones doing it." -old proverb

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Re: [kictanet] Local Content: Cost of Local Hosting
by wesley kirinya 06 Feb '10

06 Feb '10

Yeah you're right, KDN's virtual server costs are close to overseas costs. (Open question) In Kenya, what would be the monthly price range for the following dedicated (not virtual/shared) server (no setup costs, no service charge, no bandwidth, no taxes, etc) If the price is at least 3 times compared to what I listed below, what factors lead to the price (high energy costs, ...)?: 8 Core Processor, 6GB RAM, 500GB disk space. Crucual Paradigm: About $470 including 3000GB bandwidth Alentus: About $450 including 1000GB monthly bandwidth Lunar Pages Dedicated; Rough estimate of $350 Mocha Host: Rough estimate of $300 including 'Unlimited' bandwidth. o_O? --- On Sat, 2/6/10, Kai Wulff <kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke> wrote: From: Kai Wulff <kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke> Subject: AW: [kictanet] Local Content: Cost of Local Hosting To: "'wesley kirinya'" <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> Date: Saturday, February 6, 2010, 6:21 AM I guess you have never asked us … Kai Von: kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] Im Auftrag von wesley kirinya Gesendet: Friday, February 05, 2010 23:31 An: kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Betreff: [kictanet] Local Content: Cost of Local Hosting Bandwidth costs seem to be coming down and that's welcome news. However an important area seems to be largely ignored and that's the cost of hosting locally. A Dedicated server in the U.S/Europe (8 Core Processor, 6GB RAM, 3,000GB Bandwidth, 500GB disk space, ...) costs about $500/month. I believe in Kenya that would cost about 8-10 times more and that's without the 3,000GB bandwidth. With bandwidth becoming cheaper and better quality, it's far cheaper to host the local content internationally, and end-users might not feel a big difference in speed and quality. Factors leading to high hosting cost might be cost of physical space and electricity (highly priced and unstable). If these are the major reasons why hosting costs are high, then we cannot expect the cost to come down any sooner no matter how many fibres are coming to Kenya. Local companies (e.g. BPOs dealing with large volumes of data) and local branches of international companies looking for secure off-site back up might also do it from internationally located servers, where the companies running those servers not only offer lower cost but also more experience which leads to better service. As one of such companies puts it ,"98% of replies within 30 mintues, 99.9% Network Uptime Guarantee, ...". Therefore we are looking at a situation where local content might be hosted internationally. 8~!

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Re: [kictanet] KDN Unveils Broadband for SMEs and SOHOs
by S.Murigi Muraya 05 Feb '10

05 Feb '10

Zuku does @ KShs 4,500 (VAT Inclusive). Was surprised to experience up to 800 kbs on Zuku this week. It is shared bandwith so that was a treat that should be more consistent. Zuku also seems to have a problem (possibly due to their server side configurations) which register only one MAC (pc hardware) address to connect to to their side. Could be wrong but this locks out other PC's on a LAN. It does not seem intentional as they are willing to rectify the problem when it is brought to their attention. Is KDN's KShs 4,000 offer VAT inclusive? Customer service is very poor in all our ISP's so individuals would be wise to expect worse than Corporates experience. KDN never responded with a (Site Survey) to mail, phone calls and a visit to their offices so Zuku is better for individuals and SME's that have 2 or 3 weeks to wait for them to set you up. This is better than no response at all. Zuku have the best offers in the market and are flooded with more installations than they can handle. This means getting support can be a 2 to 3 week issue but their connection (connectivity) is not too bad where they have good signals. Orange EVDO (Internet Everywhere 3+) is stable if one is not too far from their BTS. Zuku is a much better deal for unlimited downloads but gets slower or faster than EVDO depending on Network conditions. Orange ADSL has been messed up (limited) by the Orange 'Fair Use Policy'. Their Livebox modem leaves a lot to be desired and needs to be continually reset as it keeps dropping signals. It also often does not pick up signals which are restored after fiber & copper cuts. Suprisingly Orange is improving their Customer Service to follow up on their degrading ADSL Internet Service. Limiting Kenyans to 2GB (256kbs @ 3K), 4GB (512kbs @5K) and 8GB (1 Mbs @3K). Looks like the GoK sold our infrastructure to foreigners who limit their bandwidth usage in other nations (including their UK neighbours) except in France. Orange is least stingy in France. For data avoid Safaricom if you can. They use more expensive technology than EVDO (which performs as well HSPA but Orange limits bandwidth) so we have to pay Safaricom more.-----Original Message----- From: Kevin <wanjalak(a)gmail.com> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 11:33 To: murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: [kictanet] KDN Unveils Broadband for SMEs and SOHOs I hear KDN has launched a new product for small businesses, 1Mbps for 4,000/=. Is there anything in the market that can rival this? Will this spur the market for broadband uptake?

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Software Certification Kenya. ICT Board Project to support the BPO/ITES sector
by S.Murigi Muraya 05 Feb '10

05 Feb '10

Walu / Alice, Please make sure Emmanuel is enlisted on KICTANET. Thanks SMM ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Emmanuel Birech <birech(a)hotmail.com> Date: Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 1:24 PM Subject: [Fwd: Re: [kictanet] Software Certification Kenya. ICT Board Project to support the BPO/ITES sector] To: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net, kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke, kkobia(a)ict.go.ke, murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com, agostal(a)gmail.com, pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke Hi Paul & Liko, It is the availability of a critical mass of software development skills that’s going to allow software companies to have resources when they need them, and the same skilled individuals can start their own firms if they are entrepreneurial. The skilled individuals can be both certified or not certified at first, but if targeting outsourcing, it is preferable that they are. So, I fully support what the ICT board is trying to do to encourage certification, but would also like to share the following comments around some of the scope of service initiatives that have been highlighted: *Content development for certification:* I don’t think there is sufficient value for *local* content development as there are various certification tracks already existing for various software certification areas. I see no mention of .NET (C#, Visual Basic, F#) in the email though, but including the other languages you mentioned, there exist globally trusted and recognized certification tracks for these programming languages and also relevant and widely used training content. Why would a Kenya developer or software company want to sit the Kenyan track when they can certify in the world wide recognized one? This Kenya one may actually limit their horizon to Kenya. Certification should not be the only drive. We should encourage people to take up software development as a career up to and including in high schools. The fundamental blocks here are the access to the developer tools and training manuals / e-learning material. Certification can happen later for most, but key is to be able to write software, and this will get them a leg in a software company after which they can pursue certification. *Certification Process Development**:* Paul’s discussion touches on working with leading IT companies and academic institutions and this is the best way for creating that critical mass of skills. For established local software companies that want to showcase their maturity in the full Application Life Cycle Management, there are also international certification programs available. A well adopted one is the Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI). In fact there are studies showing that this is the reason that India has been quite successful (see article http://archives.infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/836340.cms) even though they are no longer a cheap destination. This certification acts like a guarantee for quality, which is critical in this industry. I see the ICT Board’s value here as making CMMI or similar level certification available locally at a much reduced cost (It is expensive currently as the consultants to evaluate are not based here and could involve several trials and getting to CMM level 5 could cost upwards of USD 50K currently). So I support the boards drive to have a local center in the same line as Joburg Centre for Software Engineering to help with this. The number of companies with this certification will increase with the right support and that can be used to start branding Kenya as a software outsourcing destination that has software quality in mind. No need to create anything local; just to make what is internationally available is cost friendly and accessible. Finally, I think one other thing the ICT Board could try to do is to support with connections to venture capital. I feel it may be a challenge for most software entrepreneurs to access capital (and most times not much capital is needed as this is people business) to grow and expand or even start operations, and even though we may have the youth fund locally, The fund is not IT Specific and software entrepreneurs compete with many other business, probably putting them at a disadvantage. IT Specific funds can help especially if they can be disbursed with the advice of the ICT board. Regards, Emmanuel Birech ------------------------------ Agosto I think this has been misunderstood or perhaps it is not clear. we are actually on the same page. This is to enable us to adopt a globally certified software development methodology and certification for generic software development. This is Most software developers in this country would benefit from the establishment of a higher standard of code development. Most software firms would benefit from access to international certification in process and methodology which is otherwise very expensive. Good example is the project in South Africa at the University of Wits with the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering. http://www.jcse.org.za/. We had spoken to them about partnering as well, but opted for this option. The suggestion you make is not an alternative, but another important strategy for achieving a more enhanced IT services sector and it is actually one that we have given much thought too. We are seeking the funding to do as well. Just this morning I have had a meeting with Symantec who are beefing up their presence in Kenya. Some of the discussions we have had go along the same them as I have had with many other multinationals who visit us often. 1. Many Kenyan business owners in IT services are afraid to make the investment in top talent certification despite the obvious returns because the certified employees often flee and are 'unbondable'. As an example it costs close to 10,000 USD to certified a top Cisco engineer who can then earn that in a month with some experience in any market in the world. 2. To develop Kenya's ICT credentials we will need to develop more certified engineers and experience consultants across the board, and across various technology platforms. We need technical implementation people, but we also need systems architects and experienced solution designers who can interpret business problems and convert them into an IT specification. Those who have been the industry for a while will attest to the fact that although we have a growing Kenyan pool, still many large IT systems in banks, major multinationals and other large organizations have substantial input from consultants from outside Kenya. This is for various reasons and is not unique to Kenya. At the very top level of talent in IT, there is a global shortage. 3. To build Kenya IT properly, the investments in all the right places need to be made. As we spend more on IT as a country, the demands becomes even more sophisticated. For example, with the current connectivity transformation, there is need for security, network, data center engineers and consultants. Without any research, one can attest to the frustrations experienced by some on their networks even currently. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs. 4. When we sell the country as an outsourcing destination, all these things matter, the whole ecosystem including marketing, training, depth of experience, breadth of experience, industry culture, government policy, legislation, peer recommendations by companies based here, and indeed the nightlife. The reason why we think it important to provide the software sector with greater tools is because this sector is often made up of young brilliant entrepreneurial individuals who leave college sub-optimally equipped for commercial application of their craft. They then have to fend foe themselves and then some of them will develop into good engineers while many other others will pick up bad habits in who they write software. These bad habits become the industry norm and then define our sector. Standards are critical. Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 Cell: + 254 735 180001 website: www.ict.go.ke skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment Sent from Nairobi, Kenya On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 1:31 PM, Agosta Liko <agostal(a)gmail.com> wrote: Paul for this software certification program .... how much will be spent ? instead of creating a Kenyan cert that will have no global value or that will not make sense to any international employer why dont you just give a 50% coupon to enable Kenyans to sit their linux, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP Certifications ? or even better, you can refund 80% when a Kenyan techie passes a cert exam {I learnt that people were complaining about cost of international certs} this is where am coming from - Kenyan Drs usually have to resit exams etc etc to practice in other countries ... IT is a good area because certs are global (CCIE is known worldwide) ... why cant we stick to what works Again ... maybe other software outsourcing operators have been asked for certs ... but am sure they were asking for the globally recognized ones Can we just cancel this one ? its too much work for nothing ... {a Kenyan Cert in software development} ... and if you go ahead {which is most likely the case} .. please make it optional ? my two cents On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 11:26 AM, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke> wrote: Thank you for your questions. many have written to me directly to seek clarification. I have received a flurry of questions on the status report and I will respond to those that are of a recurring nature directly on this list while pointing listers to the website www.ict.go.ke for more information and updates on aspect of the projects. *Objective of the assignment* The objective of this assignment is to recruit a leading international academic institution or standards body to develop and implement an internationally recognized and sustainable software developer certification program (Certification Program) for Kenya. The Certification Program will have multiple components, including content and processes for local software developers to prepare, register and be certified; an Internet enabled credentialing program; and an initial pilot testing, evaluation and fine tuning of the Certification Program. The program should be underpinned by a sustainable business model. * Scope of services* i. *Inception Report and Business Plan:* Provide an Inception Report that contains a description of start-up activities, the detailed work plan, methodologies, and an estimate of the time allocation for involved personnel from both the Government of Kenya and the organization’s team. In addition, to provide a business plan that spells out the resources to be deployed and the results proposed to be achieved. The business plan should also propose long term, sustainable business model options for the Certification Program. ii. *Content Development:* Develop appropriate content for certification in close collaboration with relevant partners; including leading international and local IT companies, academic institutions, governments, international standards bodies and industry/trade associations. The developed content should have their explicit support in terms of relevance and quality, be based on the latest technologies and extensible to address the major languages (C, C++, Java), operating systems, language combinations, and software development tools and environments. iii. *Certification Process Development: *Develop an internationally recognized, authentic, secure and valid process for software developer certification. This process should be developed in consultation with leading IT companies and academic institutions as well as have the buy-in of at least two industry associations of established countries in the area of BPO, and two countries aspiring to establish themselves in this domain. Countries should be chosen to be representative of at least three regions out of the following: Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, East Asia and other parts of Sub Saharan Africa. In addition, the processes should be based on proven experiences in similar certification programs. The testing process should be representative of real-life, professional software development. The examinations should also be refreshed annually; and extendable to address the full software development life cycle (including post-deployment maintenance) and modern issues (including the development of secure software systems). The examination must be developed using recognized techniques for validation and verification of quality. Linkages may be established with one or more organizations with leading testing and certification mechanisms to ensure that the certification will be conducted in a secure and proctored setting. iv. *Provision of Internet-Enabled Credentialing Program:*Provide a web-enabled credentialing program, including functions for online registration, preparation and certification. v. *Piloting:* To pilot the Certification Program with an initial batch of at least 50 enrollees, comprising of local software developers who should be benchmarked against a control group. vi. *Evaluation Reports:* Conduct an evaluation of the pilot to prepare a detailed report to recommend strategies and action plans for improving the Certification Program. An evaluation should also be conducted on gaps and weaknesses in software development skills, so as to recommend changes in curriculum and pedagogy required as part of broader education reforms in Kenya. vii. *Program Refinement and Local Capacity Building:* Refine the Certification Program based on the agreed recommendations of the Evaluation Report, and develop capacity within the country to conduct the assessments for certification. viii. *‘Live’ Rollout:* Commence ‘live’ rollout of the Certification Program with assessment of certification by local institutions, with the target of testing at least 200 local software developers. In addition, to obtain the commitment of leading companies operating globally and locally to use the results as a necessary pre-requisite for their hiring decisions. ix. *Mass Rollout and Marketing, and Business Model Implementation: *Implement mass rollout and marketing campaign for the Certification Program across Kenya, with a target to test at least 500 local software developers. In addition, to implement a business model for the Certification Program that is internationally recognized, financially self-sustaining and affordable for local software developers by the end of this consultancy service (24 months after contract signature). A final report is to be prepared to highlight the next steps to be taken by Kenya for the Certification Program, including future steps on training content development, certification process and local capacity building. Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 Cell: + 254 735 180001 website: www.ict.go.ke skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment Sent from Nairobi, Kenya _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: agostal(a)gmail.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/agostal%40gmail.com<http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/agostal@gmail.com> ------------------------------ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.<https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?id=60969>

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NAIROBI MOTORISTS ALERT
by Dorcas Muthoni 05 Feb '10

05 Feb '10

*I have received this alert, can anyone verify if it is from the Police. It refers to **(4&5 Feb 2010)* * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject:* NAIROBI MOTORISTS ALERT *KINDLY CIRCULATE THIS POLICE ALERT TO AS MANY DRIVERS IN NAIROBI AS POSSIBLE* *Police are warning of a gang initiation that is to take place on the roads of Nairobi, indications are that this will be on Thursday & Friday night.* *The initiates are to drive after dark with their headlamps off in the company of other gang members, they are to shoot dead everyone in the first car that flashes them to alert them that their headlamps are off. After successfully accomplishing the task the will be recruited into the gang.* *Kindly alert all motorist and stay off the road if possible in as much as the police are doing everything to stop them the safety of all cannot be guaranteed.*

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Is this the beginning of the end of ISPs?
by Zachary Ochieng 05 Feb '10

05 Feb '10

FYI http://www.cio.co.ke/index.php/view-all-main-stories/565-kdn-unveils-cheap-… Zachary. --- Be the change you want to see in the world.

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Fwd: Meeting Announcement -- Update; Topics to be covered; Tangaza, Nokia SMS Find and AOB!
by Phares Kariuki 05 Feb '10

05 Feb '10

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Phares Kariuki <pkariuki(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:34 AM Subject: Meeting Announcement -- Update; Topics to be covered; Tangaza, Nokia SMS Find and AOB! To: Skunkworks forum <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Hi, an update on the Skunkworks meeting to be held on Tuesday. The panel will be comprised of the following: *Jonathan Ledlie* is a Senior Researcher in Networked Systems at Nokia. His interests include experimental large-scale distributed and mobile systems and ICTD. He has a PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University and is currently based at the Cambridge (US) Nokia Research Center. *Jay Chen* is a fourth year Systems and Networking Computer Science PhD candidate at New York University. His research areas include AI, with a focus on Natural Language Processing, and ICTD. *Brian Omwenga* is a Research Engineer currently working at Nokia Research currently based in Nairobi. His interests include Large Scale Open Systems analysis and design, strategy and ICTD. He is a science master in Technology and Policy from the Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. *Billy Odero* is a Research Engineer at Nokia Research Currently based in Nairobi working on the development of mobile systems for emerging markets. *The projects*: [1] Tangaza - An audio based social networking service on mobile phones [2] NokiaSMSFind - An intelligent sms based search service -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares |

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Re: [kictanet] Safaricom partners with KPLC to expanditsdatafootprint
by emko＠internetresearch.com.gh 04 Feb '10

04 Feb '10

Dr. Ndemo, I was even more excited to hear the new AU Chairman, Dr. Bingu in his closing remarks charging the African leaders to commit with him to connecting all of Africa by rail and fiber, i really look forward to that happening. This means that, we need to move to gear 2; generating and digitising local content that can be driven through those pipes. Broadband in itself means nothing, it is what we do with it, that makes economic significance. Eric here > The African Development Bank will be laying fibre optic cables in all of > its financed projects starting this year. This was announced at the Just > conluded AU summit. Broadband everywhere is key to economic development. > > Regards > > Ndemo. > > > Sent from my BlackBerry® > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Harry Delano" <harry(a)comtelsys.co.ke> > Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:20:42 > To: <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safaricom partners with KPLC to expand > itsdatafootprint > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: emko(a)internetresearch.com.gh > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/emko%40internetresearc… >

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Safaricom partners with KPLC to expand its data footprint
by Harry Hare 04 Feb '10

04 Feb '10

This is a very interesting development, bringing to fore the potential that KPLC have as a game changer with its fiber. http://tinyurl.com/ybbhsmn Harry African eDevelopment Resource Centre eDevelopment House : : 604 Limuru Road Old Muthaiga : : P O Box 49475 00100 Nairobi : : Kenya T +254 20 3741646/7 : : C +254 725 650044 Training : : Research: :Consultancy: : Publishing

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