Socrata is a hosted platform with a SaaS model, and they do a good job. We might criticize but very few companies in Kenya can meet such standards. Don't forget Socrata has been in the business of opening governments for a while. The service is transparent, with a Pricing catalog for governments here http://www.socrata.com/solutions/socrata-plans-and-pricing/ Its good to promote local services and products, but not possible always. For example the laptop or computer we are using is probably manufatured by an America or European country. A lister with foresight here said that it was possible to have the system developed and hosted by Kenyans but it would take 10years, while we want instant results. regards Mwendwa On 11 July 2011 15:56, Edwin Onchari <eonchari@lynxbits.com> wrote:
That then leads to the question, why host it outside Kenya? The server seems to be perpetually down, at least as far as the last tracert by Yawe and myself****
** **
Edwin****
*From:* kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke[mailto: kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *lordmwesh *Sent:* Monday, July 11, 2011 3:44 PM
*To:* Edwin *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Open Data - Where does it sit?****
** **
According to informed sources, our Open Data is hosted in USA Seatle on Soctrata platform at the SAVVIS Cloud center. The real URL address is kenya.socrata.com. OpenData.go.ke is just a clever redirect to the kenya.socrata.com subdomain.****
On 11 July 2011 12:08, Edwin Onchari <eonchari@lynxbits.com> wrote:****
I am not very good at this, but besides the high latency numbers of over 300ms, does this imply that the data is hosted outside of Kenya?****
****
Edwin****
*From:* kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke[mailto: kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *robert yawe *Sent:* Monday, July 11, 2011 12:01 PM *To:* Edwin****
*Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions****
*Subject:* [kictanet] Open Data - Where does it sit?****
****
****
C:\>tracert opendata.go.ke****
****
Tracing route to opendata.go.ke [216.227.229.160]****
over a maximum of 30 hops:****
****
1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.2****
2 5 ms 4 ms 4 ms 41.139.207.241****
3 4 ms 9 ms 15 ms 41-139-255-93.safaricombusiness.co.ke[41.139.25 ****
5.93]****
4 4 ms 4 ms 4 ms 41-139-255-94.safaricombusiness.co.ke[41.139.25 ****
5.94]****
5 5 ms 5 ms 4 ms 41-139-255-49.safaricombusiness.co.ke[41.139.25 ****
5.49]****
6 5 ms 4 ms 4 ms 196.201.222.33****
7 93 ms 93 ms 98 ms if-4-2-2.core1.MLV-Mumbai.as6453.net[209.58.105 ****
.25]****
8 314 ms 295 ms 294 ms if-8-1-0-0.tcore1.MLV-Mumbai.as6453.net[180.87. ****
38.17]****
9 297 ms 298 ms 297 ms if-2-2.tcore2.MLV-Mumbai.as6453.net[180.87.38.2 ****
]****
10 289 ms 289 ms 289 ms if-6-2.tcore1.L78-London.as6453.net[80.231.130. ****
5]****
11 293 ms 296 ms 300 ms if-7-2.tcore2.NJY-Newark.as6453.net[80.231.130. ****
54]****
12 298 ms 295 ms 304 ms if-9-0-0-1108.core3.NTO-NewYork.as6453.net[66.1 ****
98.111.50]****
13 296 ms 288 ms 288 ms cr2-pos-0-8-0-3.nyr.savvis.net[208.173.129.29] ****
****
14 351 ms 350 ms 349 ms cr1-pos-0-3-1-1.Seattle.savvis.net[204.70.200.6 ****
]****
15 * 387 ms * hr2.se2-pos-9-0-0.se2.savvis.net[208.172.81.222 ****
]****
16 342 ms 343 ms 342 ms 209.67.77.62****
17 * * * Request timed out.****
18 * * * Request timed out.****
19 * * * Request timed out.****
20 * * * Request timed out.****
21 * * * Request timed out.****
22 * * * Request timed out.****
23 * * * Request timed out.****
24 * * * Request timed out.****
25 * * * Request timed out.****
26 * * * Request timed out.****
27 * * * Request timed out.****
28 * * * Request timed out.****
29 * * * Request timed out.****
30 * * * Request timed out.****
****
Trace complete.****
****
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya****
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696****
****
**** ------------------------------
*From:* Paul Kukubo <pkukubo@ict.go.ke> *To:* robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> *Sent:* Thu, 7 July, 2011 18:48:50 *Subject:* [kictanet] Government to Launch Open Data July 8th @KICC****
*Listers*****
****
****
*The Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Information of Communications will launch a new Government Open Data Portal on July 8, 2011 at the KICC that will, for the first time, make several large government datasets available to the general public in an easy to search and view format.* ****
****
The launch will be presided over by HE President Mwai Kibaki .****
****
Program commences at 9.30 tomorrow.****
****
The web portal will allow citizens and the private sector to search and display national and county level data in graphs and maps and allow for easy comparison and analysis between datasets. ****
****
For web and software developers, the portal will avail data in useable formats like cvs, Excel and will even include APIs for each dataset.****
****
The portal will be one of the first and largest government data portals in sub-Saharan Africa. With this launch, Kenya will become a leader among developing countries in the adoption of open data - a movement that is gathering momentum globally. ****
* *****
*What is open data?*****
Public information and searchable information are two different things. Much public data is already available by law but it's often not usable because it is in a format that is not easy to find, use and re-use. Published PDF files do not constitute "open data" and are not helpful to large-scale users.****
****
To be open, data must be:****
· easily found through search engines (meta-tagged)****
· available in machine readable formats (CSV, XML, APIs not PDF)****
· accessible by third party tools/applications (interoperable)****
· allow others to use and re-use for non-commercial and commercial use (e.g Creative Commons Licences)****
Open Data not only increases transparency and accountability but also promotes greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public services by allowing users to easily consume and interpret data****
****
This is therefore to invite you to the launch. You can register at the door on your arrival.****
****
****
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 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke
personal contacts _______________
Cell: + 254 717 180001
skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @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 ****
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** **
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