Wambui, ...without defending the ICTBoard (am trying to look for their ToRs before passing judgement), I can only observe that you seem to be single-minded and persistent on this BPO thing... my general and non-ICT advice is that keep your eyes open - if BPO wont take you to heaven, am sure something else you maybe refusing to see will. God (or is it the ICTBoard?) may have shut the BPO door for you, but just look around and you will probably see many other opportunities. Richard of richard@northwestoffshore.com, a BPO company who is on this list had similar challenges and he did manage to work around them. Reach him out in case he prefers to keep his silence on the list. walu. --- On Thu, 8/7/08, Wambui Wakarema <wambuiwakarema@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: Wambui Wakarema <wambuiwakarema@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICT/BPO Marketing Strategy To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 5:26 PM Perhaps the ICT Board should be dissolved , re-constituted, given a fresh mandate. It is quite obvious that we cannot expect any deliverables from the Board if one year has come and gone with nothing to show for their existence in the BPO sector which I believe was originally their main mandate. The biggest issue being lack of direction in marketing and positioning Kenya as a BPO destination. Their marketing division has failed.
Wambui
--- On Tue, 5/8/08, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICT/BPO Marketing Strategy To: wambuiwakarema@yahoo.co.uk Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Tuesday, 5 August, 2008, 5:43 PM
Dear Lucy,
The issues you touch on are burning.
There was supposed to be a round table meeting today with the PM and it would be interesting to learn what the six reps from the ICT stakeholders managed to achieve as regards sensitizing the policy/decision makers on the points you dwell on.
It surely is coming out loud and clear that the most efficient marketer for BPO&CC is none other than players in .....The Kenya BPO&CC Society did a great service to industry players by launching the Standards and Ethics Guidelines which were swiftly adopted by the stakeholders present who included the PS of the MoI&C, Kenya ICT Board and all the memebrs and non-members of the BPO&CC fraternity who graced KICC to witness the development see http://www.ict.go.ke/inner.php?cat=news&sid=104. Those of us who met in hotels at our expenses plus time which will never be recovered expected all, especially KICTB to ride on that wave and probably fly on with the Standards & Ethics Guideline by promoting it to became a regulation. With a Standard and Ethics Guideline, a big marketing tool is on the hands of GoK and also members of the KBPOCCS see http://www.kenyabposociety.or.ke/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=36. Having met people outside Kenya who are doing outsourcing, its telling how they react favorably knowing that the players have some agreed to standards and ethics.
One the other let down to the BPO&CC industry is indeed the high cost of bandwidth. It appears by the time the necessary red tape will have been cut, the TEAMS or/and EASSY projects may have landed at the shores of Mombasa rendering the whole concept of bandwidth subsidy a red herring. Having been a student of 'Lords of Poverty' it would pay if the BPO&CC found other solace other than bank on promises. They are not promissary (sp) notes as issued by Central bank.
There is an issue of size which the CEO of KICTB loves tauting as the reason we in Kenya are not able to attract work. What is your take?
David
I am talking from a private sector point of view, I am an industry player and running a call center.
Now in regards to marketing Kenya as a BPO destination, I would say not much has been done at all.
Many call centers and BPO have shut down as a result of high bandwidth costs and poor marketing. I would expect the BPO industry to be taken more seriously it being one of the 5 pillars of the VISION
marketing now, when will we ever market the country as an outsourcing destination with such giant competitors as India and
Wambui? At this slow pace I dont think this industry will last long.
Serious marketing has to be done! Marketing is the
done to bring Kenya to the limelight and great support is needed from the government in ensuring this is done. Without bias and
the Kenya BPO & Contact Center Society which has been doing alot to sensitive people on the BPO & Contact Center industry as well as speak out the needs of the private sector in the industry. They recently launched
Standards & Ethics guidelines for the industry. Now this is something we can say is a step forward. Am sure with more support alot will be achieved to help bring the industry to life in Kenya.
Like for instance there is the UK Birmingham Expo taking place in September 2008 there was even a media briefing by ICT BOard on it. This is the world's largest call center expo which is held annually and it
the Call Center/Contact Center industry. So I would expect the government to totally support local call centers to participate fully at such an event. As it is now, call centers are struggling hard to sustain
have even shut down. The few existing are still hanging in there struggling with high bandwidth costs and all. So this is the
should come in and at least sponsor several private sector call centers to participate at that event. With this high costs of bandwidth and other running call center expenses, who will be able to fund for themselves to such events? Very few or none at all will be able to afford attending the event. So who will be at the Kenyan stand in the UK CALL CENTER expo? Government officials only???? I wonder.
It is at such events that Kenya will be able to be
outsourcing destination as with such events comes advertising on the Call Center Focus Magazine as well as a stand for exhibiting Kenya at the expo.. Private sector industry players will also get an opportunity to be exposed to the global call center industry and all that comes with it, as well as meet potential clients which in the long run will enable them to have stable contracts with which they can be able to sustain their
On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 6:34 PM, Lucy M <lmwatibo.ktd@gmail.com> wrote: 2030. If we dont start those mentioned by main thing that should be prejudice, we thank the particularly targets themselves and most point the government placed in the map as an centers.
Please please government give this industry the
support it needs and focus
on the marketing aspect of it mostly as this is what will get it on the map.
L.M
On Sun, Aug 3, 2008 at 3:53 PM, Wambui Wakarema <wambuiwakarema@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
It is now August 2008. Still no marketing plan or
strategy forthcoming
from the Kenya ICT Board, one year since the Board's inception. One year as
our competitors such as South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius and others continue to make their mark as BPO destinations.
Infact, I would like to know if the ICT Board has delivered on any single one of its objectives!
Wambui
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