I actually believe that Safaricom has already opened up MPESA and will continue to open it up but that depends on the value the opening up presents to Safaricom. I always like to use examples that are based on experiences. My company a year ago developed a system for MPESA that makes MPESA transactions realtime – this is why when you pay DSTV your account gets reconnected immediately or when you deposit money to your bank from MPESA its realtime or why your KPLC payment is more realtime than it was before. We developed this system called “MPESA Instant Payment Notification” originally for use on Kenya Airways ticketing then presented it to Safaricom and they liked the idea thus opened up MPESA for us to integrate with and so most if not all of MPESA Paybill /Bug Good Transactions are now processed through this locally developed system. Isn’t this opening up MPESA? I think Equity must justify the opening up they wish for and give value to Safaricom in order to bring Safaricom to their advantage. Kind Regards, Bernard Kioko Chief Executive Officer Bernsoft Interactive Limited P.O.Box 15177-00100 Nbi,Kenya Office: +254-703-080-000 Mobile: +254-722-540-883 From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bkioko=bernsoft.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Ali Hussein Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 12:47 PM To: bkioko@bernsoft.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be open James ad all Well put. The difference though is that industry's open up themselves for open standards. Rarely do companies. Its incumbent upon TESPOK to convince Safaricom to open up its Mpesa system 'fully' as many listers have suggested. The fact is that the Safaricom chaps are clever enough to see this coming (and if they are not unfortunately they will go the way of Telkom Kenya). Rarely has government intervention in open standards helped the people they are supposed to help. Even the Banking sector clearing house is run by Bankers with the hawkish eyes of central bankers looking on. Safaricom will open up Mpesa fully - when they are good and ready and not a moment sooner. That's my take. Ali Hussein CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd +254 713 601113/ 0770 906375 "The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb Sent from my iPad On Aug 6, 2013, at 11:15 AM, James Mbugua <jgmbugua@gmail.com> wrote: Openness I have always felt very strongly about this issue and I agree M-PESA should be open. I used to barge Michael Joseph relentlessly about this. Open first in the sense that third parties can interface their products on their API but secondly and more importantly, open to talk to other platforms the way banks talk to each other. I can withdraw money from Pesa Point or another non-Barclays quite easily. The fact is we cannot let platforms that stifle innovation continue to prosper. AT&T was finally split up in 1984 not because of its overwhelming market dominance, but that IT WAS REFUSING TO ALLOW NEW INNOVATIONS TO WORK ON ITS PLATFORMS thus overall stifling technology. In the same way, this is not a sustainable position for M-PESA if it projects its medium to long-term horizon, surely it must see that even the government will not be comfortable constantly hearing that this % of our GDP passes through M-PESA. If I was Safaricom I would be strategizing on how to open up the platform as painlessly as possible before the combination of disruptive market forces and government national security interests converge. Already I can deposit money into my bank account with M-PESA and withdraw it with Airtel Money. Surely, you don't need to be a genius to see that you don't need that middle man called the bank if the demand for the service is there. Regards James On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 9:15 AM, Mark Mwangi <mwangy@gmail.com> wrote: In my opinion what Equity is asking for is for a common platform aka a common account that can be credited and debited by airtel money, yu cash orange money, tangaza etc in the manner that a visa credit card is open game for any merchant, bank etc. This way M-pesa becomes a platform and not a safaricom product. I actually don't see how Safaricom looses in this scenario. Exponentially more transaction fee collections, Increased dependence by industry players, maintain the intellectual property and ownership of the platform etc. Maybe they are reluctant due to technological immaturity. I also wouldn't want to embarrass myself after being feted worldwide. On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 8:31 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva@transworldafrica.com> wrote: @areba, what Equity wants, if I'm not wrong is the ability for you to setup a club within MPESA where you can use the platform to transfer funds without them passing through Safaricom. The MPESA platform becomes an enabler. Unless anybody else has a better understanding. -- ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva twitter.com/lordmwesh kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwangy%40gmail.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. -- Regards, Mark Mwangi markmwangi.me.ke _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jgmbugua%40gmail.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.