If I understand the technology correctly it shouldn't ideally be difficult. In my opinion it should open up avenues to a lot of automation to happen, and integrate very seamlessly to IoT and interconnected devices. Infact, I believe USSD can be a huge gateway for folks to get IoT solutions developed. There is lucrative market for this if the costs of USSD can be re-evaluated for specific use cases where it makes sense to have bulk transactions.

The other argument that may be made is that USSD as a platform should not be allowed to be as open for many reasons (security, etc). My way of looking at this is that during this day and age folks are beyond all that. Google has Play Store, Apple has App Store, etc, etc, and they all have validation techniques for new entrants to the market (who actually submit binaries).

However I am seeing a market in the next 2 to 5 years where USSD may be obsolete, because at the rate at which Internet is penetrating we may eventually see it replace conventional telephony as we know it.

On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 10:39 AM Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

Bernard

Great question. It goes to the heart of the discussions we’ve had on this list and other forums.

What makes a Platform a Platform?

To partially answer that question I recommend the book below:-

https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Revolution-Networked-Transforming-Economyand-ebook/dp/B00ZAT8VS4

However to take Bernard’s question one step further:-

Should it be a commercial decision by the Telcos or should it be a regulatory push?

Like for example number portability? We know how successful that was.. or perhaps mobile money interoperability and agency network sharing?

Mixed results on the above and some the jury is still out.

Regards

Ali Hussein
Principal
AHK & Associates
+254 0713 601113

Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: abu-jomo
LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle

Sent from my iPad

On 15 Nov 2018, at 9:33 AM, Bernard Kioko via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

What has been the justification for Kenyan mobile Operators to not open sim toolkit to third party developers and integrators?
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