IT posts for full circle
Hi All, It is now clear that as ICT professionals we are now loosing ground in as far as our influence in the organisation is concerned. When Mr. Kinyanjui was appointed IT Director at Kenya Airways I was sure that this was the beginning of a new wave in the running of organisations where the glass ceiling for those in ICT was soon to be broken. Unfortunately this was not be happen as he still remains in the same post while in other organisations such as KCB and Safaricom the posts of CIO/ICT Directors have either been downgraded or scraped all together. The final nail was driven home when I read the current issue of CIO magazine and saw the results of a survey by Gartner, I leave it for you to read and weep. http://financesjournal.com/blogs/influence-cfo-investments-7204.html Regards PS. Which explains a lot why we have boards whose mandate is to provide opportunities for those in ICT run by none technocrats and we wonder why the Open Data is sitting in a server in the USA Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
I once heard bwana Waudo refer to CIO as career is over, in this age of enterprise resource planning, anything is possible. On 8/8/11, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Hi All,
It is now clear that as ICT professionals we are now loosing ground in as far as our influence in the organisation is concerned. When Mr. Kinyanjui was appointed IT Director at Kenya Airways I was sure that this was the beginning of a new wave in the running of organisations where the glass ceiling for those in ICT was soon to be broken.
Unfortunately this was not be happen as he still remains in the same post while in other organisations such as KCB and Safaricom the posts of CIO/ICT Directors have either been downgraded or scraped all together.
The final nail was driven home when I read the current issue of CIO magazine and saw the results of a survey by Gartner, I leave it for you to read and weep.
http://financesjournal.com/blogs/influence-cfo-investments-7204.html
Regards
PS. Which explains a lot why we have boards whose mandate is to provide opportunities for those in ICT run by none technocrats and we wonder why the Open Data is sitting in a server in the USA Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
-- Sent from my mobile device Barrack O. Otieno Afriregister Ltd (Kenya) www.afrire <http://www.afriregister.com>gister.bi, www.afriregister.com<http://www.afriergister.com> <http://www.afriregister.com>ICANN accredited registrar +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno
Indeed Barrack, that was on a light note, but the truth of the matter is that job specifications within ICT are highly dynamic even from a historical perspective. To keep relevant, practitioners need to pay keen attention to Continuous Professional Development. Right now with the advent of Cloud Computing it is even doubtful whether KQ and other organizations will in future need an IT department let alone a CIO/IT Director. IT Practioners need to be ready to relocate to (or start) companies running managed IT services. With Konza and other initiatives coming up these companies can be located there. In user organizations there will soon be no hardware/software to manage because of IaaS/SaaS. Waudo On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:39 +0300, "Barrack Otieno" <otieno.barrack@gmail.com> wrote:
I once heard bwana Waudo refer to CIO as career is over, in this age of enterprise resource planning, anything is possible.
On 8/8/11, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Hi All,
It is now clear that as ICT professionals we are now loosing ground in as far as our influence in the organisation is concerned. When Mr. Kinyanjui was appointed IT Director at Kenya Airways I was sure that this was the beginning of a new wave in the running of organisations where the glass ceiling for those in ICT was soon to be broken.
Unfortunately this was not be happen as he still remains in the same post while in other organisations such as KCB and Safaricom the posts of CIO/ICT Directors have either been downgraded or scraped all together.
The final nail was driven home when I read the current issue of CIO magazine and saw the results of a survey by Gartner, I leave it for you to read and weep.
http://financesjournal.com/blogs/influence-cfo-investments-7204.html
Regards
PS. Which explains a lot why we have boards whose mandate is to provide opportunities for those in ICT run by none technocrats and we wonder why the Open Data is sitting in a server in the USA Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
-- Sent from my mobile device
Barrack O. Otieno Afriregister Ltd (Kenya) www.afrire <http://www.afriregister.com>gister.bi, www.afriregister.com<http://www.afriergister.com> <http://www.afriregister.com>ICANN accredited registrar +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno
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:-), increasingly organisations are certifying line managers to manage various components of ERPs, where does all this leave the CIO? On 8/8/11, waudo siganga <emailsignet@mailcan.com> wrote:
Indeed Barrack, that was on a light note, but the truth of the matter is that job specifications within ICT are highly dynamic even from a historical perspective. To keep relevant, practitioners need to pay keen attention to Continuous Professional Development. Right now with the advent of Cloud Computing it is even doubtful whether KQ and other organizations will in future need an IT department let alone a CIO/IT Director. IT Practioners need to be ready to relocate to (or start) companies running managed IT services. With Konza and other initiatives coming up these companies can be located there. In user organizations there will soon be no hardware/software to manage because of IaaS/SaaS.
Waudo
On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:39 +0300, "Barrack Otieno" <otieno.barrack@gmail.com> wrote:
I once heard bwana Waudo refer to CIO as career is over, in this age of enterprise resource planning, anything is possible.
On 8/8/11, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Hi All,
It is now clear that as ICT professionals we are now loosing ground in as far as our influence in the organisation is concerned. When Mr. Kinyanjui was appointed IT Director at Kenya Airways I was sure that this was the beginning of a new wave in the running of organisations where the glass ceiling for those in ICT was soon to be broken.
Unfortunately this was not be happen as he still remains in the same post while in other organisations such as KCB and Safaricom the posts of CIO/ICT Directors have either been downgraded or scraped all together.
The final nail was driven home when I read the current issue of CIO magazine and saw the results of a survey by Gartner, I leave it for you to read and weep.
http://financesjournal.com/blogs/influence-cfo-investments-7204.html
Regards
PS. Which explains a lot why we have boards whose mandate is to provide opportunities for those in ICT run by none technocrats and we wonder why the Open Data is sitting in a server in the USA Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
-- Sent from my mobile device
Barrack O. Otieno Afriregister Ltd (Kenya) www.afrire <http://www.afriregister.com>gister.bi, www.afriregister.com<http://www.afriergister.com> <http://www.afriregister.com>ICANN accredited registrar +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno
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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.
-- Sent from my mobile device Barrack O. Otieno Afriregister Ltd (Kenya) www.afrire <http://www.afriregister.com>gister.bi, www.afriregister.com<http://www.afriergister.com> <http://www.afriregister.com>ICANN accredited registrar +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno
Not sure there IS a glass ceiling - the MD of KQ was himself the IT Manager of Magadi Soda more than 10 years back (and also did a stint in the public sector as a Permanent Secretary of then then TransComm ministry). Sometimes its not as much as how high you can go as what else you can do after - either upwards or across on the same level. Lets take the example of MJ former CEO of Safaricom - does he have a glass ceiling? Indeed for any MD/CEO is there a glass ceiling? BTW I know your argument is about the perceived diminishing role of CIOs/IT Managers. On 8 August 2011 08:29, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Hi All,
It is now clear that as ICT professionals we are now loosing ground in as far as our influence in the organisation is concerned. When Mr. Kinyanjui was appointed IT Director at Kenya Airways I was sure that this was the beginning of a new wave in the running of organisations where the glass ceiling for those in ICT was soon to be broken.
Unfortunately this was not be happen as he still remains in the same post while in other organisations such as KCB and Safaricom the posts of CIO/ICT Directors have either been downgraded or scraped all together.
The final nail was driven home when I read the current issue of CIO magazine and saw the results of a survey by Gartner, I leave it for you to read and weep.
http://financesjournal.com/blogs/influence-cfo-investments-7204.html
Regards
PS. Which explains a lot why we have boards whose mandate is to provide opportunities for those in ICT run by none technocrats and we wonder why the Open Data is sitting in a server in the USA
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
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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.
-- Francis Hook +254 733 504561
At one level, this is not surprising. As technology evolves and becomes standardized, even commoditized, the focus shifts from the equipment to the consumer. The organizations that win will be those that have a winning proposition to the end user not necessarily those with the best technology. A good example is the telcos. When mobile phones started off in the early 90’s, the companies were run by engineers. Today, most telcos are run by either marketing guys or finance guys. Charles Maye, From: kictanet-bounces+cmaye=ke.nationmedia.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+cmaye=ke.nationmedia.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of robert yawe Sent: 08 August 2011 08:29 To: Charles Maye Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] IT posts for full circle Hi All, It is now clear that as ICT professionals we are now loosing ground in as far as our influence in the organisation is concerned. When Mr. Kinyanjui was appointed IT Director at Kenya Airways I was sure that this was the beginning of a new wave in the running of organisations where the glass ceiling for those in ICT was soon to be broken. Unfortunately this was not be happen as he still remains in the same post while in other organisations such as KCB and Safaricom the posts of CIO/ICT Directors have either been downgraded or scraped all together. The final nail was driven home when I read the current issue of CIO magazine and saw the results of a survey by Gartner, I leave it for you to read and weep. http://financesjournal.com/blogs/influence-cfo-investments-7204.html Regards PS. Which explains a lot why we have boards whose mandate is to provide opportunities for those in ICT run by none technocrats and we wonder why the Open Data is sitting in a server in the USA Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Nation Media Group. �To get all breaking news alerts send the word BREAK to 6667 or visit http://mobile.nation.co.ke to read news on your mobile phone.�
Initially ICT was considered a necessary cost centre within many organizations. It was usually placed under Operations division or sometimes under the stingy Finance division to control its cost. Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization. It is a business enabler and unless the ICT division within an organization is able to show the management of that organization that it can operate as a profit centre and actually generate tangible profits OR at least reduce the cost or making profit within other divisions , .. it will never have say in the organization. Bottom line .. the shareholders want "profits" Another line of argument that I have heard inside a board room is that .. most of what the ICT team refer to as "ICT Technology" are actually "nice to have" gizmos e.g. iPADs.. But I have reservation about this argument .. simply because those who were saying it were fidgeting with their blackberries ...
I wish to differ. yes, IT is largely a cost centre but can deliver cost savings, increase efficiency, reduce costs and enhance customer service/retention, foster innovation, etc ALL of which affect the bottom line positively. The trend in the last few years is to understand how this happens and progressive organisations have certain metrics to measure this impact. On 8 August 2011 12:05, Thomas Kibui <thomas.kibui@gmail.com> wrote:
Initially ICT was considered a necessary cost centre within many organizations. It was usually placed under Operations division or sometimes under the stingy Finance division to control its cost.
Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization. It is a business enabler and unless the ICT division within an organization is able to show the management of that organization that it can operate as a profit centre and actually generate tangible profits OR at least reduce the cost or making profit within other divisions , .. it will never have say in the organization.
Bottom line .. the shareholders want "profits"
Another line of argument that I have heard inside a board room is that .. most of what the ICT team refer to as "ICT Technology" are actually "nice to have" gizmos e.g. iPADs.. But I have reservation about this argument .. simply because those who were saying it were fidgeting with their blackberries ...
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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.
-- Francis Hook +254 733 504561
Toma About - "Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization" This is not true, Safaricom, Airtel, Access Kenya, Zuku etc etc etc are ALL about IT. It can create mad profits or drive them Look at agency banking - its all about branding, float and a device (android app) ... with that a bank cuts on capex Look at Mobile Money - its all IT, Money moves from one account to the other and there are fees for that For old school corporates - IT is gives massive distribution ... an insurance company does not have to have offices and agents all over the country, all they need is mobile/web interfaces A good CIO is the difference between USD10,000 for SugarCRM and USD3,000,000 for Siebel ... etc etc etc Thanks On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 12:05 PM, Thomas Kibui <thomas.kibui@gmail.com>wrote:
Initially ICT was considered a necessary cost centre within many organizations. It was usually placed under Operations division or sometimes under the stingy Finance division to control its cost.
Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization. It is a business enabler and unless the ICT division within an organization is able to show the management of that organization that it can operate as a profit centre and actually generate tangible profits OR at least reduce the cost or making profit within other divisions , .. it will never have say in the organization.
Bottom line .. the shareholders want "profits"
Another line of argument that I have heard inside a board room is that .. most of what the ICT team refer to as "ICT Technology" are actually "nice to have" gizmos e.g. iPADs.. But I have reservation about this argument .. simply because those who were saying it were fidgeting with their blackberries ...
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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.
Actually, IT on its own cannot create profits. Airtel Kenya has a network that is as good as any. But they are losing cash. Same goes for Telkom Kenya. Africa Online was a great idea born by IT experts. It was ahead of its time and never made money. When a technology is new to the world, it can generate profits. The moment it is duplicated and commoditized and for the rest of its life, it needs another set of skills. That set of skills is what makes organizations select people other than IT experts as CIO's. Closer home, part of the many reasons the good doctor is so successful at driving our ICT agenda as a country is because he understands how to make technology connect with our aspirations as a people. I stand to be corrected but I believe the good doctor is not an engineer. Charles Maye From: kictanet-bounces+cmaye=ke.nationmedia.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+cmaye=ke.nationmedia.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Agosta Liko Sent: 08 August 2011 13:25 To: Charles Maye Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] IT posts for full circle Toma About - "Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization" This is not true, Safaricom, Airtel, Access Kenya, Zuku etc etc etc are ALL about IT. It can create mad profits or drive them Look at agency banking - its all about branding, float and a device (android app) ... with that a bank cuts on capex Look at Mobile Money - its all IT, Money moves from one account to the other and there are fees for that For old school corporates - IT is gives massive distribution ... an insurance company does not have to have offices and agents all over the country, all they need is mobile/web interfaces A good CIO is the difference between USD10,000 for SugarCRM and USD3,000,000 for Siebel ... etc etc etc Thanks On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 12:05 PM, Thomas Kibui <thomas.kibui@gmail.com<mailto:thomas.kibui@gmail.com>> wrote: Initially ICT was considered a necessary cost centre within many organizations. It was usually placed under Operations division or sometimes under the stingy Finance division to control its cost. Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization. It is a business enabler and unless the ICT division within an organization is able to show the management of that organization that it can operate as a profit centre and actually generate tangible profits OR at least reduce the cost or making profit within other divisions , .. it will never have say in the organization. Bottom line .. the shareholders want "profits" Another line of argument that I have heard inside a board room is that .. most of what the ICT team refer to as "ICT Technology" are actually "nice to have" gizmos e.g. iPADs.. But I have reservation about this argument .. simply because those who were saying it were fidgeting with their blackberries ... _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/agostal%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. DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Nation Media Group. �To get all breaking news alerts send the word BREAK to 6667 or visit http://mobile.nation.co.ke to read news on your mobile phone.�
A CIO is meant to have a split brain, one that thinks IT and another that thinks business. What we are seeing is failure for IT experts to develop the business brain and therefore unable to have 50% of the skills set required for that position. A read on IT service management will show you how IT can make money. Kindest regards Harry From: Charles Maye <cmaye@ke.nationmedia.com> Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2011 14:17:08 +0300 To: Harry Hare <harry@africanedevelopment.org> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IT posts for full circle Actually, IT on its own cannot create profits. Airtel Kenya has a network that is as good as any. But they are losing cash. Same goes for Telkom Kenya. Africa Online was a great idea born by IT experts. It was ahead of its time and never made money. When a technology is new to the world, it can generate profits. The moment it is duplicated and commoditized and for the rest of its life, it needs another set of skills. That set of skills is what makes organizations select people other than IT experts as CIO¹s. Closer home, part of the many reasons the good doctor is so successful at driving our ICT agenda as a country is because he understands how to make technology connect with our aspirations as a people. I stand to be corrected but I believe the good doctor is not an engineer. Charles Maye From: kictanet-bounces+cmaye=ke.nationmedia.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+cmaye=ke.nationmedia.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Agosta Liko Sent: 08 August 2011 13:25 To: Charles Maye Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] IT posts for full circle Toma About - "Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization" This is not true, Safaricom, Airtel, Access Kenya, Zuku etc etc etc are ALL about IT. It can create mad profits or drive them Look at agency banking - its all about branding, float and a device (android app) ... with that a bank cuts on capex Look at Mobile Money - its all IT, Money moves from one account to the other and there are fees for that For old school corporates - IT is gives massive distribution ... an insurance company does not have to have offices and agents all over the country, all they need is mobile/web interfaces A good CIO is the difference between USD10,000 for SugarCRM and USD3,000,000 for Siebel ... etc etc etc Thanks On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 12:05 PM, Thomas Kibui <thomas.kibui@gmail.com> wrote: Initially ICT was considered a necessary cost centre within many organizations. It was usually placed under Operations division or sometimes under the stingy Finance division to control its cost. Lets face it ICT on its own cannot run or profit an organization. It is a business enabler and unless the ICT division within an organization is able to show the management of that organization that it can operate as a profit centre and actually generate tangible profits OR at least reduce the cost or making profit within other divisions , .. it will never have say in the organization. Bottom line .. the shareholders want "profits" Another line of argument that I have heard inside a board room is that .. most of what the ICT team refer to as "ICT Technology" are actually "nice to have" gizmos e.g. iPADs.. But I have reservation about this argument .. simply because those who were saying it were fidgeting with their blackberries ... _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/agostal%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. DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Nation Media Group <http://www.nation.co.ke> . To get all breaking news alerts send the word BREAK to 6667 or visit http://mobile.nation.co.ke to read news on your mobile phone. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/harry%40africanedevelop ment.org 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.
On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 2:17 PM, Charles Maye <cmaye@ke.nationmedia.com>wrote:
Actually, IT on its own cannot create profits.
I choose to strongly disagree. Equity Bank credit's a large chunk of it's profitability to good use of IT. Will give a basic example, Business Intelligence. A forte of IT which enables a business to make informed decisions e.g. Starbucks previously had an issue with declining coffee sales. BI enabled them to figure out *which* demographic was not buying coffee and they started positioning the lot for coffee consumption (move them from the regular milkshake to frappuccino to cappuccino to latte and hopefully espresso enthusiasts). IT can lead to new services that can create profits, the CIO's job is to create these...
****
Airtel Kenya has a network that is as good as any. But they are losing cash. Same goes for Telkom Kenya. Africa Online was a great idea born by IT experts. It was ahead of its time and never made money. When a technology is new to the world, it can generate profits. The moment it is duplicated and commoditized and for the rest of its life, it needs another set of skills. That set of skills is what makes organizations select people other than IT experts as CIO’s.
This is actually a failing of business, not technology. Correct me if I'm wrong but Airtel had the best *technology* circa 2001, but the problem was that they chose to go for per-minute not per-second billing, the CEO, not the CIO was at fault in this case.... We have some brilliant CIO's in Kenya and beyond, the issue, in my opinion is a HR issue (i.e. getting the right CIO for your organization with the right blend of technical and commercial skills). I find it ironical that we claim to be a country that is aiming to be at the bleeding edge of technology that has no hope for the role of CIO or jobs in the IT sector in general.... -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 720 406 093 | E: pkariuki@gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | B: http://www.kaboro.com/ |
Excellent notes.. by Phares It is not that ICT does not have money, it is that we do not implement / support Information Systems as much as we should to increase transparency / accountability / good (profitable) behavior in our organizations / societies / governments. Beware: When an IT Pro becomes an Enemy of Fraud.. He becomes an enemy of the Corrupt State.. CEO's and CFO's who keep CIO's from doing their work -- that is to increase efficiency (reduce wastage and grow profits), business intelligence and transparency within organizations -- should be penalized / punished by their employers / shareholders. After financial scandals in the USA, messaging (not just accounting) systems in Corporate firms, are being developed to help compliance with their Sarnabanes Oxley (SOX) and other Acts.. http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/dunn/rprnts.SOXGoals.pdf http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchange2010/thread/d2398d2... Three or so years ago, a technical associate (MS Exchange Technology Specialist) was available for consulting and could not find / get good consulting work. This with all the cooperative societies / government parastatals that could have benefitted from his expertise in setting up and managing Corporate messaging systems. He got hired by an American organization that set up their regional HQ in Nairobi and is managing their IT (including Google Apps) in a number of African countries.. Colleges / Universities should not mislead their students into believing FOSS will help corporate career development as much as major IT brands do. :) On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 10:23 AM, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki@gmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 2:17 PM, Charles Maye <cmaye@ke.nationmedia.com>wrote:
Actually, IT on its own cannot create profits.
I choose to strongly disagree. Equity Bank credit's a large chunk of it's profitability to good use of IT. Will give a basic example, Business Intelligence. A forte of IT which enables a business to make informed decisions e.g. Starbucks previously had an issue with declining coffee sales. BI enabled them to figure out *which* demographic was not buying coffee and they started positioning the lot for coffee consumption (move them from the regular milkshake to frappuccino to cappuccino to latte and hopefully espresso enthusiasts). IT can lead to new services that can create profits, the CIO's job is to create these...
****
Airtel Kenya has a network that is as good as any. But they are losing cash. Same goes for Telkom Kenya. Africa Online was a great idea born by IT experts. It was ahead of its time and never made money. When a technology is new to the world, it can generate profits. The moment it is duplicated and commoditized and for the rest of its life, it needs another set of skills. That set of skills is what makes organizations select people other than IT experts as CIO’s.
This is actually a failing of business, not technology. Correct me if I'm wrong but Airtel had the best *technology* circa 2001, but the problem was that they chose to go for per-minute not per-second billing, the CEO, not the CIO was at fault in this case....
We have some brilliant CIO's in Kenya and beyond, the issue, in my opinion is a HR issue (i.e. getting the right CIO for your organization with the right blend of technical and commercial skills).
I find it ironical that we claim to be a country that is aiming to be at the bleeding edge of technology that has no hope for the role of CIO or jobs in the IT sector in general....
-- With Regards,
Phares Kariuki
| T: +254 720 406 093 | E: pkariuki@gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | B: http://www.kaboro.com/ |
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/murigi.muraya%40gmail.c...
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.
I think all the arguments are essentially saying the same things from different perspectives... -- Josiah Mugambi On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 12:55 PM, S.Murigi Muraya <murigi.muraya@gmail.com>wrote:
Excellent notes.. by Phares
It is not that ICT does not have money, it is that we do not implement / support Information Systems as much as we should to increase transparency / accountability / good (profitable) behavior in our organizations / societies / governments.
Beware: When an IT Pro becomes an Enemy of Fraud.. He becomes an enemy of the Corrupt State..
CEO's and CFO's who keep CIO's from doing their work -- that is to increase efficiency (reduce wastage and grow profits), business intelligence and transparency within organizations -- should be penalized / punished by their employers / shareholders.
After financial scandals in the USA, messaging (not just accounting) systems in Corporate firms, are being developed to help compliance with their Sarnabanes Oxley (SOX) and other Acts..
http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/dunn/rprnts.SOXGoals.pdf
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchange2010/thread/d2398d2...
Three or so years ago, a technical associate (MS Exchange Technology Specialist) was available for consulting and could not find / get good consulting work. This with all the cooperative societies / government parastatals that could have benefitted from his expertise in setting up and managing Corporate messaging systems. He got hired by an American organization that set up their regional HQ in Nairobi and is managing their IT (including Google Apps) in a number of African countries..
Colleges / Universities should not mislead their students into believing FOSS will help corporate career development as much as major IT brands do.
:)
On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 10:23 AM, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki@gmail.com>wrote:
On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 2:17 PM, Charles Maye <cmaye@ke.nationmedia.com>wrote:
Actually, IT on its own cannot create profits.
I choose to strongly disagree. Equity Bank credit's a large chunk of it's profitability to good use of IT. Will give a basic example, Business Intelligence. A forte of IT which enables a business to make informed decisions e.g. Starbucks previously had an issue with declining coffee sales. BI enabled them to figure out *which* demographic was not buying coffee and they started positioning the lot for coffee consumption (move them from the regular milkshake to frappuccino to cappuccino to latte and hopefully espresso enthusiasts). IT can lead to new services that can create profits, the CIO's job is to create these...
****
Airtel Kenya has a network that is as good as any. But they are losing cash. Same goes for Telkom Kenya. Africa Online was a great idea born by IT experts. It was ahead of its time and never made money. When a technology is new to the world, it can generate profits. The moment it is duplicated and commoditized and for the rest of its life, it needs another set of skills. That set of skills is what makes organizations select people other than IT experts as CIO’s.
This is actually a failing of business, not technology. Correct me if I'm wrong but Airtel had the best *technology* circa 2001, but the problem was that they chose to go for per-minute not per-second billing, the CEO, not the CIO was at fault in this case....
We have some brilliant CIO's in Kenya and beyond, the issue, in my opinion is a HR issue (i.e. getting the right CIO for your organization with the right blend of technical and commercial skills).
I find it ironical that we claim to be a country that is aiming to be at the bleeding edge of technology that has no hope for the role of CIO or jobs in the IT sector in general....
-- With Regards,
Phares Kariuki
| T: +254 720 406 093 | E: pkariuki@gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | B: http://www.kaboro.com/ |
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/murigi.muraya%40gmail.c...
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 http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jmugambi%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.
participants (11)
-
Agosta Liko -
Barrack Otieno -
Charles Maye -
Francis Hook -
Harry Hare -
Josiah Mugambi -
Phares Kariuki -
robert yawe -
S.Murigi Muraya -
Thomas Kibui -
waudo siganga