Changed thread to inject a little positivity raising young Kenya outsourcing industry:) The ICT Consumers Association of Kenya has long considered nurturing local outsourcing as springboard to high quality international BPO-KPO. Since 2006, we have urged Telcos, and Mobicos to outsource their customer care in order to increase consumer access to their right to know about the products and services the market offers(For example, see innovative consumer lobbyism on my below email and last line on Michael Joseph's reply. Is he still on this list?) Last month New Telkom Kenya announced they had outsourced customer care and today Safaricom just did. (Congratulations to Safaricom and Telkcom for heeding to consumers' call:) Zain, et al? These are positive developments for the consumer, operators, BPOs, and the country. Perhaps we ought to expect more ICT Board facilitative role (rather than "funding") more of such developments? Stakeholders must compete; matching and aligning their commercial interests with market realities, national BPO interests. Regards, AG ---forwarded message--- From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru@gmail.com> Date: Sat, May 24, 2008 at 4:23 PM To: Michael Joseph <MJoseph@safaricom.co.ke> Cc: ke-users <ke-internetusers@bdix.net> Dear Michael Joseph, I write seeking your responses to below questions. This morning I received an SMS from Safaricom that read "You are on TARIFFIC tariff. Safaricom is phasing out Sema, Tariffic & Taifa tariffs. Dial 212 to migrate for FREE to one of our new tariffs." 1. When is the deadline for affected subscribers to comply with sent migration instructions? 2. What migration assistance would your company have in place for subscribers that cannot read (English), for example rural grandparents, the blind, among others? 3. On what tariff will Safaricom assign, or what will happen to subscribers that do not act 4. Would it not have helped consumers more if the SMS had directed where to get more information, such the costs of what are now the available options? 5. Separately but related to (4), above I have received a painful consumer complaint saying their 100/= 'was swallowed' by your network in the cause of tariffs migration(s). 6. Where could I get complete migration costs implications? I am not suggesting it but, perhaps if Safaricom engaged local call centers to call the the affected could save you subscribers or consumers feeling that you, unless advised, forced them into a new tariff of your choice? We welcome distinctive 'offers' from 'tariffs' advertisements easier to discern thus lessens migration difficulties to consumer public. Sincerely, Alex Gakuru Chairman, ICT Consumers Association of Kenya ---------- From: Michael Joseph <MJoseph@safaricom.co.ke> Date: Mon, May 26, 2008 at 1:06 PM To: Alex Gakuru <gakuru@gmail.com> In June 2007, Safaricom reviewed its prepaid tariffs downwards and introduced four new tariffs i.e. Saasa, Super Tariffic, Jambo and Super Taifa in a campaign dubbed the new shapes of communication. It was then envisaged that the old tariffs i.e. Sema, Tariffic, and Taifa would be phased out after most of our subscribers had migrated to the new tariffs. Indeed, most did with less than 4% remaining on the old tariffs. On 21st May 2008, Safaricom issued a public notice in one of the local dailies informing subscribers of the intention to phase out the old tariffs and explaining the options available and how to migrate to a new tariff of their choice. The migration was offered free of charge. In the notice it was stated that subscribers who will not have migrated will be moved as follows. Sema and Tariffic Subscriber will be moved to Super Tariffic tariff. The peak rates for Sema and Tariffic are Kshs 25 and 32.50 respectively while for Super Tariffic its Kshs. 20. Further Sema attracts a call set-up fee of Kshs 2.50 which was scrapped under Super Tariffic. Subscribers on Taifa tariff call any local network at one flat rate of Kshs. 28.50 and were to be moved to Super Taifa tariff which cost a flat rate of Kshs 20 to call any local network moving down to Kshs 10 after the second minute. This represents significant cost savings. On Friday 23rd May 2008 a message was sent out to the affected subscribers encouraging them to migrate by dialing 212. The message was sent out in English and Kiswahili depending on the language preference chosen by the subscriber. The 212 interactive voice responses (IVR) method explains to the subscriber the tariff options available to them and how to migrate. As you will note the move is meant to benefit our subscribers while at the same time achieving a simpler and easier to communicate tariff structure. Further, I have noted your suggestions and will consider them in similar initiatives in future Michael CEO Safaricom Limited ----end forward message---- On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 8:25 AM, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear All,

"Comments from BPO operators and of course other Stakeholders" please.

Safaricom in Sh1bn customer care plan (see Daily Nation page 28)

-------------------------------------------------

Many companies have been turning to BPOs as the financial benefits of outsourcing continue to make it compelling, with cost savings and efficiency improvements being the dominant reasons companies use such services. However, companies biggest concerns on outsourcing relate to data security.

-----------------------------------------------------

The move, seen a precautionary measure in the face of growing competition, marks a complete turnaround by the mobile provider which in July last year had sought quotations from local Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms.

"Outsourcing the customer care function proved to be too expensive for the kind of quality that we required. We will just have to run the service in-house," said Safaricom chief executive Michael Joseph.

http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/-/1006/466372/-/jiyt3xz/-/index.html

On Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 8:58 PM, Sean Moroney <seanm@aitecafrica.com> wrote:

...

Dear Liko,

We would like to invite you to make a presentation at the forthcoming Outsourcing & Contact Centre Conference, which we will be holding over 4-5 November under the auspices of the Ministry of Information & Communications and in partnership with the ICT Board. The programme of confirmed presentations so far is attached.

It would be great if you would be willing to share your experience with the other participants.

Yours sincerely,

Sean Moroney

Chairman

AITEC Africa

seanm@aitecafrica.com

UK Tel: +44(0)1480-880774

UK Fax: +44(0)1480-880765

UK Mobile: +44(0)7973-499224

Kenya Mobile: +254(0)721-845674

Mozambique Mobile: +258-82-6181618

Nigeria Mobile: +234(0)802-0571766

SA Mobile: +27(0)724-577887

Skype: seanmoroney

www.aitecafrica.com

Please visit our discussion group on The Banking Technology sector in Africa at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/africanbankingtech

AITEC Africa is the trading name of AITEC Conferences Limited UK Company registration number: 4698475

________________________________

From: kictanet-bounces+seanm=aitecafrica.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+seanm=aitecafrica.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Peres Were Sent: 01 September 2008 12:23 To: seanm@aitecafrica.com

Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' Subject: Re: [kictanet] Stakeholder Queries:

Liko,

It would be great to hear from you and others, your insights into sales and marketing insights that can benefit the BPO, KPO sector. We can continue the discussion off the list.

Kind regards

Peres Were

________________________________

From: kictanet-bounces+pwere=cascadegl.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+pwere=cascadegl.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Liko Agosta Sent: 01 September 2008 10:33 To: pwere@cascadegl.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Stakeholder Queries:

About ICT Board and all these Boards …

Do they ever have open sessions where stakeholders can review strategy, advice, brainstorm ?

As CEO of verviant, I have been able to get business … I feel like I have insights into the sales and marketing process that can benefit other software/ICT providers …

Thanks

Liko Agosta, CEO

Verviant Consulting Services.

www.verviant.com

Phone : 1-919-341-1820

Fax : 1-978-268-8403

Toll Free: 1-866-551-4935

Pager: 9193891551@txt.att.net

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Brian Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com> Date: Aug 29, 2008 9:31 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICT Board Strategy a Farce To: wambuiwakarema@yahoo.co.uk

Very strong language - but I think you should relax as your concerns are unfounded.

I am at the Strategic retreat. Unfortunately Gilda Odera - Chairperson of BPO, who was supposed to be present had to cancel at the last minute.

Brian

On 8/29/08, Wambui Wakarema <wambuiwakarema@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

I have read with surprise the Kictanet mailout from the ICT Board claiming they are going for a stakeholders strategy workshop in Naivasha.

Who are these stakeholders? Are there any representing the BPO sector?? I ask this because I have contacted the industry association and they dont seem

to be in the know either. This is quite bizarre, especially since BPO is a key sector of the ICT Board's mandate.

Who are the stakeholders from the other ICT sectors? Shouldnt the Board be getting input from key stakeholders at this workshop.

They are wasting government resources going to write strategies and then 'presenting' to stakeholders, yet stakeholders should have been involved from the word go.

The

-- David Otwoma, Chief Science Secretary, National Council for Science and Technology, Utalii House 9th Floor, Mobile tel: +254 722 141771, Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915, P. O. Box 29899 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke www.ncst.go.ke

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