[kictanet] Technology SMEs

[Dorcas Muthoni]

You may have heard of the action taken by the Copyright board on software
piracy in cyber cafe businesses.

This article on Business Daily:
http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4522&Itemid=5847
captures it.

We all acknowledge the role of cyber cafe businesses in driving Internet
penetration. When small and medium enterprises business owners take
decisions to start the Internet shops, they are basically supporting what we
all want to see; an e-Kenya.

Picking from a recent post on the list regarding the challenges being faced
by local computer assembly firms, there is truly an issue with regard to the
sustainability of Technology SMEs. These local firms have enabled many
Kenyans have affordable computers/clones and Internet access respectively.

On average, a cyber cafe with 30 computers requires up to about KES.
1.8million to have genuine copies commodity software frequently used
by their
customers.

Open Source is an approach that can make these commodity software affordable
and available to such SME businesses in a way that satisfies customers
effectively.

We all need to support local technology SMEs because they are really a
driver for the this industry.

OPENWORLD (www.openworld.co.ke), will conduct an Open Source workshop at the
Grand Regency Hotel on, Friday, 14th December 2007 starting 9.00am. The
purpose of the workshop is to inform Cyber Café Owners and Operators on how
they can benefit from Open Source Software in order to sustain their
businesses.

It will be interesting to hear from others how we can support technology
SMEs since they are a key driver in the growth of the industry.

-- 
Muthoni

My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------
Mahatma Gandhi once said:-

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
AND THEN YOU WIN!!!
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