[kictanet] ICT/BPO Marketing Strategy

Thu Aug 7 16:26:22 EAT 2008

Perhaps the ICT Board should be dissolved , re-constituted, given a fresh mandate. It is quite obvious that we cannot expect any deliverables from the Board if one year has come and gone with nothing to show for their existence in the BPO sector which I believe was originally their main mandate. The biggest issue being lack of direction in marketing and positioning Kenya as a BPO destination. Their marketing division has failed.

Wambui

--- On Tue, 5/8/08, David Otwoma <otwomad at gmail.com> wrote:

From: David Otwoma <otwomad at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICT/BPO Marketing Strategy
To: wambuiwakarema at yahoo.co.uk
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Tuesday, 5 August, 2008, 5:43 PM

Dear Lucy,

The issues you touch on are burning.

There was supposed to be a round table meeting today with the PM and
it would be interesting to learn what the six reps from the ICT
stakeholders managed to achieve as regards sensitizing the
policy/decision makers on the points you dwell on.

It surely is coming out loud and clear that the most efficient
marketer for BPO&CC is none other than players in .....The Kenya
BPO&CC Society did a great service to industry players by launching
the Standards and Ethics Guidelines which were swiftly adopted by the
stakeholders present who included the PS of the MoI&C, Kenya ICT Board
and all the memebrs and non-members of the BPO&CC fraternity who
graced KICC to witness the development see
http://www.ict.go.ke/inner.php?cat=news&sid=104. Those of us who met
in hotels at our expenses plus time which will never be recovered
expected all, especially KICTB to ride on that wave and probably fly
on with the Standards & Ethics Guideline by promoting it to became a
regulation. With a Standard and Ethics  Guideline, a big marketing
tool is on the hands of GoK and also members of the KBPOCCS  see
http://www.kenyabposociety.or.ke/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=36.
Having met people outside Kenya who are doing outsourcing, its telling
how they react favorably knowing that the players have some agreed to
standards and ethics.

One the other let down to the BPO&CC industry is indeed the high cost
of bandwidth. It appears by the time the necessary red tape will have
been cut, the TEAMS or/and EASSY projects may have landed at the
shores of Mombasa rendering the whole concept of bandwidth subsidy a
red herring. Having been a student of 'Lords of Poverty' it would pay
if the BPO&CC found other solace other than bank on promises. They are
not promissary (sp) notes as issued by Central bank.

There is an issue of size which the CEO of KICTB loves tauting as the
reason we in Kenya are not able to attract work. What is your take?

David

On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 6:34 PM, Lucy M <lmwatibo.ktd at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am talking from a private sector point of view, I am an industry player
> and running a call center.
>
> Now in regards to marketing Kenya as a BPO destination, I would say not
much
> has been done at all.
>
> Many call centers and BPO have shut down as a result of high bandwidth
costs
> and poor marketing. I would expect the BPO industry to be taken more
> seriously it being one of the 5 pillars of the VISION 2030. If we dont
start
> marketing now, when will we ever market the country as an outsourcing
> destination with such giant competitors as India and those mentioned by
> Wambui? At this slow pace I dont think this industry will last long.
>
> Serious marketing has to be done! Marketing is the main thing that should
be
> done to bring Kenya to the limelight and great support is needed from the
> government in ensuring this is done. Without bias and prejudice, we thank
> the Kenya BPO & Contact Center Society which has been doing alot to
> sensitive people on the BPO & Contact Center industry as well as speak
out
> the needs of the private sector in the industry. They recently launched
the
> Standards & Ethics guidelines for the industry. Now this is something
we can
> say is a step forward. Am sure with more support alot will be achieved to
> help bring the industry to life in Kenya.
>
> Like for instance there is the UK Birmingham Expo taking place in
September
> 2008 there was even a media briefing by ICT BOard on it. This is the
world's
> largest call center expo which is held annually and it particularly
targets
> the Call Center/Contact Center industry. So I would expect the government
to
> totally support local call centers to participate fully at such an event.
As
> it is now, call centers are struggling hard to sustain themselves and most
> have even shut down. The few existing are still hanging in there
struggling
> with high bandwidth costs and all. So this is the point the government
> should come in and at least sponsor several private sector call centers to
> participate at that event. With this high costs of bandwidth and other
> running call center expenses, who will be able to fund for themselves to
> such events? Very few or none at all will be able to afford attending the
> event. So who will be at the Kenyan stand in the UK CALL CENTER expo?
> Government officials only???? I wonder.
>
> It is at such events that Kenya will be able to be placed in the map as an
> outsourcing destination as with such events comes advertising on the Call
> Center Focus Magazine as well as a stand for exhibiting Kenya at the expo..
> Private sector industry players will also get an opportunity to be exposed
> to the global call center industry and all that comes with it, as well as
> meet potential clients which in the long run will enable them to have
stable
> contracts with which they can be able to sustain their centers.
>
> Please please government give this industry the support it needs and focus
> on the marketing aspect of it mostly as this is what will get it on the
map.
>
>
> L.M
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Aug 3, 2008 at 3:53 PM, Wambui Wakarema
<wambuiwakarema at yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
>>
>> It is now August 2008. Still no marketing plan or strategy forthcoming
>> from the Kenya ICT Board, one year since the Board's inception.
One year as
>>
>> our competitors such as South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius and
others
>> continue to make their mark as BPO destinations.
>>
>> Infact, I would like to know if the ICT Board has delivered on any
single
>> one of its objectives!
>>
>> Wambui
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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