[kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand

Sat Oct 9 09:48:24 EAT 2010

Well said.

Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: bitange at jambo.co.ke
Sender: kictanet-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.keDate: Sat, 9 Oct 2010 09:29:40 
To: <dmakali at yahoo.com>
Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand

Listers,
Just two weeks ago, Edwin Onchari was the master of ceremony in a function
where we were marketing our country to the Indian Investors.  Most of you
have read what IBM promised when the IBM President met with our President.
 They want a relationship with the Universities where they guarantee
employment of up to 10,000 Kenyans.  They along with Bharti want Land to
put up the experience center as well as their HQ.  We have firm commitment
that some of GE work will be done out of Sameer Park.  Google has employed
a significant number of Kenyans and they continue to do so while we create
the enabling environment.  I am on my way to woo other big investors.

MaCkinsey report indicated clearly that in BPO one can only break even at
250 seat capacity.  As we sought to lease Sameer, I have said a million
times that we shall use the facility to incubate local enterpreneurs to
grow to the extent wher they can break even.  This was partly implementing
the MaCkinsey study.  Just as I write Brand Kenya with ICT Board is in the
UK and the US to recruit Kenyans in the diaspora to be our Ambassadors in
marketing our country.

The role of Government is to create the enabling environment for its
citizens to thrive.  We have havelargely created this environment.

In my view if we continue with Kanu hangovers we shall not exploit that
which President Kibaki's Government has done to its people.  Let us not
come to regret that we should have taken advantage of this environment. 
There is lots of opportunity to exploit and where one has no clue, we are
ready to help.

Ndemo.

> Marketing and branding Kenya as a BPO destination is yet to be achieved!
> So,
> government has yet to demonstrate (to the best of my knowledge) what it is
> doing to that end. IBM, Google, Microsoft, GE, Nokia, (the big IT
> investors), etc; are all Kenya as we speak, when are they going to buy
> into
> this grand plan of outsourcing to Kenya? Do we not have the workforce they
> are looking for? What is it that we do not have that they are looking for,
> so that we have it in place before 2030? Just wondering!!
>
> Edwin
>
> Sales without Customer Service........is like stuffing money into a pocket
> full of holes.
> DAVID TOOMA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
> Behalf Of Agosta Liko
> Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 10:30 AM
> To: Edwin
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand
>
> Robert ...
>
> Once more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdA1ikkoEc
>
> :)
>
> On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 9:39 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
>> Hi Liko,
>> Thanks for the insightful post on your experiences it is always
>> refreshing
>> to listen to new ideas.
>> You made something very clear that for most BPO jobs one does not need a
>> university degree, do you therefore subscribe to the school of that the
>> government should stop promising fresh graduates that the solution to
> their
>> possible unemployment will be the BPO sector.  It is scary when you hear
>> a
>> minister at a graduation telling the students that they will get a job
>> in
>> the BPO sector.
>> You have indicated the 3,000 (1,200 at Safaricom) jobs currently
>> created courtesy of the BPO industry yet we will have 450,000 leaving
>> form
> 4
>> and 30,000 graduating from Universities this year alone making
>> the  number
> a
>> drop in the ocean.
>> Whatever you believe, I strongly feel the government is not doing
>> enough,
>> like with any new sector without the participation of government there
> will
>> be sluggish or no growth.  Investing in new sectors is what government
>> is
>> created for and not participation in mature markets an area that need to
> be
>> divest.
>> How long will it take your company to directly or indirectly create 10
>> new
>> jobs & long would it take the government to do the same, but in this we
>> digress.
>> The critical question still remains where does Kenya stand in the new
>> BPO
>> order brought about by the financial crisis?
>>
>> Robert Yawe
>> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>> Kenya
>>
>> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>
>>________________________________
>> From: Agosta Liko <agostal at gmail.com>
>> To: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>> Sent: Sun, 3 October, 2010 22:11:11
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand
>>
>> Robert
>>
>> No goal posts have shifted. The field is still the same and one can
>> say it will be better.
>>
>> All those baby boomers who lost their jobs after the global financial
>> crisis are now competing with Indians, Malaysians etc etc etc. Even
>> though the Democrats in US don't like outsourcing, the Republicans
>> should make gains during the mid terms and it will become easier for
>> businesses to get cost effective labor abroad. Same goes for Europe
>> etc etc
>>
>> The thing that concerns me is this focus on "capacity building" ... I
>> don't understand which training one needs in order to answer a phone
>> call :) ... and most of us who went to study abroad would attest to
>> the fact that you could get a customer service job, shadow an
>> experienced person for 3 days and you are picking calls ....  Even IT
>> jobs ... you did industry certs and broke through.
>>
>> As I said, On Outsourcing the buck stops at the operators feet.
>>
>> About "should we just hang our boots and direct our efforts and
>> resources elsewhere?"
>>
>> There are companies still working well in the sector ... and they will
>> keep growing ... I am sure all have seen hard times, but hey - that's
>> business. If we are to move elsewhere ... what about the 3000+ jobs
>> created thus far ?
>>
>> Bottom Line - On outsourcing.... lets not blame the government ...
>> they have done and continue to do their part
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Oct 3, 2010 at 9:12 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
>>> Hi Liko,
>>> I think you have misunderstood the question here, we are singing about
> how
>>> the BPO industry will help us meet the objectives of the 2030 agenda
>>> yet
>>> the
>>> entire playing field is changing and we do not seem to be realigning.
>>> As the goal posts keep shifting are we able to continue playing or
>>> should
>>> we
>>> just hang our boots and direct our efforts and resources elsewhere?
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> Robert Yawe
>>> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>> Kenya
>>>
>>> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>
>>>________________________________
>>> From: Agosta Liko <agostal at gmail.com>
>>> To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
>>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> Sent: Sun, 3 October, 2010 17:51:07
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand
>>>
>>> Edwin
>>>
>>> There is a strategy and very true stuff in there. Lots of people are
>>> privy to what the mckinseys hv said etc etc. But to me, the main issue
>>> is execution and patience.
>>>
>>> In my experience, clients don't care where you are (country) all they
>>> care about is can you deliver ?
>>>
>>> Delivery becomes the issue and there is little the govt can do here.
>>>
>>> 3 years ago, a call to USA was 40shs per minute ....... Now it's
>>> 3shs, labor costs the same. Internet was usd6000 per mb (dedicated)
>>> .... I remember spending 400k just to get last mile fiber. Now 1mb is
>>> usd 500
>>>
>>> The buck has to stop at the operators feet .....
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sunday, October 3, 2010, Edwin Onchari <eonchari at lynxbits.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> Hi Dr. Ndemo,
>>>>
>>>> My apologies for not having highlighted the positives that the
> government
>>>> has made in developing the ICT sector in general such as the Fiber
>>>> link,
>>>> upcoming ICT parks, EPZ status for BPOs, skills development, ICT
>>>> frameworks,
>>>> etc.
>>>>
>>>> That said, my response here was in respect to placing Kenya as BPO
>>>> destination on the global stage. The BPO awareness that Kenya has
>>>> received
>>>> over the last 6 years has been largely due to operator efforts (a
> handful
>>>> of
>>>> BPOs). My take is that the government should take up the country's
>>>> marketing
>>>> efforts more aggressively and as below:
>>>>
>>>> 1. Yes, sell to large IT investors and attract the IBMs of the IT
>>>> world
>>>> to
>>>> set-up/collaborate in Kenya. We are all aware that there is some work
>>>> to
>>>> be
>>>> done in this front to get the capacity to attract such big players,
>>>> and
>>>> this
>>>> might take a while.
>>>> 2. But also, target the lower lying fruit: Over 80% of the BPO market
>>>> is
>>>> dominated by mid-sized companies from key markets of Europe and North
>>>> America-outsourcing. These organizations outsource small projects
>>>> (1-50
>>>> seats), which cumulatively have translated to employing over 250,000
>>>> staff
>>>> in the Philippines/Malaysia for example. That did not come from a
> handful
>>>> of
>>>> big players setting up shop in the Philippines alone at the start, but
>>>> rather many small to mid-sized organizations sending work there.
>>>>
>>>> The global BPO forums and symposiums always have tier3 destination
>>>> governments in attendance, with the sole purpose of showcasing the
>>>> operators
>>>> in their countries, above and beyond, their conscious efforts of
>>>> attracting
>>>> big IT firms to set up shop in their countries. I could be gravely
>>>> wrong
>>>> here, but, going through all the major global BPO forums that have
>>>> taken
>>>> place in the last 3 years; Kenya has not featured in any of them (not
>>>> by
>>>> our
>>>> government agencies at least). This means that very few firms out
>>>> there
>>>> consider Kenya as a viable destination to place work, or are even
>>>> aware
>>>> that
>>>> fiber landed in Kenya.
>>>>
>>>> I still strongly feel that unless we come up with a collaborative,
>>>> well
>>>> thought through BPO strategy, we'll miss creating the kind of
>>>> employment
>>>> numbers that we are envisioning in the 2030 blue print.
>>>>
>>>> While it is not my intent to project negative energy, as a seasoned
>>>> operator
>>>> in the industry, I feel obliged to inform where I feel we are missing
> the
>>>> targets.
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>>
>>>> Edwin
>>>>
>>>> Sales without Customer Service........is like stuffing money into a
>>>> pocket
>>>> full of holes.
>>>> DAVID TOOMA
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke]
>>>> On
>>>> Behalf Of bitange at jambo.co.ke
>>>> Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 10:34 PM
>>>> To: Edwin
>>>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'
>>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand
>>>>
>>>> Fibre Landed in Kenya just last year.  We do not have the facility to
>>>> incubate upcoming enterprises or attract large IT Investors.  We are
>>>> still
>>>> developing capacity.  To go to market one has to have the product.
>>>>  GOK
>>>> is
>>>> aggressively digitalizing all its registries to encourage new
>>>> applications.
>>>> GOK has invested heavily on the ICT infrastructure.
>>>>
>>>> If we truely want to succeed and move ICT to another level, such
> negative
>>>> energy is the last thing we need.  Having made his criticism, perhaps
>>>> Edwin
>>>> should elaborate what he would have done under the circumstances or
>>>> what
>>>> he
>>>> considers to be the right track to achieving vision 2030.
>>>>
>>>> Ndemo.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my BlackBerryR
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: "Edwin Onchari" <eonchari at lynxbits.com>
>>>> Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>> Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 22:54:04
>>>> To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
>>>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Out sourcing; where does Kenya stand
>>>>
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>>
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>
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