[kictanet] Safaricom abhors open systems

[robert yawe]

Hi Listers,

I have always said that it is wrong to train IT students on proprietary system 
as is happening with Cisco training that is being offered as a career path. 
 Switching and routing principles are based on an open standard so students need 
to have an appreciation of the technology and not a brand.

I have been having an interesting exchange with Safaricom on setting up a 
connection to their SMSC where their engineers insist that the solution can only 
be implemented using a Cisco router. 

From this experience it is clear that most of the engineers at Safaricom have 
been trained on vendor specific and proprietary standards which has denied them 
the flexibility to work with none Cisco equipment. 

Safaricom has been a proponent of open systems by being open to various 
handsets, so it is shocking that as they move towards becoming a data service 
provider they are opting to close their systems.

This attitude by Safaricom reminds me of Orange and their Livebox fiasco that 
totally killed their broadband service yet all they had to do was allow any DSL 
compliant equipment to be used on their network and used the funds tied in 
equipment on advertising and any other activity.  

I hope this is just a hiccup in their transition and that we shall see a more 
open minded organisation as they move towards being a serious contender in the 
corporate data provision service.

For those of you with children or relatives basing their carriers 
on proprietary technologies please advice them to acquire generic education as 
well otherwise they might find opportunities passing them by, its the principles 
that matter.  
 Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya


Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
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