[kictanet] Cybercafes dieing? Not soon

Fri Mar 4 14:57:14 EAT 2011

I totally agree that cyber cafes may not die any soon in the peri urban
centres and rural areas. Despite the mobile Internet guys still need
additional services that can only be available in digital villages/cyber
cafes. An example is the SoftKenya Digital Village in Kenya which I and my
friends recently initiated...people want to do research, primt, scan,
laminate docs, apply for KRA pin online and others simply come to be helped
to join facebook and open email accounts....there is still enormous
potential in this field. The catch phrase is value adding, variety and
innovation. And the fibre optic cables should be extended further  deep into
towns

On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 9:35 PM, <bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:

> Robert,
> You are right.  Cyber Cafes may die in Nairobi CBD area but in low income
> neighbourhoods and rural centers they are still relevant.  Go to Korogocho
> and see what Altawon is doing.  At Mukuru Kwa Njenga the Cyber Cafe there
> provides more than what we traditionally knew cyber cafes for.  If our
> definition of Cyber Cafe is the same, then some digital villages in
> Kangundo, Malindi, Kioge, Tsiekuru etc are basically Cyber Cafes.
>
> The value proposition for such centers is increasingly becoming viable
> with such new concepts as impact outsourcing (those who may be interested
> to see model impact outsourcing centers can check with me next month).  A
> bit of field visit would enhance our discussion in this list.
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Ndemo.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I disagree with your assertion that cybercafes are closing down if
> > anything they
> > are mushrooming and in more seats that before, in the building where our
> > offices
> > are we used to have a single cyber on the 2nd floor in the past 12 months
> > 2 have
> > opened on the ground floor replacing a bookshop and a pharmacy each with
> > over 30
> > stations.
> >
> > The availability of mobile on the phone is actually a plus for the cyber
> > business as it creates a more aware market who end up spending more time
> > and
> > money as they need to download staff, print, cd burn etc.
> >
> > Unless you have an iPad the experience of browsing on your phone is still
> > not as
> > good as on a large 17" screen.
> >
> > Finally, many of thus opening cybers today have a better understanding of
> > the
> > business than the me too crowd that used to run them before.  Any cyber
> > cafe
> > that does not charge automatically for  printing is doomed to close soon.
> >
> > As more knowledgeable investors come into the cyber cafe business expect
> > to see
> > more of them coming up and with the right tools for monitoring and
> > generating
> > revenue such as protocol based billing.  I visited a cyber in Rongai
> where
> > billing was bandwidth based as they where using a Safaricom 3G
> connection.
> >
> > Regards
> >  Robert Yawe
> > KAY System Technologies Ltd
> > Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> > Kenya
> >
> >
> > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke>
> > To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> > Sent: Wed, 2 March, 2011 19:12:16
> > Subject: [kictanet] The Death of Cybercafes?
> >
> >
> > Listers
> >
> > Just back from Ghana where I was impressed to see that cybercafes are
> > still
> > alive (e.g. BusyInternet)...as my experience in Kenya is that it's hard
> to
> > find
> > a functional cybercafe within easy reach with cutting edge  services and
> > programs (PDF etc)....most are closing down with Internet available on
> the
> > mobile (with aggressive competition). So outside the office set-up and
> > with
> > minimal home connections...one has almost no options for innovation.
> >
> > Is it a good thing that cybers are dying in Kenya and broadband is yet to
> > reach homes? what needs to be done differently to inform our efforts on
> > digital
> > villages etc?
> >
> > Edith
> >
> > ________________
> > Edith  Ofwona Adera
> > Senior Program Specialist
> > ICT4D Program and Climate Change & Water Program
> > International  Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le
> > développement international
> > Regional Office for Eastern  and Southern Africa
> > Tel:  +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
> > eadera at idrc.or.ke | www.idrc.ca| www.crdi.ca
> >
> >
> >
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>
>
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-- 
James Ratemo
ICT reporter,
The Standard Newspaper,
P.O Box 49990-00100,
Nairobi
Cell Phone: 0724960649 OR 0731960649
Other Emaili-jratemo at standardmedia.co.ke or jratemo at gmail.com
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