[kictanet] Update from Kenya ICT Board Bellagio, Italy Summit 2011

[Paul Kukubo]

Listers

As my team finalizes the report from the 1st Kenya ICT Board Summit in
Bellagio, Italy.  We had invited a team of 20 odd people from all over the
world to revalidation of our value proposition. The team comprised BPO
analysts and marketers, silicon valley venture capitalists, Europe based
Venture capitalist invested here, representative from World Bank, country
strategist from Malaysia, International blue chip firm executives
representatives. from Kenya we had 3 firms (Seven Seas technologies, and
Kencall) and a members of academia. The Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo
was in attendance.

I would like to highlight some of the key conclusions. We are already
planning for Bellagio 2, next year same time.


   1. The statement of our value proposition now reads as follows: *Kenya is
   a globally competitive ICT partner gifted with entrepreneurial spirit and
   able to translate emerging market needs and connect them with demanding
   multinationals. *Through much debate, the panel concluded that we need to
   balance our emphasis on export based BPO, and call centre with support for
   Kenyan based entrepreunerially based ICT growth.  Both are seen as
   complimentary in terms of job creation. Our value proposition is thus not
   just focussed on outsourcing but on overall ICT sector competitiveness.
   2. ICT is both a sector (firms that provide ICT) and an enabler of all
   sectors. We need to look at both in our strategy. Malaysia has done this
   quite nicely even quantifying the size and impact of both.
   3. Kenya has an opportunity to be perceived as a world leader in emerging
   market innovations: Safaricom MPESA and Mobile Money, USHAHIDI, Livestock
   Insurance (ILRI), Mastercard-Airtel Mobile Wallet product, to name a few.
   4. There are companies in Kenya that are now attracting international
   venture capital financing. Both BPO and call centre companies and non BPO
   tech firms. Once capital starts trickling into a sector, this is most
   promising.
   5. The global BPO sector is quite big and cannot be ignored. many
   countries are chasing the sector. Kenya's English language talent and
   skilled professionals provide us with strong credentials that must be
   leveraged. The Indian IT outsourcing sector and the Philippines call centre
   sector took years to grow and was led by the private sector. Government
   support came in much later. Kenya can learn and fastrack, and government
   support is important.
   6. Government services can catalyse the sector. Government and public
   sector spending on ICT is substantial across infrastructure, applications
   and services, project management and capacity. Indeed many Kenyan and
   international firms have benefited and grown from this. what is needed is an
   improved framework for technology and capacity transfer for the very large
   projects which have international contractors. rule of thumb is 1/3
   consultancy, 1/3 project management, 1/3 technical delivery. As our software
   and systems firms develop, they will find that the technical bits are only
   part of a total package, that includes project management, business analysis
   marketing etc. Indeed some have made the leap quite nicely.
   7. Kenya ICT Board needs to continue to implement on the basis of
   supporting both export based services and exciting and growing the local
   entrepreneurs.

More from us once the final report is concluded.


Paul Kukubo
Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board
PO Box 27150 - 00100
Nairobi, Kenya

12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street

Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960
Fax: +254 20 2211962
website: www.ict.go.ke
local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya
twitter:@tandaaKENYA
BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke
Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke


personal contacts
_______________

Cell: + 254 717 180001


skype: kukubopaul
googletalk: pkukubo
personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke
personal twitter: @pkukubo


____________________
Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub

Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT,
through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for
socio economic enrichment
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