[kictanet] Local hosting - reiterated

Thu Mar 31 19:19:41 EAT 2011

Or, that Mauritius, abt 5-10 years ago, could make sugar a strong
pillar of its economy - Mauritius is abt 110km long and abt 50km wide
- its perimeter could form about two stages of the Tour de France
(cycling race)

Never mind the sugar plantations around Miwani, Muhoroni, Chemelil
and SONY -   also bear in mind that Mauritius as an island has a small
water catchment area and yet can still provide fresh water for its
people....(not so sure if they have desalinisation plants).

On 31/03/2011, Conrad Akunga <conradakunga at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well said. I find it amazing that it is cheaper for Cadbury's to make
> chocolates in Egypt and ship them here than it is for them to manufacture
> them locally. Something is very wrong with this picture!
>
> On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 4:45 PM, Collins Areba
> <arebacollins at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> adding onto Daktaris assertions:
>>
>> They have to ferry the finished goods all the way to Kenya.
>> They have to deal with the exchange rate and inflation..
>>
>> I remain convinced, The one move we need to make in this chessboard has
>> everything to do with the cost of electricity.
>>
>> Those machines that do the computer parts are lathes, milling machines and
>> metalworking machines with just one single capital cost, then the rest is
>> just costs of labour, raw materials and how far the market is....
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 4:23 PM, <bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:
>>
>>> Robert,
>>> I am disaapointed with you in the sense that you took the English
>>> Geography we leant in schools very seriously.  We we tought that Kenya
>>> did
>>> not have any minerals.  Indeed we have lots of iron ore in the coastal
>>> regions and Ukambani.  I need not tell you that Coal runs from Kitui to
>>> Makueni.  Gold is also found in Transmara, Migori and Kisii.
>>>
>>> I want also to remind you that Japan has no mineral resources to produce
>>> PCB Boards.  The population trends favours us in terms of competitive
>>> advantage in manufacturing.  In the west, age profile cannot subject them
>>> to manufacture such low end manufacturing.  The one child policy is
>>> begging to hurt China.  India is looking to take up the opportunity but
>>> Africa must take basic sciences more seriously in order to get into the
>>> manufacturing realm.
>>>
>>> As we build the technological infrastructure, we must understand the
>>> world
>>> dynamics and how we can take advantage of the situation.  If politicians
>>> are looking at the youth as a problem and learned people like you
>>> thinking
>>> we are not competitive then where do we go?
>>>
>>> We spent Ksh. 18 billion importing dried tomatoes from spain as we dumped
>>> 50% of our produce.  We imported Ksh.5 billion of dried meat from
>>> Australia as we lost our livestock in Norther Kenya.  We imported Ksh. 7
>>> billion worth of juices from Brazil and SA when 90% of our Mangoes in
>>> Tana
>>> and Guavas in Vihiga went to waste.  We import dried potatoes when 60% of
>>> the produce in Nyahururu and Molo goes to waste.  Some of the relief food
>>> in Northern Kenya are potatoe flour from the US.  Does all these really
>>> need technology infrastructre?  Are we worried that we shall not be
>>> competitive in this?
>>>
>>>
>>> Ndemo.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > Hi,
>>> >
>>> > Lets keep this response as a final digression from the main issue, we
>>> > do
>>> > no have
>>> > iron ore neither aluminium therefore we shall need to import the basic
>>> raw
>>> > material for making cabinets we would rather concentrate on developing
>>> > microchips and have them fabricated else where.
>>> >
>>> > The Chinese produce millions of units a year which allows them to enjoy
>>> > economies of scale, therefore before we can achieve such production
>>> > capacity the
>>> > casing business will have been overtaken.
>>> >
>>> > So we need to concentrate on the intellectual element of technology and
>>> > leave
>>> > the hardware business to those already entrenched.
>>> >
>>> > Now can we please revert back to the issue at hand, how can we provide
>>> > cost
>>> > effective hosting for the myriad of developers out here?
>>> >
>>> > Regards
>>> >  Robert Yawe
>>> > KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>> > Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>> > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>> > Kenya
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> > From: Collins Areba <arebacollins at gmail.com>
>>> > To: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
>>> > Sent: Thu, 31 March, 2011 10:25:31
>>> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Local hosting - reiterated
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >  There is no way we can deliver a casing in nairobi for less than the
>>> > Chinese
>>> > fellow.
>>> > interesting conclusion... why not?
>>> >
>>> > @robert, let me prepare an appropriate response for this... but i
>>> believe
>>> > you
>>> > are grossly in error on this. Other sectors could actually be more
>>> pivotal
>>> > than
>>> > IT. Food for instance, imagine if we were the best brains yet could not
>>> > produce
>>> > food, Inflation would hit the roof and our intellectual products would
>>> > amount to
>>> > null.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 10:18 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
>>> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Hi Collins,
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>As much as you disagree with me you need to appreciate that with cloud
>>> >> computing
>>> >>and smart phones we would be moving backwards if we tried to go into
>>> >> casing
>>> >>manufacture and PCB boards as the incumbents have got the process done
>>> to
>>> >> a
>>> >>science.  There is no way we can deliver a casing in nairobi for less
>>> >> than the
>>> >>Chinese fellow.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>My issue is that we have graduates out there who cannot get to their
>>> full
>>> >>potential because of a lack of a technological infrastructure.  What I
>>> am
>>> >>requesting the government it to think out of the box, we are better
>>> >> placed to
>>> >>provide the world with intellectual products and should work in that
>>> >> direction.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>On the issue of power to me it it neither her nor there  we have a sank
>>> >> cost in
>>> >>as far as the generating capacity is concerned so unless we can
>>> >> immediately get
>>> >>a cheaper source that will enable us to continue meeting the loan
>>> >> repayments for
>>> >>the existing capacity and still offer a lower cost to the consumer then
>>> >> we can
>>> >>turn off the dams and geothermal stations but until then we need to
>>> >> live
>>> >> with
>>> >>what we have.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Still on the issue of cost of power can you give me an example of a
>>> > manufacturing company that actually closed shop as a result of this?
>>> >
>>> > Cost of production, biggest component. looking up the list of companies
>>> > that
>>> > actually relocated to Misri and even Ethiopia...
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >>
>>> >>I do not understand the production of sufurias or jikos but I do
>>> >> understand
>>> >>technology and from where I am sitting unless we develop the technology
>>> >>infrastructure we shall never even come close to meeting the vision
>>> >> 2030
>>> >>objectives.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Robert Yawe
>>> >>KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>> >>Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>> >>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>> >>Kenya
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>Tel: +254722511225,  +254202010696
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> >>From: Collins Areba <arebacollins at gmail.com>
>>> >>To: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
>>> >>Sent: Wed, 30 March, 2011 8:40:26
>>> >>
>>> >>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Local hosting - reiterated
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>@robert, with all respect, you seem to look at every other industry as
>>> >> inferior
>>> >>compared to information technology. I beg to differ:
>>> >>
>>> >> Here are my reasons:
>>> >>
>>> >>The Industry is reliant on electronic gadgets imported from China and
>>> >> south
>>> >>Korea, these components will increasingly become a significant
>>> >> expenditure not
>>> >>only by  Kenya but also by the other nations in the region.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>Thanks to technology, CNC (Computer numerical control machining) and
>>> >> CAD
>>> >> / CAM,
>>> >>the technology gap between Kenya and China is easily narrowed. This
>>> means
>>> >> that
>>> >>technically if we wanted to start manufacturing PCBs, all we would need
>>> >> are the
>>> >>equipment, standard layout designs and raw materials. Then we can
>>> >> innovate and
>>> >>improve on existing ones.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>This would fly in the face of your thinkin but actually, after roads
>>> >> GOK
>>> >> should
>>> >>be looking at Energy. (If you ask me it should have looked at energy
>>> >> first). Why
>>> >>Kenyan electricity is 5 times more expensive than china's is a matter
>>> for
>>> >>another discussion but Kenya should aspire to have the cheapest
>>> >> electricity in
>>> >>the continent. (Green or not green notwithstanding, cheap first, then
>>> >> maybe
>>> >>green).
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>On the Jua kali sheds, what GOK needs is to have extension officers to
>>> >> now work
>>> >>on getting those boyt and girls hammering 220L barrels into pans and
>>> >> jikos into
>>> >>better fabrication technologies to improve productivity. I believe that
>>> >> granted,
>>> >>these willbe the centers that will start manufacturing components. a
>>> shed
>>> >> in
>>> >>Nairobi could be doing computer cases, another in coast could be doing
>>> >> monitors,
>>> >>another could be doing power supplies...e..t.c.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 7:54 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
>>> >> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >>This says a lot about the governments lip service on vision 2030, the
>>> >> setting up
>>> >>of special economic zones and jua kali sheds is so industrial
>>> >> revolution
>>> >>thinking.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>With technology the entire country becomes an special economic zone
>>> >>> whose only
>>> >>>infrastructure requirements are data centres and high speed broadband
>>> >>> (wired or
>>> >>>otherwise) all of which are much cheaper to install  than 4 lane
>>> >>> highways and
>>> >>>11,000 kilo volt power sub-stations, or could it be the issue of 10%.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Kazi kwa vijani needs to look beyond the standard 8 drop out to the
>>> >>> university
>>> >>>graduate who already has the skills and is only looking for an
>>> >>> enabling
>>> >>>environment.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Dr. Ndemo,  I propose you call your counterpart in the Ministry of
>>> >>>Industrialisation and which ever other ministry is involved in the jua
>>> >>> kali shed
>>> >>>project and insist to be given 1 shed in every constituency then take
>>> >>> the cash
>>> >>>equivalent and set-up a hosting and collocation centre.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>All it requires is 1000 square feet of space in your offices (digitise
>>> >>> your
>>> >>>files and move the physical ones to Kabartonjo).  From your offices
>>> >>> get
>>> >>> at least
>>> >>>a 1 gigabit link to KIXP and as you are next to Oranges Telephone
>>> >>> House
>>> >>> which
>>> >>>sits on a node of the Secom marine cable you can tap in for the
>>> >>> international
>>> >>>bandwidth.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>The other link you require is to KeNET (http://www.kenet.or.ke), the
>>> >>> education
>>> >>>network hub, which I believe is currently asleep so that the location
>>> >>> can be
>>> >>>accessed across all universities.  This is critical as we know what
>>> >>> happened
>>> >>>when the developers of google and facebook went through when trying to
>>> >>> host
>>> >>>within their campuses.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>If you leave the issue of hosting and collocation to market forces and
>>> >>> private
>>> >>>enterprise then our young developers and doomed to languish in poverty
>>> >>> like our
>>> >>>great artists.  This is the 1968 of technology time  to setup an ICDC
>>> >>> and KNTC
>>> >>>type entities for the technology industry which you can then float
>>> >>> like
>>> >>>safaricom and kenya power after the market has matured.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>From where I sit not even Safaricom or Airtel have the resources or
>>> >>> willpower to
>>> >>>salvage this situation.
>>> >>> Robert Yawe
>>> >>>KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>> >>>Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>> >>>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>> >>>Kenya
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> > ________________________________
>>> > From: Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi at gmail.com>
>>> >>>To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
>>> >>>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> >>>Sent: Tue, 29 March, 2011  17:57:58
>>> >>>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Local hosting - reiterated
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Developers and Local Hosting providers have for long been involved in
>>> >>> the
>>> >>>"chicken before the egg" situation where hosting firms say that demand
>>> >>> has to
>>> >>>increase for prices to come down, they have to justify investment.
>>> >>> Developers
>>> >>>meanwhile want prices to come down before they host locally, with some
>>> >>> of them
>>> >>>barely having budgets.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>At the same time, local hosting firms have to learn to offer world
>>> class
>>> >>> cutting
>>> >>>edge platforms and interfaces to their users if they are going to
>>> >>> adopt
>>> >>> them.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>At the same time, it aids when those providing this services go into
>>> >>> technical
>>> >>>details, like the type of databases offered, supported scripting
>>> >>> languages
>>> >>>rather than just tell us 2 databases, developers need that
>>> >>> information.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>Rememeber there is tough competition from the likes of Amazon who have
>>> a
>>> >>> robust
>>> >>>cloud infrastructure which is free for low usage
>>> >>>(http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/)
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>As a case study, a local developer has done a popular application ,
>>> >>> AroundMe
>>> >>>(Nokia Ovi store -
>>> >>> http://store.ovi.com/content/103911#/content/103911/reviews)
>>> >>>which has been downloaded more than 10,000 times and with 30,000
>>> >>> searches. The
>>> >>>app uses the Google App Engine (https://appengine.google.com/) cloud
>>> >>> platform,
>>> >>>also free to a certain usage . To now the app is still operating on
>>> >>> the
>>> >>> free
>>> >>>limit (http://aroundmenow.appspot.com/).
>>> >>>
>>> >>>_______________________________________________
>>> >>>kictanet mailing list
>>> >>>kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>> >>>http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>> >>>
>>> >>>This message was sent to: arebacollins at gmail.com
>>> >>>Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>> >>>
>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/arebacollins%40gmail.com
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>--
>>> >>
>>> >>â€œThe twentieth century has been characterized by three developments
>>> >> of
>>> >>great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of
>>> >>corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of
>>> >> protecting
>>> >>corporate power against democracyâ€
>>> >>
>>> >>~  Alex Carey ~
>>> >>Tel No: 0x2af23696
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> >
>>> > â€œThe twentieth century has been characterized by three developments
>>> > of
>>> > great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of
>>> > corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of
>>> > protecting
>>> > corporate power against democracyâ€
>>> >
>>> > ~  Alex Carey ~
>>> > Tel No: 0x2af23696
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
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>>> >
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>>> >
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>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *“The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of
>> great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of
>> corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of
>> protecting corporate power against democracy”*
>>
>> ~  Alex Carey ~
>>
>> Tel No: 0x2af23696
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> kictanet mailing list
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
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>>
>> This message was sent to: conradakunga at gmail.com
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>>
>

-- 
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