[kictanet] Why is KRA (Customs) Application is Hard-Wired Microsoft?

[Harry Hare]

Hey Walu, this sounds like a delayed reaction :-) it's been going on since Simba was introduced a few years ago. I did a rant on it titled "Give me my freedom" but at that time I think I sounded like a village mad man - similar to how Bobby Yaweh sometimes sounds :-) 

But seriously, this is about freedom, standards and interoperability. I think there can be a legal basis for refusing to use the system because it infringes on ones freedoms. Just imagine if Mpesa could only work with Android phones. What happens to those who like to use other equipment that does not run windows?

With consumerisation of IT begin real as it is in this country systems should be device/OS/Browser agnostic. For some reason KRA have managed to hold on to this because people like you and I don't use the system. Those who use it, don't know anything else, and therefore status quo remains.

As Andrea would put it :-), let me shamelessly market the CIO100 hashtag for this who may wish to follow #cio100.

Kindest  Regards 
Harry

Sent from my Simba incompatible iPhone

On Nov 28, 2011, at 19:17, Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi at gmail.com> wrote:

> I second you Walu !
> 
> On 28 November 2011 18:26, Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I was at JKIA cargo this morning trying to get in some cargo.  Ofcourse it is still a nightmare operation but eventually I got some Agent to help out and we sat down at his office to key the data into the Kenya Revenue (Simba System).
> 
> For some reason, his Microsoft-Explorer was giving him some trouble so I told him to just try the Firefox instead. Believe it or not- the KRA system screamed at him and said "YOU CAN ONLY USE MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER ver 6 AND ABOVE!!!!". What??
> 
> Folks, if this is not intimidation, tell me what is. Who in the 21st Century writes software ONLY for one platform?  Software today should be read from your Windows/Linux/Android/Mac/etc/ Platforms.  It should be accessible from your laptop, smart-phone, dump-phone,tv/etc. Now how comes a critical public system is ONLY accessible through Microsoft  platform?  I am not against Microsoft - I still use alot of it at a corporate level; HOWEVER, we cannot allow a Publicly Procured system to be tied to a single platform.(review procurement rules).     I recall one Lister raising this issue 3years ago and I thought it had been addressed!
> 
> Either the PS Ndemo + eGovt Sec, Dr. Getao helps us out or we task Steve Mutoro to open a file on this issue. Forcing clearing agents to BUY Microsoft products (when they can use a free one)  to clear goods for customers is not a proper way of developing a country. 
> 
> walu.
> 
> 
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