[kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be open

Tue Aug 6 13:12:45 EAT 2013

I actually believe that Safaricom has already opened up MPESA and will continue to open it up but that depends  on the value the opening up presents to Safaricom. I always like to use examples that are based on experiences. 

My company a year ago developed a system for MPESA that makes MPESA transactions realtime – this is why when you pay DSTV your account gets reconnected immediately or when you deposit money to your bank from MPESA its realtime or why your KPLC payment is more realtime than it was before. We developed this system called “MPESA Instant Payment Notification” originally for use on Kenya Airways ticketing then presented it to Safaricom and they liked the idea thus opened up MPESA for us to integrate with and so most if not all of MPESA Paybill /Bug Good Transactions are now processed through this locally developed system. 

Isn’t this opening up MPESA? I think Equity must justify the opening up they wish for and give value to Safaricom in order to bring Safaricom to their advantage.

Kind Regards, 

Bernard Kioko
Chief Executive Officer

Bernsoft Interactive Limited

P.O.Box 15177-00100 Nbi,Kenya

Office:   +254-703-080-000

Mobile: +254-722-540-883

From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bkioko=bernsoft.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Ali Hussein
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 12:47 PM
To: bkioko at bernsoft.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be open

James ad all

Well put. The difference though is that industry's open up themselves for open standards. Rarely do companies. 

Its incumbent upon TESPOK to convince Safaricom to open up its Mpesa system 'fully' as many listers have suggested. The fact is that the Safaricom chaps are clever enough to see this coming (and if they are not unfortunately they will go the way of Telkom Kenya). 

Rarely has government intervention in open standards helped the people they are supposed to help. Even the Banking sector clearing house is run by Bankers with the hawkish eyes of central bankers looking on.

Safaricom will open up Mpesa fully - when they are good and ready and not a moment sooner. That's my take.   

Ali Hussein

CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd

Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd

+254 713 601113/ 0770 906375

"The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 6, 2013, at 11:15 AM, James Mbugua <jgmbugua at gmail.com> wrote:

Openness

I have always felt very strongly about this issue and I agree M-PESA should be open. I used to barge Michael Joseph relentlessly about this. Open first in the sense that third parties can interface their products on their API but secondly and more importantly, open to talk to other platforms the way banks talk to each other. I can withdraw money from Pesa Point or another non-Barclays quite easily.

The fact is we cannot let platforms that stifle innovation continue to prosper. AT&T was finally split up in 1984 not because of its overwhelming market dominance, but that IT WAS REFUSING TO ALLOW NEW INNOVATIONS TO WORK ON ITS PLATFORMS thus overall stifling technology.

In the same way, this is not a sustainable position for M-PESA if it projects its medium to long-term horizon, surely it must see that even the government will not be comfortable constantly hearing that this % of our GDP passes through M-PESA.

If I was Safaricom I would be strategizing on how to open up the platform as painlessly as possible before the combination of disruptive market forces and government national security interests converge.

Already I can deposit money into my bank account with M-PESA and withdraw it with Airtel Money. Surely, you don't need to be a genius to see that you don't need that middle man called the bank if the demand for the service is there.

Regards

James

On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 9:15 AM, Mark Mwangi <mwangy at gmail.com> wrote:

In my opinion what Equity is asking for is for a common platform aka a common account that can be credited and debited by airtel money, yu cash orange money, tangaza etc in the manner that a visa credit card is open game for any merchant, bank etc. This way M-pesa becomes a platform and not a safaricom product. 

I actually don't see how Safaricom looses in this scenario. Exponentially more transaction fee collections, Increased dependence by industry players, maintain the intellectual property and ownership of the platform etc. 

Maybe they are reluctant due to technological immaturity. I also wouldn't want to embarrass myself after being feted worldwide. 

On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 8:31 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com> wrote:

@areba, what Equity wants, if I'm not wrong is the ability for you to
setup a club within MPESA where you can use the platform to transfer
funds without them passing through Safaricom.

The MPESA platform becomes  an enabler.  Unless anybody else has a
better understanding.

--
______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva
twitter.com/lordmwesh
kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwangy%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

-- 
Regards,

Mark Mwangi

markmwangi.me.ke

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jgmbugua%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20130806/c7416f55/attachment.htm>