[kictanet] Got talent? Matiang'i is looking for you

Sat Mar 22 14:26:02 EAT 2014

Kieti,

The reason I pick on Government is simply because if you look at the last
couple of years, the one entity that is throwing good money into developing
really suspect 'mobile' applications that hardly ever become sustainable is
GoK.

And since GoK cannot force commercial companies to buy certain applications
that it has helped develop, bar using Taxes etc, it would then almost make
sense for GoK to be the first to try to use these applications itself,
seeing that it is already spending Ksh 15B in buying software itself.

Microsoft calls this eating your own dog food!

Please, let us not confuse enterprise applications with ERPs, they're
really different. If you look at my earlier list, I pushed for our
engineers to focus on cracking cloud computing, security, network
management and building applications that we currently have a need for.

And, as has been said here, mobile is just a delivery platform, and no one
in his right mind would want to kill the largest delivery platform
accessible to Wanjku.

But when you keep throwing good money after really bad applications that
are finding almost no use in the market, and then go ahead and ask more
engineers to commit themselves to building more of the same old 'mobile'
applications, then would you be surprised that the so called dream of
having a 100 ICT, Ksh 1B Turnover companies in Kenya are not looking but
like a mirage right now?

Regards
Waithaka Ngigi

On Sat, Mar 22, 2014 at 1:51 PM, John Kieti <jkieti at gmail.com> wrote:

> Phares, Solutions delivery comes closest to revenue being made and impact
> achieved. End users rarely care about computational and other server side
> abilities. Processing and storage abilities on the server side are indeed
> are essential as software based solutions deliver to scale, but there must
> be a customer interacting using some end user device; and in Kenya the
> customer mostly has a feature phone kind of device.
>
> Dennis, Ngigi,
> The argument about Angry birds on one end and even Google on the other end
> not growing from direct government support should apply to the case of ERPs
> and other enterprise grade applications. Entreprise growth soley based on
> doing business with government is easily the infamous tender-preneurship,
> and thats another story. Granted, Government may be the single biggest IT
> spender in the country, it does not provide majority of IT business (I
> stand corrected).
>
> My point: Perhaps which the policy custodians are seeing, is that we do
> not have to "kill" efforts around mobile so that desktop / server side
> services can thrive. If any thing many enterprise solutions are already
> being delivered through mobile, and thats going to grow as the mobile
> ecosystem continues to sniff the easier money in enterprise. Its a whole
> complementary ecosystem. As to whether the industry should rely on
> government tender to thrive, entrepreneurs should seek success elsewhere
> where there's low hanging fruits.
>
> best regards
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 22, 2014 at 1:30 PM, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> John,
>>
>> You forget that mobile focuses on delivery. No real computing happens on
>> mobile. Facebook runs massive data centers to compliment it's mobile
>> offering. So does Google, to complement android. M-Pesa had to get capacity
>> in rack space. Mobile is but a delivery tool. The argument that we should
>> focus on mobile is akin to saying that we should scrap universities
>> (knowledge 'producers') and focus on printing presses, because people read
>> books.
>>
>> Most mobile applications are hollow at best without infrastructure.
>>
>> Think about it all the leaders in mobile Instagram, Amazon, Apple,
>> Facebook, Safaricom have massive compute capacity (Instagram leases from
>> amazon). We on the other hand only want to focus on delivery.
>>
>>
>> Sent from my mobile device, excuse brevity
>>
>> On 22 Mar 2014, at 13:22, Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Kieti,
>> How comes none of these thousands of software developers are supplying
>> even a single solution to government. How comes government services are
>> barely available to the millions of Kenyans via mobile?
>>
>> See our drift, government should be removing barriers and improving
>> service delivery for all.
>>
>> Also, what was the role of governments in the likes of Angry Birds, King
>> (Candy Crush Saga) and Facebook, beyond providing an enabling environment -
>> which we don't do here.
>>
>> On Saturday, 22 March 2014, John Kieti <jkieti at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Phares, Ngigi, Conrad
>>>
>>> Your focus and preference for server side and enterprise desktop mode
>>> solutions is very much appreciated.
>>>
>>> However the thousands of local software developers getting into the
>>> system will not fit into just that pie of the value chain you are in for
>>> now. More so, 30m+ mobile subscribers is no small market place for software
>>> entrepreneurs. And nowadays the computer does not have to be on your desk
>>> or lap, in fact most computers among Kenyans are mobile phones. It is not
>>> bad for policy to at least direct the youth towards the opportunity in
>>> mobile.
>>>
>>> You'll recall that its a global market place and some of the kids we
>>> deride for writing the so called "mVitus" are earning thee figure dollar
>>> checks monthly from downloads and ads in india, brazil etc. They just wont
>>> shout that aloud. More importantly though M-Pesa is seven years old. Many
>>> mobile solutions targeting local/regional problems will not mature as soon
>>> as we impatiently expect. We're only 3-4 years into the "mobile craze" and
>>> most serious attempts are not over 3 years old. There's no short cuts to
>>> developing competitive advantages - even in mobile, give it time. If you
>>> are not convinced yet, try the ringtone market and premium SMS services.
>>> Its a whole big economy out there, with big money changing hands, and its
>>> all mobile!
>>>
>>> That said, what would you rather the CS did about local enterprise
>>> desktop based solutions and server side services?
>>>
>>> Have a nice weekend.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Mar 22, 2014 at 12:47 PM, Rad! <conradakunga at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'm mystified as well at this obsession with mobile apps.
>>>>
>>>> Not that we should not to them, but there is so much opportunity in
>>>> other sectors - infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise applications,
>>>> content management that Kenya can not only benefit from, but we can be
>>>> competitive globally.
>>>>
>>>> Looks like mobile apps will be this regime's Pashas & BPOs
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Mar 22, 2014 at 12:14 PM, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> A fairly narrow view of the technology sector. It's not all mobile.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my mobile device, excuse brevity
>>>>>
>>>>> On 22 Mar 2014, at 04:56, Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga at hotmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/m/story.php?articleID=2000107530&story_title=Got-talent-Matiangi-is-looking-for-you
>>>>>
>>>>>  _______________________________________________
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>>>>> 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.
>>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>> 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,
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> My Blog - www.gmeltdown.com
>>> '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
>>> The ordinary just won't do
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> with Regards:
>>
>> blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>
>>
>>
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>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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>>
>> 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.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> My Blog - www.gmeltdown.com
> '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
> The ordinary just won't do
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> 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,*

*Wait**haka Ngigi*
Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building
T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811
000
www.at.co.ke
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