<table cellspacing='0' cellpadding='0' border='0' ><tr><td valign='top' style='font: inherit;'><P>Bro. Antoine,</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Great reading back from you. I believe together we can, and shall, overcome.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Best rgrds,</P>
<P>Shem<BR><BR>--- On <B>Fri, 6/27/08, antoine bigirimana <I><antoine@e-tools.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From: antoine bigirimana <antoine@e-tools.com><BR>Subject: RE: [kictanet] Expensive software systems?<BR>To: shemochuodho@yahoo.com, kiriinya2000@yahoo.com, "'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke><BR>Cc: "'New Vision List'" <newvisionkenya@yahoogroups.com>, "'Haron Wachira'" <hwachira@itakenya.com><BR>Date: Friday, June 27, 2008, 2:57 PM<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">Hello Shem,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">Thank you very much for mentioning SmartGov ERP developed in Rwanda by E-Tools Rwanda.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">Hello All,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">The systems developed for USA , Canada and European Union</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">tend to include many features that are not necessarily relevant for the East African market and they are also very expensive.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">We believe the most cost effective solution for our developing and poor countries is to use our local talent, supplemented if need be</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">by seasoned international experts: more and more these internationals may even have roots in East Africa . The cost savings are twofold: support is local and easier; our people are cheaper even when they earn top salary in our economies: it is not rare to get a ratio of 1 to 5. The savings could be then used to solve some other urgent problems.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">E-Tools Rwanda and E-Tools Kenya are designed to create any software solution required in the East African region.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">antoine</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Shem Ochuodho [mailto:shemochuodho@yahoo.com] <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, June 25, 2008 11:55 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> kiriinya2000@yahoo.com; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B> New Vision List; Haron Wachira; Antoine BIGIRIMANA-Yahoo<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [kictanet] Expensive software systems?</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Wesley,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Actually given the right parameters, even ERP-like software can be locally developed. The two closest examples of ERP-like systems I have come across that were 'locally' developed were: a system by Haron Wachira (he formerly of Diamond Systems - the 1st Kenyan firm to assemble computers) which I remember being used by a major Tea company through its network, among others, and Rwanda 's SmartGov. There is a very thin line between these systems and conventional ERPs. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Btw, before I even thought that 'hardware' manufacture/assembly is a pipe-dream for us - until I came across the 'fabless trend' that Nigeria is already pushing. It is truly cutting-edge technology - and 'knowledge work'. For those who might not know, in such a scenario, a country/firm that does not have the technology to 'manufacture' chips/VLSI can still design systems, and then send designs to places like Malaysia for production/manufacture of the chips. The 'intelligence' or brain-work (and hence the money) is not in the manufacture, but in the design, particularly for products whose value is in the uniqueness/complexity, not numbers.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In effect, if the environment is right, it is doable.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Shem</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">--- On <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Wed, 6/25/08, wesley kiriinya <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><kiriinya2000@yahoo.com></SPAN></I></SPAN></B> wrote:</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">From: wesley kiriinya <kiriinya2000@yahoo.com><BR>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Expensive software systems?<BR>To: "Shem Ochuodho" <shemochuodho@yahoo.com><BR>Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke><BR>Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 12:55 PM</SPAN></FONT></P>
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