<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt">Hi Andrea,<br><br>Thanks for the post it comes at a time when PCK is at the tip of our tongues.<br><br>Safaricom has over 35,000 agents each of which cost less than 5,000/- to setup (175 million) and this investment generated over 16 billion in revenue, PCK has just closed 56 locations exactly what competitive advantage do they bring to the playing field?<br><br>Regards<br><div><span><br></span></div><div> </div><div>Robert Yawe<br>KAY System Technologies Ltd<br>Phoenix House, 6th Floor<br>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200<br>Kenya<br><br></div><div>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696<br> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <b><span
style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt@ratio-magazine.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk <br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, 25 April 2013, 13:45<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [kictanet] Press release: Posta goes digital with Ksh100 million
switch<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br><div id="yiv8494777725"><div dir="ltr"><div>Maybe interesting. <br></div>Many regards, Andrea <br><div><div><br><b>NEWS RELEASE</b><div class="yiv8494777725gmail_quote"><div lang="EN-US"><div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><b>Posta goes digital with Ksh100 million switch<u></u><u></u></b></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><i>The system will enable Posta automate its payment services<u></u><u></u></i></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><b>April, 25, 2013:</b> The Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta) has invested Ksh100 million in rolling out national payment switch that will see financial institutions share payment infrastructure and capitalise on PCK’s expansive network of over 600 offices that will offer Agency services. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">Besides linking banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and Point of Sale (POS) terminals in order to avoid the duplication of expensive infrastructure resources, the switch will enable Posta automate its payment services. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">“KCB, Credit Bank, ABC Bank and Faulu Kenya are already on board. We have also been an agent of utility companies like Kenya Power, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company and DStv among others, the Switch will mean more capacity and thus more transaction commissions,” says Dr. Enock Kinara, the Post Master General. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">The switch which will go live before in the next few weeks will see Posta automate all its transactions, including back office reconciliation of transactions which is presently manual. Posta, on behalf of the Government, remits about Ksh500 million in cash every two months to about 350,000 beneficiaries; mainly orphans, pensioners and widows. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">“Instead of having our customers lining up under heavy security to collect cash, now these 350,000 individuals will just need a PostaPay card which they can swipe at any of our outlets to withdraw their dues” says Titus Juma, the Posta General Manager, Financial and Agency Services. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">The switch, said Dr. Kinara, would enable Posta leverage on technology to accelerate financial inclusion of Kenyans in far flung regions which remain inaccessible by conventional banking channels. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">He said the investment in a switch “is in line with the spirit of touching lives and that of the Universal Service Obligation of offering citizens basic communication as mandated by the UN.” <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">“The technology offers an array of infinite transaction possibilities, from mobile wallets, credit and debit cards to USSD,” explained Dr. Kinara. USSD is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">USSD can be used for WAP browsing, prepaid callback service, mobile-money services, location-based content services and menu-based information services. Posta is equally seeking approval from the Communication Commission of Kenya to provide wireless internet service in 93 offices country, 22 of which will be opened. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">Posta presently offers mail, courier financial and agency services. As the public postal licensee, the Corporation however still offers post office letter boxes service, issuance of postage stamps and conveyance of letters up to 350 grammes exclusively.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">Dr. Kinara said the investment was part of re-engineering its operations to compete in dynamic business ecosystem where disruptive technologies are consistently necessitating continued business innovation. <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">“We’ve seen products like M-Pesa, the mobile cash transfer service, change the way we transact. For instance our electronic funds transfer service, PostaPay was very successful raking in about Ksh400 million a year in commissions until the advent of M-Pesa.” <u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">The new service, said Dr. Kinara, is complaint with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard which is an information security standard for organizations that handle cardholder information for the major debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM, and POS cards.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">The standard was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud via its exposure. Dr. Kinara said this is consistent with Posta’s mission “to deliver superior financial, distribution and communication solutions” to its customers, while creating value for stakeholders.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">Ends………………<u></u><u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><i>For more information, please contact <b>Nick Thiong’o</b> of <b>Redhouse Public Relations</b> via cell phone: <b>0723 988944</b> or email: <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:nick.thiongo@redhouseke.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:nick.thiongo@redhouseke.com">nick.thiongo@redhouseke.com</a> <u></u><u></u></i></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><i><u></u> <u></u></i></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal">Kind Regards,<u></u><u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">Nick Thiong’o<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">Senior Account Manager<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:red;">Redhouse Public Relations<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">P.O. Box 43037-00100<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">T: 2369999 F:2390999<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">M: 0723 988 944<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">Hanover Suite, 2nd Floor, 14 Riverside Drive<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">Nairobi, Kenya<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d;">Twitter: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/NickThiongo"><span style="text-decoration:none;">@NickThiongo</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="yiv8494777725MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></div></div></div></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/andreabohnstedt"><span style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;">Andrea Bohnstedt</span></a><br style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;">
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