<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Ken and all</div><div><br></div><div>This is a debate that will have to continue as there is no easy answer. This country has moved ahead in lots of areas and homegrown ICT Companies are trailblazing in many areas. Some that come to mind:-</div><div><br></div><div>1. Seven Seas</div><div>2. Copy Cat</div><div>3. Pesapal</div><div>4. Cellulant</div><div>5. Adwest/Jamii Telecom</div><div><br></div><div>And many others. My take is that there is room for both players. In fact most of the deals done by some of the major Multi-nationals are fronted by local companies as resellers, systems integrators etc. the fact of the matter is that this is an ecosystem that needs to be fed and there will always be room for both. This is a fact of life not only in Kenya but across the world. </div><div><br></div><div>Chinese companies are eating the lunch (and dessert) of some of the biggest boys (and girls so that I'm not accused of being gender insensitive) :) in Europe and the Americas in Government infrastructure projects. Africa is the only hyper growth market left. What we must do is up our game, continue to learn from the big boys and girls and if we feel that we are ready to go it alone we go it alone.</div><div><br></div><div>Government must do its part by insisting on local partnerships and technology transfer. I believe this is already happening somewhat informally. What we must do is continue to lobby (Industry Body anyone?) for this to be embedded in big procurement deals. The ICT Ministry must take the bull by its horns and embed this in its procurement procedures. The private sector must come to the table as one industry body and push for this.</div><div><br></div><div>KEPSA has been extremely successful in this and we can borrow a leaf here. Guess where the President went the first week he was declared President-Elect? <b>KEPSA</b>. Need I say more? </div><div><br></div><div>Listers some of these issues will remain talk shop agendas and never move beyond that if we don't act. A cohesive industry body is critical to articulate our issues. So who will join me to either form one, take over a moribund one, assimilate into one that is still alive but needs a kick in the back? </div><div><br><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Ali Hussein</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd</span></div><div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd</div></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">+254 713 601113</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">"The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb</span></div><div><br></div>Sent from my iPad</div><div><br>On May 29, 2013, at 4:01 PM, "Ken Mwaura" <<a href="mailto:mwaura.kenn@gmail.com">mwaura.kenn@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Goudy Old Style";
panose-1:2 2 5 2 5 3 5 2 3 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Segoe UI Semibold";
panose-1:2 11 7 2 4 2 4 2 2 3;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Competing on a level playing ground is not prudent, some situations demand reliability. Experience & ability in handling the unexpected in a timely manner.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Besides, it also ensures the Govt. that the applicant’s business is a going concern. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Kind regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Ken Mwaura.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Public & Private Cloud Consultant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style","serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Kusi Lane, off 3rd Parklands Avenue.| Mobile +254 738959900, +254 723650688. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Goudy Old Style","serif";color:red;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">We enable you decide when, where and how you want to interact with business. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> kictanet [<a href="mailto:kictanet-bounces+mwaura.kenn=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke">mailto:kictanet-bounces+mwaura.kenn=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Conrad Akunga<br><b>Sent:</b> 29 May 2013 15:12<br><b>To:</b> Ken Mwaura<br><b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [kictanet] Connected KE: Kenyan Tech companies seek more involvement in govt projects<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">If local companies are as good as they fondly believe to be, why should they want preferential treatment?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div id="mb"><p class="MsoNormal">I would think a more robust solution is for unnecessary barriers to entry like "10 million turnover" and "8 years audited accounts" be removed so that everyone competes on a level playing field.<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div id="mb"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div id="mb"><div id="mb"><p class="MsoNormal">Mediocrity lies at the end of any road when any criteria other than A Game is considered. <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">—<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p>On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 1:37 PM, Rebecca Wanjiku <<a href="mailto:rebeccawanjiku@yahoo.com" target="_blank">rebeccawanjiku@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div style="margin-bottom:11.25pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333;background:white">For the last five years, there has been a common chorus among local tech companies; they want more of the large government contracts. We all want a piece of that large cake.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div style="margin-bottom:11.25pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333;background:white">Most of the money spent on government tech projects has gone to large corporations like Oracle, SAP, IBM etc. With the big budgetary requirements, many companies are locked out of these projects.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div style="margin-bottom:11.25pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333;background:white">The talk of technology transfer has been on for so long but the international companies just set up local branches, poach the guys from the local companies and move on. Its a competitive environment and the options look minimal.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Read more.......<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="http://www.wanjiku.co.ke/2013/05/kenyan-tech-companies-seek-more-involvement-in-govt-projects/">http://www.wanjiku.co.ke/2013/05/kenyan-tech-companies-seek-more-involvement-in-govt-projects/</a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></blockquote></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>kictanet mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a></span><br><span><a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>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.</span><br><span></span><br><span>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.</span></div></blockquote></body></html>