<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Ahmed</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Great contribution! </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">On the market for USSD disappearing in the next 2 -5 years? Possible but unlikely unless our infrastructure tremendously improves. The numbers are clear. 50% of the world still don't have access to the Internet and most of those are in Africa. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Speaking to some players in the financial sector they say that USSD based mobile banking is still 50%+ of their total traffic. For connectivity to be ubiquitous we need to do a lot more work.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Regards</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><b><font face="georgia, serif" size="2">Ali
Hussein</font></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><b><font face="georgia, serif" size="2">Principal</font></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="2"><b>AHK & Associates</b></font></p><font size="2">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>T<font size="2">el: +254 713 60<font size="2">1113</font></font><br></span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Twitter: @AliHKassim</span><span></span></span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">
</span></font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Skype: abu-jomo</span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a></span><a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"></span></a></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></font></p><p style="font-size:small;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:georgia;color:black">13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing,</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:arial"></span></p><p style="font-size:small;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:georgia;color:black">Chiromo Road, Westlands,</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:arial"></span></p><p style="font-size:small;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:georgia;color:black">Nairobi, Kenya.</span></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span><br><font size="1">Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.</font></span></span></font><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif";font-size:11pt"></span><span style="font-size:11pt"></span>
<span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br><img src="https://t.sidekickopen07.com/s1t/o/5/f18dQhb0S7ks8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9gXrN7sKj6v4LNdFMd_KMKRbM7xW4Wzv6P2zlZNzW26tGP91k1H6H0?si=6190904865718272&pi=36107bd0-9bfd-4c45-b2a5-eb672ac393b8&ti=null" style="display:none!important" height="1" width="1"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 10:50 AM Ahmed Mohamed Maawy <<a href="mailto:ultimateprogramer@gmail.com">ultimateprogramer@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">If I understand the technology correctly it shouldn't ideally be difficult. In my opinion it should open up avenues to a lot of automation to happen, and integrate very seamlessly to IoT and interconnected devices. Infact, I believe USSD can be a huge gateway for folks to get IoT solutions developed. There is lucrative market for this if the costs of USSD can be re-evaluated for specific use cases where it makes sense to have bulk transactions.<div><br></div><div>The other argument that may be made is that USSD as a platform should not be allowed to be as open for many reasons (security, etc). My way of looking at this is that during this day and age folks are beyond all that. Google has Play Store, Apple has App Store, etc, etc, and they all have validation techniques for new entrants to the market (who actually submit binaries).</div><div><br></div><div>However I am seeing a market in the next 2 to 5 years where USSD may be obsolete, because at the rate at which Internet is penetrating we may eventually see it replace conventional telephony as we know it.</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 10:39 AM Ali Hussein via kictanet <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto">Bernard<div><br></div><div>Great question. It goes to the heart of the discussions we’ve had on this list and other forums.</div><div><br></div><div>What makes a Platform a Platform? </div><div><br></div><div>To partially answer that question I recommend the book below:-</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Revolution-Networked-Transforming-Economyand-ebook/dp/B00ZAT8VS4" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Revolution-Networked-Transforming-Economyand-ebook/dp/B00ZAT8VS4</a><br><br>However to take Bernard’s question one step further:-</div><div><br></div><div>Should it be a commercial decision by the Telcos or should it be a regulatory push? </div><div><br></div><div>Like for example number portability? We know how successful that was.. or perhaps mobile money interoperability and agency network sharing? </div><div><br></div><div>Mixed results on the above and some the jury is still out.</div><div><br></div><div>Regards </div><div><br><div dir="ltr" id="m_-5190046701246688924m_4846779964707492253AppleMailSignature"><div><span><b>Ali Hussein</b></span></div><div><span><b>Principal</b></span></div><div><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">AHK & Associates</b></div><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium">+254 0713 601113 </div><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><br></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Twitter: @AliHKassim</span></p><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font></font></span><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Skype: abu-jomo</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a></span></p><font><br></font></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle</span></div><div><br></div><div><span><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</div><div dir="ltr"><br>On 15 Nov 2018, at 9:33 AM, Bernard Kioko via kictanet <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">What has been the justification for Kenyan mobile Operators to not open sim toolkit to third party developers and integrators?
</div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>kictanet mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a></span><br><span><a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a></span><br><span>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a></span><br><span>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/</a></span><br><span>Domain Registration sponsored by <a href="http://www.eacdirectory.co.ke" target="_blank">www.eacdirectory.co.ke</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40campusciti.com" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40campusciti.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><br></div></blockquote></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>
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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.<br>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="m_-5190046701246688924gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><b>Ahmed Maawy</b><br>Skype: ultimateprogramer<br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</blockquote></div></div>