Those in Mombasa last weekend were able to experience the feel on Seacom cable speeds at their landing station.
It is now time for Nairobians to feel the same! Seacom will be launching in Nairobi on Monday, 3rd August 2009 at KICC.
Be there and experience it for yourself!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
The virtual desktop; East Africa needs it
In our region, technology comes in very handy especially when it saves the little cash our economy holds. Virtual desktops and cloud computing are new related technologies that will help us save initial office automation costs, help us share available resources and enhance corporate security.
For colleges, schools, Cybercafes, BPO's and SME's it is now easier to acquire computing resources for our users. The technology saves space and initial capital at the same time. Traditionally every user required to have a CPU, monitor and other accessories, Today all a user needs is a monitor, mouse and keyboard. The CPU's are shared by up-to 30 users across a local area network. The CPU or server will require more computing power but the cost of this is much less than buying CPU's for each user. The space occupied by CPU's in cybers' will now not be needed and instead of buying computer tables for furniture all a cyber will need is a table for the monitors and keyboards.
You will also make savings on Microsoft and other software licences as CPU handling 30 users will have one licence instead of licencing each user.
However, more bandwidth is required for proper cloud computing especially in large corporate network when the user resources and transfered to a central point.
But either way, East Africans need to learn, use and gain from this new technology.
For colleges, schools, Cybercafes, BPO's and SME's it is now easier to acquire computing resources for our users. The technology saves space and initial capital at the same time. Traditionally every user required to have a CPU, monitor and other accessories, Today all a user needs is a monitor, mouse and keyboard. The CPU's are shared by up-to 30 users across a local area network. The CPU or server will require more computing power but the cost of this is much less than buying CPU's for each user. The space occupied by CPU's in cybers' will now not be needed and instead of buying computer tables for furniture all a cyber will need is a table for the monitors and keyboards.
You will also make savings on Microsoft and other software licences as CPU handling 30 users will have one licence instead of licencing each user.
However, more bandwidth is required for proper cloud computing especially in large corporate network when the user resources and transfered to a central point.
But either way, East Africans need to learn, use and gain from this new technology.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Construction in Kenya goes Green
The Construction industry in Kenya has finally gone green with the introduction of stabilized soil blocks building in Syokimau, Nairobi.
A group of young entreprenuers have acquired the latest machine from Hydaform SA and are now producing the stabilized soil blocks commercially. The machine makes 1,500 blocks everyday.
The first building project will take off this week and we will keep you updated on the progress. The house is a maisonette, on a 50*100 ft plot. Including a perimeter wall it is expected that 16,000 stabilized soil blocks will be used in this project. This technology is said lower the building costs by up to 40%.
Stabilized soil blocks interlock with each other removing the need to use cement on walls. which greatly reduces cost and promotes use of natural solutions in building.Depending on the colour of soil used, the final product can be in different colors creating a great aesthetic effect.
Photos and more information will be coming up soon!! meanwhile you can check out the link below for more information on this technology.
Link
A group of young entreprenuers have acquired the latest machine from Hydaform SA and are now producing the stabilized soil blocks commercially. The machine makes 1,500 blocks everyday.
The first building project will take off this week and we will keep you updated on the progress. The house is a maisonette, on a 50*100 ft plot. Including a perimeter wall it is expected that 16,000 stabilized soil blocks will be used in this project. This technology is said lower the building costs by up to 40%.
Stabilized soil blocks interlock with each other removing the need to use cement on walls. which greatly reduces cost and promotes use of natural solutions in building.Depending on the colour of soil used, the final product can be in different colors creating a great aesthetic effect.
Photos and more information will be coming up soon!! meanwhile you can check out the link below for more information on this technology.
Link
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Starting a business in East Africa
As in all parts of the world the business idea, plan and win strategy are the first and most important parts of starting a business. Any entrepreneur planning to turn their ideas into commercial productivity will need to register the business in the geographical regions they plan to operate. East African countries are working on common platform of operation with a single currency. However this is not yet ready and each country has its own policy's, legislature and procedures of business registration. We will therefore look at the processes involved for each.
Rwanda has the shortest and easiest business registration process. With the recently launched One-Stop business registration center, it will take 24 hours to complete the whole registration process provided all documents are in order. Plans are underway to create an online service that will reduce the time taken to 12 hours and the system is expected to be operational by December this year. The center incorporates functions of the Registrar, Rwanda Revenue Authority and the Social Security Fund of Rwanda in one center and introduces a payment office in the registrar's general office. Company law no longer requires notarization of documents and publication into the official gazette. Only standard articles of Association are required and a flat fee of FRW. 25,000 is charged.
Other East African countries (except Burundi) have similar procedures for registration that flow as follows with a few specific items to each countries listed further below.
In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, you can register a business name (liability lies with the business name owner/s, this can be sole proprietorship, partnership or name owned by a company) or a register as company which is a legal entity on itself.
To register a business name one will require to: Do a name search at the registrar's office. When a name is approved, the statement of particulars form is completed and partneship documents are signed, legal fees may apply here. A certificate of registration is then issued. A business name can later be converted into a company as well
To register a company, you start with a name search, once the name is approved and reserved, then stamp the memorandum and Articles of association and nominal capital documents, this costs 1% of the nominal capital plus stamp duty. Then you register with the Tax Department for tax, here you get a PIN/TIN/TIP number depending on country, then register for VAT and other taxes like PAYE, this is free and takes a day. To trade, you will also need to apply for a business permit from the City/town council you are trading on, NHIF and NSSF as well. You will need to make a company seal after the certificate of incorporation is issued.
Matters of cost and other items are specific to country as below.
Kenya
Business name: total cost ksh.900+
Company:Totals cost (appx)
Number of Days taken 30
Number of procedures 11
Uganda
In Uganda the tax department URA will need to inspect the business premise before registration as well as all other procedures above.
Total Cost (appx) USH. 463,000-471,000
Number of days it takes 24
Number of procedures involved 11
Check, doing business in Uganda on the link below
Link
Tanzania
In Tanzania the land or town officer will need to inspect the business premise before registration, you also have to register for workmen compensation at the National inspection corporation or take an alternative insurance policy as well as all other procedures above.
Total Cost(appx) TZsh. 206,200
Number of days it takes 34
Number of procedures involved 18
Burundi
Registering a company in Burundi is much different fro the countries above, the process below is followed. It will take you a minimum of 43days to go through the 11 process and cost you approximately BIF.252,900.
1.Notarize Articles of association and signing of the Notary to be published in the
official journal.
2. Deposit required minimum capital
3. Publication in the legal journal
4. Extraction of criminal records for the first two directors
5. Registration with commercial registry, tax department, local authority, ministry
of trade & industry, ministry of labour department of inspection and the National
institute of social security.
6. Finally one will get a company seal.
Figures given above are based on approximation and most data according to 2008 figures though little has changed since then.
Rwanda has the shortest and easiest business registration process. With the recently launched One-Stop business registration center, it will take 24 hours to complete the whole registration process provided all documents are in order. Plans are underway to create an online service that will reduce the time taken to 12 hours and the system is expected to be operational by December this year. The center incorporates functions of the Registrar, Rwanda Revenue Authority and the Social Security Fund of Rwanda in one center and introduces a payment office in the registrar's general office. Company law no longer requires notarization of documents and publication into the official gazette. Only standard articles of Association are required and a flat fee of FRW. 25,000 is charged.
Other East African countries (except Burundi) have similar procedures for registration that flow as follows with a few specific items to each countries listed further below.
In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, you can register a business name (liability lies with the business name owner/s, this can be sole proprietorship, partnership or name owned by a company) or a register as company which is a legal entity on itself.
To register a business name one will require to: Do a name search at the registrar's office. When a name is approved, the statement of particulars form is completed and partneship documents are signed, legal fees may apply here. A certificate of registration is then issued. A business name can later be converted into a company as well
To register a company, you start with a name search, once the name is approved and reserved, then stamp the memorandum and Articles of association and nominal capital documents, this costs 1% of the nominal capital plus stamp duty. Then you register with the Tax Department for tax, here you get a PIN/TIN/TIP number depending on country, then register for VAT and other taxes like PAYE, this is free and takes a day. To trade, you will also need to apply for a business permit from the City/town council you are trading on, NHIF and NSSF as well. You will need to make a company seal after the certificate of incorporation is issued.
Matters of cost and other items are specific to country as below.
Kenya
Business name: total cost ksh.900+
Company:Totals cost (appx)
Number of Days taken 30
Number of procedures 11
Uganda
In Uganda the tax department URA will need to inspect the business premise before registration as well as all other procedures above.
Total Cost (appx) USH. 463,000-471,000
Number of days it takes 24
Number of procedures involved 11
Check, doing business in Uganda on the link below
Link
Tanzania
In Tanzania the land or town officer will need to inspect the business premise before registration, you also have to register for workmen compensation at the National inspection corporation or take an alternative insurance policy as well as all other procedures above.
Total Cost(appx) TZsh. 206,200
Number of days it takes 34
Number of procedures involved 18
Burundi
Registering a company in Burundi is much different fro the countries above, the process below is followed. It will take you a minimum of 43days to go through the 11 process and cost you approximately BIF.252,900.
1.Notarize Articles of association and signing of the Notary to be published in the
official journal.
2. Deposit required minimum capital
3. Publication in the legal journal
4. Extraction of criminal records for the first two directors
5. Registration with commercial registry, tax department, local authority, ministry
of trade & industry, ministry of labour department of inspection and the National
institute of social security.
6. Finally one will get a company seal.
Figures given above are based on approximation and most data according to 2008 figures though little has changed since then.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
ISP's find creative ways to survive
GSM and traditional telephone service providers in East Africa are now turning to Data services to grow revenues. Convergence of Voice and data is also contributing to the turn of events, there is no longer a line between data and voice in communication and sooner there will be no line with video and mobility of them all.
Traditional ISP's in this region will then turn to offering managed services by running applications on infrastructure already built by the main Telecommunication service providers. They will lease infastructure for and use it to reach business and individual subscribers with innovative and valuable solutions. These solutions will be based on convergence of voice, video, data and mobility, ease of collaboration in business, virtualisation, operation efficiency, business cost management and dealing with increased content.
Some of the services ISP's will offer are as below
Hosting of PABX's, even small and micro-businesses will now be able to enjoy functionality of a telephone exchange system even without owning one at their premise.
Content Management; ISP's will push or pull on demand video, data or voice content across organisations or to consumers for marketing purposes, e-learning, corporate communication, PR messages e.t.c This will be a great advertising, internal communication and PR tool.
Tele and/or video conferencing services may as well be hosted by an ISP and offered on demand when an organisation needs to communicate over distance for reasonable rates
VOIP services are already being installed in most ISP's and even major SP'sin the region.
More services to enterprises like network management (fault, change and configuration), security management, outsourced customer care, hosted CRM and DR outsourcing solutions will be popular sooner.
To the consumer Smartphones able to access networks through WIFI and GSM at the same time will come into play, these phones bring out convergence and TV will be integrated.
Kenya and Uganda will lead the way in acquiring these new technologies with Tanzania and Rwanda following. Burundi will finally join the bandwagon.
Traditional ISP's in this region will then turn to offering managed services by running applications on infrastructure already built by the main Telecommunication service providers. They will lease infastructure for and use it to reach business and individual subscribers with innovative and valuable solutions. These solutions will be based on convergence of voice, video, data and mobility, ease of collaboration in business, virtualisation, operation efficiency, business cost management and dealing with increased content.
Some of the services ISP's will offer are as below
Hosting of PABX's, even small and micro-businesses will now be able to enjoy functionality of a telephone exchange system even without owning one at their premise.
Content Management; ISP's will push or pull on demand video, data or voice content across organisations or to consumers for marketing purposes, e-learning, corporate communication, PR messages e.t.c This will be a great advertising, internal communication and PR tool.
Tele and/or video conferencing services may as well be hosted by an ISP and offered on demand when an organisation needs to communicate over distance for reasonable rates
VOIP services are already being installed in most ISP's and even major SP'sin the region.
More services to enterprises like network management (fault, change and configuration), security management, outsourced customer care, hosted CRM and DR outsourcing solutions will be popular sooner.
To the consumer Smartphones able to access networks through WIFI and GSM at the same time will come into play, these phones bring out convergence and TV will be integrated.
Kenya and Uganda will lead the way in acquiring these new technologies with Tanzania and Rwanda following. Burundi will finally join the bandwagon.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Latest on East Africa's Telecommunication space
Certainly telecommunication is an area that has grown significantly in the last few years in East Africa and is still ranked as one of the highest growth area.
Currently all East African countries are preparing for the entry of high bandwidth on fibre connected to the Global communication networks. Most telecommunication service providers are and have invested heavily on infrastructure to make use of the anticipated bandwidth increase. With most communication regulators in the region issuing unified communication licences more and more GSM and fixed telephony providers are moving to converged offerings with data, voice and video both fixed (triple play) and mobile (quad play).
The operators are now offering Internet services traditionally offered by the stand alone ISP's, as well as GSM, CDMA and other voice solutions. Sooner they will be offering VOIP solutions and content on demand solutions like video on demand.
What does this mean to corporates and to the individual users? This issue will look at 5 things that will definitely change on corporate interactions.
To corporates, this means
1. cheaper telephony for businesses across the globe, branches and to customers, VOIP will especially make a lot of business sense. As long as there is a reliable Internet connection on either ends of the call, a call can be made via the Internet at the cost of the Internet connectivity only which is expected to be much lower on commissioning of the three fibre solutions.
2. Easier resource management and time optimization. Because of the ability to use tele and video conferences, meetings across business functions, branches, global offices, to partners will be possibly done with everyone at their own location/office. This saves time of travel and will keep people focused on their core business. Live messaging solutions will also increase sales force communications with clients without having to keep travelling.
3. Corporate communication and employee learning programs will be made easy with streaming video and voice recording on demand. Solutions like Webex (by Cisco) will enable management of information across the corporate, to partners and to customers as well. Recorded messages can be accessed by stakeholders including consumers.
click below to see more on webex
Link ,
4. For East African companies, we expect that social media will start affecting business directly. The positive part being that there will be a lot of data gathered on customer objective views easily and cheaply, more marketing and sales avenues will also open up and we can now access and acquire mind share more easily. On the down side, it will be time for PR execs to put on their gumboots and head to the field as there will be a lot of publicity both negative and positive online and they will need to be there listening and driving the discussion before any damage is done.
5. The best and most important thing that will happen to East African businesses is availability of data for business. There is not much online about the region and when most of us are working on the Macro environment we rely on offline sources. A lot more content will be loaded online with the availability of bandwidth and
On the next issue we will discuss the effects of bandwidth on you as a person.
For information on the current intenet penetration and mobile phone subscription for each east African Countries please see the links below;
Tanzania
Kenya
Uganda
">Link
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)