ICT companies embrace high speed Internet

By Fredrick Obura

Most ICT companies are flexing their muscles to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the high speed internet, a click at different websites, there is increased activity towards the improvement of local content.

While rival firms once competing for the same market space are now merging, different home grown innovations are coming up day and night, a number of local businesses are now online in anticipation of visibility beyond the borders.

In his address during a summit held in Nairobi on Friday on developing local internet content, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information and Communications Dr Bitange Ndemo asked players in the industry to avail local data online.

"The Government is committed in developing the IT sector, since content development requires a lot of investment, we are willing to fund innovative ideas," he says.

Currently all ministries are rewarding the sector by awarding 50 per cent of their tenders to local software developers.

"When we talk about local content, many people only think of availing Government programmes online, there is a lot to be done and it requires everybody’s commitment, Internet as a great resource of development will only be relevant if we put our content," he said.

He added: "Let us start from the lowest level and it will help in improving our traffic to the world wide web. For instance, the traditional wise sayings and local learning materials from institutions needs to be customised and uploaded on the net."

The Kenya ICT Board has identified the digital content industry as the most important area of growth in the creation of a viable world-class knowledge-based economy.

Local content

In its website, the board identifies the web and mobile content, both serious and console gaming as areas entrepreneurs can add input of local digital Content.

In realising locally generated content, several speakers identified different strategies.

"It is a time when we are going to shelve our interest and work for a common goal as a team. This will involve even rival companies working together," Ignite CEO Njeri Rionge said.

Across check of different companies by Tech. Insight shows presence of home grown content. This is in the areas of entertainment, social networking, tourism and shopping among others.

Tips-online-duka for instance is an example of two companies with different ideas previously manned as separate entities, but now coming together in provision of home-grown data.

"Tips-online-duka is a corporation of concepts (Tips Online and Onlineduka) that have been actualised in order to enhance the experience of Kenyan Internet users," its director, Mogaka Mwencha, said. These concepts resulted in the creation of two companies under single management: Tips Online and Online duka Limited. The portal is built on social networking platform and cuts across many demographic profiles, it enables users to find, create and share information easily.

LyricsKenya.com is a website management tool (a media content management system), it help artistes in Kenya get their music, videos and artwork online, so their friends and fans could easily listen to and view.

The site has a single page layout including eCommerce cart functionality for MP3 sales and downloads.

"It allows for the creation and publication, streaming of music and video via video uploads or linking to movies on forums like You Tube and My space," says one of its founders Wallace Kamau.

Initially, tips online offered directory listing that provides address, contact, profile and map information about entities. The entities are organised into multiple categories and sub-categories according to the services or products offered.

Real time

End-users can interact with the directory by searching, adding their own information, as well as by writing reviews and rating the listings in the directory. OnlineDuka.com on the other hand hosts and lists shops, suppliers, manufacturers, individuals, their products and services in a systematic way "This helps shoppers to locate items across different shops and sellers quickly and in real time from their remote locations and also interact online," says Mr Mwencha.

The site also has a local video page and restaurant review sections, the community (that would be you) authors and publish the content.

"We’re here to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content, and to provide a convenient avenue for you to find and share this information on the World Wide Web," Mwencha said.

He added: "Businesses can communicate with the current and potential clients by creating a business blog. One can create a directory or classifieds within the site and use the forum to inform the public about services and major happenings."

Leisure

The leisure page allows reviews of local restaurants, bars and shops. Sharing of photos and videos is also available.

This would help other users make smart purchasing decisions.

One of their greatest challenges is changing Kenyans’ perception on moving to the digital era.

"Its hard to convince Kenyans who still believe in the old school of thought of paper trail that this is an easier and faster way of doing business. However, the youths are warmly embracing this technology and we believe it would radically change the way we do business and our standards of living," said Mwencha.

Entertainment

"One thing we have learned is that owners of Media sites are a very creative group, and are not going to be satisfied unless things can be setup and designed exactly how they want it," says Mr Kamau

Now on each user account on lyrics.com, artistes sell digital vaults including MP3, zipped applications, documents, photos, artwork and tickets with bar code authentication (inbuilt within the system)

"To receive payments please make sure you have entered your Pay Pal account email in your account information within your control panel," he says.