Companies in battle to manage IT services

By Fredrick Obura

The huge cost of setting up and running businesses in Kenya is set to come down with growing interest by various IT companies in provision of outsourcing services.

Business Connexion, a South African Company latest to join Safaricom, Kenya Data Networks, Access Kenya eyes building state of art data storage facility to remotely manage and host IT services of local businesses.

"We are impressed by the Government’s investment in modern technologies like the fibre optic, we see opportunity in offering outsourcing services to make smaller companies cut cost and be more efficient through IT," said Tony Githuki, Managing Director, Business Connexion Kenya.

He said that the firm was looking into hosting, managing and provision of backup services to Kenya’s businesses.

"We anticipate introducing a fuller range of services, technologies and capabilities into this market spanning our competencies," he said.

Mr Githuki said the company was looking into partnership with other local service providers but the end focus will fall on establishing and operating data centre and infrastructural capabilities.

Rapid development in Kenya’s IT space has improved use and adoption of modern technologies among individuals and businesses.

Outsourcing is expected to accelerate adoption and easily help SMEs embrace IT with less pain in cost.

Last year, Safaricom, AccessKenya, Kenya Data Networks, and anumber of Internet Service Providers announcing mega investments into modern data centers to offer remote IT services to third parties.

AccessKenya has so far injected Sh5 million in upping the capacity of its data centre to provide IT services to both SME and well-established institutions.

Earlier, Raymond Macharia, the chief technical officer, said the data centre, which is housed by the firm’s IT division, will be key in revenue generation for the listed firm.

"We are looking at any business large or small with data that needs backing up. There has been an increase in the number of firms that have taken up ICT and demand for safer data storage facilities," he said.

He added that the data storage segment of the ICT sector is poised for further growth as more firms opt to outsource management of their IT infrastructure.