Re: [Skunkworks] [kictanet] Fwd: Do commercial web portals andsitesfall into Content Service Provider category?
Dear Bw Ndemo, I'd like to share some information, though a bit lengthy. One of the greatest challenges facing many sectors and including our tech sector is that Innovation may not come from big companies or multi-nationals. Mostly they will always follow the tried and tested ideas, technologies and systems that create return revenues. And so much of innovation will never make it to any end users which is quite unfortunate. But there is a hope of changing this. Innovation or innovative methods to generate interest lives with much smaller entities who spend quite of their time towards improving and testing systems, ideas or technologies. There are many of us have been doing this for a long time but innovations is not a guaranteed system of over night success but rather a process of development which can take years. And this is where big businesses can come in and take the ideas or innovations into bigger deployments. This is what Kenya needs. And we should create an enviroment through less stricter policies and licensing regulations for smaller entities to develop, test and distribute so that investors or other interested parties can see the show case of what can be achieved. I'd like to list an example, though there are many : Voice Over IP Today we have so many skype users and all voice traffic and rates are paid to directly to some foreign nation. About few years ago I had thought of developing a local server using the asterisk open source server that would allow voice sip handsets and even chat software to allow for calls. The system included a billing system that provided itemised call billing analysis that would be mailed to the end user on a monthly basis. I tested the server for many months and was confident it was the way to go. I had now completed my tech part of R & D and was now ready with a system. - Skype has no termination into any network in kenya. I worked on the same. - Skype has a software that allows chat and international calls. I worked on a software available that would easily allow calls and in future have the capability for video conferencing over the same hardware. - All Skype calls have to be paid to them, internationaly. I worked on keep the calls billed at local rates and paid locally. - Skype was bandwidth intensive and critical. I worked on G729 encoder that consumes just about 8kbps over any internet link. - My system offered IVR message facility. When I went to the CCK website to see how to go about setting my deployment and check the details of the voip criteria , it became clear that I was now in an industry that was way way beyond and out of my reach. I shelved the entire system and program and moved onto other tech things. Today, when I see skype users make calls etc, I wonder. They all depend on international servers while kenya is loosing out on revenue. So how can we think of competing against the likes of skype? The R & D is there, the technology is there to produce something local. But treating Software As a Service in the likes of a telco or service provider category killed all local innovation. And not that telcos nor providers have been stopped by anyone, they have the licenses, the ability and the financial might. Its just that they may have started now, something the small sector would have been able to offer a few years ago. I hope that smaller entities will be given a break through an informal sector approach which in the long run will produce results for many. I'm sure it will benefit thousands in the ICT sector who are innovative and adaptive to kenyans needs. The answer to cheaper internet access also lies here. My amatuer thots. Asante sana. Rgds. On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 3:09 PM, <bitange@jambo.co.ke> wrote:
Solomon, Over regulation is bad. It curtails innovation. My prayer is to have as many Kenyans online as possible. This can only be achieved by developing relevant content. I want to know for example the origin of the names Mwangi, Omolo, Ndemo etc. Only local people can do this. Genealogical data will occupy us online more than anything. We therefore need a local wikipedia.
Once local corporations realize that five million of us are online, digital adverts would follow. It is estimated that more than 60 percent of adverts would be online. In other words it is up to us to create content that will take most our people online.
On pricing of Broadband, I will do anything within the law to ensure it is affordable -- that is below 200 dollars a MB. Let us allow competition to drive it down. Teams was ready for service on Sept. 15 and I gues some operators are waiting to see who takes a plunge with attractive offers. Whichever way someone will bolt out.
Once again, let us not always put the law in front. If you break it in the process of innovation, we all shall understand and possibly make something. Let us emulate the Brits with their Common Law. Use common sense, always have good intetions and embrace great moral standards.
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry®
-----Original Message----- From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu@gmail.com> Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:09:00 To: <bitange@jambo.co.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>; <kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: [Skunkworks] Do commercial web portals and sitesfall into Content Service Provider category?
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Most innovations started of as illegal. Take for example the VHS tape and DVD....when the VHS was first invented many lobby groups from Hollyhood argued that it was illegal.But later it opened up new revenue streams and businesses like Video libraries. Another example is google and their book digitization project.Many people argue that,the whole process was illegal ab initio,but now they have worked around it legally. If I were to start up a web portal I will not rush to get a licence for 100k ...but down the line if I make money and it is a worthwhile venture then I will have to comply with the law. Laws and regulations are not made from the orbits and they are usually anchored on a principle (Spirit of the law) unfortunately in the ICT sector,there are fewer local case studies and examples.So we need to first create and implement the great ideas and innovations we have then use them to lobby for better laws/regulation. And the regulation issues are not unique to ICT only....Keroche Vs EABL are very familiar scenerios always appearing in the media. But do portals make money? Thanks On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 6:02 PM, aki <aki275@googlemail.com> wrote:
Dear Bw Ndemo,
I'd like to share some information, though a bit lengthy.
One of the greatest challenges facing many sectors and including our tech sector is that Innovation may not come from big companies or multi-nationals. Mostly they will always follow the tried and tested ideas, technologies and systems that create return revenues. And so much of innovation will never make it to any end users which is quite unfortunate.
But there is a hope of changing this. Innovation or innovative methods to generate interest lives with much smaller entities who spend quite of their time towards improving and testing systems, ideas or technologies. There are many of us have been doing this for a long time but innovations is not a guaranteed system of over night success but rather a process of development which can take years. And this is where big businesses can come in and take the ideas or innovations into bigger deployments. This is what Kenya needs. And we should create an enviroment through less stricter policies and licensing regulations for smaller entities to develop, test and distribute so that investors or other interested parties can see the show case of what can be achieved.
I'd like to list an example, though there are many : Voice Over IP
Today we have so many skype users and all voice traffic and rates are paid to directly to some foreign nation. About few years ago I had thought of developing a local server using the asterisk open source server that would allow voice sip handsets and even chat software to allow for calls. The system included a billing system that provided itemised call billing analysis that would be mailed to the end user on a monthly basis. I tested the server for many months and was confident it was the way to go. I had now completed my tech part of R & D and was now ready with a system.
- Skype has no termination into any network in kenya. I worked on the same. - Skype has a software that allows chat and international calls. I worked on a software available that would easily allow calls and in future have the capability for video conferencing over the same hardware. - All Skype calls have to be paid to them, internationaly. I worked on keep the calls billed at local rates and paid locally. - Skype was bandwidth intensive and critical. I worked on G729 encoder that consumes just about 8kbps over any internet link. - My system offered IVR message facility.
When I went to the CCK website to see how to go about setting my deployment and check the details of the voip criteria , it became clear that I was now in an industry that was way way beyond and out of my reach. I shelved the entire system and program and moved onto other tech things.
Today, when I see skype users make calls etc, I wonder. They all depend on international servers while kenya is loosing out on revenue. So how can we think of competing against the likes of skype? The R & D is there, the technology is there to produce something local. But treating Software As a Service in the likes of a telco or service provider category killed all local innovation. And not that telcos nor providers have been stopped by anyone, they have the licenses, the ability and the financial might. Its just that they may have started now, something the small sector would have been able to offer a few years ago.
I hope that smaller entities will be given a break through an informal sector approach which in the long run will produce results for many. I'm sure it will benefit thousands in the ICT sector who are innovative and adaptive to kenyans needs. The answer to cheaper internet access also lies here.
My amatuer thots.
Asante sana.
Rgds. On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 3:09 PM, <bitange@jambo.co.ke> wrote:
Solomon, Over regulation is bad. It curtails innovation. My prayer is to have as many Kenyans online as possible. This can only be achieved by developing relevant content. I want to know for example the origin of the names Mwangi, Omolo, Ndemo etc. Only local people can do this. Genealogical data will occupy us online more than anything. We therefore need a local wikipedia.
Once local corporations realize that five million of us are online, digital adverts would follow. It is estimated that more than 60 percent of adverts would be online. In other words it is up to us to create content that will take most our people online.
On pricing of Broadband, I will do anything within the law to ensure it is affordable -- that is below 200 dollars a MB. Let us allow competition to drive it down. Teams was ready for service on Sept. 15 and I gues some operators are waiting to see who takes a plunge with attractive offers. Whichever way someone will bolt out.
Once again, let us not always put the law in front. If you break it in the process of innovation, we all shall understand and possibly make something. Let us emulate the Brits with their Common Law. Use common sense, always have good intetions and embrace great moral standards.
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry®
-----Original Message----- From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu@gmail.com> Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:09:00 To: <bitange@jambo.co.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>; <kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: [Skunkworks] Do commercial web portals and sitesfall into Content Service Provider category?
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Hi @Joseph, I think there are many ways to look at it. One can do all the development etc, but a deciding factor is always implemenation. Your question is good : Do portals make money? That is the innovative challenge. I think now at this stage, after the clarity from PS Ndemo, it would make sense to many. What I've learnt of any innovation or projects is to look at the end result first, then work my way backwards. That is why I listed the question. Rgds.
On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 11:32 AM, Joseph McDonald <mcdonaldoj@gmail.com> wrote:
Most innovations started of as illegal.
ha ha ha ! True even rapid IPv6 uptake in Europe (as reported at the 6DEPLOY training)
Laws and regulations are not made from the orbits and they are usually anchored on a principle (Spirit of the law) unfortunately in the ICT sector,there are fewer local case studies and examples.So we need to first create and implement the great ideas and innovations we have then use them to lobby for better laws/regulation.
The sole object and purpose of law is to correct mischief and are always behind in sync:-) so, innovate first and if mischief results, the law then will follows it up.
participants (3)
-
aki -
Gakuru Alex -
Joseph McDonald