Kenya’s rising profile as a software developing nation is set to place the commodity on the country’s list of exports this year as companies and governments continue the search for effective cost-cutting tools.
Figures from the Ministry of Information reveal the sector raked in over KES 500 million (USD 6.6 million) in revenues last year, and that figure is projected to double as the country’s profile rises around the world.
Currently, Kenya biggest exports are tangible goods such as horticultural exports, tea, and soda ash.
A shift to virtual software exports would position the country to compete in the same class as India, which makes upwards of KES 4 billion (USD 52.9 million) per annum in software exports.
Local software manufacturers say they are experiencing an upswing in interest from foreign companies, who are drawn to Kenyan developers due to their ability to churn out cheap but innovative solutions. Read the rest of this entry »
For most English speakers, computer terms such as “instant messenger,” “download” and “cut and paste” seem quite ordinary. However, for millions of African indigenous language speakers, the absence of technology in their own language simply increases the digital divide.
VEDA Technology, the computer electronics manufacturing company with its main focus on production of premium personal computers such as Notebooks, All-in-One and Desktop Computers, has partnered with First Bank Nigeria PLC to put together a financing scheme, where customers can purchase VEDA products and pay over a 12-24 month period/contract.
In a bid to meet the market demand of Apple products, Apple has opened a retail store in Accra, Ghana, making available its world-class products, services, and solutions to local customers and clients.
IBM and Canonical are introducing a new, flexible personal computing software package for netbooks and other thin client devices to help businesses in Africa bridge the digital divide by leapfrogging traditional PCs and proprietary software. This is the first cloud and on-premise-based Linux netbook software package offered by IBM and Canonical, the companies announced recently.
