Information Technology Business News

Kenyan Exports Software as IT Sector Grows

IT OutsourcingKenya’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 »

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African Exchanges Attract Emerging Markets Investors: TradeInvestAfrica Interview with Andre DeSimone, Executive Director, Kestrel Capital

Kestrel CapitalSub-Saharan African markets are attracting interest from foreign fund managers seeking to diversify risks in their global portfolio. Andre DeSimone, Executive Director at Kestrel Capital tells us why Africa’s stock markets continue to perform remarkably well despite their small size and low liquidity.

The global financial crisis affected African markets resulting in, among other problems, the drying up of credit lines. What is the status now?

As Africa’s financial system was not highly integrated with America’s or Europe’s, it was not so heavily impacted by the global financial crisis. Also, most African countries never experienced the sort of financial, real estate, or consumer leverage that was experienced in the US and Europe, for example. Aside from a few Nigerian banks, generally the banking systems in Africa weathered the storm quite well. In fact, in Kenya, no major bank suffered badly and many, if not most, continued to record positive earnings growth over the past year. So while the days of easy credit may be gone, in places like Kenya credit is still available to creditworthy clients and real estate development continues briskly. Read the rest of this entry »

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Microsoft’s Windows 7 to be Available in 10 African languages by June 2011

Microsoft Windows 7For 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.

That’s according to Ntutule Tshenye, the Head of Citizenship at Microsoft West, East, and Central Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands (WECA & IOI). Speaking at the Local Language program (LLP) Africa Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday, Tshenye said providing access to computer technology in local languages will open up new worlds for education and economic participation for millions of people across the African continent. Read the rest of this entry »

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Lagos State and GeoQinetiq Partner to Deliver Real-Time GPS

Lagos Street Map

Lagos Street Map

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has declared that Lagos State’s Global Positioning System (GPS) and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) have been successfully completed and will soon go live.

GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system, which allows users to determine their location anywhere in the world at any time of the day.

CORS operates continuously from a permanent and stable location to track down GPS and Global Navigation Satellite (GNS) contact points; receives and stores the data; removes errors and transmits the enhanced satellite data to users in real time. Read the rest of this entry »

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VIDEO: Doing Business In Africa – Ghana – Part 3 – Financial Sector, Real Estate, and Information Technology (IT)

VIDEO: Doing Business in Africa – Ghana – Part 2 – Oil, Agriculture, and Gold | VIDEO: Doing Business in Africa – Ghana – Part 1 – Pending Oil Wealth | Watch more videos on Ghana

Ghana Stock Exchange | Databank

Source(s): CNBC Africa

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Computerize Nigeria (CNP) Project Launches Phase 2 of 750,000 PC Ownership Plan

Computerize Nigeria ProjectComputerize Nigeria Project (CNP), has launched the second phase of its 750,000 Computer Ownership promo. According to the Head, Computerize Nigeria Project, Mrs. Loretta Agbakoba, the goal of this phase is to further the ideals of digital knowledge democracy.

Ms. Agbakoba explained that the promo is another milestone in the roadmap of the CNP to give Nigerians the opportunity to bridge the digital divide personally, at family, and at corporate levels. “It is primarily targeted at governments at all levels, educational institutions, and all stakeholders in the Nigerian nation,” she said, stressing that based on the success of the first phase, CNP has been in direct negotiations with major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the country like Zinox, as well as Hewlett-Packard (HP), Toshiba, Dell, and Acer to secure discounted prices especially for Nigerians, in a bid to accelerate access to the IT tools that would catalyze a knowledge-driven nation. Read the rest of this entry »

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IBM Introduces New Netbook Software in Africa to Bridge the Digital Divide

IBMIBM 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.

As part of IBM’s Smart Work Initiative, the new package targets the rising popularity of low-cost netbooks to make IBM’s industrial-strength software affordable to new, mass audiences in Africa. Businesses that could not afford traditional PCs for all employees can now use thin client devices and low-cost software to enable all workers to work smarter anywhere, regardless of the level of communications infrastructure.

The companies said the software is now available across Africa and is being piloted for other emerging and growth markets worldwide. The solution includes open standards-based email, word processing, spreadsheets, unified communication, social networking, and other software for any laptop, netbook, or a variety of mobile devices. Read the rest of this entry »

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Google to Launch South Africa Street View before 2010 FIFA World Cup; Google Maps to Include Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, and Durban

GoogleGoogle has announced that it will launch South Africa Street View before the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the coming weeks Google, using Toyota Prius models will begin driving around South Africa and taking photographs of locations, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, and Durban.

Street View is a hugely popular feature of Google Maps that is already available in more than 100 metropolitan areas around the world. Street View allows users to virtually explore and navigate a neighborhood through panoramic street-level images. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile. Images collected by the cars will be processed and carefully stitched together, a technological process that can take several months. They will be made available at a later date in Street View on Google Maps for South Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

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Global Downturn Hastens Nigeria’s ‘Brain GAIN’ (Yes, Brain GAIN not Brain Drain)

Stock Exchange“It’s very addictive – the notion people are walking around in Lagos thinking ‘we can do anything’ … Sometimes it’s laughable, particularly when you look at things through British eyes. But when you see some of these laughable stories come true, you start to question yourself.” — Olumide Bolumole, a Nigerian London-based former employee of hedge fund De Putron Fund, who has returned back to Lagos

Bread-and-butter pudding does not usually feature on menus in Lagos: pounded yam and peppered snails are more common fare.

Yet for Olumide Bolumole, the stodgy English dessert is one of the things he misses about the UK since quitting his job at a hedge fund to carve a new niche in the city of his childhood. Read the rest of this entry »

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Information Technology (IT) Outsourcing in Nigeria to Grow by 500% in 7 years to $330 Million Industry, Reveals Frost & Sullivan

IT Outsourcing
Although the Nigerian Information Technology (IT) infrastructure market is in its infancy, key sectors such as the financial, telecommunications, and oil and gas industries have begun outsourcing elements of their IT functions to third parties. Technological developments, government promotion of ICT, and Nigeria’s exposure to the global stage have provided additional growth stimulus.

In Frost & Sullivan’s new report on IT in Nigeria titled “Nigerian IT Infrastructure Outsourcing Market”, Frost & Sullivan finds that the outsourcing market in Nigeria earned revenues of $58.0 million in 2007 and estimates this to reach $330.0 million in 2014 (this represents close to 500% growth in 7 just 7 years).

“The unreliable power supply in Nigeria is promoting the growth of outsourced services such as disaster recovery and dedicated hosting,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Mpho Moyo. “This is because companies need to have contingency measures in place to ensure business continuity during power failures.” Some business requirements may demand 24-hour access to networks or e-mail. Read the rest of this entry »

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