James Ratemo
2 December 2007
Nairobi — Communications solutions service provider, AccessKenya Group has been named the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of the year.
The company was among 33 others that were awarded for excellence in the ICT sector at the 12th annual ICT awards ceremony held at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday evening.
AccessKenya is also reputed as the first ICT Company to be listed on the Nairobi Stock-Exchange.
The awards were organised by the Computer Society Of Kenya (CSK) and received over 3000 entries this year.
Technology Associates Limited was crowned the ICT company of the year closely followed by Copycat Limited. On the other hand, Kenyaweb was rated the best in web design and the most innovative intranet provider.
Kenya Data Networks (KDN) emerged as the first in the International Backbone and Gateway provider segment. The company was also named best in disaster recovery and data storage solutions. The company's chief executive officer, Mr Kai Wolf emerged the ICT CEO for the second year running.
Mr Dennis Mureithi, a system analyst at Kenyatta National Hospital, emerged the ICT Manager of the Year with his Director, Dr Jonathan Micheni clinching the award for the Best Executive Support use of ICT.
Samchi Telecoms took away the Mobile Telephony Dealer award as Simba Technology Limited was named Best System Integrator 2007. Madison Insurance emerged the Most Innovative Insurance Company of the year.
Software Technologies was rated the best Human Resource Management Software of East Africa and Kenya Revenue Authority the Best Utilisation of ICT by a public sector institution.
Message Lab Africa emerged with three awards: Remote Antispam Antivirus Provider of the Year, Email Security Service Provider of the Year and Best Corporate Internet Security-Cert.
Compfix was named the Best Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Disaster Recovery and Storage solution provider with OpenView clinching the IT Solutions Company of the Year award.
Enterprise Information Management was the best ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Solution Provider of the year, Turnkey Africa emerged the Best ERP Solutions provider in the insurance sector.
Computer Technics Limited and Compulynx Limited were rated the Best Power Solution Provider and Best Retail Solution Provider respectively as Postal Corporation of Kenya pocketed the award for leading in E-based Financial solutions.
Flashcom Telecom was the Best Local Loop Operator of the year while Co-operative Bank finished as the best user of ICT in banking sector. IQ Plus emerged the Best in Accounting Solutions 2007 and TBM the best corporate sector in Disaster Recovery and Storage Solution Provider.
Hospitality award
Computer for Schools Kenya clinched two awards; Best Achievers in ICT in Africa and Top Organisation Bridging the Digital Divide in Kenya.
In the hospitality sector, Nairobi Hospital was named the best ICT innovator as Broadband scooped the Best Data Network Operator, Helwet Packard (HP) grabbed the Best Hardware and Software Applications Company 2007.
Gracing the occasion at a city hotel, Vice President Moody Awori pledged the Government's continued support of the ICT sector.
"To demonstrate our seriousness and commitment to the developing the ICT sector, the Government created a specialised department in the ministry of Information and Communications purposely to deal with ICT matters thereby responding to a long-standing call from stakeholders to mainstream the sector," said Awori.
Flanked by Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary, Dr Bitange Ndemo, Awori said the Government would continue with deliberate measures "to bridge the digital divide and keep the country on the information superhighway in recognition of the attendant benefits."
"The Government and stakeholders finally adopted a national ICT policy to guide the sector. For the first time since the advent of Information Technology in Kenya, the planning and execution of ICT matters is undertaken in a consistent and integrated manner as outlined in the ICT policy," said the Vice President.
Computer Society of Kenya Chairman, Mr Waudo Siganga, said the industry was recording an average growth rate of more than three times that of the economy.
"The Government has this year put renewed focus on making ICT a central cog in the development engine by setting up the Kenya ICT board to market Business Process Outsourcing and other ICT enabled opportunities the private sector has responded well to the enabling environment by attracting investment funds, fostering competition and giving the best quality services to Kenyans at affordable prices dictated by the market," Siganga summed up the ICT sector progress this year.
E-Government
Awori cited the establishment of e-government, fast tracking and liberalisation of the sector and removal of obstacles in private sector investment as other achievements of the sector.
"We for instance have relaxed rules that required foreign investors to partner with local investors in order to be licensed, we have also facilitated the growth of the Business Process Outsourcing sector, which promises to increase jobs for Kenyans by an average of 10,000 yearly. This facilitation includes the setting up of the Kenya ICT Board to market Kenya as an ICT Investment hub," he said.
Among other achievements visible in the sector include the ongoing building of a countrywide fibre optic cable network connecting the major towns countrywide and the establishment of digital villages to open up ICT services to the rural masses.
"Other measures to spur the sector include establishment of the Universal Access Fund to reach marginalised groups as well as restructuring of the Communications Commission of Kenya to make it truly multi-stakeholder and independent regulator. Through appointment of private sector and civil society members to the board," read Awori's speech in part.
Awori urged ICT players to build on the strong foundation so far established in order to empower Kenyans through ICT.
"I am confident that the country is set for exciting developments in the sector in the coming years in which the Government will continue to play its role as a facilitator the partial privatization of Telkom Kenya has been completed and the planned Initial Public Offering of Safaricom is on track," he said.
Amongst the anticipated developments are the deployment of the much-awaited East Africa Marine System (TEAMS), which is set to drastically reduce Internet Connectivity costs once the project is completed in the next 18 months.
Information PS, Dr Bitange Ndemo said there is increased demand for broadband in the country.
Ndemo cited inadequate local Internet content as a key challenge towards enhancing Internet browsing by users.
Confirming that the TEAMS cable linking Kenya and the Middle East city of Fujairah would land in Mombasa in 2009, he said the challenge was on connectivity.
"ICT has potential to spur economic growth, if we had as more entrepreneurs as we have activists we could have moved far," said Bitange.
TEAMs is expected to link Kenya to the global network of high speed Internet thus cut down International broadband.
Connectivity in the region has been through satellite, which is expensive, unreliable, slow, and of poor quality.
A study commissioned last year, established that Nairobi Province had the highest concentration of Internet, taking over 80 per cent of the Internet users followed by Coast at a 9.4 per cent.
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