Author: Cyrus

BlackBerry Protect has been launched today to help you locate and recover lost BlackBerry. The software is a free and allows users to wirelessly backup, restore and locate their BlackBerry smartphone. In essence, this if just like the Find My iPhone app. In the event that your BlackBerry smartphone is misplaced, lost or stolen, BlackBerry Protect provides features like: remote device wipe, remote device lock, ‘Lost and Found’ screen, locate device on a map, remote activation of the BlackBerry smartphone loud ringer, and wireless device backup and restore. Key features include: •       Remote Device Management: –      Remote wipe –      Remote…

yu (Essar Kenya) has entered into partnership with Equity Bank to launch a card-less ATM withdrawal service  targeted at yuCash users to access their funds at any Equity Bank ATM country-wide.yuCash customers can now enjoy access to their funds without necessarily going to yuCash outlets to make withdrawals. yuCash clients will be required to initiate the withdrawal transaction from their phones upon which they get an authorization code that they can use at any of over 550 Equity Bank ATMs without the need for an ATM card or ownership of an Equity Bank account. yuCash money transfer service is accessible…

A guy has been charged before Nairobi Chief Magistrate, Gilber Mutembei, with sending a threatening message to Michael Joseph (former CEO of Safaricom). Samuel Karori, according to The Star, is accused of having sent the message on 25th October 2010 at Commonwealth House Nairobi. Part of the message reads: “This is not a threat or blackmail but in reality you have known me well enough for the time during the dealings I have done for you in the dirty jobs of multimillion fuel scandal at Safaricom and transfer of some deals to your account. You try to be smart and…

Reuters is reporting that South Africa’s MTN is teaming up with Hollard Insurance and MFS Africa to launch a mobile money life insurance pilot project in Ghana. Starting Wednesday, Ghanaians can buy “mi-life” life insurance for 1 to 5 cedis for two people — the holder and one next of kin — with a coverage of 500 to 2000 cedis, the companies said. Customers can purchase the insurance through a mobile money agent or directly via their mobile phones protected by a pin code. The service is called mi-Life Mobile Insurance has been tried by Safaricom through M-kesho and also a…

Safaricom CEO is not relenting in his quest to see that cartels which has been operating in the company are dismantled.The new CEO looks to purposefully cement the presence of Safaricom in the hearts and minds of customers. He is presenting what he calls “Safaricom 2.0”. It is a new leaner, meaner and more efficient Safaricom. On March 10th, Bob Collymore presented the new organizational structure which created the Strategic Business Units (SBUs) and streamlined the supporting Corporate Centre. But there were also some investigations of corrupt practices on some senior employees. Mr Collymore seems to have forced two very…

Seacom is talking internet rates. Mr Julius Opio who is the SEACOM’s East Africa head says “internet prices in Kenya can significantly drop if backhaul and last mile connectivity is properly achieved”. Mr. Opio was speaking at American chamber of commerce conference held at Intercontinental Hotel. He says that the unregulated way of deploying the two important fibre links to end users means ICT companies in Kenya are spending a huge amount of their resources on ensuring the connections are in place. To say it streaight, Mr Opio is not making sense to anybody who knows this industry. Ok hear…

After the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 launch, I chose to walk all over the CBD looking at the new things in town. I got many. I saw many SLRs, many Tabs and also lots and lots of phones. But what did catch my eyes was the price different of various iPad versions in shops not more than 50 Metres from each other. I drew up the table below. iPad Wi-Fi + 3G Versions 16GB 32GB 64Gb Ebrahims Ksh 67,000 Ksh 77,000 Ksh 87,000 Fone Xpress Ksh 72,000 N / A Ksh 91,000 Universal Gift Centre N/A Ksh 76,000 Ksh 85,000…

Microsoft East and Southern Africa has just finished launching the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 to its on-premises and partner-hosted deployments. If you are any of the two and you have the active Microsoft Software Assurance agreements, you can access a new version of the Microsoft Dynamics via the Download Centre. The new Microsoft Dynamics CRM also has been upgraded to support 150,000 concurrent users with prompt response delivery. Clients will be provided with benefits like point and click configuration, enterprise and easy interoperability to existing applications and databases. Focus is no next generation apps, mobile access and advanced user personalisation.…

In January, we reported how we got the chance to force Huawei and Safaricom to give us a chance to view the S7 and the U8150 IDEOS gadgets. Both gadgets were shown at the last Safaricom open day at Sarit Centre. Huawei personnel confirmed that they were talking to Safaricom and Orange to see if the operators would subsidise the market and sell it below the $300 price which Huawei was speculating it would go for. Safaricom seems to have managed to convince Huawei to be the exclusive operator selling the gadget in the country but there is a problem…

The Kenya ICT Board PASHA Project is progressing. The institution is now shortlisting for 47 applicants among the 689 who made the applications. The 47 will get their funds by mid 2011 according to Kenya ICT Board. Each county will have one applicant selected.  We hear that most applications were submitted on the last day. I really doubt if all counties made submissions but lets give Kenya ICT Board benefit of doubt. It is also sad to note that only 25% of the applicants were women. This is where I ask, are women waiting to be spoonfed? Can’t they take…

Net Prophet is back this year. Net Prophet was started in Cape Town, South Africa by the RAMP Foundation which is a non-profit entity created by the RAMP Group as a means for social investment within the local Internet based economy. Net Prophet is meant to take the most innovative, successful, creative, ambitious thinkers and entrepreneurs in the Internet space, and ask them to share their stories, ideas and predictions for the future in a format that is fresh, relevant and engaging. The event will be taking place on 12 May at Mutual Park in Cape Town. The event is in…

The number of Mobile payment solutions are growing and the beauty is that though the systems and platforms aren’t growing as much, the innovation in use is growing. The latest entrant in this field is Co-op Bank. The Bank has today launched mobile school fees payment service dubbed “M-Karo”. M-Karo enables parents and guardians to make fee payments directly to school accounts through the M-Banking by Co-op bank and M-Pesa systems. The Bank will credit the school account with the funds within 2 hours of the transaction, with clear references specified by the parent, guardian or student. The school /…

Safaricom is not going to fight the number portability it seems. The company is being seen as the potential biggest looser when the number portability will start being implemented. Through a press release, the company has welcomed mobile number portability and expressed its readiness to roll out the system ahead of the April 1 deadline. “We have aligned all the critical systems and are ready to implement the protocol from the April 1 date as set by the regulator Communications Commission of Kenya. We hope other operators are equally prepared. We are alive to the fact that MNP can only…

Google is announcing the launch of Umbono which is a new technology incubator based in Cape Town, South Africa. The Tech giant is collaborating with the Silicon Cape Initiative and the Bandwidth Barn, to ensure that Umbono’s teams are well positioned to succeed. The facility looks to to bring together seed capital, Google mentorship, ‘Angel’ investors, local tech stars, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Selected internet or mobile-focused start-up teams will be helped to transform their ideas into companies. Google also hopes that Umbono. Selected eams will enjoy free office space and bandwidth for six months. The will also recieve and additional US$25,000 to…

There is an exclusive design studio called Stuart Hughes in Liverpool UK. They have brought us gold Nokias, Tv, iPhones and iPad first generation. They have done it again this time with what they call the “undoubtably world’s most unique gadget” — the Gold History Edition of the iPad 2. The extremely unique creation has a front frame made from a 75 million years old Ammolite (considered to be the most rare gemstone) rock. The body is also made out of 24 carat gold weighing 2.5 Kgs. To make it more unique, the iPad has had sections of a 65 million year old…