Posted inHardware & Software
Posted inStartups
CSZ: Entrepreneurial Development Using ICT
We received the notification of this month’s Computer Society function and we thought we would share it with you. First because the speaker at the function, Mr. Cosmas Rashama, is one of Zimbabwe’s most known Cisco instructors, and second because he’s speaking on a topic most of you would love to discuss, Entrepreneurial Development Using ICT.
Posted inBroadband Connectivity
ICT Development Index: Zimbabwe moves four places up
Yesterday, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released latest the global ICT pricing and penetration data report. You can find the report here. A key feature of the report is the ICT Development Index (IDI), which ranks 152 countries according to their level of ICT access, use and skills, and compares 2008 and 2010 scores.
Posted inBroadband
IDBZ says it has not signed any credit facility with NetOne
Last month, reports came out in the local press that NetOne had secured USD 60m to help with its mobile broadband rollout. We picked up the news here too. According the reports then, the funds had been sourced from China Export-Import Bank, Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ), CBZ Bank and BancABC.
We have since seen a report by Trade Finance that basically says the 60 million funding claims were simply not true. IDBZ’s involvement in the funding at least.
Posted inConnectivity
Econet shows us how a social media campaign is done
We have just been informed that Econet has begun running a Facebook campaign for its eTXT service. Econet has had some misses publicising and advertising its internet products but this one definitely looks executed quite well so far. It appears Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile operator has found some brainiac to guide them!
Posted inConnectivity
The impact of the politics that dog Telecel Zimbabwe
Normally we like to keep clear of non-technology issues. It allows to focus and write about the things we know best. People at Telecel (or just people with interests in Telecel) however keep spending generous amounts of time generating news on the other side of the line. And it clearly affects the technology side of things at Telecel.
Posted inConnectivity
Tracking your vehicle, kids and more through SMS
Some weeks ago, two gentlemen from a company called Ingoma Telecom, came to our offices to show us a car tracking product they’re distributing in Zimbabwe. The product itself is called Tramigo and it’s manufactured by a Finland based company going by the same name. We have been using the device for about 2 weeks now, testing and seeing if it’s as amazing as the gentleman claimed.
Posted inMobile Money
Econet, here’s our Eco-Cash wish list
Eco-Cash is likely to change a lot of things for a lot of people. Whether you are mobile operator, a payment services provider, a traditional bank or a more modern bank just starting to offer mobile money services to the millions of unbanked Zimbabweans, Econet will in some way disrupt your business. Econet has almost half of the country’s population on its mobile network. That about says it all.
But it’s not just disruption. It’s opportunity as well. Without over-generalising, there’s a myriad of issues with payments right now and Econet has enormous potential to introduce some needed convenience. If they do it right of-course.
Posted inConnectivity
Africom officially interconnects with Econet and TelOne
Today, Africom sent a message to its customers through SMS announcing that the Africom CDMA network is now officially interconnected with the Econet mobile network and the TelOne fixed line network. This in addition to the existing Telecel interconnection. Africom also took the opportunity to remind the market that making calls to other networks costs only US 12 cents, less than half of what the incumbent GSM operators currently charge.
Posted inStartups
A critique of the Start-up Challenge
The depth of talent showcased at The Start-up challenge gave me renewed optimism for Zimbabwe. I wish to congratulate the deserving finalists and the organisers for putting on a fantastic show. Although some projects didn't end up making the finals, most had strong concepts and I hope the entrepreneurs are not discouraged but continue to pursue their ideas. Even as we celebrate this success, we need to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the format used, to build on the strengths and improve on the weaknesses to ensure even more successful events in the future.
Posted inConnectivity Startups
biNu registers rapid growth in Zimbabwe mobile app market
We came to know about biNu some several months ago when we wrote articles about eTXT. There was a lot of mention about it on our Facebook page. Readers compared it to eTXT and later Dasuba. The messaging component of biNu at least. I personally didn’t try biNu until 12 days ago, and what an impression it has left on me!
The stats we received from biNu are impressive too. biNu usage has grown rapidly in the country. According to the startup, just in the month of August 2011, biNu had in excess of 60,000 unique users, 1.9 million sessions and 22 million page views in Zimbabwe alone.
Posted inConnectivity How To
Ubuntu how to: moving databases
I recently wanted to move a database from one computer to another. Fortunately I found a welcome guide at linuxjournal.com. Moving the files is not really difficult, you can use FTP. Moving the database is a bit more challenging however.
Posted inConnectivity
IT Security in the emerging markets – threat or fiction?
While sitting at a coffee shop across the street from a large Bank, a person pulls out their laptop, hacks the (secure) Wi-Fi network of the bank, and by their 3rd cup of coffee has access to a desktop computer in the bank with full local access. Sounds far-fetched? Think again. That person is now writing this article. Thankfully the entity in question had requested this test to occur, but it does highlight a very important topic for discussion: African countries are growing in ICT, fast. Are they ready for the attention they will attract from hacking syndicates and cyber criminals?
Posted inConnectivity
SA comms minister says government will not regulate BlackBerry services
Yesterday, we posted that the South African government was considering allowing the police access to the BlackBerry encrypted messenger service (BBM) in their operations to catch criminals. The article was based on reports that the South African deputy communications minister, Obed Bapela, had said BBM posed a security risk that the government needed to “address with urgency”. The deputy minister said that the SA government wants to review BBM.
Posted inConnectivity Startups
ZOL Start-up Challenge: Predict and win competition winner
Thank you for the overwhelming entries to everyone who participated in the ZOL Startup Challenge - Predict and Win competition. The winner of the 1.5GB ZOLspot voucher is Simbarashe D.
Posted inConnectivity Startups
And the winner of the ZOL Start-up Challenge is…
We’re here at the Crowne Plaza in Harare and the winner in the ZOL Startup Challenge 2011 has just been announced. It is the Mukela Travel team. The prize money for Mukela Travel is US $10,000. Of that, US $5,000 is cash and the other half in Internet services.
Posted inBroadband Connectivity Startups
ZOL Startup Challenge: Predict and win competition!
As you probably know, tomorrow is the big day; Five finalists in the ZOL Start-up Challenge will battle it out for the top prize at the finals. The top start-up will be awarded US $5,000 cash and US $5,000 worth of internet services from ZOL. Two runner-ups will each get US $2,500 cash and US $2,500 in internet services.
Today, we're happy to announce that one of you our readers also get to win something in the challenge.
Posted inConnectivity
We’ll hit 6 million subscribers by end of September, says Econet
When Econet announced yesterday that it is ready to launch its mobile money service, it also disclosed one interesting number. That number is 6 million. At the end of this month, Econet says it will cross the 6 million mark in mobile subscribers.
Posted inConnectivity
South African government apprehensive about BlackBerry encryption
Reports coming out of South Africa yesterday suggest the country’s government is apprehensive about BlackBerry services. The South African government is proposing allowing the police access to the BlackBerry encrypted messenger service supposedly in a bid to help catch criminals.
Posted inConnectivity
Press Release: Econet prepares launch of mobile payment system
Econet Wireless will at end of the month launch a mobile payment system that makes it possible for Zimbabweans to pay for anything using their cellphones.
The company has spent millions of dollars on developing the system, which will be launched to its over 5-million customers, completely eliminating the need for any notes for purchases below $20.
Posted inConnectivity Startups
Startups, pride and open source
Since I started working with the internet back in 2001, I have used open source software to create. Indeed, back then open source software was the only opportunity to create online for a lot of people. I was in a Zimbabwean city called Gweru, and software piracy then was not as rampant as it the case now.
