Internet Cafés facing extinction?

The advent of mobile broadband has brought with it convenience for the web browser yet the new technology appears to be causing headaches to the internet cafes as traffic is going down leading to cafes broadening their services.

One would question: will they die fighting, just fade away or will they change their business model and become more proactive in retaining clients and achieving new markets?

As the phone booth is dead and buried, Zimbabwe is highly unlikely to see a phone booth in the near future just like the call centres that had mushroomed all over town back in the day before every 58 people in a 100 could own a mobile phone.

The fact that mobile penetration has breached the 50 percentage mark leaves a bad taste in the mouth of internet café owners as some entered the market, put up desktops and just took a backseat.

The time has certainly arrived for them to go back to the drawing board in order to come up with plans that counter the aggressive mobile broadband providers like Econet, Powertel, and Africom while soon to join the bandwagon will be Telecel and at the same time minding their direct competitors.

An average internet user visited the café to check mail and maybe use the voice over internet protocol (VOIP) service Skype. That has changed now as one can simply use their mobile phones to check emails and those with laptops, the dongles can afford them the opportunity of using Skype and Googletalk on the go.

Facebook has become an addiction for some and it has become easy to access since the availability of mobile broadband folks are staying up late at night “sharing their thoughts” on matters to do with the heart, football and all kinds of “crazy” things.

Sources close to the goings on at Econet say the mobile giant has since seen an upsurge in mobile broadband usage among its clients with numbers being said to have reached 800 000 from 400 000 in December 2010.

The numbers have doubled inside a month and half mainly because of Econet’s substantial network coverage and sources predict these numbers to keep on soaring despite the fact that the mobile service provider is probably the most expensive provider of mobile broadband.

It has turned out to be important that internet cafes do speak about the “elephant in the room” they just cannot afford to look sideways and wish these service providers away.

Tafara Gwata, Chief Executive of World Trade Centre internet café agrees that it is time they pulled up their socks in order to stay relevant. He acknowledged the laissez faire attitude cafés had adopted since the advent of internet.

“We have not been doing our jobs properly but the time has come for us to value add our services. We have had it the easy way but that is now gone because of mobile broadband. People now need to get the value for their dollar and we, for starters, have already started to develop new initiatives to add value to our cafes,” said Mr Gwata.

He said traffic into World Trade Centre had dipped with a percentage range of between 20 to 25 percent. He noted that effective training of internet use by customers was one of their target initiatives that look to retain clients as well as bring back what they have lost.

“Mobile broadband has had a positive and negative impact on our business. Negative in that we have lost the casual internet user who just wants to check mail or facebook which can be easily done on one’s mobile phone now,

However, there are certain things you can’t do on your mobile phone like working on a spreadsheet or downloading huge files and they still need us,” said Mr Gwata.

He said Econet had proved to be very aggressive in terms of its marketing because of their deep pockets which some internet cafes do not have. He termed it a “brilliant complimentary service” as it has made people in general aware that there is such a thing as internet let alone broadband internet thus indirectly Econet advertised for internet cafes like World Trade Centre.

“I must point out that there are people out there lying that this mobile broadband being offered on the phone is faster than what we have in our cafes to which I would like to say that’s not true. We want a bigger user base and I believe we will keep what we have and add more.

Someone who looks to have realised the power wielded by mobile broadband is Khumz Khumalo of Khuyanet internet café.  He has already set up a café that aims at grabbing a niche market and keep it.

“Khuyanet officially opened its doors February 2011, so we are a brand new baby. We are yet to see if that will have any impact on us. We are targeting a niche that we believe will not be affected by the new development in mobile broadband,

The environment is very executive, and our speeds are consistently fast (the fastest in town) and exceptional client service delivery,” said Mr Khumalo.

The jury is still out and only time will tell if they get that niche market and at the same time retain it.

IT expert, Dereck Goto, contends that internet cafes face extinction unless they change their attitude towards surfers and the business. He believes they will close down in the near future.

“Things are changing and mobile broadband is only going to get better. I for one use Africom because they are they provide the fastest broadband and it only costs me $18 flat, for a month with a capped bandwidth of 1 gig,” said Mr Goto.

He said for the same amount of bandwidth with Econet one would have to fork out no less than $110 which described as exorbitant.

“The average user will not spend that 1 gig in a month but people like me who would want to download software or an update for a client may spend more,” said Mr Goto.

He added that cafes should target niche markets in order to survive and this includes heavy users of the internet who might be averse to cost of downloads on mobile broadband.

“Cafes should just offer faster speeds and the deal is done. Heavy users of the internet don’t worry about the cost of surfing when the speeds are exceptional. Cafes in South Africa have survived because of their speeds and that way they can challenge these service providers,” noted Mr Goto.

In the words of the late but great, Bob Marley, only time will tell.

E-Learning: Education at the fingertips

E-Learning has brought education right at the fingertips of many that can access the internet making it easier for students to carry out assignments and research without the hustle of going through piles of books and hoping from one library to the next.

E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process.

The term is utilised to reference out-of-classroom and in-classroom educational experiences through technology, even as advances continue in regard to devices and curriculum.

E-learning is essentially the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. E-learning applications and processes include web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classroom opportunities and digital collaboration.

Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation, streaming video and audio.

Let’s face, e-learning represents the best form of acquiring an education for the working individual willing to progress further with their education. It represents a route to self fulfillment yet at the same time being able to put food on your family’s table.

A lot of Zimbabweans are taking this route through distance learning institutions like Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) and University of South Africa (UNISA).

One reader of Techno Talk noted, however, that e-learning might be the reason why a seemingly educated individual fails to carry out their job efficiently because they may have acquired a degree but not knowledge because of the tendency to copy and paste whatever they may have researched.

Last year, ZOU officially launched a new Learning Management System website, ZOU Online. The system uses the open source eLearning and eWorking platform, Claroline. This platform allows lecturers to build online courses and manage learning and collaborative activities on the web, unfortunately, Techno talk could not access the website this week.

Research shows that e-learning advantages and disadvantages are important to consider when making instructional and learning decisions. Many organisations and institutions provide different forms of training and instruction to their employees or learners. Typically they provide needed training by sending people to school, holding in-house training classes, or providing manuals and self-study guides.

In some situations it is advantageous for them to use e-learning or other forms of e-learning instead of the traditional training. Other times it is disadvantageous. As with anything else, there are benefits and limitations, as well as pros and cons. There are many advantages to online and computer-based learning when compared to traditional face-to-face courses and lectures. There are a few disadvantages as well.

One cannot discount the impact e-learning has especially in an improving economic environment like the one Zimbabwe is currently witnessing.  We are seeing the digging of trenches for optic fibre while some have already gave “the world a handshake” making communication faster and in the end it all bodes well for e-learners as they are likely to spend less time online yet complete a whole lot more work at a cheaper rate.

Most e-learning programs are scheduled in such way that they can be studied when needed. The “books” have a module-based design which allows the learner to learn more from the site and move along when they require.

It moves faster and even up to 50 percent faster than traditional courses. This is mainly because of individualized approach helps the learners to skip material they already know, understand, and henceforth move onto new courses.

The information delivered will also be consistent to all users, therefore possibility for misinterpretations can be easily eliminated.

However, e-learning makes it easier to procrastinate as there is no one to tell you to get to class on time. There is no one reminding you that assignments are due or that exams are coming. There is no one to preach to you, beg you, and plead with you to stay on top of your coursework.  It is easy to put off reading and assignments in the online environment. An internet-based course demands that you develop personal time-management skills.  As with most things, if you don't manage your time properly, you will find yourself buried beneath a seeming insurmountable mountain of coursework.

Online courses require the self-discipline to set aside chunks of time to complete your studies. This means that you have to make online coursework a priority and not let other activities interfere. Sometimes, it means making difficult choices.

At times you may feel like you are alone with only your computer. This makes some students quite uncomfortable. The online environment is a much different atmosphere that takes some getting used to. Your online instructor is sensitive to this problem and can help you overcome those feelings.

E-learning can be used for on the job training in instances where organisations seek to develop their employees further. It may be to do with employees acquainting themselves with a new method of doing things, however, some organisations find it hard to implement this route to training.

A report from Ashridge business schools found that while 86 percent of organisations interviewed believe e-learning is an effective training approach, 82 percent also said that it is difficult to introduce.

The main barriers to e-learning amongst the organisations interviewed were technology problems, lack of time for training, underestimation of resources required and resistance of staff to engage in e-learning as well as a negative image of e-learning, often created by suppliers.

Despite this, the research shows that in the right conditions, many organisations were using e-learning effectively.

In these organisations, cultural change tended to have taken place about how training and learning happens. Their e-learning initiatives tended to be closely aligned to the needs to the business and 'blended' with other types of training such as classroom activities and their learning needs drove the technology rather than the other way around.

In addition, successful e-learning programmes had ongoing support from a senior level and were marketed effectively throughout the organisation

More to Social Networking than Facebook

It is not surprising to walk into someone’s office and see them glued to Facebook as if their life depends on it and for some, one is made to believe that their lives really depend on it, they just cannot spend ten minutes without “sharing” their thoughts.

Facebook has reached unprecedented levels of usage in Zimbabwe as it has been widely made use of to link old friends and relatives.

Relationships have been built around this social networking site while others just use it to show pictures of themselves in new shoes or which cool place they went on holiday.

For all the hype Facebook has created Zimbabweans need to explore more of other social networking sites that might offer them a whole lot more than just sharing what they had for dinner for all to read.

With all the time spent on Facebook one can actually spend a day with hogwash spluttered from the top to bottom of one’s wall with people posting a variety of thoughts that do not necessarily benefit the “friends”.

This writer believes there is more to social networking than the largest social network the world has ever seen.

For a country whose economy is on the mend it is about time Zimbabweans started exploring other avenues to socially interact rather than just staying put with social media that only changes its security features only when the founder, Mark Zuckerberg’s account has been hacked.

There is need for people to create a distinct division when it comes to whom you befriend on Facebook. This writer for one would not want to be linked with the boss on Facebook.

Facebook is a place for fun and a bit of naughtiness although prospective employers are said to be looking up your profile and wall before the interview.

This brings to the fore the social networking site called Linkedin.  Figures as to how many Zimbabweans are on this network are unavailable but this site is considered to be the largest business oriented social networking site in the world.

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. LinkedIn is said to have more than 60 million registered users, spanning more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

There has been a debate raging in the cyber world as to which is better Facebook or LinkedIn. Although, in the first instance the two had been created to satisfy different needs (Facebook for personal communication and fun, while LinkedIn for professional and business interaction) eventually they meet up and people start to use them in both ways, which is actually more applicable to Facebook.

There is need for people to create a balance that reflects on the differences that exist between the two social networks.

With business prospects brightening up for indigenous Zimbabweans it becomes pragmatic for individuals to make use of LinkedIn yet over the years it seems Facebook has also made use of business applications.

Neal Schaffer of Social Media Today feels differently as he said of Facebook and LinkedIn “One platform was created as a closed and trusted networking site for professionals while the roots of the other come from being an open “face book” of college students.  While LinkedIn has built up a dominant presence in the hearts and minds of the professional demographic, Facebook is in the centre of consumer culture and many a business who want to capture the hearts and money of us all,” 
He said Professionals network on one platform while companies establish Pages on the other. 
“Ask most companies where they plan to concentrate their social media marketing efforts on in 2011, and most businesses I talk to would mention Facebook and even Twitter before mentioning the professional networking platform. Recent events, however, may hint at the upcoming battle for business between the two platforms in 2011,” said Mr Schaffer.
Professional Zimbabweans should start making extensive use of LinkedIn and the same goes for business executives and head hunters as the social network is more likely to cause less headaches when it comes to recruitment as companies can actually approach people with profile they feel suit their company.
When it comes to self promotion LinkedIn is the place to be as one can create business pages to promote one’s company or products and services on Facebook but there is just too many distractions on your Wall. Sure, you can interact with potential customers but you would also have to fend off random spam and other people hijacking your Wall to promote their offerings.
LinkedIn profiles on the other hand are made especially for self-promotion and career advancement. Want a new job? Need to make the switch and go freelance full time? Want to joint venture and start your own company? LinkedIn is THE social networking site to go.
Besides, you can increase your blog post visibility by publishing it directly to your profile and LinkedIn groups of your choice. So, instead of being seen by just 100 of your friends on Facebook, your blog post could be read by 10,000 people in your LinkedIn group network.

With Zimbabwe now linked with the world via the undersea optic fibre the world of communication and technology has opened up making access to high speed internet a reality.

Posting blogs on such sites will be less time consuming and much more rewarding as we move towards a revolution in the Information and Communication Technology industry whose sustenance depends on a population eager to make use of the available technologies at a cost deemed to be fair to them.

Protecting your precious Laptop

It would appear stealing laptop computers has become an industry that pays rich dividends to the thieves in Zimbabwe as research shows that 93 percent of stolen laptops are never recovered while one in every 14 laptops gets stolen and apparently 70 percent of laptop thefts consists of an inside job.

Shocking statistics by any measure of imagination and this trend may continue looking at the way people are buying laptops in Zimbabwe. It is commendable that the government scrapped duty on ITC equipment which plays a critical role in empowering the modern Zimbabwean.

Laptop theft is a significant threat to users of laptop computers. Many methods to protect the data and to prevent theft have been developed, including alarms, laptop locks, and visual deterrents such as stickers or labels.

Victims can lose hardware, software, and essential data that has not been backed up. Thieves also may have access to sensitive data and personal information. Some systems authorise access based on credentials stored on the laptop including MAC addresses, web cookies, cryptographic keys and stored passwords.

Passwords are no longer adequate to protect laptops. There are many solutions that can improve the strength of a laptop's protection. Full disk encryption (FDE) is an increasingly popular and cost-effective approach. Full disk encryption can be taken on from a software-based approach, a hardware-based approach, or both - end-based approach.

FDE provides protection before the operating system starts up with pre-boot authentication; however precautions still need to be taken against cold boot attacks.

A number of computer security measures have emerged that aim at protecting data.

Increase in Laptop sales and users have led to high incidents of theft. What is lost is not just the laptop, but also valuable, sensitive and creative information in it. Open Source software is now available online like Ubuntu Prey.

With the growing ubiquity of, and user reliance on, mobile computing devices (laptops, PDAs, smart phones, etc.), loss or theft of a device is increasingly likely, disruptive, and costly. Internet-based tracking systems provide a method for mitigating this risk.

These tracking systems send, over the Internet, updates regarding the current location of the device to a remotely administered repository. If the device is lost or stolen, but maintains Internet connectivity and unmodified software, the tracking system can keep tabs on the current whereabouts of the device. This data could prove invaluable when the appropriate authorities attempt to recover the device.

Unfortunately, with current proprietary tracking systems users sacrifice location privacy. Indeed, even while the device is still in the rightful owner's possession, the tracking system is keeping tabs on the locations it (and its owner) visits. Even worse, with some commercial products, even outsiders (parties not affiliated with the tracking provider) can "piggy-back" on the tracking system's Internet traffic to uncover a mobile device user's private information and/or locations visited.

Locally, though, a commercial alternative run by Electronic Systems, Inc supported by Net Trace (South Africa) and Computrace® One™, a computer tracking software developed by Absolute® Software Corporation (Canada) track, secure and recover computing assets when they get stolen.

Tawanda Chikosi, the company’s Business Development Manager, said Electronic Systems, Inc utilises the patented Computrace® Technology Platform designed and developed by a listed Canadian company Absolute® Software Corporation.

Through Absolute's strategic partnerships with all leading computer manufacturers in the world (HP, DELL, TOSHIBA, ACER, FUJITSU, LENOVO among others), a Computer Tracking Agent is embedded in the motherboard of the computers whilst they are still being made at their respective factories.

“The Agent, built into the BIOS of the computers is incredibly persistent meaning it cannot be removed and allows your computers to maintain a connection with the Absolute Monitoring Centre. BIOS persistence is the most comprehensive option, defeating virtually every action that could remove the Tracking Agent from the laptop including if the BIOS is flashed, if the laptop is reimaged, or if the hard drive is replaced,” said Mr Chikosi. 

He said the idea of embedding the tracking hardware in the BIOS of the computer is to ensure that it becomes persistent. The software we install activates the tracker in the BIOS to start communicating with The Absolute Monitoring Centre.

“As the world’s only persistent computer configuration product, the Tracking agent will be automatically reinstalled if the Computrace Application Agent detects that it is missing, allowing our customers to maintain control over all of the laptops in their deployment,” said Mr Chikosi.

He said once we activate the Agent, the laptop sends a signal to our Monitoring Centre once everyday– In the event of loss or theft, it starts communicating with our Monitoring Centre every fifteen minutes. The first thing that we get from the stolen computer is the IP address from which the computer is connecting to the internet from. The next time your lost or stolen computer has any kind of Internet access, it will send a new message.

“Once that new message is sent, an Absolute theft recovery technician will extract the IP address (the address on the Internet from which the message was sent) from the email and determine the Internet Service Provider that assigned that IP address,” said Mr Chikosi.

Every computer connected to the Internet has its own Internet address called an “IP Address.” An IP Address is a set of four numbers separated by 3 decimals. (i.e., 255.255.255.255) Every ISP (Internet Service Provider) controls a group of IP Addresses that it, in turn, assigns to its customers.

He added that when a person using a stolen computer logs on to their email account with whatever email client (Gmail, Yahoo, even work email accounts), the intelligent tracking agent sends us the account details that the person slotted in when they were opening that email account.  It sends this information through a stealth and independent email client so as to ensure that the user is oblivious of what is happening. We also get the email accounts with which you the person will be communicating with. This is one of the primary methods we use to identify the user of the stolen laptop.

“The same happens when the person logs of to over 150 social networks such as Facebook, My space and Youtube. If the stolen laptop has a web camera, the tracking agent will take control of the camera and take a photo shot of the user and sends it to us, allowing us to have concrete intelligence about the user. If the computer is GPS enabled, as with all latest laptops, we will start tracking it before it even connects to the internet. We will be tracking it via GPS satellites and we will be seeing it on a Google map as it moves,” said Mr Chikosi.

Zimbabwe Tourism Gateway to put Zimbabwe back on the map

                                                                                                                  

The tourism industry has been targeted as one of the “quick wins” industry as it offers investors timely returns on their investment for it is one of the industries that has witnessed a very rapid turnaround in fortunes yet still remains full of opportunities.

The organisation tasked with marketing the industry, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), has for the past two years been working on an ingenious US$ 4 million product called Zimbabwe Tourism Gateway, an online platform that will provide services for the tourism industry and relevant stakeholders leaving the players in the industry with a competitive edge over their regional counterparts.

Based on three strategic foundations the platform was designed in the wake of a nation ostracized by the international media leading to a bad image yet the facts on the ground reflect a country abound with an amazing array of tourist resorts and sites.

The first part of these three areas is the Geographical Information System (GIS), which is customized system for Zimbabwe which provides mapping software and applications much like Google Maps yet this product is specifically designed for the foreign or domestic tourist keen to discover and explore “A world of Wonders”.

ZTA offices currently have limited stock of the Geographical Positioning System (GPS) devices in their shop but more are set to come. The GPS device which is being sold for US$200 comes loaded with the major tourist resorts and sites making travel within Zimbabwe a breeze for a tourist.

ZTA has enlisted the help of CST Advisory Limited which is a Zimbabwean owned e-commerce and ICT company based in the United Kingdom (UK) as the project managers. Chris Maramba, Onsite Project Manager, of CST said they are currently running a pilot project for the second area which is Tourism Mobile Gateway with Net One.

“Currently only Net One are offering this service with the two other mobile operators set to join some time soon. With this product you can get tourism information on the go. Net One users simply have to dial *120*8# and a menu with the relevant information appears,” said Mr Maramba.

The good thing about the Tourism Mobile Gateway is any phone can be sued to access the information because of Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) which comes with any mobile phone.

Currently the service is getting on average 1000 hits a day meaning it is a revenue generating product on the part of the mobile service provider and with the two operators left on their way onboard Zimbabwean tourism information will be literally on the people’s fingertips.

“Zimbabwe is the currently the only country within the region that will be offering this product because of where we are coming from. Other countries don’t see the need for such measures of attracting tourists because they haven’t been segregated like we have been,” said Mr Maramba.

ZTA’s System Administrator within the Market Research and Product Development department, Mr Kawisa Maseka, said the third area being the Tourism Mobile Kiosk will be available at the Harare International Airport by the end of next week will see visitors getting information on Victoria Falls on the kiosk.

“We will be putting the Tourism Mobile Kiosk booth at the airport but the booth will only have comprehensive information on Victoria Falls while we are working on the other resorts. We want to place these booths with information on resorts’ accommodation, places to eat, service providers, entertainment and so on,” said Mr Maseka.

He said the authority’s aim is to put these booths at airports, streets, Zimbabwe’s embassies abroad, ZTA attaché among other strategic places so that a tourist can be able to view what Zimbabwe has to offer at the touch of a button.

“These kiosks will be enabled to provide information to potential tourists in the language they understand. This kiosk will provide the tour operator with various opportunities that include brand visibility, advertising and revenue as tourists will be able to book and pay right there,” said Mr Kawisa.

Mr Maramba added that they are currently in negotiations with various banks to provide Bank Identification Number (BIN) for Point of Sale (POS) terminals for the Tourism Prepaid Zimswitch card.

“There will also be Tourism Prepaid Master card whose program provider will Prepaid Financial Services of the UK and the Tourism Prepaid Visa Card by GTP Limited of the United States of America. We are also in negotiations with various strategic partners to set up the Tourism Virtual Private Network which will see all tourism operators being linked with ZTA where they can access all other facilities,” said Mr Maramba.

He said the Zimbabwe Tourism Gateway was a ZTA initiative which they have funded from their own coffers but they are also working with strategic partners within the ICT industry.

“One of the biggest venture within the whole platform is the National Call Centre which will allow for any query to be attended to as well as the National Booking Portal which are all modules under Zimbabwe Tourism Gateway making them integrated so they can provide one seamless solution to the tourism operator,” said Mr Maramba.

ZTA’s initiative reflects on the undeniable power of ICTs in our daily lives, a noble initiative that should see the authority applauded for acknowledging the role ICTs are currently playing and the role they will play in the future. Zimbabwe is too much of gem that cannot afford to be enjoyed by the locals and foreign tourists who should be flocking to this majestic nation.

An initiative driven by Zimbabweans, developed by Zimbabweans and Built by Zimbabweans should see us going forward and not backward which yet again proves that Zimbabweans can be leaders in the ICT field.