In the late 90’s there was an explosion in the use of the internet as a source of online shopping. Companies like Amazon and e-bay made a killing from this and have since then held the position of market leader in that area. In Kenya today, there are over 15 million internet users, according to the Communications Commission of Kenya and internet access in the country is mainly through mobile phone networks, in a country of 30 million registered mobile phone users.
Many consumers increasingly rely on their phones to access information, and also various products and services online. This is made even much easier by the widespread use and acceptance of mobile money transfer platforms, that have been deeply integrated to most systems. One innovative product, that is sure to cause ripples in the way we buy goods and services has recently been launched in the Kenyan market by Information Converge Technology Limited. Going by the name of Kuza 6777 Chap Chap, it is a powerful mobile search engine that allows businesses to get connected to potential customers looking for services or products. Kuza biashara is a capacity building platform, that makes use of audio visual modules, and other practical on-the-ground initiatives, that focus on improving how our clients handle their businesses. This union is a good step towards the next generation types of partnerships that integrate business focus ideas into such projects to benefit clients and help develop the economy at large.
How does the product work?
Clients or Seekers (People in need of a certain product/service) send a query in the form of an SMS to a unique number 6777. Once the request is received by the servers, based on key parameters of Service type and location, the leads are matched to the relevant provider of the service/ product. The providers of the products and services are archived in an extensive database that has been created to satisfy almost every industry out there. Once the servers locate a variety of suitable providers, it selects those that are relevant to the particular query and then sends out details of the service being sought sent by SMS/ email/ Phone/ Live Call transfer.
I can attest to the effectiveness and the immense utility of this product especially in this country, where a huge vacuum exists in online services. The reason why this product will go miles into the future is because it utilizes local GSM networks, and the huge mobile oriented consumer market.
