https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/feed.xml Wed, 17 Apr 2019 03:45:48 GMT en-US hourly 1 https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/digital-makes-the-difference-for-smes-in-africa-perspectives-from-ezana-raswork-ceo-of-africa-118 Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:26:35 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4865 Africa 118 is a local start-up that offers marketing services to SMEs in Africa. Their vision is to be the digital Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for SMEs in Africa – helping organisations who don´t have a marketing person with resources to grow their business using digital services. Microsoft 4Afrika first met Africa 118 back in 2014, when we awarded them with an innovation grant. Since then, we have continued to follow their journey and provide ICT support. Katherine Heumos, Partner Business Evangelist from Microsoft Germany, is currently in Kenya to support Africa 118 with a marketing strategy, as part of the MySkills4Afrika volunteer programme. Here, she chats to Ezana Raswork, CEO of Africa 118, about their vision for Africa. Katherine Heumos: Ezana, looking at the SME landscape in Africa, where do you see the challenges? And where do you see the opportunities? Ezana Raswork: The SME landscape in Africa is very dynamic. It’s widely acknowledged by both governments and the private sector that SMEs play a critical role for employment, covering up to 90% of employees. This has been verified by a study of the United Nations Development Programme conducted in Kenya in 2015. Growing the SME landscape is the answer for sustained and significant growth on the continent. Because of this, there is a lot of activity to put infrastructure in place to enable SMEs to be successful. We embrace the fact that SMEs have potential and that they need support. It may sound a little bit pretentious, but we believe we are the missing link. Katherine Heumos: Can you elaborate on this? What is it what business owners are lacking? Ezana Raswork: For many business owners, one of the reasons they don´t succeed is because nobody knows or finds out about them. You may be a good fashion designer, but only your family and friends may know about you. There are, of course, other challenging factors like finance or expertise. However, one of the key components is: How do I make sure that people find out about and discover me? That´s where the mission of Africa 118 begins. Katherine Heumos: How can digital help SMEs with their marketing? Ezana Raswork: We recently did research on how SMEs are doing marketing and found out that no one has a specific formula. Often, business owners rely on word of mouth, which is a good thing. Depending on the budget, SMEs are working with flyers, or advertising in newspapers, radio or even on TV. Surprisingly, very few businesses have a Facebook fan page. Most of the business owners we spoke to don´t have a clear understanding of exactly how marketing can work for them. There is no understanding of the return on investment. That´s where digital comes in. Digital marketing gives you the possibility of a more targeted approach with a higher and measurable return. Now is the time to invest in digital, with over 80% mobile penetration in many African cities. As a business owner, there is one thing you can be sure of: You have potential customers browsing mobile every day looking for your service. That wasn´t real three years ago, but it´s real today. Katherine Heumos: What would your recommendation(s) be for an SME starting its business in Kenya now, from a marketing perspective? Ezana Raswork: Let me mention a couple of things. First, educate yourself. Before you make a decision, learn about the basics of marketing: who are your target customers and what are the different ways you can reach them? Second, ensure that you are present digitally. For this, you may consider a free online directory, such as the one we are offering through www.infomoby.com. You could also consider social media, such as a Facebook or Twitter fan page. But you need to think it through and commit to social media, ensuring you have the time and resources to actively engage. The most common currency of your digital presence is a website. A website, at least how we think about it, is like your telephone number. You need to have it to be contacted. A website doesn’t need to be very complicated. Simply make sure it describes who you are and what you offer. Katherine Heumos: As a Microsoft partner and start-up, what are your thoughts on cloud-based solutions for SMEs? How have you yourselves benefitted from the use of tools like Azure?   Ezana Raswork: We are big believers in cloud solutions. In fact, we could not run our operations as efficiently across our three markets without using the cloud. For example, we do some of our web development work for Uganda from our Nairobi office. We use an Azure-hosted web development platform, which enables our Nairobi-based web developers to work seamlessly with our Uganda-based content team. We also recommend the reliability of the cloud to our SME customers. By using cloud hosting, your online presence will not be at the mercy of power outages, which we face so often in our markets. Katherine Heumos: Thank you for these insights. If you are an SME looking to develop an online presence, or use cloud services to enrich your offering and reach new customers, you can explore the following resources: www.africa118.com www.infomoby.com www.bizspark.com www.biz4Afrika.com]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/4afrika4-celebrating-four-years-of-microsoft-4afrika Thu, 30 Mar 2017 08:33:40 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4775 Affordable Access 4Afrika invested in its first connectivity pilot in Kenya in 2013. Working together with Mawingu Networks, we used TV white spaces technology to bring affordable broadband access to last-mile communities in Nanyuki. [caption id="attachment_4785" align="aligncenter" width="746"] Microsoft Director of Affordable Access, Paul Garnett, at Gakawa Secondary School[/caption] Four years later, what started as 15 WiFi hotspots has since grown into over 500 hotspots, serving roughly 100 customers each. 26 schools in the area now have internet access, with Gakawa Secondary School reporting an improved score in every subject on the Kenya National Exam. Last year, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation recognised the promise of Mawingu, and committed a $4.1 million financing loan to help the project commercially expand. With this funding, the project will be able to reach an additional three million people in the short-term. Today, 4Afrika has 15 TV white spaces projects running in 6 countries across Africa. In Botswana, we are using the technology to deliver telemedicine services to over 3,000 patients. In Ghana, 6,000 students at Koforidua University are able to do work and research online. And through our global Affordable Access Initiative, we are helping five innovative companies in Africa to scale, who are developing technologies to bring billions of people online. In addition to connectivity, we’ve also worked closely with SMEs to improve their access to finance, markets, technology, information, skills and services. We have brought over 500,000 SMEs online and helped 17,000 grow their businesses on Biz4Afrika. We have also partnered with a wide range of SME organisations and service providers, including Tigo Business, Liquid Telecom and the Standard Bank of Nigeria, to improve access to cloud services, software, local content and financial expertise for SMEs. Innovation Since 2013, Microsoft has helped 82 start-ups to develop and scale their businesses, through both funding, access to technology and technical support. With this support base, these start-ups have since generated $5.1 million in reciprocal investments. [caption id="attachment_4795" align="aligncenter" width="734"] Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, with Kenyan start-up, BookNow[/caption] But the impact these start-ups have gone on to have with their own customers is what is most significant to us. M-KOPA Solar now runs the largest Azure implementation in Africa. On a continent where only one out of three Africans has access to electricity, the cloud is enabling M-KOPA to provide affordable pay-as-you-go solar energy to over 400,000 homes. With Azure, they are managing over 10 million mobile transactions every year. They are also analysing important business data – from weather patterns to device life and the credit behaviours of a population who have never accessed the financial system. Their goal is to connect one million homes by the end of 2017. Tulane also now provides eHealth services to over 3,000 healthcare clinics across 10 regions in Ethiopia. Using Power BI dashboards, stakeholders are monitoring key health indicators and deriving insights from over 150 million digital health records. Machine Learning has been introduced to run predictive analytics and disease surveillance, and over 2,500 health information technologists have been trained, with another 6,000 still to come to drive the technology forward. In the public sector space, we have also incubated and supported 11 innovative, cloud-based solutions, which help governments to improve service delivery. These include the likes of BioSIM, which collects school data in local counties to help governments benchmark quality and take informed actions around education. 4Afrika will continue to invest in these solutions and business models relevant to Africa, especially in the agriculture, healthcare, education and energy sectors. We have built partnerships with 12 accelerators in Africa, to help us identify the most promising start-ups and give them the tools and resources they need to succeed. Skills As we have worked to improve connectivity and innovation, it’s important that we also develop the skills to meaningfully consume and create more of this locally-relevant technology. In the last four years, Microsoft 4Afrika has trained 775,000 Africans through the Microsoft Virtual Academy, 1,500 partners and professionals through virtual classrooms, 400 graduates in 17 countries through Interns4Afrika, and 300 developers through the Microsoft AppFactory. [caption id="attachment_4815" align="aligncenter" width="744"] Microsoft employee, Hao Wan, volunteering in Tanzania as part of MySkills4Afrika[/caption] Through MySkills4Afrika, over 400 Microsoft employees have also travelled to Africa, supporting 300 organisations with their skills and expertise. Through this work, we have empowered governments, NGOs, enterprises, SMEs and start-ups to modernise and better integrate technology in their operations. As a result, organisations such as MtOM have grown and scaled up from eight to 33 customers in just four months. Success in partnerships A key element in driving this work and spurring economic development has been our partnerships with government entities. We have been working closely with the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) to develop affordable access, innovation, skills and trusted cloud infrastructure in their 19 member states. This partnership has led to increased awareness of the impact of ICT in Africa, with the Heads of State & Government raising ICT and innovation as a priority. In addition, we are working together to roll-out a new online Intellectual Property registration system, which has already increased registrations with the Kenya Copyright Board by 100%. [caption id="attachment_4805" align="aligncenter" width="740"] 4Afrika with representatives from the Common Market for East and Southern Africa[/caption] 4Afrika also recently signed an agreement with the Minister of ICT and the Minister of Investment in Tunisia to launch Tunisia Open4Business. This is a new eServices platform that extends a rich portfolio of Cloud-based services, designed to support the government of Tunisia in positively influencing the investment environment and communicating investment opportunities in the country. Over the last four years, more and more organisations – across the public and private sectors – have recognised the need for technology to play a bigger role in the transformation of Africa. Microsoft 4Afrika is here to stay – and continue answering that call.]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/what-blockchain-means-for-africa Mon, 20 Mar 2017 09:06:51 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4827 Blockchain technology is being hailed as the potential ‘second generation of the Internet’. Like many innovations coming to market, Blockchain promises to disrupt the way we do business and revolutionise the financial services industry. Blockchain, which has been referred to as the incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions, first gained popularity with the digital cryptocurrency, bitcoin. Blockchain is expected to have a market value of $290 billion by 2019 and has captured the interest of business leaders, government institutions, academics and technology providers across the world. Financial institutions in particular have been experimenting with these technologies to run their businesses more efficiently. Why Blockchain for Africa? Blockchain technology is still relatively new in Africa, but it has the potential to completely revolutionise the economy in this region. Here are a few ways Blockchain could reshape business and financial services in the region.

• Smarter and more efficient services With this technology you can trade value with another person without having a third party as an intermediary. Blockchain will get rid of cumbersome, costly and bureaucratic legacy systems because it removes the middleman. The right application of this technology could assist in elevating the level of smart services provided to citizens in  Africa from a cost, time and efficiency perspective.

• Creating an ‘Internet of value’ Blockchain not only stores information, but anything of value, including money, equities, bonds, titles, deeds, contracts and other kinds of financial assets. Blockchain technologies offer the opportunity to create an economy that isn’t only about goods and services, but is also more open, inclusive and fair.This is particularly relevant for Africa where a large portion of the population is unbanked. These people are excluded from the global economy because they can’t open a bank account without a birth certificate, passport or utility bill or because they have insufficient funds.

• Truth, trust and transparency With Blockchain, trust is established through mass collaboration and intelligent algorithms rather than through centralised intermediaries like banks or governments. The system is also fully transparent because transactions can be viewed and corroborated by anyone else using the system.For Africa, this could alleviate many of the problems arising from corruption and fraud. The implications of this are important, not only for the financial services industry but also across most aspects of society.

• Decentralisation and security Traditionally the financial services industry has always been a centralised unit of operations, meaning they are more vulnerable data breaches and cyber-terrorism.Blockchain can improve security and encrypt data during transactions, rather than when the data is moving or at rest. Because Blockchain is shared among a large number of users, it’s virtually impossible to hack into or corrupt, and once a transaction has taken place, it can’t be reversed.

Existential threat versus historic opportunity? Like many other sectors, the financial services industry is due for serious disruption, or transformation, depending on the approach it takes to the technology. On the one hand Blockchain has the potential to facilitate faster, cheaper, safer and more transparent financial transactions; on the other, it could pose a threat to the financial services industry as a whole. Opportunities abound Within the next decade, analysts believe that all financial assets will move to a Blockchain-based format. Because Blockchain technology can be deployed within existing payment processing models, banks and other financial services industry players can leverage this opportunity to remain relevant. Trusted third parties are still needed to perform certain services and functions. Banks that can help coordinate all the financial services people might use on Blockchain will also stand to benefit. In addition, Africa has the advantage of being a developing region. Many countries in the region aren’t bogged down by legacy infrastructure. The right application of Blockchain and other technologies could allow the region to leapfrog over entrenched and antiquated processes, and reap the rewards offered by this revolutionary technology. Microsoft and Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) Regulatory compliance will always remain key to the success of these disruptive technologies. Many financial institutions have been slow to adopt Blockchain due to regulatory and compliance issues. In 2014, Microsoft Azure became the first major cloud provider to meet both the rigorous EU privacy requirements for international transfer of customer data, and the world’s first international standard for cloud privacy (ISO 27018). Microsoft has been at the forefront of Blockchain. The company was the first major cloud provider to launch a Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) offering in 2015, enabling Azure customers to adopt Blockchain in as little as 20 minutes. The company is also working with a variety of customers and partners to develop and test Blockchain to help businesses select the right tools to solve specific business problems. While Blockchain is still in its nascent phases, almost all major players in the financial services industry are looking at investing in this revolutionary technology. Those who aren’t able to ride the latest wave of disruption, risk becoming irrelevant.]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/meet-the-women-from-africa-who-are-making-whats-next Wed, 08 Mar 2017 13:32:11 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4725 th century. In Africa, women have also made their mark on the world. Take Kenyan-born Juliana Rotich for example. Rotich is the co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi – a web-based reporting system that uses crowdsourced data, mobile phones and web reporting to formulate real-time visual maps during crises. Or, Mariéme Jamme from Senegal, who is the CEO of the London-based SpotOne Global Solutions, as well as the co-founder of African Gathering, a global platform that brings together entrepreneurs and experts to exchange ideas about Africa’s development. To mark International Women's Day this year, we are celebrating the dynamic doers, the trail-blazing trendsetters and the unsung heroes from four countries across Africa who are using technology to #MakeWhatsNext: Dr Wuleta Lemma – Ethiopia “I’m showing young women it CAN be done” Originally from Ethiopia, Dr Wuleta comes from a long line of tough women who believed that women should be given an equal opportunity to succeed in life. And succeed is exactly what Dr Wuleta did. Growing up in one of the most turbulent periods in Ethiopia’s history, Dr Wuleta was able to overcome extreme adversity to study degrees in medicine, epidemiology and international health abroad. With a deep love for Africa and a strong desire to develop home-born solutions for the African continent, she returned to her motherland. Dr Wuleta decided to marry her love for IT with the knowledge she had gained in medicine, by developing an e-health system to improve healthcare operations in Ethiopia. The system, called the TenaCare, is currently being used in over 3000 facilities. She has also developed ICT-enabled training centres and programmes in conjunction with local universities and colleges. In addition to using Microsoft technologies like Visual Studio, SQL Server, Windows, Azure and Power BI to power this revolutionary eHealth system, Dr Wuleta is also a self-confessed gadget geek and loves to use technology in her day-to-day routine. This helps her stay productive and balance her busy life. Dr Wuleta’s message for young women wanting to pursue a career in technology: “Africa is coming, Africa has a place and young African women are key to making this a reality. They have so much talent, and through my work I want to show young women it can be done.” Caroline Nafula – Kenya “Never apologise for having drive and passion” At only 21 years old, Caroline Nafula, is well on her way to becoming a woman to which all young girls can aspire. The middle child in a family of girls who are all pursuing degrees in STEM subjects, it’s no surprise that Caroline’s love for science and technology has led her to pursue a degree in IT and business information technology at Strathmore University in Kenya. After enrolling with the Microsoft MySkills4Afrika programme, Caroline developed the skills needed to create two successful applications. One is called Food Junky, which is an online directory for street vendors. The other is an e-cards website called thoughtfulwishes.co.ke, which redefines the way people view, use and send e-cards. Caroline owes much of her early success to her MySkills4Afrika mentors, Nate Koweda and Patrick Ngatchou, who are both based in America. Despite the distance, Caroline’s mentors have contributed greatly to her growth as a developer. “We use Skype and Outlook to keep in touch. My mentors have been able to teach me new tricks and hacks that have enhanced my coding skills. This wouldn’t have been possible without technology to connect us.” Caroline’s message for young women wanting to pursue a career in technology: “You should never apologise for having drive and passion. Life is too short to second guess yourself and not pursue what you really want. Block out the noise, block out the doubts and discouraging remarks. Tell yourself you can do it. If you are a young woman contemplating a career in STEM, go for it! This in the one field that makes you best placed to change the lives of millions of people all over the world.” Sayu Abend – Nigeria “Women need to be bold, strong and driven to pursue their dreams. Create your own future and not one society has mapped out for you.” Sayu Abend is the CEO and founder of a company called Spacepointe, which is a retail technology company that aims to bridge the gap between SMEs and their target market through technology-based business management. But before being a CEO, Sayu is a mother and a wife first. Finding the balance between running a highly successful company and spending quality time with her family is one of her biggest challenges. However, with the help of technology, Sayu is able to maintain a healthy balance between her family and remaining productive in her business. In addition to using Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools both in her personal and professional life, she also hosts Spacepointe’s entire platform on the Azure Cloud. Sayu’s message for young women wanting to pursue a career in technology: “Do not pursue a career in STEM just for the sake of it. Technology is a means to an end. Find a problem in an area you are interested in and solve it. Don’t only solve it because it affects you personally, but solve it because it makes the world you live in a better place.” Lebogang Madise – South Africa “To all the young women out there – you are science, you are engineering and you can shape the future through technology and mathematics.” Lebogang Madise developed a love affair with her computer when she was in primary school, but she never in her wildest dreams believed she would pursue a career in technology. However, her future had other plans in store for her. Lebogang’s love for computers and technology was so strong that it inspired in her the desire to learn how to code and develop solutions that could change the world. She is now a facilitator for mobile-tech startups at mLab. She also works as a committee member for IEEE SIGHT (Special Interest Group in Humanitarian Technology). IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation for the benefit of humanity. Lebogang’s message for young women wanting to pursue a career in technology: “You can be anything you want to be, irrespective of your background. You don’t need permission to dream big. Take that first step, don’t be afraid to fail, you have it in you to invent the next big thing. You are science, you are engineering and you can shape the future through technology and mathematics. Don’t expect it to be easy though. It will be challenging, not because you are a woman, but because STEM careers are generally more mentally stimulating careers.” Microsoft remains committed to closing the gender gap and creating even more opportunities for women to innovate, create and unlock the best opportunities for their future. Last year, Microsoft launched a new movement calling on young women and girls to #MakeWhatsNext. The campaign raises awareness of the issues that cause girls to drop out of or lose interest in studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM), and aims to pique their excitement and educate them in how they can change the world — if they stay engaged. The response to #MakeWhatsNext  makes it clear that girls’ passion is strengthened when they see female role models who have created innovations that are used in our everyday lives. As the motto goes, “If you see it, you can be it.” For more inspirational stories of women in technology, watch this video.]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/how-office-365-features-can-help-you-achieve-your-dreams Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:10:13 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4685 Aisha has a thirst for making a difference. She recently graduated with a degree in social work, and she has her heart set on working at an NGO, where she can work to empower other young people. It’s difficult to even get the opportunity to meet with the right people at this NGO, but Aisha is determined – and she uses the new intelligence features on Office 365 to help her stand out from the rest. Restore, research and edit with ease She’s off to a good start. Her final research project focused on empowering African youth, so all she needs to do is build on this research to illustrate the work she plans to do. She quickly restores some OneDrive files with important research, which she deleted by accident. Then she uses the Researcher tool to help her explore reliable sources and add content to her projects, complete with properly formatted citations. When she’s finished, Aisha uses the Editor tool to help her proofread and edit her work. More than just spellcheck, this tool tells her when she uses the wrong word, gives her alternatives and explains why the new word is better. This way, not only will her current work be at its best, but it teaches her and she’ll also gradually improve as a writer – an important skill for entering the workplace. Make your work look its best Once she’s is happy with her content, it’s time to make it look good. The first step is to bring the geographic data from her research to life. She uses Maps in Excel to create professional visualisations showing underserved youth in Africa and the scope for the NGO to get involved. The next step is to turn her research into an impactful, polished-looking presentation. Aisha does this quickly and easily using PowerPoint Designer, which is like her own personal graphic designer automatically suggesting background, picture and text ideas to make her slides look more professional. But in order to stand out in busy inboxes before even getting a chance to give her presentation in person, she decides to work on an attention-grabbing presentation in Sway. She uses QuickStarter, which helps her build a presentation quickly. All she has to do is enter her topic to pull in hints for recommended sections, relevant content and suggested images. She also adds in audio clips and uses Sway’s new filters to ensure her presentation is as impactful as possible. Focus on getting the right response Now all Aisha has to do is put an email together, attach her presentation and hold thumbs. She makes sure Outlook’s Focused Inbox feature is activated so she doesn’t miss any exciting responses. With a little help from technology, she’s confident that her hard work and skills will be noticed… and she starts thinking of how she can use technology to achieve her goals once she lands her dream job. To find out more about Office 365 and how it’s features could help you, visit https://www.office.com/.]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/4-reasons-why-gaming-on-your-pc-is-great Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:10:29 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4445 Here are 4 of the best things about gaming on a PC versus a console:

1. Keep playing without needing to upgrade

One of best things about gaming, is finishing a level and upgrading to more challenging ones with better graphics. It’s no secret that consoles are bad at upgrades, in fact you can’t actually upgrade a console. To get your hands on a better version, you have to wait for the release of a new console and buy another one. It’s much easier to upgrade on your PC. The most substantial investment you’ll need to make is occasionally buying a new graphics card. And with today’s graphic cards capable of harnessing much more power than any console could, and for a similar price, you’ll be much better off choosing the PC experience.

2. More for less

Most PC games are cheaper than their console versions. In addition, if you’re a PC gamer, you’re more likely to benefit from discounts and bundles than your console-playing counterparts. There are thousands of free-to-play, high-quality games for PC. With a PC, you can also choose a hardware setup that fits your preference and budget. In addition, there are very few cross-platform, multiplayer games for consoles. If you want to play online with your friends, you most likely have to pay a hefty subscription or annual fee. With a PC, you can play many of these multi-player games for free and you’ll get much better download speeds too.

3. Better functionality

The mouse and keyboard on a PC affords players a far superior gaming experience than a console. PC’s offer more speed, creativity, accuracy and a level of complexity that consoles just cannot compete with. Also, most Xbox games release on PC at the same time, and with Microsoft’s Play Anywhere games you have access to both PC and Xbox One versions of the game.

4. No internet, no problem

You may not always have internet connectivity. Luckily, you can play many PC games offline as well as online, and you don’t have to worry about losing your progress, as it automatically uploads once you are back online. These are just a few reasons that make gaming on a PC better than a console. And with Microsoft constantly improving the performance of its gaming experience for PC’s, the next generation of gaming looks to be even more exciting.]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/six-ways-to-be-more-productive-in-2017 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 06:49:55 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4655 Intelligent technology is changing how the world does things. Everyone is empowered to do more, and less. Using technology to tackle some of life’s most mundane tasks means spending more time doing what you love and less time doing what you have to do. Below is an infographic that looks at five ways we can be more productive this year, so we can achieve more in less time. ]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/will-next-gen-technologies-like-artificial-intelligence-and-mixed-reality-aid-in-social-good Sun, 05 Feb 2017 08:16:09 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4635 By: Amr Kamel,  Microsoft GM in the West, East, Central Africa & Indian Ocean Islands   In December 2016, Nominet Trust released the 2016 top 100 tech for good projects. This annual list explores innovations that use digital technology to drive social change around the world. Of these 100, 11 are from Africa, where solutions include shack fire detection systems, medical diagnostic apps, taxi services for medical emergencies and smartphone-based education programmes. A significant amount of innovation focuses on providing solutions to challenges experienced in sectors like education and healthcare. Mobile and cloud platforms, in particular, have acted as catalysts in bringing last-mile communities access to key healthcare, financial, education and other previously inaccessible services. But as new technologies, such as mixed reality (MR), which covers virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI) grow in popularity, accessibility and application, the question builds: What role will these technologies play in generating social good? AI for social good Historically, when it comes to social tech innovation, human involvement has been critical to the functionality. Telemedicine, for example, relies both on telecommunications technology and specialised healthcare professionals to run remote diagnosis and treatment. So what happens when AI steps in and transform industries like healthcare and contributes to public good. AI already has applications in the healthcare industry, where it facilitates functions such as computer-aided detection of diseases. Here, the technology is able to learn common patterns and features of diseases, and then examine medical images to quickly identify and analyse ailments such as cancers and tumours. Nigerian start-up, Aajoh, leverages this technology, helping people to obtain an accurate diagnosis and then proceed with the right treatment. However, as effective as these solutions are, the technology still relies on human professionals to make a final diagnosis and informed decisions, based on the input. One innovation that requires little human involvement is a developing Microsoft project, called Seeing AI. It’s aimed at helping people who are visually impaired or blind to understand more about who and what is around them. Seeing AI will use computer vision, image and speech recognition, natural language processing and machine learning from Microsoft’s Cognitive Services and Office Lens to help describe a person’s surroundings, read text, answer questions and even identify emotions on people’s faces. Meanwhile, in India, Microsoft and International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are using AI and Azure to help make agriculture more efficient. The Sowing App was launched in June 2016 and was developed to help farmers achieve optimal harvests by advising on the best time to sow. ICRISAT adopted Microsoft Cortana Intelligence Suite including Machine Learning and Power BI or Business Intelligence. The app offers important insights around soil health, fertilizer recommendations, and seven-day weather forecasts. This data is then downscaled for the highest possible accuracy at the village level, to transform how small holder farmers tackle climate change to drive effective decision-making for their crops. Since launch, farmers have seen a 30% higher average in yield per hectare. As AI technology improves, we will continue to see more innovation that not only enhances the way we work, but also drives social change. How about mixed reality? MR is most typically associated with the field of entertainment, creating immersive experiences in gaming, social networking and simulation. While MR hasn’t been traditionally associated with social change, it is gaining momentum. One of the first and most referenced instances is the virtual reality film Clouds Over Sidra. The 2015 film, set in Syria, was used as a tool by the UN to create awareness of their work, encouraging donors and supporters to experience first-hand the communities in which they serve. Then there is the simulation aspect.  Mixed reality has education applications that can help train doctors on complex medical procedures or create richer learning environments for school children. MR and AI in Africa The MR market is expected to grow to a $15.9 billion industry by 2019, while AI is penned is to be worth $16 billion by 2022. The proliferation and use of this technology for social good in Africa, specifically, will undoubtedly look different to the rest of the world, in the same way the continent shaped the use and uptake of mobile. It is going to be an exciting time to see what local innovators do with the technology. That said, these technologies won’t necessarily be the best tools for every social challenge. Now is an important and crucial time for us to explore and define how these technologies will best serve our local audiences.      ]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/what-does-it-mean-for-technology-to-be-innately-african Fri, 20 Jan 2017 13:47:36 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4615 By Amrote Abdella, Regional Director of Microsoft 4Afrika Mobile and cloud may be global technologies, but African start-ups have explored their functionalities, shaped their applications and used them to build differentiated business models suited to their markets. They have created new and uniquely African technologies that speak to their lifestyles and complexities, using the infrastructure as a base to deliver key services in ways the rest of the world would never have thought to. To us, this is what it means for technology to be innately African. Innovation Ecosystem No one has ever doubted that Africa has a thriving entrepreneurial spirit. Despite sub-Saharan Africa being one of the most challenging regions to launch a business in, the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Index ranks it highest in ‘Opportunity Perception’. What this means is that a large percentage of the population can (and are) identifying and starting good businesses, despite regulatory, environment and infrastructural burdens. This is what makes innovation in Africa so unique and so thrilling. Challenges, such as limited internet connectivity or access to a reliable power supply, only add fuel to Africa’s innovative energy and creativity. Start-ups continue to develop clever solutions around these obstacles, bringing essential services to their markets. And technology is playing a vital role. Think of mobile payments as a solution to Africa’s largely unbanked population. Africa now has one of the largest mobile money markets in the world, where 34% of African adults have mobile money accounts compared to only 2% worldwide. Financial technology has thrived in markets such as Kenya and Uganda where the formal banking sector has yet to reach every corner of these countries. Or think of start-ups, such as M-KOPA Solar, who have combined the power of mobile payments with the need for electricity. According to a recent World Bank study, only one in three Africans has access to electricity.  M-KOPA is the first company in Africa to launch a SIM-enabled pay-as-you-go solar system, allowing people to access affordable solar power in their homes. They currently facilitate over 10 million mobile payments every year and hope to connect one million homes by the end of 2017. The importance of the mobile phone The mobile phone has played a significant role in shaping African technology. Because it is so accessible, it gives start-ups an appropriate tool to create and deliver locally relevant solutions. Solutions like mHealth, where mobile applications can run remote diagnoses in last-mile areas, helping to detect malaria, sickle cell disease or pregnancy complications early. On a continent where an estimated 17 million out of 128 million school-age children will never attend school, mobile technology is also facilitating eLearning. The recent winners of Seedstars in Ghana, Chalkboard Education, developed a form of plug-and-play mobile learning that doesn’t even require an internet connection to work. As long as you have a mobile device – even a feature phone with SMS and USSD – you can earn a certified degree from a real university. The solution is ideal for the Ghanaian market, where internet penetration is only 12.3%, but mobile phone penetration sits at 128%. Africa118 is another start-up, who used the mobile platform to develop a mobile directory. Over 100,000 users in East Africa can now, for the first time, access an accurate database of over 250,000 services – either online or, for those with connectivity issues, via a cheap call and SMS service. The rise of the cloud The cloud is also proving to be another relevant tool in shaping African technology, with its ability to enhance the power of mobility and allow mobile solutions to shine. Using the cloud, start-ups like access.mobile have been able to digitise health records, share outbreak alerts and improve the way patients and doctors engage on a large scale, enhancing the quality of healthcare in emerging markets. Mustard Seed has been able to capture school, teacher and student information, providing high-level analysis dashboards to key policy and decision makers. AGIN helps smallholder farmers capture important information, establish credit profiles and access loans without ever visiting a bank. All of these are solving prominent local challenges around healthcare, education and agriculture. Accelerating innovation We are seeing first-hand how mobile and cloud technology is accelerating growth for Africa. At the same time, we are seeing how our local innovators are using these platforms to accelerate technology for the world. As the ICT sector, we need to continue supporting these innovators and the locally relevant technologies that change people’s lives, embrace underserved markets and trigger market growth. If we hope to support them in a meaningful way, it is up to us to really listen, engage and collaborate with our developers and entrepreneurs on the ground. At Microsoft, this is something we are personally committed to, through initiatives like 4Afrika and NexTech Africa*. We need to hear the challenges of innovators, their ideas and their insights. And we need to work together, so that we can better create the tools and infrastructure that, in turn, help them better serve their markets and grow sustainable businesses.  *NexTech Africa is a flagship Microsoft technology event that will be taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 02 and 03 February 2017. To learn more about the event, watch the live broadcast or join the conversation, visit: http://nextechafrica.net/]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/not-just-science-fiction-how-ai-is-already-changing-our-lives Sun, 15 Jan 2017 09:13:11 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues_africa/?p=4425 The idea of artificial intelligence (AI) has long been confined to pop culture and science fiction. As it shifts into real life, there’s little wonder it’s been accompanied by feelings of unease – after all, if machines are becoming more intelligent, where will that leave us? The answer is that humans and machines are far more effective working together than apart. The goal of AI should be to build intelligence that augments human abilities and experiences. We need to take human capabilities of creativity, empathy, emotion, physicality and insight, and combine these with powerful AI functionality for optimal outcomes. If we can get this right, AI has the potential to help us solve some of society’s greatest challenges. If this still sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, think again. AI is already affecting you – here’s where you’re likely to find it. From virtual assistants to virtual tour guides We already use virtual assistants to predict when we need to leave to get to a meeting, or what items on our calendars to prioritise. We also use AI every day to recognise faces when tagging friends in Facebook photos.   But AI goes beyond making our personal lives simpler One of the biggest areas of impact for AI is healthcare. AI building intelligent healthcare systems by empowering physicians with predictive data, helping them provide preventative care and predict disease outbreaks. Simultaneously, individuals have the necessary information to make better health decisions. There is already an app that offers online medical consultations, based on symptoms you report. It checks them against a database of diseases and the patient’s history to provide an appropriate course of action. The app also sends medication reminders and follows up on how patients are doing. In Africa, AI is being used to combat poaching. Through machine learning, apps use previous data patterns of where poaching incidents occur, to make predictions on where the next incident is likely to happen and map out the best patrol routes for rangers. It's exciting to see the impact of AI beyond the realms of science fiction. It’s here, and people are already benefiting from it. While we are certainly still in the early stages of AI development, it’s encouraging that organisations around the world are thinking about how it could affect their business. For example, the automotive industry is gearing up for an increased use of AI, with Toyota announcing a five-year, $1 billion investment in AI research. The potential is for a car’s technology, which currently works in isolation, to connect with the space around it to create a “cognitive car” that reacts to its environment. An intelligent and natural extension of what we do AI is designed to assist humanity; to empower people, improve business, reinvent healthcare and transform transportation. It’s a reality, and far from being “artificial”, it’s an intelligent and a natural extension of what we do as humans. We’re only just beginning to see AI’s impact on our daily lives, but companies from startups to global organisations around the world are already embracing it to stay ahead. With this in mind, it’s likely to become an even greater part of our lives, with the potential to have a hugely positive impact.]]>