Internet of Things (IoT)
@iLabAfrica Flags off the Full-Stack Software Development Cohort II
A full–stack software development session at the Ericsson lab, @iLabAfrica-Strathmore University. /Ngumu Kevin.
In a dedicated effort to provide aspiring software developers with the necessary skills and talents required in the sector, enabling them understand trends in the mobile industry and learn the latest coding languages such as HTML and CSS, JavaScript and Python, @iLabAfrica-Strathmore University kicked off its second cohort in the full-stack software development course this year.
The course is a 3-month program that enriches students with knowledge and skills in front-end and back-end development. Students are taught problem-solving skills, how to work as a team, creativity, and innovativeness, which empowers them to thrive in their roles as software developers by facilitating efficient issue resolution.
Data from Statista states, “The global developer population is expected to reach 28.7 million people by 2024, an increase of 3.2 million from the number seen in 2020.” This data shows the gravity this field holds in the future.
With the constant and increasing display of desire for Software developers by the world due to the growing reliance on technology in almost every aspect of life, @iLabAfrica is embarking on this course to address the global demand for skilled developers.
With the availability of modern equipments, @iLabAfrica is looking to aid in easing the market’s demand through their intense and interactive program that aims at releasing skilled graduates into the industry.
By Maina Gaikia.
Skills in emerging technologies offers hope for Kenyan youth.
Equipping Kenyan youth with technological skills to curb unemployment.
A young workforce with skills in emerging technologies heightens the chances of achieving vision 2030 agenda for sustainable development in the fast-paced digital economy
The technology sector is one of the fast growing industries in the world, emerging technologies are affecting the way of doing things, from making phone calls to how companies and government institutions operate, the working environment is expected to keep on adapting to transformations brought about by technology.
In modern times, employment requirements are high and competition for positions remains to be stiff, the youth and professionals are required to understand how new technologies are affecting the job market and getting familiar with new inventions to fit into needs of the market.
A World Bank report through the Digital Adoption Index (2020) indicates that new technologies are transforming economic opportunities, a trend that has been accelerated by businesses and institutions in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
African technology industry is rapidly growing with technology hubs in the continent growing by more than 50 per cent in the last decade, with this trend expected to accelerate, talents need to be nurtured in the new digital areas to provide a market driven workforce.
The Kenyan job market has witnessed technology disruption first hand with top tier institutions enacting job cuts with others offering young people with skills training to thrive into the digital driven economy.
A 2019 survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicated that more than 7 million young people are grappling with unemployment in the country, one of the reasons cited for their lack of opportunities being inadequate digital skills set for the dynamic job market.
The Kenyan government continues to facilitate technological growth. In May 2019, the president launched the Digital Economy Blueprint, which presented a framework to improve Kenya and Africa’s ability to leapfrog economic growth, including massive investment in fibre-optic cable infrastructure.
Consequently, the venture has enabled better connectivity allowing more young people, including those in rural areas, to access high-speed internet, this will be instrumental in the advancement of digital technologies across the country.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought about years of change in the way companies in all sectors and regions do business. Many companies have accelerated the digitization of their customer and supply-chain interactions and their internal operations, the share of digital or digitally enabled products in their portfolios has also significantly accelerated.
To stay competitive in this new business and economic environment requires an understanding of emerging technologies by employees, most firms now recognize savvy workers’ importance as a critical component of driving growth while also improving processes, quality control and efficiency.
Equipping young people with technological skills will help them prepare for the future work that is already upon us. In addition, soft-skills training are necessary which enables tomorrow’s workforce to take on responsibilities in technology-based enterprises.
Strathmore University’s Research and Innovation Centre-@iLabAfrica offers a Certificate in Emerging Technologies(CET) course which equips learners with foundational skills in the emerging areas of Data Science, Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Graphic Design and Digital Marketing.
According to Ms. Rael Kilonzo, Project Coordinator for Executive Education at @iLabAfrica, the course equips learners with technical skills in modern technologies while offering professional development skills in Web and Mobile Applications development.
“@iLabAfrica we always strive to create high quality content that can speed up innovation by imparting knowledge and skills to the young generation. The CET course has been designed to equip form four leavers and other individuals with fundamentals skills of emerging technologies. Learners not only get an opportunity to specialize in the specific IT areas but also learn how to potentially change the world using technologies that are driving global revolution” said Ms. Kilonzo.
With a digitally prepared youth population, it is feasible for Kenya and African countries to curb unemployment and secure a future for the young generation. A young workforce with skills in emerging technologies heightens the chances of achieving vision 2030 agenda for sustainable development in the fast-paced digital economy.
Across the African continent, the relentless spread of networks, sensors, artificial intelligence, and automation is driving a revolution to an unknown destination. A workforce with Skills in Emerging technologies will help governments and institutions drive economic growth through initiatives such as digitization of government departments and processes such as revenue collections which curbs corruption.
Emerging technologies are expected to have a powerful impact on the security and stability of African states, having the right skills set for security officers will help in the implementation of a technology based approach in the fight against terrorism in the continent.
To enroll for the Digital Marketing Masterclass at Strathmore University, kindly email rkilonzo@strathmore.edu or visit the website http://www.ilabafrica.ac.ke/index.php/digital-marketing/
Young innovators develop energy cost reduction solution
Households, institutions and businesses spend high amounts of money annually on energy. According to the Harvard Business review (2020), utility costs are one of the top five operating expenses for most enterprises. Whether small, medium-sized or large, organizations want to bring down energy costs and pare down operating budgets as much as possible. Many companies are focusing on building energy efficiency and creating some roadmaps for energy and cost savings.
In Kenya, a Report by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM, 2020) indicated that the high cost of power in the country has put the conversation on energy costs up the corporate ladder with many companies citing high operating costs which lead to high commodity prices.
Many organizations are adopting innovations in energy technologies that help cut operational costs along with the new changes of global carbon regulation, corporate environmental performance and increasing pressures on natural resources which call for energy efficacy.
@iLabAfrica, Research and Innovation Centre of Strathmore University supported two young men in the technical aspects of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), coming up with an innovation that offers ways of bringing down the cost of power to many households, businesses and institutions.
In their new innovation, Douglas Rono and Antony Towett, who are participating in the WaziHub technology challenge have come up with an electronic gadget named USAVE, once fitted into a company or household power system, the device is able to monitor power consumption in real time while generating data for the user to make more informed decisions on the right power uses and gadgets for their households, businesses or institutions. Through the data collected, users can be able to make more informed decisions thus cutting down the costs incurred in power bills and other associated costs.
“We have developed an energy efficiency and renewable energy management solution system using Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence technologies to help reduce the cost of power by providing a data driven approach for users to make the best decisions on the best energy that gives them the highest return on investment for their homes or companies” said Mr Rono.
According to Mr. Rono the new gadget provides real time data on the amounts of energy being used in a firm or household while also providing extra information on the specific factors that are affecting power consumption. Through such data, proprietors will be in a much better position to make choices and preferences on the best ways that will help cut down their operating costs.
High energy costs has been one of the main challenges facing businesses in Africa and the world at large, having a solution that helps reduce the costs such as provided by USAVE can help many businesses and startups make sizeable profits while also growing the African economy.
Many households and companies rely on energy for their operations in one form or another, with the costs of gas and electricity rising, and the need for businesses to remain in profitability, it is paramount for organizations to implement innovative measures that help reduce energy expenses such as the USAVE model.
Wazihub is a continental competition funded by the European Union which offers an opportunity to innovators to come up with solutions to major challenges facing the African continent especially in businesses, startups and institutions. The competition encourages the use of Internet of Things technological aspects in providing technological solutions to the problems.
For more information visit www.ilabafrica.ac.ke
Driving IoT innovation for Covid-19 and Beyond
The shudders of the COVID-19 pandemic have projected newer challenges in the healthcare, business and institutional domains across the world, highlighting the need for technology based solutions in the different sectors of the economy.
A new survey by the McKinsey & Company Research Institute (2021) has found that responses to the Covid-19 pandemic have speeded up the adoption of digital technologies by several years and that many of these changes will be here for the long haul.
Internet of Things(IoT) is increasingly becoming a vital technology in many industries where it can deliver lower expenses, a better quality of services, and advanced user experiences. As a result of its wide capabilities including tracking, identification, authentication and data collection, the adoption of the new technology is expected to grow exponentially.
Strathmore University’s Research and Innovation Centre @iLabAfrica, through its IoT unit held a
Webinar titled `Driving IoT innovation for Covid-19 and Beyond’, the forum sought to highlight how IoT can be utilized during the covid-19 pandemic and its growing relevance in the future. The unit also showcased some of the works it had done in the new technology area, aimed at providing solutions to some existing challenges. Various speakers, majorly experts in the areas of IoT and software development shared their knowledge and experiences during the digital forum.
According to Mr. Leonard Mabele-Manager at the IoT research lab, IoT is basically the use of sensors and programmable electronics hardware which is linked to the internet through various connectivity technologies, this is then integrated to a cloud to implement value driven applications with the stored data enabling the generation of valuable output. The applications can be used to control a system on the ground remotely.
IoT is an enabler of a smart planet driven by digital ecosystems which link the physical world with a digital system of technology creating entities with more efficiency and simplicity such as smart health, smart transport systems, smart cities, smart entertainment, smart energy among other areas.
“IoT can be viewed as an umbrella of various concepts, protocols and technologies-all of which are somewhat dependent on a particular industry, the technology digitizes the world by connecting people, processes, data and things. IoT further encompasses a vast amount of disciplines and can be implemented in energy production, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, retail, transportation, logistics, aviation, travel etc” said Mr. Mabele
“Technologies will come in to aid in the better performance of industries and companies, for instance in manufacturing, there already machines performing a lot of work, IoT comes in to add more functionalities to the existing equipment by enabling them to collect data and provide real time feedback which will lead to increased processing of goods while also closely monitoring quality control for optimum output” says Stephen Ngetich, Software Developer at @iLabAfrica.
Mr. Mabele further explains that IoT can be used in the creation of smart driven systems such as smart water system which can be able to monitor water levels in storages and cases of non-functional taps or leakages, smart health systems to monitor patients’ data and tests, a smart farming system where sensors can be used to relay information on soil moisture levels, pests & disease attacks for possible actions by the proprietors. The technology can also be used in the establishment of smart homes with real time monitoring of home equipment such as automated lights and doors.
The enabling technologies for IoT are sensor networks, embedded systems, cloud computing, discovery services, communications, software, system integration, knowledge aggregation, future internet, security privacy and standards.
The IoT research unit at @iLabAfrica is working on multiple projects which are all aimed at providing solutions to some human interest challenges in the country. These Projects include Transforming Water, Weather and Climate Information through Geo services in Africa (TWIGA) which is project in partnership with western & south African countries and European Union, it aims at creating a system of monitoring climate, weather, water levels and farming with real time updates to farmers for relevant actions. Disaster Management and Prediction is a project which targets areas prone to floods and drought and being able to develop a system that advices locals in times of expected disasters for their preparedness to avert cases of losses. Other projects are low income urban sanitation, livestock monitoring, air quality monitoring, Genset monitoring system and smart water management system.
At the height of the covid-19 pandemic, it has been critical for research centers to focus on new innovations in the area of healthcare that can help fight the spread of the deadly virus. @iLabAfrica made developments through the implementation of hygiene and sanitation projects in Nairobi’s slum areas.
“During the pandemic we have been able to implement a project dubbed TechNawa which is an automatic hand washing system, aiding hand washing with minimal contact which is among the ways of preventing covid-19 spread. We also did a Peri-Urban sanitation project in collaboration with UN habitat and liquid Telecom in Dandora, Nairobi County which was aimed at resolving basic sanitation challenges through the putting up of sensors in supply systems to relay information in cases of breakdown for quick action, the project will also be done in Korogocho in partnership with Mobile Alerts Toilets (MAT) and Toilets for All (T4A) to help improve sanitation practices while also controlling the spread of Covid-19” said Mr. Marbele.
The webinar sought to clear the air on the existing belief among many people that technological advancement brought by IoT and other technologies would come with widespread job cuts resulting from the replacement of human labor with machines.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought about years of change in the way companies in all sectors and regions do business. Many companies have accelerated the digitization of their customer and supply-chain interactions and of their internal operations, the share of digital or digitally enabled products in their portfolios has also significantly accelerated.
To stay competitive in this new business and economic environment requires new strategies and practices, most firms recognize technology’s strategic importance as a critical component of the business, not just a source of cost efficiencies.
The adoption of IoT is certainly not new, today, it’s no longer just an emerging technology, but a game changer propelled by the pandemic. IoT is now building upon the foundations of artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and the cloud to unlock new possibilities for the future.
Global Innovation firm working with Strathmore for African Tech challenge
Strathmore University’s Research and Innovation Centre @iLabAfrica in collaboration with the Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Company (GIE) Dubai, UAE, and other partners in play launched the Africa Internet of Things (IoT) & Artificial Intelligence(AI) challenge competition. The challenge is an incubation program, targeting senior University students and young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas in the areas of IoT and AI among other technology related areas.
Powered by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), which is the world’s largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology, the program was first launched in 2016 in Egypt, then in Arab countries in 2019. The 2021 challenge has kicked off in Kenya, Uganda, Tunisia and Nigeria and will later expand to include South Africa and Rwanda. The initiative targets the whole continent online and will only make on-ground activities in the mentioned countries.
Mr. Mahmoud Kelany, a Communications Lead for the African IoT and AI Challenge said that the program will help participants leverage on a smart future through these modern technologies, the digital transformation initiative will deliver training and workshops to the participants while also providing them with the needed support in the development process for their solutions. After the training, participants will compete in the local finals, thereafter, winners from each country will qualify for the regional finals in the IEEE Global Conference on IoT and AI later this year.
Stephen Gitahi, an IoT researcher at @iLabAfrica simplifies the two leading technologies, further adding that the importance of IoT and AI technologies cannot be underestimated in modern times and that they will be drivers of the fourth industrial revolution which will be about smart technology driven ecosystems.
“AI can be defined as when machines simulate human intelligence, gain knowledge and collect information through advanced algorithms. This information is then used in decision-making, aiming to make the process accurate and safe. IoT on the other hand, is a network of interconnected physical devices exchanging information over the internet. IoT is characterized by hardware (sensors, actuators, processing and communication units), software and other integrated technologies that work in harmony, providing needed data for processing and analysis” says Mr Gitahi.
The partnership between the two institutions and other players comes at a time when technology is seen as integral in keeping business wheels turning during this Covid-19 global pandemic. IoT and AI technologies are becoming more imperative with many businesses using the two to ensure continuous processes in their value chains, supporting customers, suppliers and employees. It is clear that not all businesses have taken advantage of the emerging technologies and lack of awareness and knowledge on these technologies has been evident over time.
The African IoT and AI challenge is expected to have a big impact towards bridging the technology and innovation gap in the continent, participants in the program will be given an opportunity to learn, explore and build solutions around these technologies for the African businesses, startups and institutions leading to advancement in technology adoption within the continent.
IoT and AI are powerful technologies that work hand in hand and can pose many benefits to businesses, the year 2021 has been challenging to many businesses & industries, IoT & AI have played a crucial role in shaping business and consumer trends globally. Manufacturers have been forced to adapt quickly to maintain momentum and remain competitive.
With the necessary knowledge, support and insight into the technology industry provided by this program, the Kenyan & African market will be able to produce highly marketable and skilled IoT and AI professionals ready to provide challenge driven solutions.
How Clean is the Nairobi Air you breath?
Strathmore launches An IoT Powered Air Quality Monitoring System: TechHewa
Internet of Things (IoT) Research Lab – 2020/2021
Citing the World Health Organization’s estimates that 90 percent of people worldwide breath contaminated air containing high levels of pollutants and that 1 in every 9 deaths is linked to air pollution, it is critical that this is kept in check. While many programs have been raised and try to curb this especially by availing data. Some of the pollutants identified include Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen (IV) Oxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM2.5, PM10). There are four main types of air pollution sources:
- mobile sources – such as cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains
- stationary sources – such as power plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities, and factories
- area sources – such as agricultural areas, cities, and wood burning fireplaces
- natural sources – such as wind-blown dust, wildfires, and volcanoes(https://www.nps.gov/subjects/air/sources.htm )
Nairobi is mostly affected by the first two categories. Most highlighted effects are health and environment problems characterized by dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness, respiratory and cardiovascular problems leading to sometimes death. These pollutants have also been known to affect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems such as forests, parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas. Many organizations have deployed different solutions to try monitor and curb some effects of these pollutants. A good example of such an initiative is the Nairobi Air Quality Action Plan (2019-2023) supported by the United Nations Environment Programme in partnership with the Environmental Compliance Institute. These noble initiatives are meant to provide data on the actual status of air pollution towards a policy making step. Coming from a non-technical background, these initiatives have been faced with a challenge of getting the right sensors and monitors working; and working for a time long enough to collect actionable data.
In this regard, the IoT Research Lab, @iLabAfrica, an ICT and Innovation Research Centre based in Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya has stepped in proposing and implementing an improvement of these Air Quality Monitors leveraging IoT technology and Data Analytics. It seeks to provide the technical know-how of Air Quality Monitoring devices, the respective sensors and systems, tapping into the advantages of Low Power Wide Area Networks and the Internet of Things Technology to support stakeholder engagement and projects. Downtime is highly reduced with automated checks of the health of the monitors and activation of alerts on problems detected before the devices go down. This ensures consistent collection of data which is key in getting the right quantity and quality of data. TechHewa is a prototype of this solution with data streamed over LoRaWAN Network into a firebase database from where this is visualized and shared with responsible stakeholders for analysis and insights working towards a cleaner world.
This solution comes in handy with the co-relation of air quality and climate change; global warming by ozone and cooling or warming effects by different particulate matter among other effects.
Pictorial
5:
IoT Research Lab – 2020/2021
@iLabAfrica – Strathmore University
Cisco IoT Fundamentals and Beyond
Cisco IoT Fundamentals and Beyond Program
Introduction
The 2020 training of Cisco Internet of Things (IoT) Fundamentals is going BEYOND! This course has been tailored to fit current existing situations around us cutting across the different verticals ranging from agriculture to energy, environment to manufacturing, homes and warehouses to transportation among others.
The 2020 curriculum will cover the theoretical aspects of IoT (Introduction to IoT, Connecting Things, Big Data and Analytics and Security) and the hands-on lab activities that exposes you to electronics, programming (an introduction to C and Python), networks, Data and Security. Additionally, the course will cover Packet Tracer (PT) simulations for IoT and will feature a guest Engineer from Cisco.
The goal of the course is to expose students to IoT technologies and sharpen their problem-solving skills through a practical approach that can ideate, design, prototype and present IoT solution for an identified problem.
Course Overview
- Overview of Internet of Things (IoT) – Machine-Type Communications (MTC), the IoT Architecture and surrounding concepts, IoT Applications and the IoT Building Blocks.
- Introduction to Microcontrollers and Hardware Programming: AVR, ARM and STM32 Microcontrollers, Programming using the Arduino/Visual Studio Code, Atmel platform and STM32 Cube platforms. The hardware programming languages to be covered: Arduino, C and C++.
- Introduction to System on Chip (SoC) and Programming- Concepts of RISCs and Embedded OS, Interfaces, GPIO Pins, Connecting sensors and Introduction to Python. Introduction to Raspberry Pis and Beaglebone Blacks (BBB).
- Communication technologies (Wi-Fi, BLE, GPRS/GSM, LPWANs), Protocols and Working with open-source Cloud Platforms for IoT. A telecommunications Lab demonstration using Software Defined Radios (SDRs) will also be provided.
- Introduction to Cisco Prototyping Lab and Packet Tracer IoT simulation environment.
- Implementation of simple IoT applications, data visualisation and IoT Security.
Value addition to participants
- Hands-on experience through practical sessions.
- Take away IoT Kit (Raspberry Pi, Connectors and sensors)
- Cisco IoT Certification.
Venue
Classes will be delivered both online and @iLabAfrica Research Centre, Strathmore University while adhering to the social distancing rules laid out by the government. It is recommended that all the students attend the theoretical and software classes online.
Program prerequisite
- Basic knowledge of electronics.
- Knowledge in programming and networking will be an added advantage.
- A laptop running any operating system that is friendly to the student.
Program Format
The program combines interactive lectures, discussions and intense hands-on practice. It includes online guided classes and physical classes in a computer laboratory with a workstation (with required software tools installed) provided to each participant as well as a set of hardware equipment such as microcontrollers and sensors.
Program Duration
This is a 5-week course running from 9th November.
Time
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Program cost
This course will run at a cost of KES. 30, 000
How to Apply and contacts
Applications can be done online at:
For queries, please contact:
Stephen Ng’etich
Email: sngetich@strathmore.edu / iot@strathmore.edu Phone: 0703 034 635
Metathesiophobia – Innovation’s Biggest Constraint
I recently came across this term “Metathesiophobia” while reading a book written by Neil Sahota and Michael Ashley titled “OWN THE A.I. REVOLUTION”. The authors of this book spend a lot of the initial chapters of the book delving into the evolution of different technologies leading to Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) alongside the side of psychology and the human mind on “Learning” and the rate of adoption of change relating to technology. The authors bring out an interesting comparison of technology adoption based on knowledge. Their description of the “things we know, we know”, “things we know, we don’t know” and “things we don’t know, we don’t know” really caught my attention especially in regards to technology adoption! Metathesiophobia, as loosely put by Michael and Neil means “Fear of Change” and I thought this might just the biggest constraint of innovation.
In the wake of Internet of Things (which has become my daily life), metathesiophobia might get a lot more amplified than it already is. Simply because, Internet of Things is a collection of technologies and not just a single technology. The technologies making up this collection are constantly experiencing evolution leading to new changes almost every year driven by more innovation. This is enough to scare off a company, especially one that has a traditional setup. At a first glance, Internet of Things (IoT) should be understood as simply as the term – “Internet of Things” where one part has “Internet” and the other part has “Things”. In this era, even a 5 – year old who will have a slow loading cartoon on YouTube, will tell you “there is no Internet” (Am not overlooking the digital divide, there are many rural places lacking Internet access so the 5 – year olds here have a different experience) which means we are all growing into having Internet access as a basic need. This definitely speaks for the numbers that know what “Internet” means. On the other hand, “Things” are just that – Things, that is: buildings, roads, land, atmosphere, vehicles, electronics, transformers, boxes, warehouses, oil pipelines, solar power plants among other numerous things. It is important to note that people, under IoT, are also things! From this get go, anyone who hears “Internet of Things” should relate to the term as its two parts and be excited to hear how everything works. It is its implementation that probably starts to breed metathesiophobia.
Looking at the diagram included here which breaks the two terms – “Internet” and “Things” into two parts and lists their technology domains perhaps can help bring out the different elements that IoT encompasses which somehow just shows how wide an IoT conversation can get within an Innovation subject. A lot of C-level individuals are happy to have it but how many are really doing it? Or how many are really ready to invest in some of these technologies just to create a paradigm shift in their existing business models? Could it be a fear of “we know, we don’t know” or “we don’t know, we don’t know” so cannot set up a separate budget to get moving on Low Power Wide Area Networks Innovation or TV White Spaces, Artificial Intelligence etc? How many startups are VC’s funding to develop solutions leveraging these kind of technologies? In Kenya, my experience of working with corporates, has got me almost getting to a conclusion that, it is the fear of change (read metathesiophobia) that is limiting the pace of innovation.
A research publication done by Dr. Ovidiu Vermesan and Dr. Peter Fries titled “Internet of Things – From Research and Innovation to Market Deployment” lists “Smart Living” as one of the applications of IoT embodying intelligent ways of shopping, efficient usage of energy and water, remote control of appliances, usage of smart home appliances, gas monitoring, safety monitoring among other sub-applications. In the 374-page document, the authors seem to converge to one objective elucidated by the Internet of Things (IoT) which is “A Smart Population”! A smart population inspired by “Internet” and “Things”.
There is a lot under the umbrella of these two terms to be implemented in order to really realise the smart population. First, the technical pieces which stretch from Things to the Internet amidst constant innovative developments. Second, a supportive Research and Development ecosystem within companies and research institutions to inspire the development of the technical components. Third, a proactive and flexible national environment that follows the development of the technologies close enough to craft the regulatory frameworks for all of these technologies to thrive for the growth of the smart population. Fourth, other reasons. The innovation happening at Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM among the other tech giants exploring the technologies around IoT (as shown in the diagram) is the biggest driver for their growing revenue. New careers are also emerging within this innovation space spitting out job titles that have not existed before especially as new domains emerge. Elon Musk’s description of Tesla Inc. as a technology company is probably the reason that has kept the company staying on top of innovation consuming the technologies around “Internet” and “Things”.
If we do not rise above metathesiophobia, we will not innovate and sooner than we know it, we might have innovative startup companies buying out well established companies. metathesiophobia might limit our dream of achieving a smart population that can provide us ready markets. It might also get us holding onto the statement of “there are no jobs” when we could create more jobs through innovation. Whichever way we look at it, Metathesiophobia might limit our innovation when probably all we need is the “Internet” and “Things”!
Leonard Mabele is a Junior Research Fellow and Manager of the IoT Research Lab at iLabAfrica, Strathmore University
The Event That Was: Nairobi Tech Week (N TW)2017
#NTW2017 was the hashtag buzzing the 4-day event between 22nd March and 25th March 2017 all over social media. This year’s event was arguably the best one yet as it united local and global software and industry leaders, coupled with developer workshops and challenges, as well as informative panel discussions, all of which had a huge impact to all attendees.
After opening keynotes from Facebook, Moringa School and @iBizAfrica – Strathmore University representatives the NTW2017 participants were introduced to the event with very interesting sessions. The first one was a Scrum Training aimed at teaching participants on the development and deployment of resilient financial USSD applications. Occurring concurrently was a workshop by Safaricom that educated the participants on Intellectual Property and it’s importance in today’s technology space. Google also had a very interesting workshop on building scalable web applications through the Google Cloud Platform.
After the lunch break the participants had a hard time on deciding which workshop to attend as they all looked exciting.
JUMO WORLD facilitated one session on MOB Programming, Moringa School had theirs on designing for Mobile and Intel enlightened attendees on the fundamentals of Machine Learning, Deep Learning & Artificial Intelligence. It wasn’t any easier in the evening as Brave Ventures in their workshop challenged the participants to think like Data Scientists.
Participants who attended the Dalberg workshop learnt how to create an effective relationship between Developers and Designers, while those who attended the Facebook workshop got to understand the business opportunity on the Facebook Messenger platform and how to leverage and maximize on the Messenger Bot API.
Day 2 commenced with the kickoff of the Angel Hack Hackathon with Facebook and JUMO which challenged developers to unite and come up with innovative mobile solutions.
Developers were so engrossed in the hackathon as they were ready to stay overnight developing their applications. They did! There was the promise of mind-blowing prizes and opportunities for the winners on each challenge, which kept them highly motivated.
In the meantime, there were several workshops and panel discussions as well. Industry experts from Twiga Foods, Cellulant, Seven Seas Technology, Summit Recruitment and Frontline SMS consisted of a panel that enlightened the attendees on the best ways to acquire developer talent in Sub Saharan Africa. Up next was another illuminating panel and workshop facilitated by Dalberg, Brave Ventures, BRCK and Mercy Corps representatives on bringing UX (user experience) to new startups. The day was concluded with the Developer-Startup Speed Networking event. The hackathon continued overnight and on to the third day.
The third day began with a panel and workshop on Cyber Security. Representatives from KPMG, Ernst & Young, Euclid Consultancy as well as the Government discussed various issues on security facing the society such as lack of proper awareness, social engineering, IoT security and ransomware. They also advised the attendees on some practical things they can do to protect themselves and their organizations. The afternoon session was yet another educative workshop and panel discussion on The Do’s and The Don’ts of Product Management. There was also a TechTalk event which entailed the Previous, Present and Future of Technology.
By the time it was Day 4, the attendees were very informed and knowledgeable. Little did they know how promising the final day would be. It started off with a CTO panel discussion on scaling products into new markets, from both the operational and technological perspectives. The panel consisted Chief Technology Officers from JUMO, Safaricom, Cellulant and Facebook. They enlightened the participants how companies build products for scale, considerations they make as well as their challenges and experiences on the matter.
The next panel consisted of representatives of Eneza, BRCK, M-Shule and @iLabAfrica who discussed how developers can build tech products that uniquely serve the education sector. Liquid Telecom, Chimera, @iLabAfrica and MKOPA were also involved in another panel discussion concerning the Internet of Things (IoT) and its numerous applications. The final panel discussions before lunch break was the applications of Data Science in Fintech (with speakers from Eclectics, Juntos, IBM, Neveru, Busara and Intellipro) and how Technology is revolutionizing and disrupting traditional industries, with great emphasis on logistics; by TechMoran, Lori, Sendi, Vitumob and SokoWatch.
The afternoon sessions included a discussion by speakers from Techweez, Bithub Africa, Kimwatu and Crypto Assets on bitcoin and the implications of Blockchain technology in Africa. A panel with speakers from Intel, Microsoft, ProLabs and M-Changa engaged with the attendees on Artificial Intelligence and how it has taken the world by storm, with greater focus on Africa.
NMG, Twiga Foods, Gro Intelligence, WeFarm and FarmDrive on their panel discussion talked about agriculture and what technology can do to enhance agriculture. An E-commerce panel of representatives from Jumia, Mookh, Jumia Market and BuyRentKenya shared their experiences, strategies and challenges of e-commerce demands and supply chain and logistics.
Net Neutrality in Kenya was also a topic of discussion in another session. The final panel discussion of the day was on the role of corporates in supporting developers and SMEs by Moringa School, JUMO, Liquid Telecom and Facebook.
The 4-day event was concluded with a closing keynote from the various companies as well as announcing the winners of the AngelHack Hackathon. This years winners of NairobiTech week was PesaPocket. @iBizAfrica will offer 3 months free Incubation services to the top 3 winners of the Nairobi Tech Week
@iLabAfrica 