Business News

VENUE: KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, NAIROBI

DATE: 13TH-15TH AUGUST 2008

Information and Communication Technology has been recognized as the engine of development all over the world. ICT sector provides endless opportunities for Africa and its growth in East Africa provides even greater benefits. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) may arguably be the most powerful tool for social and economic development.

E-commerce has been the centre of debate in business management in the 21st Century across the globe. The pressure for  businesses in Africa  to go online like most developed nations could be attributed to large multinational corporations, who integrate the internet  into their operations; as such suppressing buyers and suppliers located in developing countries, to adapt to the new business models.

With the marketplace becoming increasingly global, many companies have come to a realization that it takes more than high quality, affordable prices and differentiation to excel in today’s highly competitive multinational market place.

E-commerce in the United States of America has flourished owing to several pre-existing conditions: along history of catalogue marketing that has helped the fast acceptance of virtual transactions, a high rate of
internet penetration, a mature credit payment system and the presence of efficient delivery services.

It is very significant that businesses in East Africa realize they have much to gain from embracing e-commerce in their marketing strategies. The payoffs are tremendous; penetration rate estimated currently at over 470 million people, reducing processing costs by up to 90%, reducing cycle time by up to 80% and improving staff productivity between 20% and 300%. The solution for Kenyan products and services to penetrate the global market lies in developing “e-markets”, electronic meeting places for buyers and sellers with defined rules for e-purchasing, e-bidding and e-selling”. It is a question of acting small but being big. Kenyan and East African companies have no choice but to deploy internet technologies to remain competitive.

However, African governments need to take a proactive role in developing a robust, flexible regulatory framework for e-commerce. It is equally important to ensure effective coordination of government agencies,
industry association and other facilitators. It is important that a stable physical and virtual infrastructure of trust - shared by all concerned parties, public authorities, local and foreign entrepreneurs, financial services, providers and customers - be equally enhanced. It is very significant that businesses realize that they have much to gain from embracing e-commerce in their strategies

Development sector and commercial enterprises in Africa and all over the world however, have to grapple with serious challenges arising from  the massive computer application insecurities such as stolen data, viruses, hackers, spam mail,  government monitoring and privacy invasion among other  threats. These threats are not only expensive to an organization in its efforts to deliver effective and efficient services to its clients but is time wasting and potentially destructive to organizations.

Purple Images Productions proposes to organize the first conference to promote e-commerce as a tool of business and national development in the region. The main objective of the conference will be to create national forum to review and evaluate ICT development in organizations in relation to the internet and general computer security threats and challenges globally and in the region.

Conference Presentation Topics:

E-Commerce

The Challenges of Connectivity in Africa
The impact of  Cultures on e-business
E-Commerce and youth employment
Web marketing  challenges and opportunities
Business Process Outsourcing : The Challenges and  Opportunities
Management Challenges facing E-businesses in East Africa
Marketing issues facing E-businesses in East Africa
Computer and Internet Security

• Website security : opportunities and challenges
• E-Commerce Business Management and Marketing  Security and Risk Management  challenges
• E-government, E-commerce, E-learning and E-banking Security:  Emerging Threats and Technology Trends
• Computer and Internet Crimes;  The need for Legislation and Compliance
• Business Process Outsourcing Opportunities , Challenges and Security Threats
• E-commerce Security Policies , Alignment of Business and IT
• Security Efforts  and intellectual property rights protection
• In house security threats to business, database security, forensics, identification and authentication, intrusion detection

INTERNET SECURITY & E-COMMERCE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
The following are the categories for the awards dinner ceremony:

• The Most Successful E-Commerce Company in East Africa
• The Most Promising Young Person in E-Business of the Year
• The Most Innovative E-Commerce Achievement for the Year
• The E-Commerce Woman of the Year
• The ICT Manufacturer of the Year
• E-Tourism Business  of the Year
• Computer Security Software Development Award of the Year
• Business Process Outsourcing Company Award of the Year
• Computer and Internet Security Business Leader of the Year

(To be nominated for awards, send a profile of your e-commerce business on showing the successes of your business to: conferences.purpleimages@gmail.com)

Booking and Conference Costs

• Delegates to pay Kshs. 16,000 ($ 250) per person. The fee will cater for meals and materials. Delegates must also meet the costs of their traveland accommodation in Kenya .
• Exhibition Rates: 10 sqm Space: Kshs. 20,000 ($ 312.50)

To be part of this great event, please register by completing the conference application form. Payment of the participation fee stipulated above is required to guarantee a slot in the limited places available. This fee covers lunches, teas & conference materials. Registration of delegates and the stakeholders is in process. There is a technical committee to receive and review abstract papers from the presenters and workshop facilitators. After reviewing the abstract papers on the different themes of the conference, the final list of the
facilitators and delegates will be sent out alongside the final conference programme.

Ms. Mercy Kariuki
The Conference Coordinator
The 1st  International  Conference on  E-Commerce  and Internet Security in East Africa
Mbuchia House, 3rd Flr, West Wing, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
P.O BOX 58182 - 00200 Nairobi
Telephone: 254-20-4450937/ 4452674
Cell: 254-720-425175/  722 634947
Email: conferences.purpleimages@gmail.com or  info@purpleimages.com

Website: www.purpleimages.com