February 11, 2011
Mr Bob Collymore
Safaricom Limited
re: Platform ecoystem
Mr Collymore,
If there is one thing you could do to grow traffic over your network it would be to directly open up your network infrastructure to developers, such as myself, so we could hook our applications and web services directly into your network. This would allow us to quickly develop, test and release new services that in turn would provide customers with new features and services, increase network traffic, and build brand loyalty.
If you haven't already, please take a look at what Telefonica has done with BlueVia developer community. Using BlueVia a developer can;
- Obtain access to "sandbox" to test application/service integration with Telefonica's network.
- Share 10% to 50% of API transaction and up to 70% of any application sales or subscription revenue.
- Support the sale of services and applications via online store
- Research, test, develop and release and earn revenue all in seamless, online environment that supports the developer.
Telefonica has dedicated a team to BlueVia, and as a developer, you quickly get the impression that the company stands behind the offering. It makes you want to build something with them for your mutual customers.
From my experiece doing integration with multiple APIs, I imagine the technical integration of web services into a network isn't the hard part. Its managing the relationship that is tricky. However, Telefonica has somehow developed an online portal and system that essentially removes all barriers that developers face in getting to market.
The procedures to get to market in Kenya (and, frankly, most markets) is complicated, time consuming and expensive. Telecommunication carriers need to flatten the levels between developers and customers and reduce obstacles so entrepreneurs can more easily and quickly develop, test and release new services.
Here is a copy of Telefonic's 2/10/11 BlueVia Press Release
Any help in streamlining the cumbersome, slow process of getting new services onto your network would better serve us both.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely
Brian Puckett
Founder
Next2.us
Comments