ICT Take Care Of Business

Rop Kiplagat

The most useful thing about social networking is that it has enabled me get in
touch with old friends,schoolmates and, most importantly, business associates’
Rop Kiplagat, Software developer, Kenya.

Websites

As an entrepreneur and a technology enthusiast, I mainly visit the web for information
and entertainment. There are certain sites that I check every day.For business
information and advice, I visit the websites of the Harvard Business Review and
Entrepreneur Magazine. These and other sites are really helpful for learning new skills
I can use in my work and management tips that I can apply to my business. Next are the
news sites –  the BBC first, then the New York Times.

Then there are sites that I check frequently, though perhaps not every day, such as the
microblogging website, Twitter, and the social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook,
in that order. These help me to keep in touch with colleagues who have similar business
interests. I look at technology related sites like ICT Update, Computer Hint, and Startups 
at least once a week.

I find Scribd.com a useful site for finding and reading books. And I use Slideshare net to 
upload my presentations, but it’s also good for catching up with what’s been posted by 
others. I’ve recently been trying Google Chrome to browse the web, but usually I use
Mozilla Firefox and bookmark any sites using the toolbar function. I also subscribe to
several RSS feeds to help me keep up to date with news stories.

Web tools

Google Maps is one of my favourite web tools. I am currently working to incorporate it into

a management information system, called Coopworks, that my colleagues and I have

developed for coffee farmers. When farmers query the system, the software automatically

will detect their location and deliver advice directly from the nearest research station or

provide tips, such as the best type of coffee to grow, depending on their local situation. 

The same principle could be applied to emergency calls, detecting the exact coordinates

of someone who is lost or in difficulty. I use Skype a lot to call friends and relatives,

especially if they are outside the country. Google Docs offers a huge depository for storing

backups of documents free of charge. I use it to store copies of transcripts, my academic 

certificates, and even my passport – all of which can be easily accessed from practically 

anywhere whenever I need them.

Social networking

I have accounts with Twitter, (@ropkiplagat) and on Facebook and LinkedIn. The most

useful thing about social networking is that it has enabled me get in touch with old

friends, schoolmates and, most importantly, business associates. The groups on these

sites offer more learning opportunities on topics and in areas that are interesting to me.

For instance, I regularly contribute to groups on Facebook, particularly to one on the use

of ICT for rural development. The group is made up of people and professionals like me,

many of whom live elsewhere in the world but who are also working with technology to

improve rural economies. These groups are great places for sharing ideas and swapping 

stories and experiences.

Programs

As a web developer, I use Drupal, and open source software, to build new websites and

to develop applications using the Perl andPython programming languages.

My colleagues and I choose these technologies because we are developing programs

aimed at helping people living in rural areas whose disposable income is often low and

who cannot afford the high cost of computer programs that require licensing. This can

often be one of the major costs involved in using ICTs, and leaves less money available

for other essentials such as training and hardware. Using open source software removes

this cost and can make technology affordable for projects with low budgets.

Mobile

My phone use is roughly divided between 90% calls, and 5% internet. I prefer to call my

business clients and associates, and send text messages to family, friends, and closer

business contacts. I use the internet on my cell phone to check e-mails and news sites.

I often use the Google Maps application. I travel a lot for my work, and regularly visit remote

areas that I have never been to before. I can use the Maps app to estimate the distance 

and the time it will take to get there. There have been occasions when I have had to deliver

an urgent quotation directly to a client. I checked the app to determine the distance and the

type of terrain, and managed to arrive on time, and win the contract! Time really can be

precious when you are self-employed.

Devices

My laptop is a tool that I could not do without as it has all my office files, documents and 

e-mails. I always take it with me when I travel, and connect it to the internet when I can to 

catch up with work at the office. I use Google Docs to back up my personal data, and also 

use external hard drives that I connect to my laptop to make additional copies.