2014: The year in technology

Equitel

Equitel seemed like Orange’s perfect suitor, but that did not fly. It would have made a lot of sense, but then again, Equitel had a different strategy, and Orange did not fit in. The MVNO jumped on Airtel’s network and started its service, with focus on converging mobile banking and mobile money, squarely pitting itself against Safaricom’s M-Pesa.

IPHONE 6

Everybody was waiting to see what the iPhone 6 would look like and in mid-September, Apple obliged them. The phone was distinct for its bigger dimensions and increased performance, but was criticised for its low resolution, as well as the software issues it faced on updating.

It also suffered a strange saga dubbed “bendgate”, which saw the phone bend in some cases, leaving a huge question mark on the quality of the build. The iPhone 6 was also the first major iPhone release.

SAFARICOM

Dominant as ever, Safaricom was its old self and kept pulling in heavy numbers. The company kept a busy diary, most notably playing a significant role in dividing up of Yu with competitor Airtel, launched a venture fund to help mobile start-ups, introduced 4G LTE Advanced and much more.

Though Safaricom now faces stiffer competition, it will undoubtedly continue with its iron-fisted rule in the Kenya, and retain its status as the country’s top mobile operator.

AIRTEL

Airtel’s also kept a busy diary. Airtel partook in the dividing up of Yu with Safaricom. Despite a tough struggle, Airtel did not come any closer to unseating Safaricom, though it did find new avenues for bringing in serious money.

The deals it signed with mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) for leasing space on their infrastructure is likely to help a lot, but it’s its zero-rated service to access popular social media services that was a pointer of things to come.

ORANGE

Orange was a rather sad story, with its parent company expressing its intent to exit this and other markets. Though its replacement of CEOs confused many, its intent might still be on.

Despite having one of the best operator networks, Orange simply could not find its way and remains a struggling operator. Orange was also the only infrastructure operator that did not take part in the dividing up of Yu. Orange simply looks like a lost cause.

ABLE WIRELESS BLACKBOX

Despite not making it to market this year, Able Wireless, the upcoming low-cost operator, introduced the Able Wireless BlackBox, a streaming device designed to deliver content in Kenya over their Content Delivery Network (CDN).

A few units were in circulation in Nairobi with early adopters as Able Wireless tested its infrastructure and the BlackBox. Service is slated to launch in 2015.

CASHLESS PSVs

This proved to be an even bigger headache for the government. Identified as a corruption hotspot, the government was keen on eliminating cash transactions in public vehicles, but again, this initiative stalled on both trials.

The most significant issue was that operators were not keen on taking up the service. The cards themselves proved not to be interoperable, meaning that different PSV routes required different cards. Finally, without a reasonable refund system, customers did not feel too compelled to use the service.

BEATS + APPLE

Nobody saw this deal coming, but it seems in the end, Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine dropped HTC for Apple. Beats, regarded as a quality audio product and fashion statement, remains highly sought-after by audiophiles across the world.

Recognising the opportunity, Apple snapped up Beats from HTC. The deal meant that Apple would bundle Beats’ products with their own services.

FACEBOOK + WHATSAPP

After the rebuffed takeover of Snapchat, Facebook instead snapped up WhatsApp for $19 billion (Sh1.7 trillion). Facebook’s messaging platform had failed to achieve the adoption Facebook wanted, which forced Facebook to acquire a rival, this bolstering its messaging unit and later being able to leverage financially.

Facebook committed to keeping WhatsApp an independent brand as it did with Instagram. WhatsApp is currently the most popular messaging platform and currently delivers more messages than the entire volume of global text messages.

PLAYSTATION 4

This was launched in late 2013, but really made headlines in 2014. The PlayStation 4 (PS4) became the best gaming console around, and a best seller, outselling its rival, the Xbox One. By the end of the first sales quarter in 2014, PS4s were selling at nearly 2 to 1 against the Xbox One.

The gaming console remains sought after and shortages remain common around the globe. So far, Sony has sold 13.5 PS4 million consoles.

CASHLESS PARKING

Cashless parking fared batter than any other initiative introduced. Cashless parking involved drivers paying parking wardens using mobile money. However, it faced two significant problems: First, the amount of data collected about the driver was excessive and its confidentiality could not be guaranteed.

Secondly, the government did not account for the possibility that some drivers could not genuinely pay using the given means. Consequently, cashless parking tentatively operates alongside cash parking.