Think with Google will highlight the
importance of industry and consumer insights
Over 500 key players from different
sectors in Kenya including tech industry, advertising agencies, government,
developers, publishers and Swahili language specialists will be coming together
this week.
The events have been
created by Google are to discuss the role technology will play in Kenya's
future by driving growth and innovation. Going Google and Think with Google are
the first events of their kind to be held in sub-Saharan Africa.
Going Google Africa, led by Google
Enterprise and e-Momentum (a Nairobi-based Google Apps Premier Partner) will
host CEOs and CIOs to demonstrate the critical role online solutions are
playing in business and the shift from personal productivity to collaboration
across physical boundaries.
Joseph Mucheru, Kenya
Country Manager and Google SSA ambassador explained: "We want to share the
value that digital can bring to different sectors, but also connect Kenyan businesses
with local talent who can execute on their digital strategy. Our vision is to
align the Kenyan private sector with homegrown talent so as to create a local
thriving digital ecosystem."
During the week-long program,
developers will also be linked to local businesses through a series of
interactive Developer Groups to help them tap into the Kenya Vision 2030.
"The web is fundamentally
changing the way we work and removing the borders. Over 5 million businesses
have now moved to Google Apps. This demonstrates how technology and the
Internet are helping businesses to grow," Didier Goibert, Google Director
of Enterprise, EMEA further added.
Think with Google will highlight the
importance of industry and consumer insights to marketing decision makers and
influencers, especially during economic slowdowns.
The session will include discussions
around: how technology and the Internet can help businesses grow and succeed in
a slowdown; how to structure your organisation to ensure people thrive; how to
innovate and stay ahead of the competition whilst driving profitability; and
how to utilise and share data to discover game-changing opportunities and make
the right decisions.
The goal of the Google in Swahili
workshop, planned towards the end of the week, is to initiate discussion with
Swahili experts and enthusiasts on how to increase local content in Swahili on
the Internet.
"While various
Google products are available in Swahili, Swahili content online is still
minimal compared to languages such as English or French," explains Salome
Nduku, Google SSA Localization Specialist.
The workshop will also explore Google
services in Swahili, Google Translator Toolkit and examine the role of Swahili
in the 21st Century.
Google executives present during the
course of the week will include: Didier Goibert (Director of Enterprise, EMEA),
Sean Lafleur (Director of Sales Operations for SEEMEA & Director for SSA)
and Joseph Mucheru (SSA Ambassador and Country Manager of Kenya). Guest
speakers will include: Micah Cheserem (Chairman of the Commission of Revenue
Allocation), Mary Kimonye (CEO, Brand Kenya), among others.
Kenya Broadcasting
Cooperation (KBC)