‘Pakalast’ is innovation of the year
Oct 31, 2010
WARID Telecom has won the best innovative products award of the year in the inaugural Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) innovations awards.
By Paul Tentena and David Ssempijja
WARID Telecom has won the best innovative products award of the year in the inaugural Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) innovations awards.
Warid’s “Pakalast†innovation that has become a household name beat several others in the innovative products category at a ceremony in Kampala over the weekend.
“We thank UCC for this recognition.
“It puts us far in the industry,†said George Shine, the Warid head of products and services.
SMS Media took the best product developer award, Paul Biregu, a postgraduate student at Makerere University won the student research project award, while Festus Kamya, a communications engineer at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company was the runner-up in the product developer award.
Text2Change Mobile, took the content services accolade, Consumer Education Trust grabbed the consumer empowerment award, while Crystal Clear lifted the innovative product services award.
Patrick Mwesigwa, the UCC boss, said the awards were set up to reorganise innovations in communications and to stimulate investment in the sector.
He said 61 entries were received from voice and giggler providers, forums, civil society organisations, corporate bodies, academia and institutions.
Mwesigwa said a panel of judges led by Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, the Makerere University chief, selected the winners.
Patrick Bitature, the Uganda Investment Authority chairman, urged sector players to work hard.
“You should not be worried about the oil sector. I know ICT can drive Uganda’s economy,†said Bitature.
He said the Government realised over sh5.6b in tax revenue from communications last year, after the sector registered a turnover of sh1.4 trillion.
WARID Telecom has won the best innovative products award of the year in the inaugural Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) innovations awards.
Warid’s “Pakalast†innovation that has become a household name beat several others in the innovative products category at a ceremony in Kampala over the weekend.
“We thank UCC for this recognition.
“It puts us far in the industry,†said George Shine, the Warid head of products and services.
SMS Media took the best product developer award, Paul Biregu, a postgraduate student at Makerere University won the student research project award, while Festus Kamya, a communications engineer at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company was the runner-up in the product developer award.
Text2Change Mobile, took the content services accolade, Consumer Education Trust grabbed the consumer empowerment award, while Crystal Clear lifted the innovative product services award.
Patrick Mwesigwa, the UCC boss, said the awards were set up to reorganise innovations in communications and to stimulate investment in the sector.
He said 61 entries were received from voice and giggler providers, forums, civil society organisations, corporate bodies, academia and institutions.
Mwesigwa said a panel of judges led by Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, the Makerere University chief, selected the winners.
Patrick Bitature, the Uganda Investment Authority chairman, urged sector players to work hard.
“You should not be worried about the oil sector. I know ICT can drive Uganda’s economy,†said Bitature.
He said the Government realised over sh5.6b in tax revenue from communications last year, after the sector registered a turnover of sh1.4 trillion.