Zain, UTL, MTN cut call rates

Telecommunications companies; Zain, UTL and MTN cut call rates in what is seen as a major price war in the industry. This follows a move by Warid telecom that saw a reduction in its call rates to Shs5 per second. This is the biggest reduction, ever witnessed on the Ugandan market. Ugandan call rates were among the highest in the East African Region and this is a big step towards making communication affordable by the average consumer. However, even after the reductions, these rates are still high. A similar price war in Kenya saw giants Safaricom and Zain reduce their call rates. Uganda's telecoms subscribers were estimated to be 8.2 million people in 2009. The other service that has gathered stiff competition among the telecoms is the mobile 3G Internet service. Amidst all these developments, there are several complaints of poor service delivery in the telecoms sector, with the most affected player being MTN. Complaints range from lack of access to Customer care agents to unsolicited messages. One can only hope that the telecoms will not just stop at making calls affordable but also reliable and convenient.

Leadership skills for IT professionals necessary for businesses

    Information Technology (IT) as a discipline has a strong correlation with leadership. What is IT and what is leadership? IT involves the use of computers and software to manage information. What does a leader do? A leader influences the behaviors of people to produce desired results or achieve a certain goal/objective. The common goal between IT and leadership is producing desired results. The roles of IT professionals have evolved over time. In the beginning, it was so much about managing the technology and less focus was put on inter- personal relationships and client satisfaction. In an environment where technology is taking center stage in powering businesses, it has become so necessary for technology professionals to develop a client focus. This can be seen in the Client Relationship Management (CRM) software. The cause and effect mind set is key in this aspect.