Kenya Postel Directories has launched a new short messaging service (SMS) that makes the telephone directory accessible on mobile phone handsets.

By sending a message with the name of the company one is looking for to 5991 (on all networks), a customer will receive the contacts as well as a physical address of the company for Sh10.

Kenya Postel Managing Director Jose Saldanha said the new platform is aimed at connecting listed businesses directly with clients.

Mr Saldanha explained that with close to 20 million mobile users, the SMS service has the potential to reach a wide range of new customers.

“Postel Directories is excited about the technological developments in the ICT sector. Using this new platform, we can now extend the reach of our directory information to all Kenyans,” Mr Saldanha said.

Currently, Kenya Postel only distributes directories to customers who have contracts with Telkom Kenya and it is expected this latest move will help increase its penetration especially in rural areas.

And with mobile phones becoming increasingly popular especially for Internet use, the company has introduced an online directory on www.yell.co.ke  for use on mobile phones. The online directory includes the address and available maps to the desired location for people who may want to visit the required office.

“We have now fulfilled a need that has been expressed by our customers – to access their directories whilst on the move. The Postel SMS service is a first to benefit our current telephone directory customers, whose contacts are now also accessible at a touch of a button,” he said.

The online directory aims at incorporating mobile phone contacts, which are currently not listed for all companies.

“Our new services can accommodate all these customers. These businesses can now list their contacts online by posting their details via the websites or via the Kenya Postel Directories’ contacts listed in our directories,” he said.

Postel publishes the Kenya Telephone and Fax Directories, incorporating the official Yellow Pages and distributed free to all Telkom Kenya customers. The company also publishes the pocket size Kenya Tourism Guide now in its fifth edition.

Tel: +254 (20) 4242000
Fax: +254 (20) 4451866
Email: [email protected]
The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) is the regulatory authority for the communications sector in Kenya.

In recognition of the rapid changes and developments in technology which have blurred the traditional distinctions between telecommunications, Information Technology (IT) and broadcasting, the Government in January 2009 enacted the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act 2009. This statute enhanced the regulatory scope and jurisdiction of CCK, and effectively transformed it to a converged regulator. Read the rest of this entry »

Jackson Feijo, Forum Nokia Champion of the Month for November 2009, answers questions submitted by bloggers to the Ovi Daily App blog site about his work developing AudioAid, a mobile accessibility app that allows individuals to control the interface on Nokia Symbian devices by simply blowing into the microphone.

Freedom Fone – in a nutshell

Freedom Fone is an information and communication tool, which marries the mobile phone with Interactive Voice Response (IVR), for citizen benefit.  It provides information activists, service organisations and NGO’s with widely usable telephony applications, to deliver vital information to communities who need it most. Read the rest of this entry »

Having recently launched the local chapter a few weeks back, the local chapter will have its inaugural meeting at the iHub on Ngong road on 19th April, 2010 starting at 4:30 – 6:30

The first meeting is ideally for guys with mobile projects to showcase the same to their peers and others interested in the mobile industry. If you have any interesting apps that you may want to showcase do drop us an email so we can schedule a slot for you.