March 2002 - Volume 1, Issue 2

ICT Companies on The Rise in Addis

In the first issue of our magazine we had compiled a directory of ICT companies that listed 101 of them. In this directory are included the services offered by the companies consisting of training, sales, web site, networking, systems development and maintenance.

To compile the directory, we were able to identify the companies and then obtain the required information for inclusion in the directory.

(Please note that the percentage calculation is based on the number of companies delivering the service compared with 127 operating companies listed in the directory. Companies are also counted more than once for the number of services they are delivering.)

This is the continuation of the compilation of the previous directory (see page 37), and the number has grown to 127 in the present issue.

It can be discerned from the table that out of the total companies listed in the directory, 102 or 80.3% of them include training in their services while 65 or 51.2% offer maintenance services. On the other hand, 61 companies or 48.0% provide sales services while 46 or 36.2% are active in undertaking networking. The table further indicates that systems development is another area of activity for 42 or 33.1% of the companies while 26 or 10.2% specialize in web site design and hosting.

It can also be noted from the table that companies that are engaged exclusively in sales and maintenance businesses reach 13 or 10.4% out of the total companies listed in the directory.

The information from the directory further reveal that 49 companies or 38.6% of the 102 companies are solely engaged in training only while the rest of the companies pursue training in addition to other activities.

We would like to emphasize the fact out of the number of 127 IT companies 102 or 80.3% are engaged in training. It is estimated that the number of companies operating in Addis Ababa could reach some 200 since the list of companies in this directory is not exhaustive. It is, therefore, safe to conclude that the IT companies that concentrate on training could certainly surpass 102. As can be observed from the table, the majority of the companies are mainly engaged in training, sales and maintenance. This could partly be explained by the fact that this service areas would have been covered by a work force that meet minimum qualifications whereas networking, systems development and web site design require advanced skills in the respective areas.

There arise relevant questions that need immediate answers as far as services of ICT companies are concerned. One of the major concerns for individuals as well as institutions in this regard would be the problem to form the basis for selection of a service provider in the areas mentioned above.

ICT Focus would further dwell on this problem in its subsequent issues.