29 Jun 2016

Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTCL) has developed Business-in-a-Box product targeting information communication technology (ICT) services in the hospitality industry particularly Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) .

BTCL head of Business products, Mr Tambona Mokiya said, as the hotel and tourism industry continued to flourish, it necessitated the invention of tailor made communication devices to sustain its growth. 

Therefore, he said they had developed a Business-in-a-Box product to meet the ICT requirements of the SMMEs in the hospitality industry.

Furthermore, he noted that this development came upon realisation that government had recognised through the tourism policy that where there were standards, what was availed to the tourist was what was offered by the private sector, a situation where some facilities offered the highest quality while others fell below international standards.

 He said BTCL as a stakeholder in the hospitality industry has found it pertinent to develop convenient and affordable ICT services relevant to operations of SMMEs in the tourism industry.

Delivering the new product to stakeholders, BTCL Product Development coordinator, Mr Stanley Gwapela said Business-in-a-Box comes in the portable size of a decoder and it entails converged voice and data solutions. 

He divulged that the portable devise is an integrated ICT tool which offers consolidated services in one platform such as a switchboard, internet, telephone lines, Wi Fi, as well as Be Mobile services.

He noted that the device can also be connected to the analogue telephone adding that it can also be configured to connect to a smart phone which will then be given an extension code which can link it to the same telecommunications system free of charge enabling one with a smart phone to communicate with his staff. 

He said the devise enabled the connected smart phone to connect free of charge even when one is out of the country, “If you have this box you do not need to roam in another country,” he said.

Further, Mr Gwapela said the devise is equipped with an Easyfax to enable users to cut on costs of printing paper and cartridge, “once you have this device it means your fax is going to go into your email and you should be able to access your fax anywhere without having to incur printing costs,” he said. 

He divulged that security devices such as surveillance cameras installed in a building could be linked to the Business-in-a-Box and a smart phone connected to ensure that one keeps track of activities in their business environment anywhere in the world at any time of the day.

Chief executive officer of Solid Care, Mr Lame Gare who has developed a website: www.localtravelbotswana.com said, these were gaps that previously existed in the hospitality sector hence the need to bridge them. 

“We want to ensure that there is convenience in bookings, rooms could be managed and there was real time access as booking would be done online.

In an interview, Ms Pauline Monare who owns Ramotswa Lodge, a bed and breakfast entity said the developments would help her grow her small enterprises. 

“I have seven rooms and it’s been an inconvenience to my clients who come and find the lodge fully booked, now with the online booking system it will be much better,” she said.

On the BTCL Business-in-a-Box initiative, she said, “I have been losing clients who book for accommodation but when they discover that there is no Wi Fi they cancel the booking. I have been borrowing them my laptop but that is not professional as they cannot use it anytime they want to,” she said.

 HATAB chief executive officer, Ms Lilly Rakorong said the seminar was organised to ensure that SMMEs in the hospitality industry were not left behind in connectivity. She said as part of improved service delivery in the sector connectivity might in future be a requirement in the grading criteria hence the need for enterprises to embrace it.  Ends