Intel has invested KSh. 450,000 each in 3 Kenyan start ups. The applications were drawn from 14 applications in Kenya that took part in the Intel App Elite challenge. The three applications include GoJimmyGo, JTL Biashara and Mobi Biashara who will benefit from marketing investment from Intel. GoJimmyGo is a mobile game where the user tries to evade a chasing dog. JTL Biashara is a customer service app that enables clients to interact with their service providers and make payments. Mobi Biashara is a mobile banking app targeting financial institutions providing depositing, withdrawing, loan management and share management for their clients.
The developers behind the 14 applications benefited by getting access to technical software solutions. In addition, they also got access to consultants who advised and guided them in using the tools. Among the tools developers have access to is the Intel Integrated Native Developer Experience (Intel INDE) which assists developers in writing native code. Developers were also able top test their apps using Appthwack and Testdroid, that emulate the actual experience on a range of mobile devices.
“Intel develops technologies to continually advance how people work and live. Our mission is to delight customers by relentlessly delivering the platform and technology advancements that become essential to the way we work and live”, Agatha Gikunda, Software Services Group Lead, Intel East Africa. “Natively written applications require more effort from the developer, but perform better due to their better utilisation of resources and the fact that the mobile device does better computation when running these apps”, she added.
Other apps that took part in the competition include KenyaBuzz Raha, Safaricom Daily Nation reader, TicketSasa, Eve Woman, Ghafla Kenya, Mobi Biashara, KRA, Shoppers Delight, JTL Faiba, Ushahidi, GoJimmyGo, Haki, Translater and Pesadroid.
