Why Your Business Needs a UPS

Published on June 11, 2006 in Info Tech. 1 Comment

Greetings from Arusha & Zanzibar,Tanzania

Well, I’ve now taken a break from the Kenya scene and dropped into Arusha and Zanzibar for what I’d like to call “IT Tourism.” You see, a business acquaintance in Nairobi owns a hotel or 2 in Zanzibar, and my assistance was needed to set up and install an email server for this location since Internet access speeds there sucks too. Therefore it’s much better having a dedicated PC stay on 24/7 and download everyone’s email to take advantage of the hotel’s 100 Mbps LAN access speeds.
(Pic1: Mount Kilimanjaro)

An important lesson
Because electricity supply can be sporadic at times here in Tanzania (Kenya too!), this hotel has a generator. However, it’s vital that all PCs have a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) whenever the changeover takes place. I was in an empty office setting up the email server, and the blimey system would reboot whenever the generator needed a brief moment to get into gear.

Now, what if I was running an important batch accounting operation? Or what if, hypothetically, I was in the middle of transferring a million Euro dollars (US dollars are sooooo passe) to my offshore bank account in Seychelles so that I could lay low from Lord Vader and his evil empire? You do know how bad this dude is, right? :-)

My point? Always have a UPS connected to your PC if your work is IMPORTANT. I don’t know about you, but I’d be pissed if my bank transfer didn’t go through just as Lord Vader was about to invade this part of the planet. :-)

Detour Dept.: Tanzania, how I love thee

So, how much do I love Tanzania?
Well, take a peek at the email I sent to my colleagues and friends not too long ago. This country has tons of potential with the resources (especially Tourism) to make a lot of noise if its leaders play their cards correctly.

Well,
Hello EVERYONE.
I thought I’d send an email out to say “Hi.”

Well, Arusha is simply AMAZING…as is Zanzibar. I feel so much SAFER going ANYWHERE in Tanzania, and corruption is definitely not as BAD as it is in Nairobbery (um, Nairobi). :-)
Flying from Arusha to Zanzibar is a sight to behold…lots of green vegetation everywhere. What a remarkable country. I definitely will be BACK – without a doubt – so that I can conquer Mount Meru (see pic on left), which hovers beautifully in Arusha’s background. And boy does it ever look intimidating…so steep. See for yourself: http://www.good-hotels-guide.com/africa/tanzania/novotel-mount-meru.htm | http://www.pbase.com/image/35378312 | http://www.ewpnet.com/meru-PICTURES.HTM | http://www.afrika-pur.de/diashows/tanzania_bilder/Arusha_bilder/meru300.jpg | http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/arusha.htm

Now, what on earth did the Kenyans do to the Tanzanian people?? **KIDDING, sort of**
Luckily my Carribean/Canadian heritage afforded me the luxury to meet some very interesting people as I mentioned I came FROM Nairobi. :-)
Perhaps the Tanzanians are too relaxed which allows their Kenyan neighbors to scoop up some excellent business opportunities. :-)

Oh well…gotta jet…must fix some PCs for this hotel.

Why Arusha?
So, what brought me to Arusha? I thought you’d never ask. Well, the hotel takes part in the Karibu Travel & Tourism Fair which is a huge 3 day convention showcasing who’s who in anything and everything to do with Tourism in Africa. According to this link, “Over 200 companies, tour operators, hoteliers, air operators, caterers and government institutions from the EAC partners states are expected to feature in the show.“

I met some amazingly kool people. All the booths were lavishly decorated, and the wine at the Sopa Lodges tent went down goooooood. :-) Now I realise just how much money’s involved in this industry. I met expats from as far away as China who’ve made East Africa their home. Again, I urge my Canadian counterparts to take another look at Africa. There are truly tons of business opportunities here. It absolutely boggles the mind. Oh, Mount Meru is considered Kilimanjaro’s little sister.

Happy comupting!

I’ll report back to you SOON. :-)

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1 Responses to “Why Your Business Needs a UPS”

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  • Anonymous
    July 17, 2006 at 9:28 pm

    hi maxtheitpro.
    your stories are a joy to read and i would hope that you contineu to write & share this gift & passoin of yours with the world. i thought the pic of darth vader was hilaroius.

    Paska

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