Zoholics Takeaways: Zoho Signs Innovation Deal, Announces Partnerships and Local Currency Commitment
On the sidelines of Zoholics Kenya 2024, a user conference by Zoho, the company announced its partnership with J-Hub Africa. This is the digital innovation hub that supports innovators and entrepreneurs at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). Through the new partnership, Zoho is offering individuals credits worth up to KES 100,000 in their Zoho Wallet. This credit can be used to purchase any of the 55+ cloud applications Zoho offers. For JKUAT students in technology fields, Zoho is offering them exclusive training on how to leverage cloud-based business technologies to gain a competitive edge in the job market. Dr Lawrence Nderu, Chairman of the Department of Computing at JKUAT, said, ‘We are delighted to embark on this transformative journey with Zoho. This is a collaboration that promises to significantly enhance the innovation landscape both within and outside the JKUAT campus,” Zoho Embracing Digital Signatures Zoho Embracing Digital Signatures
Since setting up local offices in Kenya, the SAAS company is making strides to make Kenya its home. Embracing digital certificates, Zoho Sign and TendaWorld signed an agreement to offer legally valid digital signatures. TendaWorld is one of only 3 Electronic Certification Service Providers (E-CSPs) licensed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to operate in Kenya. Going forward, local businesses can now legally sign contracts and agreements electronically. Zoho Sign integrates with various applications, allowing Kenyan companies to sign documents electronically without leaving their preferred software. Commitment to Local Currency Commitment to Local Currency
2023 was a year of growth. The company has expanded its team by 33% and its partner network by 212%. The top industries driving this growth are retail, insurance, financial services, IT hardware and IT-related services. One of the reasons the Indian company has been able to sustain growth during this period is that it charges its customers in Kenya Shillings. “ Customers are happy to stay with us because we charge in Kenya shillings. This is not the case with rivals, who bill their clients in US dollars,” said Veerakumar Natarajan, country head, of Zoho Kenya. Natarajan was keen to add that the company won’t change how it charges its customers. Further, the company is integrating Safaricom M-PESA with Zoho’s finance suite of applications. This integration will aid local businesses accept online payments through the customer portal or payment links.