Kenyas largest mobile service provider – Safaricom and world’s leading software maker – Microsoft have teamed up to bring videoconferencing capabilities to hotels through a service dubbed Revmeet. From the partnership, Revmeet will essentially allow businesses to conduct videoconferencing meetings with other businesses in hotels.
The service has been undergoing a piloting phase for the last one and a half months in various regions including Nairobi and has so far facilitated meetings between various groups. Demand for videoconferencing services has tremendously increased in the past few months especially after the pandemic restricted most traditional ways on how people as well as organizations conducted themselves.
In the partnership, Safaricom is tasked with making sure there’s a reliable internet bandwidth across the country as well as to connect to other countries for the service. The telco has been steadfast in advancing its LTE connectivity across the country as well as pushing its fiber home solution in various parts.
Microsoft indicated that Revmeet will offer a virtual encrypted network to guarantee businesses a more secure one on one engagements in some meetings. This is particularly important after several incidences involving popular videoconferencing service Zoom emerged – where unauthorized access had been reported especially in schools which had been using the service to advance online learning.
The group managing director of Pride Inn hotels Mr. Hasnain Noorani said the move was necessary for the hospitality industry to enable them host meetings between small groups. He further acknowledged that attendees are often attentive when sitting with like minded people in such meetings. Noorani said they had hosted a 350 people meeting in Nairobi and Mombasa that were addressed by speakers in Spain and Canada.
Organizations will now be able to hold annual general meetings using Revmeet as well as during employee training sessions across the country according to Mr. Noorani. Besides Pride Inn, other hotels with Revmeet include Enashipai Lodge, Sarova and Serena Hotels. The service costs Sh10,000 for sessions lasting up to two hours, Sh15,000 for sessions lasting up to five hours and Sh20,000 for a day-long virtual session.