Botswana Post has harnessed new technology to open up opportunities for communities and bring services closer to the people.
The newly launched IT flagship projects, which are the infrastructure optimization and counter automation, are expected to deliver on Botswana Post business strategy requirements.
“The upgrading converges with the e-government initiative and will certainly benefit communities by closing the digital gap,” said Nonofo Molefhi the Minister of Transport and Communications.
With automated post services the communities can download and fill government or private companies’ forms. This will save their time as they can even pay their water, electricity bills at the post office.
Molefhi said the IT projects provide Botswana Post with a core infrastructure that puts it at par with high performing postal operations globally and gives it the platform to grow the revenue.
Botswana Post engaged Microsoft Services to develop an IT strategy, upgrade core infrastructure software, deploy a private cloud infrastructure and implement a new communications solution.
The choice of the counter application makes Botswana post among the 30 postal organisations globally that use this application. “It gives Botswana Post an opportunity to develop local skills to keep improving and modifying this software application,” said Molefhi.
Botswana Post is the first company in Botswana to use the internet communication method IP version 6. The new technologies will enable the post office to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost effective service to customers and business partners.
“We realised the need to embrace technology to achieve the goal of becoming a 500 million revenue company by 2014,” said Martin Makgatlhe the board chairman at Botswana Post.
Makgatlhe said 121 outlets of Botswana Post have been computerised and interconnected to the postal network.
“Botswana Post’s achievement is a major milestone that exemplifies how government agencies can use technology to evolve their service delivery, increase their productivity and grow revenue,” said Warren La Fleur, Microsoft’s Senior Business Development Manager.
