COUNTRY FOCUS: KENYA
“Through different
capabilities built
into the platform
we are able to
determine which
cloud resources are
available, when
they are available
and how long they
are available for.”
M-KOPA have per capita income of less
than US$2 per day,” explains M-KOPA’s
Head of IT Systems, John Muthiora.
Every battery-powered 8-watt system
the company provides comes with
three lights, mobile phone charging,
and a solar-powered radio. There is also
an option for a 20-watt system with
digital television. These systems help
unlock people’s economic potential by
making them healthier, wealthier and
more productive.
A solution to scale
M
-KOPA Solar is recognised as
one of the top 50 companies
changing the world. As of May
2017, the company has connected over
500,000 homes to affordable solar
power, with 500 new homes added
per day, transforming lives in Kenya,
Tanzania, and Uganda.
Worldwide, 1.3 billion people lack
access to electricity. People in Africa
are reliant on dirty kerosene to power
their households. This form of energy is
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expensive, unsafe, and can cause health
problems. With the use of the sun,
mobile phones, and Microsoft Azure,
M-KOPA Solar is improving the lives of
people in Africa while connecting them
to the world.
“M-KOPA is the world’s leading pay-
as-you-go energy provider to off-grid
homes. We’ve developed a better
way to provide affordable, safe and
clean energy to millions of people. The
majority of the homes connected to
M-KOPA Solar has grown rapidly in six
years, expanding to over 1,000 full-
time staff and an additional sales force
of 1,000. Because of this, the company
began looking for a technology
partner who could help support their
growth. “M-KOPA needed a hosting
solution that would allow us to scale
up and down quickly as we build out
new technologies and expand to new
markets. Typical data centre models
weren’t working for us, so we decided
to move to the cloud,” explains Jesse
Moore, CEO, M-KOPA Solar.
The company had multiple requirements
when looking for a cloud provider, as
Muthiora outlines, “We were looking
for a partner whose technology would
re-use and grow existing skillsets and
technology against a clear roadmap. We
also considered factors such as speed
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