Information technology and competitive advantage in internet service providers in Kenya

Abstract

The world has been experiencing an increase in the use of information technology. Information technology has brought about new avenues for business as well as provided different ways in which businesses can benefit. The market has also become competitive and the different firms have had to come up with different strategies to be able to make profits. These firms have also realised how important Information technology is and how it can be put to use in the firm to be able to gain some form of advantage over competitors. Thus Information technology is now used to provide competitive advantage for the different firms. The objective of this study was to establish drivers for adoption of Information technology for competitive advantage by Internet service providers, to establish the impact of IT adoption on competitive advantage of Internet service providers in Kenya and to establish the challenges faced by Internet Service Providers in their use of Information Technology for their competitive advantages in Kenya. The study used census research design. The target population was obtained from TESPOK (Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya) and totalled 22.The research instrument used was questionnaire which was administered using “drop and pick later” method and via email. The respondents were chief operational officers and chief technical officers from each of the firms. Data was analysed using percentages, frequencies, mean scores and standard deviation. The presentation of the quantitative data was through the use of tables. The findings were that the key impact for the use of information technology was to improve decision making by the Internet Service providers, the key challenge was the use of the correct Information technology Platform and the need to improve on the speed of operations as the key driver for the use of Information technology by the firms.