which attractive services?

@jasonhill
I'm sorry, maybe I'm confused, but how does one "win a tender to supply internet connectivity, if they were already doing so?"

Oh come on.. You don't know that Safcom is an ISP and a network links provider.. U know bambanet? former Onecom?

And if the optical and magnetic scanning hardware, infrastructure, and X9.37 TIFF software are all still responsibility of the banks, exactly what is SafCom's value-add in this equasion?
Who said anything about Safcom bringing any innovation to the deal? They've simply won the deal to be the ISP or Network Links provider. Value-adds and all that is the business of KBA which they think they've brought in by speeding up cheque clearance to one day. Whether or not this is true is between KBA and Kenyans.

In addition, transmissions could happen during low-bandwidth periods such as all night and all morning during closed hours. Is that what you call innovation.. waiting to have cheques transmitted and cleared during the night. I suppose M-PESA transfers should also take place at night. And even if I concede your point, which I don't, these night time transfers take place over a network (which is what Safaricom will provide)
change in share price? Of course, Safcom has just won an extra income stream for the next five years. Revenues and profits dictate company value NOT vague notions of value add in areas that are not your core business.
Western Union
Sawa, its expensive... but what does that have to do with Safcom's stock price. If there are people using the service, Safcom is earning. Stop mixing your customer-centric (I should say communist) emotions with your evaluation of the stock.

I repeat, if this business of using MICRs and Scanners is outdated.. that is the business of the banks, KBA and Central Bank. If they come up with your "super solution", I'm sure Safcom will be there to offer the network infrastructure... and with it more dividends and capital gains for me (got in at 3.50 btw)

I know you've come to expect miracles from Safcom, but surely sometimes they have to sit back and simply do their core business. Something as simple as ensuring people can call or surf or connect to the KBA solution.

Aaaah.. Finally we're on the same page.. I don't know what Safaricom expects to earn from this deal - I have no idea what size images the cheques will create nor do I know how many cheques banks exchange on a daily basis..

Like you, I suspect that it won't be much. But then again you're the only one who has insinuated that the deal was meant to "secure the company's future". Maybe you're right, the earnings are not enough to justify the change in price.

However, from a business point of view, any win of any deal even if its one additional rural customer is "cause celebre". Ask Airtel. They've been celebrating every single port to their network. After all this is "additional" income. It doesn't take away anything from their current business.

Whatever the deal is worth, this is straight bottom line income. They will be leveraging on already existing infrastructure. Even if they take a monthly charge of ksh 1,000 per branch per month, this is serious cash. Count the number of BRANCHES in the country, not the circa 50 banks and maybe UK's lost bag may not be big enough to carry the dough.