If statistics are to go by, we should count ourselves lucky to be celebrating our 6th anniversary today, because 50% of young businesses do not live to see their 5th birthday. But again, we didn’t get ourselves here by sheer luck. Alot of pain, hard work and sacrifices have gotten us here.
Friends, Milima Security has turned 6 today and it gives me such great pride to reflect on all we have achieved together over the years. In 2016, I launched operations at Milima Security (registered Milima Technologies Ltd) and over the 6 years, we have moved from a rough idea of a provider of a clutter of information technology services to a dedicated and trusted cybersecurity market leader in Uganda.
The Past
There are lessons to be learnt from our past 6 years on operations and I think for Milima Security, it comes down to these;
Speed; Our industry is characterized by speed. The fastest provider to respond to a client’s distress call will often be the one to take the job. We have grown in our response time, cutting it by over 80% in the past 3 years.
Execution: Response isn’t good enough if we can’t effectively execute the tasks at hand. We have grown in capacity over the years to be able to effectively respond to, and execute tasks at hand, subsequently solving our client’s pain points.
Excellence: The cybersecurity industry can be summarized into; either get it right or go home. Because we have understood the value of excellence both within our internal operations and project management, the industry has grown to trust us over the years.
Research: The Cybersecurity industry is the most dynamic industry today, we couldn’t have possibly lived this long if we were not always trying to learn new things. Through global studies, local industry research coupled with testing new techniques, we have continuously re-invented ourselves to be in position to solve our client needs faster and more efficiently.
With these I can boldly say, Milima Security has become a trusted market leader in Uganda
Over the years, we have continued to push ourselves to new limits while doing things no one else is doing; From launching the first cybersecurity academy (Milima Cyber Academy, 2019) to building the first web application security platform (Grey Armour, 2022) and now establishing the first public security operation center (SoC) subsequently contributing significantly to the growth of the cybersecurity industry in Uganda.
Through organic growth and strategic partnerships, we have been deliberate at listening to the market needs and responding with the right solutions.
It’s Been About The People
To our customers: Thank you for trusting us for many years and allowing us to grow with you.. We are honored to have your trust and will work tirelessly to continue to deserve it.
To the team; I am grateful for the opportunity to work with talented, dedicated and passionate people every day. Your commitment to put our customers first and to live our corporate values have been integral to Milima Security’s progress and success. Micheal Jordan once said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." Let’s keep going, the championship is insight.
To our partners; We have become an integral part of each other’s work over the years. I thank you for your trust in us and the shared visions. We still have a long way to go, but we can only get there if we keep doing it together.
Shaping the Future
In the next year we are entering a new phase in our growth which will be characterized by introduction of more value addition to the cybersecurity services offered to our clients as well as exploration of new markets.
The journey hasn’t been easy, a lot of war stories to share, but that will be for another day. I am however proud of what we have all achieved together, with each one of you being a part of it and God leading the way. Let’s keep rocking this!
For A Digitally Safe Africa
Emmanuel A. CHAGARA
Founder/CEO Milima Security