1. Dawit Bekele Managing Director EthioLink

2.  On-line gift delivery service  Gift items: flowers, cakes, sheep, etc.  Customers: mainly Ethiopians in the diaspora (over 1 million)  Operational for almost three years What is EthioGift.com?

3.  Very poor Internet Infrastructure in the country  Almost no electronic payment method  Very little awareness about E-commerce  Inadequate national laws with regards to international trade  Lack of funding Challenges

4.  Use of ICT and Banking Infrastructure in developed countries : Web site in Canada Bank in Maryland Credit Card Verification Company in California Company registered in the US  Use of agents all over the world to access potential customers that do not use Internet Some Solutions devised by EthioGift

5. EthioGift was a big success for EthioLink, the mother company. The main reason for its success is because it provided a solution for a problem, using current technology that it has adapted to local conditions EthioLink plans to widen its span of activity to the following areas:  Teleservices: the disappearance of the distance barrier makes developing countries more competitive in some area. Ethiolink has already started off-shore translation service.  E-mall: an electronic mall that provides all necessary services for companies that want to go on line. Future Plan

6.  E-commerce is not a luxury: it costs less for the customers to use EthioGift than using the tradition system  EthioGift is an example that shows that E-commerce can be a reality even in LDC provided that innovative solutions are used  Not all businesses can get the expertise to develop E-commerce sites. IT Companies that help other companies to go on-line should be encouraged (E-mall). Lesson learnt from EthioGift