Safaricom is soon expected to launch a new service Okoa SIM that will allow its customers to backup all the data on their SIM cards into the Safaricom cloud.

The service will come in handy in case you lose your mobile phone since your contacts will have been stored safe in with Safaricom.

Information on this new service is still scanty but The Timpata shall update this post as soon as we get it and as soon as the product is rolled out to Safaricom subscribers.

UPDATING……

<<UPDATE 1>>

How it works for Non Data Enabled Handsets:

If you have a non-data enabled handset and you want to backup contacts saved on your SIM:

• Dial *100# for PrePay and *200# for PostPay and select option 6 { Contacts back up}.
• You will receive a notification to prompt you to activate the service. Reply with 1.
• Go to the SIM Toolkit menu, then select Contacts Backup.

How it works for Data Enabled Handsets

If you have a data enabled handset and you want to backup contacts saved on your phone:

• Dial *100# for PrePay and *200# for PostPay and select option 6 { Contacts back up}.
• You will receive a notification to prompt you to download the phone book backup application to your device
• Once downloaded, click on the app and select synchronize option
• To save the contacts on your SIM, go to the SIM Toolkit menu, then select Contacts Backup.

CHARGES

The service is free until December 16th 2012, but data charges will apply when using the contacts backup application.

After the free trial the charges will apply as follow:

To backup : 1Kshs every 7 days
Retrieval: 25Kshs

How to retrieve your backed up contacts from Safaricom:

Upon subscription you will receive a message with your user name and password. Go to www.safaricom.co.ke/contactsbackup to view your contacts or select “Forgot your Password” if you received it but you forgot it.