Send money from ATM to Mobile In INDIA

In a bid to encourage the use of mobiles for banking transactions, the Reserve Bank of India has allowed the National Payments Corporation of India to facilitate money transfer by a bank customer from an ATM/Internet to a beneficiary's mobile phone.

The RBI's permission to expand the scope of the money transfer mechanism through the NPCI-promoted Interbank Mobile Payment Service comes at a time when mobile banking transactions are growing at a slow pace.

SLOW GROWTH

Ever since IMPS was launched in August 2010, the number of mobile banking transactions nudged up from 430 mobile banking transactions aggregating Rs 5,142 in August 2010 to 12,511 transactions aggregating Rs 3.80 crore in October 2011. The number of banks which are members of IMPS has increased from four in August 2010 to 28 in October 2011.

“The IMPS has so far facilitated instant inter-bank funds transfer between the sender and the receiver using the mobile. Now, following the RBI's permission, the IMPS will also facilitate funds transfer from ATM to mobile and the Internet to mobile,” said Mr A. P. Hota, Managing Director and CEO, NPCI.

NPCI, which was set up in late 2009 as an umbrella institution for operating various retail payment systems in the country, is working with a few banks so that they can launch the facility to transfer funds from ATM to mobile and Internet to mobile.

Once the IMPS picks up, long queues outside bank branches to make remittances will become a thing of the past.

For example, auto-drivers and cabbies, who otherwise lose a part of their day's earnings as they have to queue up outside a bank branch during business hours for sending money home, could remit funds to their kin on the move any time of the day.

Neither bank holiday nor a bank strike will be a hindrance when it comes to remitting funds through IMPS using mobile, ATM or Internet, emphasised Mr Hota.

IMPS enables bank customers to use the mobile instrument as a channel for accessing their banks accounts and remit funds. Payments, including merchant and financial inclusion-related, can be made with just the mobile number of the beneficiary. 

THE MECHANICS

  For using mobile banking facility through IMPS, a remitter has to register with his bank and get seven-digit Mobile Money Identifier (MMID) number and Mobile Personal Identification Number (MPIN). The beneficiary has to link his mobile number to his bank account and get MMID from the bank.

A remitter can initiate an IMPS transaction in four simple steps by keying the beneficiary/payee's mobile number, MMID, amount and MPIN. Both the remitter and the sender get SMS confirmation once the transaction is put through.

LIMIT PER DAY

The RBI has set a daily cap of Rs 50,000 per customer, per day for both funds transfer and transactions involving purchase of goods and services under IMPS when the communication from the mobile handset to the bank's server or the server of the mobile payments service provider is encrypted. In case the communication is not encrypted then the transaction limit if Rs 5,000.

Transferring funds from an ATM or Internet will be simpler as only the Mobile Money Identifier number of the beneficiary will be required.

To improve the usage of mobile for banking transactions, Mr Hota said, banks have to create awareness among customers about the safety, simplicity, time and cost saving, and instant funds transfer features of mobile banking using IMPS. source

Where Has All The Money Gone!!!!

Where has all the money gone? Despite billions in investment one in four Britons still have poor or no mobile coverage for smartphones

• Ofcom study finds 7.7m UK homes or businesses do not have a choice of all five 3G mobile companies
• The worst-hit areas are mid-Wales and the Highlands of Scotland while London comes out best
• Experts say results are for coverage outside so it could be even worse inside homes and offices
• Study also shows marked increase in quality of broadband coverage

Billions of pounds of investment in Britain's mobile phone network seems to have been wasted as one in four people still have very poor or no access to 3G services.

Half of the population now owns a smartphone, which rely on faster services for internet and e-mail, but a study by communications watchdog Ofcom has found that vast swathes of the UK lack adequate coverage to make them work properly.

A new study also reveals only 13 per cent of Britain is covered by all the major networks, which means 7.7million UK homes or businesses do not have a choice of all five 3G mobile companies.

In a matching map, areas with best coverage are shaded green, while those with the worst are red, and the fact that large parts of the UK are scarlet shows the poor services many receive. 

3G coverage by premises: Ofcom has revealed the level of poor service British mobile users are receiving despite billions in investment. Green denotes the best coverage while red shows the worst

Mobile phone companies like Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3 have to provide coverage in 80 per cent of the UK, but it seems that they are concentrating on profitable urban areas and pushing aside rural Britain.

'Mobile providers tend to prioritise investment in network infrastructure where the maximum number of consumers and businesses can be served,' an Ofcom spokesman said.

Last year, T-Mobile and 3 together invested £400million in upgrading their 3G capability, and both spent millions more this year.

 

More...

• Click here for Ofcom's interactive, zoomable map

Figures show that by 2009, O2 had already spent more than £500million on network upgrades - and then announced it would invest 'hundreds of millions of pounds' more in the coming years increasing speeds and coverage.

Meanwhile, Orange has claimed it spends £1.5million a day on upgrading its network, which is around £500million per year since at least 2008.

They have also reportedly invested huge sums in developing smartphone technology themselves.

Using data supplied by communications companies, the regulator split the UK into 200 areas and ranked them according to how well they were served.

Struggle: Around half of Britons now have a smartphone like the iPhone, pictured, but millions do not have the coverage needed to use it properly

The worst-hit areas are mid-Wales and the Highlands of Scotland while London comes out best.

The measurements were taken outside and critics think that the situation indoors could be even worse.

Bob Warner, chairman of the Communications Consumer Panel, said 'Ofcom quotes figures for outdoor mobile coverage of buildings and UK geography, but what also matters to most mobile users is the coverage that they get when they're at home or at work.

'Consumers do not want to have to go outside to make and receive calls.

'Although the Ofcom report explains that actual consumer experience will differ from the outdoor figures, in reality consumers indoors will experience much worse coverage.

'The Panel would like to see Ofcom and the industry develop a better measure that reflects how and where consumers and small businesses really use their mobile phones.'

Ofcom is working with the Government on how to invest £150million to help fill gaps in mobile coverage.

The findings will now be used as a base against which future performance can be measured.

Ofcom chief technology officer Steve Unger said: 'This is our first report to the Government on the UK's communications infrastructure.

'We hope it will be a useful reference point for interested parties, particularly in the light of the recent Government funding package of £150 million to help address mobile not-spots.'

The study, part of the regulator's first Infrastructure Report, also found internet traffic in the UK has increased seven-fold in the past five years.

Domestic broadband use now averages at 17 Gigabytes per month, enough to download 11 films, stream 12 hours on the BBC iPlayer or listen to 12 days of audio over the net.

According to Ofcom, 'data from the London Internet Exchange shows that traffic over its network, which connects UK internet service providers, has increased seven-fold in the past five years'.

Mixed: Broadband coverage in the UK has improved markedly but some areas still have very poor services

source

Mobango's Initiative To Help Developers

Our Apps Coverage is brought to you by Intel AppUp℠ center. Join the Intel AppUp℠ developer program to develop and sell your apps on the Intel AppUp℠ center.

Mauj (People Infocomm) owned mobile applications and content marketplace Mobango has today announced ‘Mobango Showcase’ , which it claims is a service which enables “developers to feature their applications and brand their presence to Mobango’s 6 million registered members.” According to a press release, it is a homepage property on Mobango that is a showcase, and it will allow developers opting for it to be able to customize the mobile pages with “their own their own brand colours, cross links and messages.”

Now a promotion section for content is not new to Mobango – it had a promote service when Mauj bought it – so this appears to be a case where the site is offering developers the ability to customize their apps page on the website (possibly for a fee). Herocraft, a developer with over 100 high quality mobile games like ZumZum and Yumsters! is expected to be the first developer to try it out, but when we accessed the ZumZum page on mobile, it had no customization.

Additionally, for a mobile site, we found Mobango rather heavy, with the ZumZum page going over 129 kb in size before loading completely. It’s worrying how much larger it will be once the company allows customization. Unfortunately, there is very little information in the press note on what exactly Mobango is trying (we couldn’t find any Showcase related information and terms and conditions on its website), and the PR rep who mailed us the info said they would get back to us. It’s been a couple of hours, but to be honest, given how responsive the People group has been in the past, we’re not expecting one. If spot something we haven’t, tell us. source

Operator SMSs in your language NOW!!

A new application called My SMS will enable operators and VAS providers to connect to subscribers in their language.

IMImobile, a company that provides mobile VAS solutions to mobile operators, media companies and enterprises, has announced an app called My SMS. It is an SMS based application which allows users to request SMS services in their language. My SMS is an application that allows a user to receive SMSs in his language irrespective of the make of his handset.

People using Symbian or J2Me based mobile phones can download this application by dialing 56263. Android or other operating systems are not supported. Currently, all the operators support this service.

Vishwanath Alluri, founder and chief executive officer, IMImobile, said, "Through My SMS, we plan to break the language barrier which has been a huge roadblock for the penetration of the telecom revolution. We want to empower users especially in the rural areas to enjoy the benefits of this revolution in their own language."

To start with, this service is available in eight major languages - English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi and Bangla. The USP of this service is its easy scalability, which allows many more languages to be added. This application is very easy to use as it does not require a keyword or short code.

The application will be integrated at the back end of the service provider. It allows easy addition and deletion of categories and the menu can also be customized according to the operator's requirement or based on festivals or events.

This will allow operators to easily connect with subscribers in their native language and promote their value added offerings better while keeping themselves better informed by talking in the users' own language.source

We Have Not Marketed The Internet Medium Well In India

Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is an industry body founded in January 2004 which represents various members of India’s internet and telecommunications ecosystem, such as online publishers, e-commerce firms, mobile marketing agencies, content and services businesses, large OEMs, handset manufacturers and network companies. IAMAI lobbies with the government and is also involved in growing the internet and mobile ecosystem in the country. In conversation with Techcircle.in, Subho Ray, President, IAMAI talks about how the body has been scaling up, the recent modifications to the IT Act and offers his expert comments on the country’s lagging internet uptake and challenges faced by e-commerce entrepreneurs.

How has IAMAI been scaling up and what is your agenda for the year?

Our membership has grown from around 14 in 2006 to 110 as of April, 2011. From a close group of large Internet players initially, we are much more broad based and representative of industry. We now aspire to represent the entire gamut of stakeholders in the digital space. The association has a truly democratic structure in all matters: we follow the principle of one member one vote irrespective of the size of the company.
We focus on areas including advocacy, consumer awareness and business development for our members and CSR activities. We have grown exponentially in the last five years in all areas of work: advocacy, market research, segment development and industry events.

What are your thoughts on the speed and uptake of internet in India?

We have not marketed the medium well in our country. Unless you are able to convince people about the usefulness of the medium, you will never be able to create the necessary pull for adoption.
There are differing numbers on the size of India’s internet base – the government says it’s around 12 million connections, Google India says it’s 100 million users and IAMAI says it’s 65 million users. Why are these numbers different?
The government talks about internet connections not users; Google talks about people who hit their site [probably]. We talk about a real consumer survey. Once the details and methodology are known, people can pick their relevant number. In any case, in the past five years, I have seen most researches on numbers converging. We should be able to talk more on converging internet user numbers once our annual internet in India report is published next month.

How is IAMAI acting as a bridge between the government and industry?

We have an excellent relationship with government agencies that we work with and it helps that none of the sectors we represent are very involved or dependent on the government.

After the recent modifications to the IT Act, what is the current mood of the internet players and what can we expect, going forth?

Some of the rules for section 79 of the IT Act that guarantee safe harbour for all the intermediaries appear to be tricky to comply with. We have made our views on these problem areas to the government clear and expect some movement on this soon.

TRAI issued a directive to operators regarding their activation of value added services without taking the permission of mobile users, as it had received 672 complaints. How are operators resolving the issue?

A TRAI directive does not leave any option so operators and M-VAS companies have to follow it.

What is your take on the current e-commerce market and challenges faced by entrepreneurs?

All entrepreneurs face challenges and e-commerce entrepreneurs are no different. I think the biggest challenge that they face today is selling the category itself. I, for one, would strongly advise them to collectively create and sell the category highlighting its key virtues in parallel with building their own individual brands.

How will the government’s proposed rules for FDI in multi-brand retail affect e-commerce in India?

Most importantly, it will encourage iconic names like Amazon to set up shop in India. This in turn will mean international best practices in terms brands, scale, efficiency and customer service. Of course, there will be some buy-outs, burn-outs and stand outs! However, we would not overestimate the importance of FDI in multi-brand retail in jumpstarting the e-commerce industry in India. E-commerce so far has grown on local steam and that is going to continue; secondly, FDI itself is not a sufficient cause for international brands to set shop in India.source

Religare Launches Mediphone Service On Airtel

Religare Technologies has launched Mediphone, a 24×7 medical assistance service on phone for mobile users in partnership with Airtel.

Religare Technologies is a public listed IT services firm of the diversified business group led by billionaire brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh. Fortis Healthcare which is a part of the group is acting as the knowledge partner for the new initiative. The service was soft launched earlier this month and since then has been receiving more than a 1,000 calls on a weekly basis, according to the company.

But this is not the first such initiative; earlier Aircel had also launched its medical consultation service on phone called Apollo’s Tele Triage (in partnership with Apollo) that provided basic consultation for Rs 45.

The service, which uses a software engine licensed from Medibank, an Australian company, basically allows Airtel customers to call and seek advice on their medical conditions from certified doctors. Although it’s basically meant for non life-threatening ailments, the service can also tackle emergencies. In case of an emergency, the doctor will advice the patient and will also help him with directions for reaching the nearest hospital in the vicinity.

The fee per consultation is just Rs 35 (much less than the money charged by a general physician these days) which is charged on the mobile phone bill /account balance depending on whether it is a postpaid or a prepaid connection. To use the service, Airtel users can simply call 54445 from their mobile phones.

“The service is targeted at bridging the healthcare divide,” said Ashish Vijh, Senior Vice-President, mHealth, Religare Technologies, according to Business Line.

Earlier, Religare Technologies had set up a phone and Web-based health information service called Healthline 24×7 aimed at helping callers with locations and directions of the appropriate medical service.

As of now, the service is available in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, J&K and Himachal Pradesh but Airtel plans to extend the service across India.source

Mobile Banking – Getting Customers Past Fear

Posted on  16 August 11  by  Anastasia Milgramm

During my recent search for a new bank, I discovered that several banks now offer a mobile feature that allows customers to make deposits by taking a picture of an endorsed check and sending it to the bank using a smartphone banking app.

And that’s not all.

Banking customers can also use smartphones to pay bills, receive updates and take actions via text message, make transfers, and easily reach service reps.  

And although the global mobile banking industry has doubled in recent years and is projected to reach 1.1 billion customers by 2015, sources point out that customers are still very reluctant to adopt mobile banking apps.

A Javelin Strategy & Research report outlines two specific reasons for this: 

1. customers don’t see the full value in these apps and
2. they have concerns around information security.  (In fact, between 2009 and 2010, the number of customers who rated mobile banking apps as “unsafe” increased by 54%.)

Does this mean that mobile banking apps are doomed?  Not necessarily.  Banks just need to change the way they position apps to customers to ensure that they give customers what they want.  After all, it wasn’t so long ago that we doubted the staying power of online banking – but the 60% of consumers who now bank on the Web prove that self-service shifts are inevitable.

A few thoughts on how to engage customers in the shift to mobile banking:

• Emphasize the app as a differentiating service channel.  CCC’s study of customer channel preferences demonstrates a rapid shift to self-service:  across the last 3-5 years, the percent of customers who use self-service has grown from 10% to more than 40%. It makes sense that self-service follows technological trends: first e-mail, then Web, then social media, now smartphones.  While some banks may wait for customers to gain confidence in mobile apps, true differentiators will proactively drive that confidence.
• Target tech-savvy customers first. A recent McKinsey study found that consumers can be characterized into groups based on the types of digital experiences they prefer. “Digital media junkies” (mostly younger men) are 3 times more likely than their peers to embrace new technologies across digital channels.  Pointing these customers in the direction of the mobile app may therefore be a smart move.  CCC members, learn how Cisco used segmentation to align different customer types with distinct channels.
• Proactively guide customers to the app. Customers may not realize how much value they can get from mobile app functionality.  To encourage use, guide customers to the app using e-mail messaging, targeted Web site language, or proactive mention by reps.  CCC members, read about best practices on guiding the customer experience in self-service channels.
• Address customers’ privacy concerns.  Read Corey’s three recommendations on how to ensure information privacy in service interactions. Be transparent with customers. Provide clear information on how customer data is protected on smartphones and be proactive in addressing threats.
• Allow customers to “experiment” with mobile banking before committing. Customers might not be willing to take the full plunge into mobile banking, but companies can benefit from offering varied mobile services, such as proactive text and e-mail alerts (reminding customers, for instance, when their balance is low), maps (allowing users to find nearby branches or ATMs), orstreamlined customer service functionality (providing easy access to reps via text message, social media, etc.).

Though customers still have doubts about mobile banking, I would argue that its future is clear. Sixty percent of customers now embrace online banking via PCs and, as smartphone functionality evolves, it is inevitable that mobile banking will follow.  Successful service organizations can differentiate and gain customer loyalty by being proactive in driving this movement, not reacting when it’s too late.source

MediaNama’s Recommendations To TRAI On Regulation Of MVAS

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has extended the date for submission of comments on its proposal to regulate mobile Value Added Services in the country, to the 23rd of August 2011. Please submit your comments to the TRAI at advbbpa@trai.gov.in or bbpa@trai.gov.in. Download the consultation paper here. They’re seeking answers to just 10 questions, so do write to them.

We’ve just completed our recommendations for submission (since the today was supposed to be the deadline). Click here to download our recommendations.

The executive summary is below, but we’ve explained our rationale for the recommendations, and specific responses to the 10 questions in the document. We’re open to feedback and suggestions for changes from you, our readers, so please feel free to write in. We’ll submit the final recommendations next week.

Executive Summary

1. MediaNama.com, the premier website for news and analysis of the digital ecosystem in India, welcomes the TRAI’s interest in ensuring the creation of a healthy and flourishing Mobile Value Added Services ecosystem, since this industry is an integral part of the nascent Digital ecosystem in the country, with the potential to impact the livelihood of hundreds of millions of individuals.

2. Mobile Value Added Services companies are currently operating as vendors to telecom operators, and the provisioning of their services and their fate is entirely in the control of the UASL/GSM/CDMA Access Service Providers. The MVAS business is already regulated by the authority through these Access Service Providers, and as such, we do not feel there is a need for further regulation of Mobile Value Added Services companies. Licensing is out of the question, since the digital content and services ecosystem is at a nascent stage, and licensing would act as a deterrent to entry of startups and smaller companies, which are often the most innovative.

3. The lines between MVAS, the Internet, Broadband VAS, DTH VAS, and services on connected devices (from tablets to cars and refrigerators) will blur in a ubiquitous environment, and any initiatives from the authority must take this into account: please view these services as being delivered over Internet Protocol, and not by platform company or access service provider. Digital Ubiquity is the future, and companies are Digital Service Providers, not just MVAS companies or Internet companies.

In that context, we would request the authority to initiate steps to break existing cartels, ease setting up of new businesses and unshackle these Digital Service Providers. This can be done by focusing on three changes:

a. Separation of ownership of identity of the Digital Service Provider from provisioning by Access Service Provider by creating a Common Short Code Registry, governed by a Common Short Code Registrar. At present, Digital Service Providers do not own the short codes they operate.
b. Separate billing for services/content from access charges, to bring transparency and standardization in consumer billing, and independence for the Digital Service Provider from Access Service Provider. We would recommend the removal of the existing revenue share mechanism as a means to ensure ubiquitous pricing mechanisms across digital platforms.
c. Enforce provisioning of independent mechanism for verification of billing, in order to address MIS issues, and bring billing for content and services in line with Mobile and Online Banking guidelines from the Reserve Bank of India. source

Haiti - Technology : Voilà, awarded for its mobile payment service T-Cash

After the award last January of the price "first on the market" for its service Tchotcho Mobile [2.5 millions of dollars], Haiti Mobile Money Initiative (HMMI) created in June 2011, has handed last Friday to the phone operator Voilà, a check of 1, 5 million dollars for "Second on the market" for its mobile payment service "T-Cash" in Haiti.

This award is part of a program initiated by the USAID-HIFIVE, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which aims to encourage, up to 10 million dollars, the development of mobile payment services in Haiti, like the existing service M-PESA in Kenya.

One of the important criteria of selection, required to the companies to competition, had to have at least 100 independent agents across the country that have recorded at least 1,000 transactions each. "The dossier submitted by Voilàg reatly exceeded this minimum [...] More than 150,000 subscribers already use T-Cash" has noted satisfied, Robin Padberg, General Manager of the Comcel.

Launched in December 2010, in collaboration with Unibank, T-Cash allows "to hold on its own mobile phone, a balance of 2,500 gourds to make deposits, withdrawals, local transfers, and other financial transactions such as buying or selling of goods and services," said Robin Padberg.

"The launch of mobile payment services in Haiti in a period as short, in a difficult environment, is the result of extraordinary efforts by all concerned: the mobile network operators, financial institutions and the Haitian regulatory institutions," said for his part, Greta Greathouse, Director of HIFIVE.

According Comcel, the telephone company Voilà, will invest all of these 1.5 million dollars in its distribution network T-Cash, in order to improve the accessibility of this service to the customers in Haiti.

Worldwide mobile connections to reach 5.6 billion

Worldwide mobile connections will reach 5.6 billion in 2011, from 5 billion connections in 2010, representing 11 percent increase, according to a report by Gartner. Mobile data services revenue will total USD 314.7 billion in 2011, a 22.5 percent increase from 2010 revenue of USD 257 billion. The report also says that worldwide mobile connections will experience steady growth through 2015 when mobile connections are forecast to reach 7.4 billion, and mobile data revenue will reach USD 552 billion.

"Mobile data traffic will increase significantly as more people will have access to mobile data networks, there is a migration toward smartphones and an increase in sales of media tablets,” said Jessica Ekholm, Principal Research Analyst, Gartner.

For generating the report, Gartner took into account four major mobile data traffic drivers: growth in the number of mobile connections, increasing availability of higher-speed data-centric mobile networks, smartphones, and data-consuming content and applications. In addition to the total number of connections growing, Gartner also expects that mobile data usage per connection will increase throughout the forecast period and that there will be a shift in mobile users' perception of mobile data around the world, as data plans go from being seen as a luxury, to being considered a nice-to-have service, to finally being perceived as potentially essential.

As per the report,  growing number of mobile connections will lead to higher demands on communication service providers' (CSPs') data networks as more people access the networks to use mobile data and to send text messages. "Data revenue will continue to grow but at a much slower rate, causing a decoupling between revenue and data traffic, and creating an increase in network costs for carriers as they try to sustain growing data traffic," said Ekholm.

Gartner expects CSPs to increasingly start moving towards offering more flexible and more personalized data plans, which should help capture a larger mobile data user base. "What carriers currently need are innovative ways to increase data revenue while finding smart solutions to manage a growing demand in data," said Sylvain Fabre, Research Director, Gartner.

Gartner analysts said carriers should investigate the pros and the cons of more customized pricing plans, such as tiered pricing, a la carte and usage-based plans, carefully weighing additional costs and future benefits. As per Gartner analysts, CSPs should also look to offer increased flexibility in pricing and introduce add-on pricing models, in which users are able to add data access when they want to. These add-on pricing models could include paying for additional usage and additional speed, and a fee for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or for gaming.

“Carriers should focus on increasing the level of clarity and the transparency of their mobile data contracts in order to make the majority of customers feel more at ease in using data services. This is particularly important when it comes to data roaming. Offering clients various ways of being able to track and monitor their data usage would help carriers receive a larger amount of revenue from more profitable lower-usage, medium-pay users," said Ekholm. source

Comviva's Solution to Increase ARPRU By 41 Percent in Africa

Leader in providing mobile solutions beyond Value Added Services (VAS), Comviva, at the weekend said its Mobile Data Solutions could assist operators in Africa increase data volume by 41 per cent and increase Average Revenue per User (ARPU) by 20 per cent.



Mr. Sundeep Mehta of Corporate Communications unit at Comviva Technologies Limited, who disclosed this in a press statement said that Comviva's Mobile Data Platform deploys advanced optimization, data management and monetization techniques to enhance the user experience and stimulate revenue growth, whilst generating upto 45 per cent savings on bandwidth and upto 50 per cent on infrastructure investment.
He said, Comviva, with over 10 years experience in managing mobile data pipes for more than 80 operators globally across and over 40 countries, is ideally positioned to be the solution provider to evolve an operator's mobile data strategy.
The award winning, Comviva Mobile Data Platform (MDP), he said, is a comprehensive data suite offering acceleration, optimization, smart caching, video caching, P2P caching, policy and bandwidth management, DPI based profiling and inline billing.
However, the Vice President, Africa Region, Comviva, Mayank Sharma, was quoted as saying that Africa has witnessed the highest growth in mobile broadband globally and operators in the region need solutions that could complement their infrastructure with this growth.
"Comviva's comprehensive approach to mobile data management enables efficient and effective handling of the various types of data traffic," Sharma said.
Adding that Comviva's mobile data solutions enable all mobile users to exploit the true power of the Internet by addressing all profiles of traffic found on the internet, such as http, progressive http, and other data services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Virtual Private Network (VPN).
"Our solution helps to enhance mobile internet experience by improving data download speeds," Sharma declared.
Further, the VP said that Comviva's Mobile Data Platform enables operators to focus on optimizing bandwidth and Capital Expense (CAPEX) investment; enhancing the user's service experience with personalization, policy and advanced analytics' engines, while adding to the monetization opportunities with improved ability to price on a differential basis.source

'Chote Miyan Bade Miyan' Series on STEL

S Tel, Apnakara Nijara Phone, aligned to its philosophy of simple, uncomplicated and hassle free offering, today announced a series of attractive tariff plan under a common umbrella of CHOTE MIYAN BADE MIYAN for its subscribers in Odisha. S Tel subscribers can now choose a plan of their choice to match their budget and specific needs from a plethora of larger (Bade Miyan) as well as smaller denomination (Chote Miyan) plans comprising of rate cutters, bulk minutes for every segment ( Local, STD, ISD ) along with SMS and GPRS packs. 



Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Shamik Das, CEO, S Tel said, "During recent surveys conducted by S Tel, it was found that most customers were not aware of the Special Tariff Benefits beings offered by various operators. More so, these offers were so confusing that they were not able to compare them as well. True to S Tel philosophy of offering simple and uncomplicated yet attractive products, company has created a simple bouquet of products under 2 ranges - CHOTE MIYAN and BADE MIYAN. It is a series of chosen product packaged to match customers largest to the smallest communication needs."

He further added ," S Tel will continue to position itself as 'simple' &'transparent' brand that speaks the language of the local people, 'belongs' to them, and seeks to 'uncomplicate' & 'demystify' the lives of mobile user. The brand's purpose is to inspire inclusiveness, which resonates in everything it does - be it our tariffs, VAS, customer care or distribution. S Tel's baseline 'Apnakara Nijara Phone' is a true reflection of this spirit."

From two ranges - CHOTE MIYAN and BADE MIYAN, all products under first range 'CHOTE MIYAN' come with 30 days validity and have in-built talktime of Rs.10. The customer can enjoy choice of products like - SMS Dhamal that gives first 100 SMS (Local + National) free every day or 1p/2s Calling Karnama , offer that allows first 10,000 sec of Local & STD calls@1p/sec , making STD call as cheap as Local call. Similar attractive offer in this range include - GPRS Ka Maza, Flat Rate Kamal, Local S Tel masti & ISD dhamaka.

Similarly, BADE MIYAN, as the name suggests gives a larger benefit to its customers - a whopping validity of 90 days and in-built talk time of Rs.30. The second range packed with portfolio of products ranging from ISD dhamaka which gives to consumers lucrative first 5000 sec to Nepal& Gulf @10p/sec or Flat Rate Kamal with attractive tariffs as low as 30p/min for local calls & 40p/min for STD calls. SMS Dhamal, GPRS ka Maza, 1p/2p calling karnama or Local S Tel Masti complete the bouquet of choices in this range.

The details of CHOTE MIYAN BADE MIYAN series can be seen from table of benefits below:

Excited on launch of new series, Mr. Aravind Santhanam, COO, S Tel said, "S Tel prides itself in being an operator of choice for its subscriber making it truly "Apnakara Nijara Phone". With introduction of the 'CHOTE MIYAN BADE MIYAN' series, we have given our subscribers in Odisha the recharge options that cater exclusively to their usage requirements and budget. The series has been launched keeping in mind the different needs of the consumers ,be it rate cutters or bulk minutes ranging from SMS, Local, STD or ISD calls ,along with SMS and GPRS pack. S Tel has in the past & going forward will continue to bring unique and simple concepts to the consumer that will be packaged to meet their unaddressed telecom needs."

He further added, "With footprints across 112 census towns and 6070 villages in Odisha through 17,000 strong retail network and 63 distributors, S Tel customers can now ask for their favorite Bade Miyan or Chote Miyan plan from their convenient retail point."

In the recent past, S Tel had launched Ghar Baithe Mann Chahe plan chune, a unique 'Self recharge' concept for its subscribers. It also introduced a fascinating product to get connected to STEL - FRC 108. This pack enabled any new subscriber to come on board and enjoy free local talktime and free internet upto 90 days continuously for a mere Rs. 108.

Targeting the youth segment, S Tel introduced Mobile Internet services that provide Unlimited Download option across Daily, 10 Day and Monthly Plans. With each recharge consumer stands to get Free! Talk time. S Tel Adda WAP portal offers FREE browsing on subscribers WAP enabled phones where one can download ringtones, wallpapers, themes, videos, animations and games. S Tel has also introduced two Voice based service called Love Zone which provides love tips, shayari, and Mirch Masala zone that provides bollywood gossips, movie and music reviews and celebrity talk. This service is available on weekly subscription with unlimited usage.

S Tel also offers a basket of competitively priced VAS services on SMS and voice platform. S Tel's premium SMS alerts come at just Re.1/SMS. Consumer can subscribe to different SMS Subscription Alerts, Cricket, Jokes and Health at just Rs. 15 per month. At Re 1 they can also access voice portal services focused on mobile education, exam results, government jobs etc.
Subscribers can also make new friends with Hum Tum, a voice based chat service.

S Tel customer care in Odisha can be reached at +919132012345 from any landline or mobile number. Besides this, S Tel users can access the toll free customer care number 1212. source

Present and Future of 3G in India

The world is fast changing with increasing trends in the communication sector. Drastic shifts have happened in the way people used to communicate. The adoption of technology, not only in the metros but also in the rural areas is observed in today’s time. This is primarily due to the growing consumer awareness and adaptability towards newer technologies.

In today’s scenario, the increasing use and understanding of technology is augmenting the growth of the communications market in India. The communication market in India is fairly influencing the growth, especially of the mobile handset and service providers. Following are some interesting statistics supporting the same:

As of May, 2011, the mobile subscription base stands at more than 811 million in India which is the world’s second highest after China. The most interesting part about these millions of subscribers is that they are fast changing their preferences to a better mode of communication. No doubt about the fact that the 2G market in India is one of the fastest-growing mobile services markets in the world but the change to 3G is happening. An example of how big 3G is with respect to Indian markets is, GOI expecting INR 35,000 earned INR 67,719 crores against in the 3G spectrum auctions.

Here is an analysis of the present and future of 3G market in India:

Consumer Switch:

Elite subscribers in the high-spending tech-savvy segment are likely to shift from 2G to 3G services. A variety of consumers are shifting from 2G to 3G networks primarily in the urban areas where consumers have shown a higher preference for data services and have better affordability. Currently there are around 11 million 3G users in India but the number is expected to reach 400 million by 2015.

Pricing:

The pricing strategy adopted by various players is very competitive and cheap to start with. The current rates being offered at discounted prices for consumers to experience the service and then take a decision is being adopted. 3G is being looked at a long term investment with high returns.

Handsets Sales:

The decreasing price of 3G enabled handsets is also aiding the whole business. The increasing affordability across different demographics in India is also one of the driving factors. Thus we expect the 3G market to grow invariably.

Tariff Plans:

The tariff levels in India are among the lowest in the world, and this is the primary reason for the wide adoption of mobile services in the country. The mobile penetration rate is expected to reach 97 percent by 2015, with the rural population expected to adopt mobile services.

Communication & Entertainment:

The increasing use of applications on 3G phones is set to drive the sales and awareness as well. This in turn will also act as a revenue generation business for TSPs in the future. The growing popularity of mobile entertainment is a significant growth factor as access to mobile games and video-based content would need high speed. This would result in increased adoption of 3G services.

Security Concerns:

The GOI has always raised a concern on the telecom handsets that is being imported in India. This has largely affected the TSPs’ network expansion and 3G rollout plans. However, the recent lift of the ban on importing equipment from Chinese vendors is likely to improve this situation.

On the whole, the future of 3G looks bright in India but again it clearly depends on factors such as availability of 3G handsets at affordable prices, attractive pricing schemes to suit the needs of Indian consumers and innovation & localization of mobile content. The telecom service providers will always need to deploy innovation and build a comprehensive value proposition to target consumers in India.source