Internet on Mobile for Dummies

Hello Tribesmen,
It’s really heartening to see such a positive response on my first blog. I guess I started off with a highly debatable comment, but you see that’s Marketing.
Speaking about Marketing (typical Dabangg ishtyle), I thought my second blog should be dedicated solely to the consumers or rather the ‘shoppers‘ of mobile Internet in India. What’s the difference? A shopper is a would-be consumer, so this page is for all folks who want to use Internet on their phone for the first time.

Decision Point 1- Being Smart
So you have decided to be “always on”. According to me, the most important decision during the lifetime of your mobile Internet experience depends on how smartly you purchase the engine i.e. the Smartphone. This will also decide the monthly expense you are going to incur. So be wise, be smart. Everyone knows that now you are spoilt for choice, or should I say it’s a problem of choice. My suggestion is that consider only two factors while selecting your first Smartphone – the input type you are comfortable with and the size of screen. It’s simply because using Internet on your phone is completely experiential and hence form factor is perhaps the only defining parameter for you to enjoy that. It’s similar to a restaurant where good food is a basic requirement, but the ambience will decide whether you become a loyal customer or not. Decide whether you want a snacker type experience aka McD or KFC or the complete dining pleasure like Taj. Input type means your mode of interaction with the device, for eg touch/type/QWERTY. For beginners I will always recommend QWERTY cos it will be a simple transformation from laptop/desktop input experience. And definitely, the screen size need to be medium to large, cos you don’t want to associate ergonomic disorder with Internet experience. So if you are already using Internet on your desktop/laptop then it’s better that you shift to the small screen with similar form-factor. Or else I know lot of people who roam around with Rs 30k plus gadgets but don’t even use it for googling. My personal reco is to start with a Nokia or Blackberry- both great brands, dependable, good range in low/medium prices, proprietary QWERTY and trackball and will be economical for recurring monthly expense (will explain how in later section). However, both might be boring and serious, so if your priority is fun and most importantly if you are comfortable with touch, then go for Samsung without any hesitation. Now you see how your problem of choice is simplified if you decide the input type cos trust me each handset brand is a specialist in each input type, so it becomes easier when you are hounded by 5 promoters trying to explain the 20 unwanted features in each phone. If you already possess a smartphone then it’s my humble request to start using Internet on that and experience how much productive your life will be (I will explain how to make a start in next para). Being a brand evangelist I will never opt for Indian/chinese makes simply cos they are not good enough. Definitely you are going to save 30% as initial investment but being an Indian, I will always look for a bargain for my next handset upgrade. And you know the period at which we are changing our handheld is shrinking, so you wouldn’t like to end up with a junkie. The 30% extra that i paid for my first purchase will be recovered with awesome service option and definite exchange offer on my next purchase. One last comment for this section and that’s very close to my heart. I am sure some of you will notice I didn’t mention iPhone. Trust me I am the biggest loyalist of the great Steve Jobs and Apple is a cult. But this page is for first time users and coming from a typical Indian mindset, I will consider my comfort and budget. iPhone will be expensive initially and as a recurring cost as well. So if budget and touch-typing is not a factor then go for the best!

Decision Point 2 – Being Mr. Holmes
I am a firm believer of Mr Sherlock Holmes’s comment about human mind “Human mind should be treated like a furniture; stack only those things which are required“. Similarly, before starting your mobile Internet journey, decide top 3 things you are going to use it for. When I mean use it for, I mean think about the stuff you would like to do while you are on move. For example definitely it’s unlikely that you are going to make a PowerPoint presentation on the go. This decision is important from two aspects- which smartphone you decide to buy and your monthly cost. My reco for proper Internet experience on the go is to opt for push based services instead of pull. Your email account, social networking sites can be accessed on the move either by repeatedly logging into the site or allowing the site to push you notifications online. The last aspect is to decide whether you are going to access official email and intranet sites or purely personal usage. If your usage is going to official email+social networking+ browsing then opt for blackberry and Blackberry Internet Services. If your usage is personal emails+social+browsing then opt for Nokia/Samsung and 2G Internet services. If your usage is going to consist of good percentage of heavy downloads, video streaming then opt for Samsung/HTC/iPhone and a 3G Internet service. However, to start of do visit the on-deck portal of any telco and browse through the various entertainment or utility downloads available.

Decision Point 3 – Being Mr. Scrooge
Now that you have got the smartphone and also know what all things you gonna use it for, comes the important question of cost. Keep in mind that accessing Internet on the move is definitely going to improve your productivity at work, will keep you connected with friends and family whom you haven’t made a call for months, and provide information and entrainment without being wired or glued to the idiot box. So add your expense of fixed broadband, SMS, Std calls and cable TV since all these can be made obsolete with the small wizardry in your hands. Follow my simple advice and you will soon realize the value of each penny you spend on mobile Internet. First, while purchasing a smartphone look out for a data bundle offer. This is the best way to get started and also gauge how much your usage going to be. All top handset brands and top telcos are now working together to ensure that you get connected the moment you buy a new smartphone. So invariably, you start using internet for free albeit for a limited period. Once you have gauged your type and amount of usage within a few weeks, ensure that you opt for a data pack as soon as the validity of the free trial offer gets over. Otherwise, as mentioned in my first blog, you will end up paying a high rate per MB to the tune of thousands of rupees. Now here, natural tendency is to opt for the unlimited plans thinking you won’t be charged anything and that you dont need to worry about your usage. But note that I have found that almost 95% of Internet users don’t even use 10% of the free quota. So you should opt for a lower rental pack with lower quota which is sufficient for your type of usage. Speak with your telco which data plan is most suitable for you and 99% of the cases you will be surprised to know that there will be a customized pack made for you which otherwise won’t be available in open market. My suggestion again would be to start with 2g packs since the speed is sufficient for regular Internet usage. However, only if you are a heavy downloader then opt for relatively higher value 3G packs. Lastly, and note this will significantly reduce your cost by almost 20%, is to download Opera browser. This browser compresses data by 30% and provides faster browsing experience. Opera provides widget options so that you can access your favorite website immediately. I highly recommend that you ask your telco or handset promoter to download this browser and guide you through the various options. Many of my clients ask me how much GB is enough, I always say if you are using the fastest processor and use internet regularly then your usage should range between 500mb to 1gb in 2g network and between 1-2gb in 3G network. So you can opt for a suitable plan in this range, paying anything additional just for the sake of being safe amounts to paying extra bucks to your operator and helping their network utilization.

I hope this page will encourage you to explore the wonderful world of Internet on your smartphone and enable you to utilise the infinite opportunities. Your comments, suggestions and feedback will not only help me but thousands of other readers. I would like to end with a humble suggestion that if you are currently using a smartphone please do start browsing. It’s like you have bought the latest Ferrari but you are driving it on the roads of Sakinaka.

If you find this page useful and interesting do share the same on twitter and Facebook. Also feel free to give your suggestions on my twitter handle and Facebook page at
Joypratip@twitter.com; joypratip@facebook.com

Indian consumers are not really ‘using’ Internet on their Smartphones

Happy Valentine’s Day Tribe,
I am gonna make a real debatable comment today about Indian telecom company’s revenue story.
Within last week all the top 3 telcos declared their P&L results, and one thing is common among all three – Quarter revenue growth has come from mobile data. So does it sound death knell for traditional voice & SMS? Does this mean that Indian consumers are gulping down Internet in the small screen now? Is the new telecom revolution going to be in mobile Internet, with urban and rural consumers getting entertainment, news and the world wide web on the go?
Well, my opinion is that the P&L figures hide the real story. All the top 3 telcos need to execute lot more to garner sustainability of data revenues.  Definitely, voice is boring and SMS industry is being eaten up by Mark Zuckerberg & team. Only the British operator has generated some revenue growth in voice due to its heavier proportion of Postpay subs as compared to rest of the unlucky 13. It’s also true that mobile Internet has been the revenue driver and focus of top management of all ops. So am I confused or trying to confuse you?
Neither cos my intention is to give clarity to you. I made the statement that data revenues are most vulnerable. It’s simply because unlike the perception, Indian consumers are really not lapping up “data” on the go. In fact, they are extremely skeptical, doesn’t know how and what to use with their latest smartphones and are still voice heavy users. Controversial statement? Well, let me show how a typical data usage contribution pie of any leading telco looks like currently.
1. Bulk of Indian mobile users are just “snacking” data or are accidental users. They pay at an exorbitant rate of nearly Rs 5k-10k per Gb. Hence, customers are very skeptical about their billing on data. They are mostly not aware of the host of data packs in offer and what suits their need. Common question which i have heard from most Indian mobile users who have bought the latest gadget in town is ” What will be my data consumption? Is 1gb enough? Should i opt for a 2g or 3g offer? How csn i control my usage and biling? How much data usage will a video download take up? How much data will be used in 1 hour? Unless marketers give complete clarity and education on these basic questions, usage stickiness will be vulnerable.

2. Only a few percentage of customers are Data Savvy and actually busting the promo packs they are using. These are revenue negative subs for the company. However maximum effort and communication are targeted to these set of subscribers. These customers use data at a very minimal rate of Re 10 per Gb. Thus, this proves the huge disparity between the subscribers portfolio of mobile Internet users.

So in effect, max Indian mobile users can shift their internet usage to other modes of internet like broadband or dongles since that gives them control. Thereby, my theory that telcos data growth story is just at a very nascent stage and need to be nurtured carefully to avoid the bubble bust.  We all remember the 2k dotcom fiasco related to Internet boom.  Hence all marketers in telco and related industry professionals must join as a tribe to avoid another Internet bust this time in the small screen segment.

My personal top 5 suggestions to address this situation and thereby generate sustainable revenue are:

1. Look at Internet users in conjunction with the type of device they are using. It’s like the car you drive and the fuel you use. So buying the fanciest of gadget/smartphone is like buying a BMW. But to utilize the best out of BMW you can’t run it on CNG, similarly you need the correct data pack to fully utilize the potential of an iPhone or iPad or Samsung Note.
2. Micro-segmentation and Mass customisation is the key. Gone are days when a bouquet of packs are offered. Telcos and customers both need customized Ticket Packs. Example packs for social networking, for BBM, for email+Facebook, time of day, weekend packs, etc.
3. First Time Right – target customers at the point of purchase of latest gadget; enable his device settings; download the most popular app for free; set his email account – make the customer walk out working (WOW)
4. Telco + OEM tie ups in a strategic as well as tactical manner. Both need to work in tandem for the customer.
5. Last but not the least, build a data DNA both internally and externally. Make the consumer understand the value of ‘Internet on the go’ and the ‘world of opportunities ‘ it opens up for him. Try to answer these questions at every stage “Why data?”, “Why do you need 3G?”, “Why mobile Internet for corporate/organization?”

No doubt next wave of revolution in communication will be driven by the Tribe who will lead the mobile Internet tsunami. However, it’s a gold mine so like Macanas (Gregory Peck) devise the correct understanding of consumer need and right plans to execute. Don’t be drawn into a herd mentality. Lead the change 🙂

So what’s Tribe Joy?

Hello Netizens,

The world is changing. There are numerous technology, products and services discovered every day. However, from the time Adam & Eve had their first date, one constant ‘technology’ that’s still changing and impacting human life is ‘communication technology’. Think about it. From basic sign language to development of sound to drawing on primitive caves to written scripts, from writing in blackboard to writing books, from typing in typewriter to typing on word docs, from sentences to SMS, from email to chat – we are still developing new ways and forms to communicate. Hence my belief is that communication has been and will be the single most impact on human life and in a positive way.
My second belief is in the idea of a ‘tribe’ – which I attribute solely to marketing guru Seth Godin. The basic premise of a tribe is that everyone has an opportunity to make a difference in the world. That’s possible by bringing together a tribe of like minded people who are brave enough to lead a concept/movement/passion/hobby and do fresh and exciting work.

People, I am bringing these thoughts to you by combining the above two beliefs. I bring to you from my personal and professional experiences the opportunity to form a tribe to impact communication industry in India. So welcome to the Tribe of Joy (that’s as far as my creative juices flow in nomenclature, but best part is that it sounds positive).

So getting to the point, what will I Share and hence what will you find by joining the tribe?
1. Consumer Insights on Indian mobile subscribers
2. Trends and Opportunities in Indian mobile industry
3. Professional knowledge on Mobile Internet trends in India with focus on smartphones, tablets and Mobile Broadband
4 Professional and personal opinion on increasing business/revenue in Indian mobile sector

Dear Netizens, these pages are definitely my thoughts but it’s my request to make them impact full for Indian consumers by adding your opinion/criticism/comments. It’s my endeavor to use them for the betterment of Indian mobile industry since I am directly in a position to influence the same.

Everyone is welcome to be a member of the tribe – only one criterion, it should impact Indian consumers in a positive way. Just to reiterate, the mission of the tribe is to belief in the revolution of mobile in our lives and possess a passion to drive this revolution in a positive way.

For the joy of consumer join the tribe of Joy :))