July 2010

Mobile Subscribers Grow By 17.98 Million In June’10

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

Overall teledensity in the country may have reached 56% but that is not stopping the growth of wireless subscribers one bit. In the month of June, wireless subscribers added a whopping 17.98 million subscribers. Though the growth is just of 2.91%, it is over a large base which makes it a sizable no. of wireless subscriber additions in one month. Compare this to the fact that wireline subscribers actually shrunk by 200K subscribers approximately. The following is the operator wise additions for month of June So while wireless growth for mobiles is through the roof the broadband growth seems to be still crawling and has still not reached the 10 million mark. Broadband grew from 9.24 million in May-2010 to 9.45 million in June-2010 which is a growth of 2.27%. All in all it does seem that the future of a lot of digital stuff be it access, payments, information or social networking will be through mobile in the future. To cite from personal experience I recently got a blackberry bold and downloaded Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Google Maps, LinkedIn all on it. The blackberry interaction experience is actually better than what you get on a PC. Also with clones of blackberry being mass produced by the likes of Micromax and Lava mobiles for cheap, I believe the mobile internet revolution is closer than we all think. Would love feedback on this from our readers! What do you think? Related Posts Influence & Interactivity – The USPs of Digital / Social Media Mobile Banking – Will It Be Ever Be Bigger Than E-banking? Location, Location, Location – What’s Your Location? Amazon Kindle & Live Messenger Get Facebook – Twitter Support 6 Hours A Day Spent On Social Networking Globally! What About India? Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: banking, business, digital, google-maps, mobile banking, social-media, social-networking

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EdServ Helps Students Get Answers On Their Mobile Phones

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

Education in India is definitely set to improve by leaps and bounds. First, Educomp started online education for schools in Karnataka and also started online tutoring for engineering entrance exams. Recently, the HRD ministry launched a $35 laptop which is set to bring internet to most students in the country and thus revolutionize education in India. Now, EdServ has taken it a step further with the launch of a free application that will enable students to ask questions and receive answers via SMS. EdServ is not at all new to the education space. EdServ aquired SchoolMate early this year; SchoolMate, a branded CRM and ERP software, helps schools in updating parents about their children’s educational performance through various platforms like SMS, E-mail and Web. The following month, EdServ acquired Smart Learn Web TV , a service that provides e-learning and tutorial courses for IIT, JEE, and AIEEE aspirants. EdServ had acquired 2tion.com last year itself, but just recently launched the SMS service for students. 2tion.com is the number one tutoring portal in India with 24000 qualified tutors & 89000 students from all over the world. The new mobile application, called SMART (Students Mobile Apps for Resources & Tutoring), will help these students and tutors connect to each other via SMS. Below is an illustration how the application will work. This great benefit of this application is that a student can post a question as soon as he/she has a question, as compared to the next best option which would be to ask a question online or via email. Availability of internet is much less as compared to the mobile connections in India. This means that more students, including those in rural areas, can be reached using this application. And the best part: this application can be downloaded absolutely free at 2tion.com. Students can even SMS ‘SMART’ to 9566178844 to acquire the application. This application seems set to turn a new leaf in the Indian educational system. My only concern is, with so many tutors and students available at any time to answer questions, what if a question is posted by a student in the middle of an exam and replied to immediately? What are your views on this application? Related Posts Edserv Acquires SchoolMATE – Education Sector To See More M&A? Edserv Acquires Smart Learn WebTV for $1 Million Acquisition Buzz: EdServ acquires 2tion.com SchoolMATE Raises Funding From Chennai Fund Mobile Subscribers Grow By 17.98 Million In June’10 Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: business, media, mobile, mobile-technology, news, sms, technology

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Influence & Interactivity – The USPs of Digital / Social Media

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

In India, Digital is fast becoming more and more social with largest and most active sites being Facebook (with 12+ million Indian users), Twitter (with the bollywood bandwagon and more on it) and Linkedin (which claims over 5 million registered users). As digital grows one is forced to think about what the key USP’s that will drive adoption of this media in the future. And by future I mean the next 3-4 years. Most correct answers are simple and I believe the answer to digital media’s future is also embedded in two simple words.. Influence & Interactivity. Let me attempt to explain these two. The world around us works because of trade and commerce and commerce takes place because buyers buy and sellers sell. We all know that the economy we live in most categories the buyer dictates the terms. This means that the sellers influence on buyers and how he gets them to buy his or her product over the others is key for his survival and growth. Sellers can be products, services or brands but they still need to wield the magic wand on influence on consumers. Offlate in social media the term influencer outreach is fast becoming common which underlines how important this term is to sellers. Social media and digital media by virtue of having realtime updates that are share instantaneously which can have a huge network effect wields huge influence power. No surprises then that actors are themselves logging on to twitter to converse with fans and movie goers to build their own influence net through the medium. The second aspect of digital medium is interactivity. So while offline mediums are influential too as they reach a large base via print or TV they aren’t interactive enough at the same time. This means that incase you want to focus on few but highly important users through interactions then that isn’t really possible in the best way through other mediums. This is where digital scores highly on other media outlets. Also as niche brands, products come to the fore and as vertical influencers get built through bloggers and social media interactions this would become more and more a reason why sellers, marketers or brand flock to digital media to get a fix rather than look towards offline media. Related Posts 6 Hours A Day Spent On Social Networking Globally! What About India? Marketers, Social Media, Barriers And Methods – eMarketer Report WATBlog Picks: International Websites to Watch Out For in 2008 Politicians Turn To Social Media For Promotion The ‘Free’ and ‘Fare’ Internet! Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: digital-media, facebook, media, social, social-media, social-networking

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Yamaha SZ features review

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

India Yamaha Motors, one of the leading two-wheeler market leader, is ready to launch their new long awaited premium motorcycle, Yamaha SZ soon in India. According to some media reports the company is scheduled to launch Yamaha SZ 150 on 5th of August in Noida. The new premium motorcycle would be equipped with cutting-edge technology along with advanced features which makes it looks very stunning and great performance motorcycle in the Indian auto market. The all new Yamaha SZ is likely to be available with affordable price tag of around Rs. 55,000. The company hopes that the new Yamaha SZ is going to compete with Hero Honda Hunk, Bajaj Discover 150, Honda CB Dazzler, Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme and Suzuki GS in the Indian market. Yamaha SZ is believes to be gifted with kick and self start options. The new bike will be equipped with 18 inch spoke alloy wheels and the tyre size would be 2.75×18 42P for front and 3.00×18 52P or rear. It might have both drum brakes, besides, the disc brake version of Yamaha SZ is also expected to be launched soon in India. The Yamaha bike yet-to-launch with many features like suspension would be loaded with telescopic hydraulic type at front and adjustable hydraulic shock absorber at rear for the smooth and comfort ride, It had been loaded with a latest designed muffler. As per the initial pictures, the Yamaha SZ might get analogue dashboard comprised of tachometer, fuel guage, speedometer, tripmeter and other indicators. The new Yamaha SZ 150 is believed to be loaded with a 150cc, air cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, 2 valves engine which might produce 11 bhp of maximum power at 7500 rpm and would churn 10.4 Nm of top torque at 6,500 rpm expected. It is to incorporate with 13 litres of fuel tank which includes 1.5 litres of reserve. After getting a excellent powerful engine capacity which believes to offer a mileage of around 50 km/l in city. The new Yamaha SZ is supposed to be available with a 5 speed manual gearbox. The front and rear view of the Yamaha SZ is to be sporty and sharp as displayed in Auto Expo. Apart from that launch, Indian bike lovers will see more launches in India that includes Suzuki Gladius, Kawasaki Ninja 650R, TVS Apache 220, TVS MAX, Vibgyor shark etc.

Tagged as: apache, bajaj-discover, bike, india, Indian, suzuki-gladius

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Bipasha Basu Follows Trend – Goes Digital with Twitter, Facebook

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

The list of Bollywood stars on Twitter and Facebook is almost endless. All actors these days seem to have a Facebook fan page or a Twitter account. Priyanka Chopra is one of these actors who keeps tweeting regularly and as a result has over 5 lakh followers. With Katrina refusing to join Twitter, and Kareena barely having any fans, Priyanka is likely to now get some competition from Bipasha Basu who joined Twitter about 20 days back and already has almost 60,000 fans. But the important thing to be noted here is not that celebs love social networking as such, but the fact that they realize the importance of social networking in today’s world. Earlier, we had reported how Shah Rukh Khan came onto Twitter and got a huge response, and Bipasha seems to be on the same path. So how do these actors actually benefit from tweeting or facebooking? Well, its simple. The more you are responsive to fans, the more they will tend to like you. Which fan, or just a Bollywood enthusiast in general, would not want to watch a movie of an actor who actually took the effort to reply to his/her tweet? This strategy is definitely working for many stars, which will make them popular at the box office, and subsequently amongst directors who will get them more work. Apart from Twitter and Facebook, Bipasha also intends to take up video blogging, a path taken earlier by Amitabh Bachchan himself. According to her, video blogging is much easier than typing a blog and one can freely express themselves via words. She also relaunched her website through Hungama Digital Media, a tie-up through which fans can subscribe to the soon-to-be-launched service, and can wake up to the voice of Bipasha as their alarm. This is another great marketing strategy. After all, who wouldn’t want to wake up to the voice of a celeb? I am no Bipasha fan but this service might just have me as a subscriber too. The all new “digital” Bipasha is definitely set to win over a lot of new fans. However, who is the real winner here? Bipasha or social media? Whats your opinion? Related Posts Big B uses Blog on BigAdda to Bite Back at Ramadoss Influence & Interactivity – The USPs of Digital / Social Media After Mumbai Traffic Police, Their Delhi Counterparts Start SMS Service For Traffic Updates Excited About Your Vacation? Don’t Post It On Facebook/Twitter Location, Location, Location – What’s Your Location? Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: facebook, india, location, media, news, traffic, twitter, web

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Mobile Banking – Will It Be Ever Be Bigger Than E-banking?

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

Mobile banking has been knocking on our doors since quite some time now. In India, one of the first entrants were BOKU, who along with Airtel, were one of the first to introduce mobile banking solutions to their customers which allowed them to make purchases on their favorite gaming, entertainment, and social networking websites. Then came a radical new mobile payment solution through Accells and mChek that showcased a revolutionary patent pending technology which can make contactless payments possible with the help of mobile phones. Then Citibank got into the game with a trial mobile banking project with Vodafone and Nokia. Syndicate Bank and Paymate entered and mobile banking world, followed by Nokia , who tied up with Obopay , to introduce Nokia Money to their customers who could use to pay merchants for goods and services, pay their utility bills, or recharge their prepaid SIM cards. However, Nokia and Obopay have now partnered with YES Bank to bring mobile banking to customers, importantly with the permission of RBI. But with so much mobile banking options available, are there any takers? According to a recent research by TowerGroup, mobile banking usage in India is estimated to increase from 10 million users in 2009 to 53 million in 2013. This might explain the increase in players who provide mobile banking. However, how many of us really believe that mobile banking is really he next big thing? E-banking definitely lived up to expectations but at the same time was prone to security lapses. Will mobile banking be safe? Secuirty Though mobile banking offers to be more secure than e-banking, there have been cases of fraud even through mobile banking, where a customer found himself duped of over 2 lakh rupees. This definitely raises concerns. If someone were to obtain the SIM card of a person who has active mobile banking, then he might be able to use it. But at the same time, compared to e-banking, the mobile version is definitely a safer bet. Future Though social networking is the craze in India, people would be extremely reluctant to do banking via social networking websites . E-banking will have problems extending to the rural sectors, and this will extend an opportunity for mobile banking to stretch its wings. With the number of mobile connections increasing exponentially in India, including rural areas where the number had reached 100 million same time last year, it definitely looks like mobile banking has more than enough room to expand. Somehow, I am still a bit skeptical over its growth. How about you? Related Posts Nokia Announces Nokia Money: Enters Mobile Money and Payment Market SMS Based IM, Social networking – The Next Killer App For Indian Mobile? Tata DoCoMo Users Will Now Have Nokia Ovi Life Tools Dell To Cash In On India’s Phone Craze Over 100 Million Rural Mobile Subscribers In India – Opportunity For MVAS Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: Indian, mobile, nokia, sms, technology

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WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 18th – 25th July 2010

by Paul Joseph July 26, 2010 Featured

This week saw great progress in India with the launch of the $35 laptop by the HRD Ministry, and also the new Rupee symbol that can now be used in writings. The country also showed its progress by launching its first 40 plus matrimonial website against social norms. On the international front, Nokia and Facebook were seen suffering. Read about all this and much more with this weeks WAT weekly wrapup. Posts via WATBlog.com HRD Ministry Launches $35 Laptop – Will It Work? Nokia Profit Goes Down: Look For A Revival Marriage For 40 and Beyond – Use Case In India? Olive Launches 3G Tablet OlivePad: Apple’s Delay Is Olive’s Gain India Refuses To Go Digital With Books Want To Call Your Friends For Free? Use ibibo and Facebook Facebook Scores Abysmally Low On Consumer Satisfaction Alok Kejriwal, CEO Of Games2win, On Super Mom Becoming No.2 Free App On iTunes USA Store Indian Bikers To Ride Online Now with xKmph Indian Rupee Symbol Can Now Be Used In Writings Nokia C6 to debut in September – The Wait Continues Become A “Don” Through ibibo’s Mumbai Underworld India Poised To Become Leader In DTH Adam Tablet Draws Attention From RIL Togetherville: A Safe Social Networking Site For Kids 3G To Help Mobile Advertising Grow Now Watch Your Favorite Bollywood Movies On Your Phone Indiamart.com ’s Online Marketing Lessons for SMEs Facebook May Lose 2.5 Million Users – To Madina Affle Launches Smartphone Messenger Pinch – A Novel Idea? Social Media via Socialtrakr.com Survey: Teens moving out of Facebook Social Media to connect Fans and Brands: BIG Time!!! Twitter- The World’s Fastest Growing search Engine Press Releases via WATPR.com NetworkPlay Awarded For Brand Excellence In Internet Business EdServ Launches New Free Mobile Application for Stude HCL Infosystems Forays into the Gamers Zone, Introduces Affordable Gaming with ‘ME Gaming Consoles’ PlaySpan and VGMarket Publish Comprehensive Report on Digital Goods Spending WCG 2010 INDIA CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCED Xilinx Launches First High-Density Rad-Hard Reconfigurable FPGA for Space Applications QuEST Global Manufacturing Becomes the 1st Indian Private Sector Player to Work Directly with Airbus for the Manufacture of Aerostructure Parts International Cricket 2010 a success in India Druva releases inSync v4.0 Blackbird EMC Partners with SiliconIndia for the BridgeIT Employability Programme Jobs via WATJob.com Graphic/Web Designer @WATConsult Social Media Application Developer @WATConsult Related Posts InMobi Gets Funds To Stay In The Race 72% Mobile Internet Users Engage With Ads. Do These Stats Convey The True Picture? Marketers, Social Media, Barriers And Methods – eMarketer Report Abducted son reunties with mom after 27 years via Facebook and Google Intel Eyes to Power the Web 2.0 Market, Joining Hands with Facebook Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: attention, business, consumer, cricket, facebook, friends, india, mobile, mobile-internet, mobile-technology, phone, technology, weekly wrapup

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Saturday Startup Review: Rentoys.in – Rent Toys For Your Kids

by Paul Joseph July 24, 2010 Featured

Blame it on all the cartoons, or blame it on Disneyland itself, kids and toys are inseparable. Parents have to go through the ordeal of buying a toy and later realizing that their kid just doesn’t like it. To add to parental woes, toys by good brands like Funskool, Fisher Price etc. have become quite expensive. So what will the parents do? The answer lies in Rentoys.in . One sentence description: As the name suggests, it lets you rent toys. About Startup: Rentoys is a Bangalore based online toy rental company offering toys on rent for kids in the age group of newborns upto 6 years. The company’s toys portfolio includes toys from leading toy manufacturers like Fisher Price, Vtech, Okplay, Funskool, Baby Einstien and Playschool. About Founder: Neeta Verma, the founder of Rentoys attributes the inspiration to this company to her toddler . She is also a graduate in life science and focuses on early development of a child by playing with toys via Rentoys. Funding Status: Not known WAT’s HOT: This is a very unique idea. Though there are other companies like toys-on-rent and toysforrent , which just have a landing page and nothing else, Rentoys has a detailed website which offers visitors every information required. You can rent a toy for a minimum of two weeks and maximum of a month. But this can be extended if there are no orders for that toy. Also, even if your child loves breaking toys, you only have to pay for the broken parts and not the whole toy! The biggest concern of providing clean toys for children is also taken care of by sanitizing every toy once they are returned to the company. WAT’s NOT: As I said a above this is a unique idea. Though that is good, the bad part is people will take time to get used to the whole idea. Also, though the company assures clean toys, parents might still have concerns about where all the toy must have been before their kid got to play with it. The ‘trial’ package is more expansive than the ’silver’ package. Yes, you do get 2 toys at a time in trial as compared to one in silver, but the bottom line is shouldn’t trials be free? If you would like your startup reviewed email us at info(at)watblog(dot)com Related Posts Indian Bikers To Ride Online Now with xKmph MBD Alchemie Partners With IBM For Providing Online Eductional Content Travelobuddies.com = Social Utility Services + Travelers Community India Refuses To Go Digital With Books Tata DoCoMo Users Will Now Have Nokia Ovi Life Tools Workshop On Social Media For Business Register Here Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency

Tagged as: digital, india, price, social

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Yamaha ready to hit the new SZ in the Indian roads on 5th August

by Paul Joseph July 24, 2010 Featured

The country’s one of the major two-wheeler maker, Yamaha Motors is all set to launch their brand new premium motorcycle, Yamaha SZ on 5th August 2010 in Noida. India Yamaha Motor was already showcased its premium motorcycle at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010. It is in headlines from January to the launch in India, but the wait has been over now. The all new Yamaha SZ will be comes loaded with the same engine capacity which is already fitted in Yamaha’s flagship model, Yamaha FZ. According to some website reports, the new Yamaha SZ is expected to be priced at around Rs. 55,000, which is able to take a tough competition its rivals. The power train of Yamaha SZ has got a good capabilities to produce a maximum power output of 11 BHP at 7500 RPM while delivers top torque of 10.4 NM at 6500 RPM. We can expect the new bike would be delivered mileage of around 50kmpl and the fuel tank capacity is also around 13L. The new Yamaha SZ will be available with white and black shades combination, which has already displayed at same colours combination at the auto event in New Delhi. On the other hand, Yamaha Motor is also planning to launch another premium motorcycles in the Indian market including Yamaha YZF R125, Yamaha BWs(Premium Scooter) Yamaha Fazer 250 and Yamaha Nouvo (an another premium scooter).

Tagged as: bike, fuel, india, Indian, yamaha, yamaha-fazer

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New Toyota Corolla Altis Diesel version hits the Indian roads

by Paul Joseph July 24, 2010 Featured

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM) today announced the launch of the Corolla Altis Diesel in India. The latest offering from TKM has been developed keeping in mind the distinctive requirements of the Indian customer with the basic concept of ‘optimum balance of performance and economy’. India is the first Asian country to get the BSIV Corolla Altis Diesel. The Corolla Altis is available with a newly developed 1.4L in-line 4-cylinder D-4D Common Rail Diesel Engine that generates a peak power of 88.4 PS and a peak torque of 205 Nm. Toyota’s D-4D technology also used in the Innova, Fortuner, Prado and Land Cruiser 200 has earned a reputation the world-over for its high quality, durability and reliability. The D-4D engine in the Corolla Altis is complemented by a 6-Speed Manual Transmission − a ‘first-in-segment’ offering − to provide flat torque that would mean lesser gear shifting, leading to better fuel efficiency. The car has registered a best-in-class mileage of 21.43 km/ l as certified by a test agency. The Corolla Altis Diesel gets a differentiating sporty mesh grille, better aerodynamic characteristics, and the lowest NVH and best ground clearance in its segment. The car is available in seven colours − Silver Mica Metallic, Champagne Mica Metallic, Dark Red Mica Metallic, White Pearl Mica, Light Blue Mica Metallic, Super White and Black Mica. Toyota Corolla Altis Diesel The Corolla Altis Diesel comes in three manual transmission grades D-4D J, D-4D G and D- 4D GL with competitive price tags between Rs.10,95,000 lakhs and Rs.13,75,000 lakhs, ex- showroom Delhi. Bookings open today. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Nakagawa (MD, TKM) said, “The Corolla DNA that has been handed down for 40 years is now in its 10th Generation with over 35 million happy customers worldwide. The car made its debut in India in 2003, and now has more than 60,000 satisfied owners in the country. As part of our long-term commitment to bring the best of Toyota’s technology to India, we are very proud to introduce the Corolla Altis Diesel. The Corolla Altis Diesel has Toyota’s proven D-4D technology, and I am happy to say will have the best fuel efficiency in its segment. ”

Tagged as: black, country, silver

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July 2010

WEBSITES FROM BOLENAY MEDIA