Telecom News

Exclusive: Telenor Plans to Acquire Remaining Stakes in Tameer Bank

By Aamir Attaa | September 11, 2013 2 Comments

Telenor Pakistan, 51 percent owner of Tameer Microfinance Bank’s shares, is planning to buyout all remaining stakes in the bank, we have confirmed with sources. Telenor had bought 51 percent shares in Tameer Bank back in 2008 for USD 12.5 million (PKR 1 billion approximately), as a regulatory requirement for starting mobile financial services, i.e. Easypaisa. Then – or even now – banks are supposed [...]
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Police Raids World Call Lahore Office

By Mehwish Khan | September 11, 2013 6 Comments

Police yesterday raided World Call’s Lahore office to arrest Babar Ali Syed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Chief Officer (CO) Anwar and two other persons, said a report published by Daily Times. Paper said that police raided the offices of World Call despite the fact that pre-arrest bail had been granted to all the office bearers. Police said that raid on World Call [...]
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Apple Reveals iPhone 5S

By Azeem Ullah Hassan | September 11, 2013 27 Comments

Apple has ended the one-year wait which starts off for next device just as the latest iPhone is announced. This year, they made an amendment to the usual tradition by announcing two phones instead of one. The iPhone 5S is the top-of-the-line phone as evident by the ‘S’ and brings some incredible changes to the table. The Display and Design The design of the iPhone [...]
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iPhone 5C, a Slightly Cheaper and Redesigned Version of iPhone Gets Unveiled

By Azeem Ullah Hassan | September 11, 2013 16 Comments

The iPhone 5C was undoubtedly the more anticipated version of the iPhone in today’s event. The cheaper model of the series replaces the iPhone 5 (4S will continue though) and features an all new design which waves goodbye to the usual design language. Design and Display The iPhone 5C features the first plastic design in an iPhone for years. While the front is still glass, [...]
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Wateen Launches V3, a Cloud Based HD Video Conferencing Solution

By Mehwish Khan | September 11, 2013 0 Comments

Wateen Telecom has announced the launch of V3 (Virtual Presence via Voice and Video), Pakistan’s first cloud-based high definition (up to 1080p) video conferencing solution for enterprises that require secure and comprehensive communication and collaboration between meeting rooms, desktops and smart devices (iOS/Android smartphones & tablets) through an intuitive, cloud-based platform. Wateen said that it is the first cloud-based video conferencing services provider in Pakistan [...]
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PTCL Eyes 2 Million Broadband Users by Year End with Minimum of 4Mbps Speed

By Aamir Attaa | September 10, 2013 62 Comments

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has self imposed a target of attaining 2 million fixed and wireless broadband subscribers in Pakistan by end of year 2013, said a letter by Mr. Walid Irshad, CEO and President, PTCL, sent to company employees recently. Company had achieved 1 million broadband customers in May 2012. Mr. Irshaid was confident that company will be able to get 2 million [...]
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Biometric Re-Verification of SIMs can Save Pakistan Billions of Dollars and Tons of Crimes

By Aamir Attaa | September 10, 2013 16 Comments

Fool-proof re-verification of cellular subscribers will save telecom companies, Universal Service and Government of Pakistan around 88 million dollars a month or 1.05 billion dollars a year by curbing grey international incoming traffic. In addition the re-verification will help seizing of tons of social crimes that are causing irreparable damage to society and the nation. This is only possible if re-verification of entire cellular base [...]
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RapidCompute Achieves ISO/IEC 27001 Security Certification

By Mehwish Khan | September 10, 2013 3 Comments

Pakistan’s first enterprise cloud service provider RapidCompute announced today that it has recently achieved ISO/IEC 27001 security certification for providing cloud services. The audit was carried out by SGS SSC, a reputed global leader in the Systems and Certification market. The ISO 27001 standard is awarded to organizations who can demonstrate that necessary controls and measures are in place to address data confidentiality, integrity and [...]
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Fiverr.com Buys Fiverr.PK Domain

By Aamir Attaa | September 10, 2013 21 Comments

Fiverr.com, an global marketplace where users sell variety of services for five dollars, has now bought Fiverr.PK domain, we have confirmed with the sources. Fiverr.PK was previously held by Muhammad Ali Salim, who was contacted by Fiverr.com for legal transfer of the Fiverr.PK domain. the value of .PK domain for Fiverr is not disclosed by the the parties. Ali Salim confirmed ProPakistani that he has [...]
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Biometric Re-Verification of Entire Cellular Customer Base on the Cards

By Aamir Attaa | September 9, 2013 29 Comments

Telecom regulatory authority and government of Pakistan is considering to re-verify the entire cellular customer base of 120 million with upcoming biometric solution in order to straighten up the records of cellular subscribers forever, told us sources who are directly familiar with the development. If put in simple words, the upcoming biometric solution for verification of customers will not be used only for new subscribers [...]
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2.8 Million Pakistani Users Access Facebook on Mobile Phones [Inforgraphic]

By Aamir Attaa | September 9, 2013 8 Comments

Pakistan is a huge country when it comes to mobile phone subscribers. In fact Pakistan ranks 7th in the world with its 125 million subscribers. A large number – out of these 125 million cellphone users — now access the internet through their phones and Facebook is one of the most popular sites they visit. Stats shared by Facebook itself suggest that 2.8 million mobile [...]
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PTCL Offers 50% Discount for Inactive Landline and DSL Broadband Users

By M Mathar | September 9, 2013 7 Comments

If you were once using PTCL landline and/or DSL broadband services at your home or office but then discontinued using – for any reason – then PTCL is now offering you to reconnect your services and enjoy 50 percent discount till March 31st, 2014. As per offer details, Landline and Broadband Customers who had disconnected their services due to any reason in the past (on [...]
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PTCL to Invest in Fourth International Submarine Cable System

By Mehwish Khan | September 6, 2013 24 Comments

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has announced that it will invest in yet another international submarine cable consortium system in collaboration with leading operators in the region. This cable will be spanning from Far East to Europe with multiple landing points in Middle East. This will be fourth submarine cable system — that PTCL is part of – to connect Pakistan with rest of the [...]
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Ufone Customers: Win Gold by Just Making a Single Call

By M Mathar | September 6, 2013 9 Comments

Ufone has decided to reward their customers with 1 tola gold by just making a single call in a day. Now subscribers will not only be able to make calls through Pakistan’s most extensive telecom network but will also be rewarded for doing so, under a campaign called the Ufone Golden Call Offer. Every day 10 lucky customers will be given 1 tola sona each [...]
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Samsung Galaxy Note III Takes on other Phablets in a Spec Sheet

By Azeem Ullah Hassan | September 6, 2013 10 Comments

Samsung’s latest Note III, with its brilliant S-Pen, vivid display and a beefy hardware is a great phablet in its own right but will it be able to beat other phablets head-to-head? We will try to find that in a spec sheet below:   Samsung Galaxy Note III Sony Xperia Z Ultra Acer Liquid S2 Huawei Ascend Mate OS Android OS Android OS Android OS [...]

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Telecommunication

Disadvantages Of Telecommunication

Telecommunication makes it possible for colleagues and clients to work from a remote location as well as to speed up workflow and communication in the office. Telecommunication for the purposes of telecommuting in particular offers economic benefits, since you save money on parking, transportation, clothing and sometimes childcare. It also may give you flexibility on your work hours and your work setting. Despite these benefits, telecommuting has several significant disadvantages to consider before committing to working away from the office.

Separating Work and Home

o    It's not difficult to fall into the trap of overworking yourself. If you work from home rather than a coffee shop or library, you may find yourself checking emails, working on projects or simply thinking about work well into your "off" time. It may also be difficult to define concrete work hours and avoid distractions at home. Family members or social interruptions may distract you, or you may be tempted to take care of chores and errands around the home, putting off your work until later.

Social Isolation

o    When you telecommute, you get the freedom of less supervision. However, you also may become socially isolated. While some workers thrive on being able to work alone, you may not feel part of a professional community or miss the face to face interaction you get in a traditional office setting. Connect with other telecommuters to avoid isolation. If you're a freelancer, seek out forums, websites and blogs of others in your situation or utilize clients' resources to communicate with others in your industry.

o    Sponsored Links

Inadequate Work Environment

o    When you work in an office, most of the setup is done for you because you're already in an office or cubicle. At home, it's up to you to create an efficient environment specifically for work. It needs to be well-equipped and suit your work needs. Arrange for sufficient Internet connectivity, offering bandwith that adequately handles uploads and video streaming. Install a phone line for faxes and purchase equipment like a fax machine, copier or phone system if needed. If you transcribe or have call center duties, you also need job specific equipment like a transcription pedal or digital calling software. Your employer may provide this to you, but if you're a freelancer, this may not be the case.

Staying Informed

o    If you telecommute in an office where most other employees do not, your company may not have an adequate infrastructure and communication system to keep you abreast. You may not receive interoffice mail in a timely manner, for instance. Conference calls also present problems when poorly managed. Colleagues who aren't aware of call etiquette may speak over one another or forget to mute their phones to eliminate background noise. Ask your employer or client what infrastructure they have in place to assure proper communication.

2.   advantages Of Telecommunication

3.      

4.     Telecommunication is communication at a distance by technological means, particularly through electrical signals or electromagnetic waves.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

5.     Early telecommunication technologies included visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs.^[7] Other examples of pre-modern telecommunications include audio messages such as coded drumbeats, lung-blown horns, and loud whistles. Electrical and electromagnetic telecommunication technologies include telegraph, telephone, and teleprinter, networks, radio, microwave transmission, fiber optics, communications satellites and the Internet.

6.     A revolution in wireless telecommunications began in the 1900s with pioneering developments in radio communications by Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi. Marconi won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909 for his efforts. Other highly notable pioneering inventors and developers in the field of electrical and electronic telecommunications includeCharles Wheatstone and Samuel Morse (telegraph), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone),Edwin Armstrong, and Lee de Forest (radio), as well as John Logie Baird and Philo Farnsworth (television).

7.     The world's effective capacity to exchange information through two-way telecommunication networks grew from 281 petabytes of (optimally compressed) information in 1986, to 471 petabytes in 1993, to 2.2 (optimally compressed) exabytes in 2000, and to 65 (optimally compressed) exabytes in 2007.^[8] This is the informational equivalent of two newspaper pages per person per day in 1986, and six entire newspapers per person per day by 2007.^[9]Given this growth, telecommunications play an increasingly important role in the world economy and the global telecommunications industry was about a $4.7 trillion sector in 2012.^[10][11] The service revenue of the global telecommunications industry was estimated to be $1.5 trillion in 2010, corresponding to 2.4% of the world’s gross domestic product(GDP).^[10]

Telecom Company Business

Telecom

Telecom is a complex industry with a large number of players in the ecosystem. The complexity increases due to high interdependence of the players for business growth. The existing business models in the mobility space still evolving. Below is the list of reports that help us understand the existing as well as the emerging business models in the telecom space:

1. Mobile Platforms- This report from Vision Mobile released in Nov, 2011 is a good primer on the evolution of mobile platforms  and tracks the future trends shaping the industry. Click on link Clash of Ecosystem download the report.

2. Google Android – This white paper from Tiger Spike demystifies the most talked about mobile platform “Android”. Click here to download the white paper

3. Mobile Developer Economics 2010 and Beyond - This survey from Vision Mobile released in July 2010 is a must read for anybody who wants to understand the mobile application development space. It is a good pointer to many application store managers to prioritize their efforts. Click on link Mobile Developer  to download the report.

4. State of Mobile Application Stores – This presentation from Distimo was made at GSMA summit at Barcelona, 2010 and gives a good perspective on the state of Mobile Application Stores and makes a good comparison between different stores. A must read for anybody in mobile services business including application developers. Click here to view the entire report.

5. Understanding Mobile Operating Systems – This presentation from Todd Day of Frost & Sullivan was made in Oct, 2009 and analyzes the future of mobile OS. Click here to see the presentation.

6. Sizing up the Global Mobile Apps Market – This report from Chetan Sharma takes a holistic approach to sizing the mobile applications market.  Click on link Sizing_up_the_Global_Mobile_Apps_Market to download the report.

7. The future trajectory of Google Android: This is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirement at Graduate School of International Management, Japan in August, 2009. This is a long report but worth the read as it compares Android with different operating systems and also takes a look at the various application stores. Click on the link Google Android to the report.

Ufone

• 1. 2011Promote Value-Added-Services of UFONE A 3600 Advertising Solution by Agents of Change Syed Abdul Basit Syed Yasir Uddin Nabeel Haider Khan Institute of Business Management August 28, 2011 I
• 2. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT Submitted to: Sir Sajjad Hussain Institute of Business Management Karachi, Pakistan Submitted by: Syed Abdul Basit (10133) Syed Yasir Uddin (10210) Nabeel Haider Khan (9632) Course: Telecommunication Marketing Summer 2011 Submission Date Sunday, August 28, 2011 MBA Executive Program Institute of Business Management, Karachi, Pakistan
• 3. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT LETTER OF AUTHORIZATIONAugust 28, 2011Dear Readers,We have been authorized to do a term project on “Telecom Ad Analysis” by our course instructorMr. Sajjad Hussain.The enclosed report contains thorough study of the research conducted by using different methodologiesand by evaluating different marketing strategies in the context with telecom industry.We hope that this case will serve the requirement of being a complete set of information.Sincerely,Syed Abdul Basit |Syed Yasir Uddin | Nabeel Haider KhanMBA (TCM)INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011 I
• 4. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT LETTER OF TRANSMITTALAugust 28, 2011Mr. Sajjad HussainTelecommunication Marketing (Course)Institute of Business ManagementKarachiSubject: Term Report on Telecom Ad AnalysisDear Mr. Sajjad Hussain:Here is our case analysis on „Advertising Strategy to Promote Ufone VAS‟ which you had authorizedus to make at the beginning of this semester. The case is now ready.This case helps us to improve our knowledge base pertaining to subject of Telecommunication Marketing.We have tried our best to cover every aspect in this report but if you require any further clarification orhave any queries, we would be more than happy to answer your questions and facilitate yourunderstanding on the report.Sincerely,Syed Abdul Basit |Syed Yasir Uddin | Nabeel Haider KhanMBA (TCM)INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011 II
• 5. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT LETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTAugust 28, 2011Mr. Sajjad HussainTelecommunication Marketing (Course)Institute of Business ManagementKarachiDear Reader:The preparation of this case is a sound example of research on topics related to telecommunicationmarketing and service marketing. The experience is a valuable one because not only did this term projectincrease our understanding and knowledge on the assigned topic but also taught us important lessons ofhow to incorporate out theoretical knowledge to enhance the understanding of practical implications.However, this would not have been possible had we not been given the opportunity to present this case.Therefore, we would like to express the deepest appreciation to our course instructor, Mr. Sajjad Hussain,a visionary person, who has been a continuous source of guidance throughout the semester and hasalways been there to answer our queries.We hope that this case will prove to be a useful source of study in the area of Service Marketing intelecom industry and also the findings specific to this research may be useful for Ufone and also for thestudents taking up the course of “Telecommunication Marketing” and to others in future.Thanking you,Sincerely,Syed Abdul Basit |Syed Yasir Uddin | Nabeel Haider KhanMBA (TCM)INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011 III
• 6. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTSLETTER OF AUTHORIZATION ............................................................................................................ILETTER OF TRANSMITTAL............................................................................................................... IILETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................ III1.0. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Scope of Work .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Problem Statement .................................................................................................................... 1 1.3. Motivation ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.4. About „Agents of Change‟......................................................................................................... 1 1.5. Solution for Ufone .................................................................................................................... 12.0. ABOUT UFONE ......................................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Company Profile ...................................................................................................................... 2 2.2. Vision ...................................................................................................................................... 2 2.3. Mission Statement .................................................................................................................... 2 2.4. Market Position of Ufone ......................................................................................................... 3 2.5. Ufone‟s VAS Portfolio ............................................................................................................. 43.0. ENVIRONMENTAL & MARKETING ANALYSIS ................................................................... 5 3.1. SWOT Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 5 3.2. Strategic Marketing for Mobile VAS ........................................................................................ 7 3.3. Marketing Mix of Mobile VAS ................................................................................................ 9 3.4. Consumer Behavior................................................................................................................. 114.0. ADVERTISING STRATEGY & CAMPAIGN ........................................................................... 12 4.1. Why ZooZoo........................................................................................................................... 12 4.2. Media Plan .............................................................................................................................. 12 4.3. Message Design and Execution ............................................................................................... 12 4.4. Story Board of Advertisements................................................................................................ 145.0. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................................186.0. REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................................18 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011 IV
• 7. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT1.0. INTRODUCTION1.1. Scope of Work To signify the Value Added Services (VAS) associated with Ufone customers1.2. Problem Statement Currently, Ufone has wide portfolio of value added services but they are not pitching these services to the target customers and overall the turn-up ratio is very low. The involvement of VAS in terms of percentage is only 8% of revenue generation and they want to increase up to 20% to have a competitive advantage in the market.1.3. Motivation We get an inspiration from the international telecommunication market with an innovative advertising character that was designed to promote the Mobile Value Added Service (VAS) market, precisely “ZooZoo”, an animated character that was bring to screens by the advertising agency.1.4. About „Agents of Change‟ Agents of Change, is an advertising agency provides innovative marketing promotion solutions, mainly to telecom sector in Pakistan.1.5. Solution for Ufone  Providing a 3600 advertising solution to Ufone for their Mobile VAS promotion  Transforming the marketing strategy of Ufone into educate target audience with an emphasis on Total Value Addition  Help Ufone to increase their market share by adopting Blue Ocean Strategy (choosing a niche market of VAS) and to come out from the price war zone going on basic voice and message services MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011 1
• 8. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT2.0. ABOUT UFONE2.1. Company Profile Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) that started its operations in January 2001 under the brand name Ufone. As a result of PTCL‟s privatization, Ufone became a part of the Emirates Telecommunication Corporation Group (Etisalat) in 2006. Since its inception, Ufone has focused on the people of Pakistan, empowering them with the most relevant communication modes and services that enable them to do a lot more than just talk, at a price that suits them the most. Along with the claim of lowest call rates, clear sound and best network, Ufone offers its customers simplified tariffs with no hidden charges. With a strong and uniquely humorous communication direction that has now become Ufone‟s signature across all advertising media, Ufone gives its customers many reasons to smile. This customer focus and best offering has allowed Ufone to build a subscriber base of over 20 million in less than a decade. Ufone has network coverage in 10,000 locations and across all major highways of Pakistan. Ufone currently caters for International Roaming to more than 288 live operators in more than 160 countries. Ufone also offers Pakistan‟s largest GPRS & BlackBerry Roaming coverage available with more than 200 Live Operators across 122 countries. More recently, Ufone has become a focused and intensive leader in VAS, constantly introducing innovative services, which have been the first of their kind in the Pakistani cellular industry. As the world of telecommunications advances, Ufone promises its customers to stay ahead, developing and evolving, to go beyond their expectations, because at Ufone, it‟s all about U.2.2. Vision “Be the leaders of the cellular companies in telecommunication sector in Pakistan by giving the consumers better quality in low rates and bring innovation and communication resolution whereas beyond the investors value and employee expectation.”2.3. Mission Statement “To be the best cellular option for U”. We aim to provide you with wider coverage, superior connectivity, clear signals & voice quality. Wherever you are, Ufone keeps you connected. 2 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 9. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT2.4. Market Position of Ufone The cellular industry in Pakistan grows extensively in last 5 years, with a current subscriber base of 110 million approx. nationwide. There are five Cellular Operators, providing 2G (GSM) voice and data services to mobile users. Currently, Ufone lies in the 3rd position in Cellular Industry with a market share of 19%, while Mobilink leads the market with a market share of 31% followed by Telenor Pakistan, having market share of 24%. Mobilink Telenor Ufone Warid Zong Total 33,378,161 26,667,079 20,533,787 17,387,798 10,927,693 108,894,518 Current Subscriber Base - Jun11 33,378,161 26,667,079 20,533,787 17,387,798 10,927,693 Mobilink Telenor Ufone Warid Zong Overall Market Share - Jun11 ZONG 10% WARID MOBILINK 16% 31% UFONE 19% TELENOR 24% 3 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 10. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT2.5. Ufone‟s VAS Portfolio Ufone is a pioneer in VAS segment and has wide portfolio of Value Added Services for their subscribers. Ufone is leading the VAS segment by offering 73 different kinds of Mobile VAS, following by Telenor offers 68, Mobilink offers 54, Warid offers 52, and Zong offers 47 value added services to the cellular subscribers. Here is the categorization of VAS offered by Ufone. Basic Services (Call & SMS) Entertainment Services  SMS  U-Tunes  Group SMS  U-Greetings  Call waiting  U-Track Business  Conference calling  U-Cricket  Voice Mail  Love Box  Awaz SMS (VSMS)  Ufone Quiz Whiz  Call Blocking  Ufone E-bill  Missed Call Notification (MCN)  Ufone URDU SMS Conversion  Collect Call  Ufone International Load Internet Services Multimedia Services  Ufone MyMail  Background Music (BGM)  Mobile Banking  Personalized Ring Back Tone (PRBT)  Twitter on SMS  Ufone Song Catcher  Facebook Mobile Alerts  Ufone Song Dedication  Phone Book Saver  U-Singer  GPRS Enabled MMS  Coke Studio  WAP Gaming Portal  Ufone Music Station Unique Services Islamic Services  Double Number  Quran on Mobile  Ufone Walkie-Talkie  Hajj Guide  U-Bazaar  Ufone Religion Portal  U-Health  Azaan Alert  U-Job Portal  Haidth a day  Ufone Travel Guide  Quranic Ayat 4 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 11. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT3.0. ENVIRONMENTAL & MARKETING ANALYSIS3.1. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is an overall evaluation of the company‟s  Strengths (S)  Weaknesses (W)  Opportunities (O)  Threats (T) Following is the SWOT analysis of Ufone‟s in the context of VAS services they offered. STRENGTHS: Strengths include internal capabilities, resources, and positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives.  A key of difference among all services  Ufone is offering more and better Value Added Services (VAS) than its competitors i.e. Ufone‟s Walkie talkie  Ufone is enjoying the third largest cellular operator in Pakistan  Innovative marketing strategy and strong advertisement campaign  Wide media coverage, more precisely through video WEAKNESS: Weaknesses include internal limitations and negative situational factors that may interfere with the markets associated with value added services  Difficulty in understanding value perceived by rural population.  Ufone has pathetic billing system for postpaid connections. This faulty system creates a negative impact among its customers. Customers demand online payment service.  Put less focus on the postpaid subscribers, has 2% subscriber base.  Doesn‟t promote each category of VAS to different segments of subscribers. 5 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 12. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES: Opportunities are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage  Identifying growth markets of VAS areas  Advertising through animated characters to gain customer interest  Deploy innovative VAS on revenue sharing basis with vendors  Revolutionized the advertising campaigns  Should come up with an innovative VAS that solve issues face by users in their daily life  Can increase the subscriber base by offering unique VAS  Ufone has the opportunity to win the customers of its competitors by providing them superior services on lower price  To cater the 3G market, can extensively increase their subscriber base by offering 3G value added services, like Video Calling, Background Video and Personalized Ring Back Video. THREATS: Threats are unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to performance.  The boosting value added service customer base of Telenor and Mobilink is also a big threat for Ufone  The decreasing economy rate and instability of Pakistan is a big threat for all businesses in Pakistan including Ufone.  Advertisements getting lost in marketing war. 6 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 13. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT3.2. Strategic Marketing for Mobile VAS SERVICE SEGMENTATION Value added service market is a diverse, literate and young segment of society. Ufone has segmented this entertainment and value adding market on four bases: - economy, age, gender & occupation.  Economy: Upper class, Middle class, socio-economic class, lower class  Age: Teenagers, youngsters and middle age  Gender: Male & Female  Occupation: Students, Corporate class, Business class, Labor etc TARGET MARKET Cellular phones have entered in 3rd generation that is the developed market. These 3rd generation value added services are the main focus of Ufone. Ufone is targeting Youth one way, students, corporate class, Business class, working class, labor. Ufone is no longer a follower in this race. The company is trying to be pioneer in taking value added service to at its peak by providing vast variety of value added services that is entertaining and saving precious of this particular segment. Target Marketing Strategy Ufone has always been targeting Youth Market or specific by using young brand endorsers or ambassadors. It always brings such packages and offers that precisely meet the needs of particular segment. No doubt it has also launched packages, brands and offers for working people, business class, ladies and aged ones. Ufone is seeking a way to cater value added service market. We are providing animated ambassadors ZOOZOO. ZOOZOO will address the issues faced by individual and then resolve these problems and issues by providing solution. 7 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 14. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT POSITIONING Positioning is the process of creating an image of company‟s brand or services in the mind of market. Company‟s position services emotionally, functionally or on the basis demand that is being generated in particular market. Ufone is still a market challenger in comparison to market leader MOBILINK. It is still to reach to the top most position of cellular companies. So, Ufone positions itself on the basis of its services.  Current Slogan of Ufone It’s All About U (in English) Tum Hi Toh Ho (in Urdu)  Rebranding Ufone – New Slogan Wherever you go our network follows you to add value into your life. Ufone changed the image of services associated with mobile phones from a luxury only affordable by the elite, to a necessity affordable by the common man. Since its inception, Ufone has positioned its brand for “MASSES” on the basis of services it is providing maximum services and its lowest services rates. It makes them believe that it satisfies the needs of everyone (all classes, age & genders). The impression is Ufone caters services on individual basis. The brand name UFONE itself is a positioning statement. DIFFERENTIATION In these days of intense competition marketers find it hard to differentiate their services from those of competitors. Now customer care about price against the service they are utilizing. An unsatisfied customer will immediately go for service switching or operator switching. Thus leaving a customer unsatisfied and not meeting his/her demands is out of question for marketers. Differentiation Strategy Ufone has always strategized in satisfying the demands of its customers. In doing so it has been successful in differentiating itself in terms of:-  Price  Quality service  Technology 8 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 15. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT3.3. Marketing Mix of Mobile VAS PRODUCT / SERVICES Ufone is a service providing company. Service is any intangible product that consists of activities, benefits or satisfactions offered for sale. Strategy: Ufone should provide unique voice/data services to beat its competitors at all levels. When Ufone launches a new VAS in a market, it actually makes it a complete package of core benefit, design, features, brand name, quality, and after sale service. PRICE Cellular service providers are facing intense price competition in contemporary market. Customers perceive pricing as the heart of brand selection. Price has always been the core differentiation of Ufone. Ufone offers unique VAS at low-tariff rates to facilitate their customers and to be the first choice for them. Strategy: Ufone strategize to capture the existing pricing needs of its customers and use it well on occasional or timely basis. For example Ufone offered very good Roaming services during the occasion of Hajj with lowest call rates. It was a fantastic strategy to beautify the brand image in term of pricing in customer‟s minds as well as remain profitable in doing so. Ufone follows market penetration pricing strategy and dynamic pricing strategy to meet the customer needs and ever changing price competition. Here are the few reasons to choose ZooZoo character in the context of pricing.  Consumes low cost, animations 10-15 times costlier than real people.  Unique Brand Name: ZooZoo name nowhere in commercial and it easy to capture the attention of target audience.  Massive Viral Marketing  Some VAS would be offered to mobile users at affordable prices, like Rs. 30/month. 9 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 16. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT PLACE Place plays a very important part in the distribution and promotion of services. Competitors of Ufone are seeking to penetrate into places where others haven‟t reached. Cellular operators are drastically widening their network & coverage in every area of Pakistan. Mobilink has this edge in place excellence because it is the pioneer in cellular industry. Strategy: Ufone should come up with regional based Mobile VAS, to promote cultures and traditions of each province. For this, they have to extend their network coverage to all places in Pakistan in order to meet the requirements of its increasing customer base. Now Ufone is heading from cities to remote northern areas in expanding its network. Ufone has intensive promotion in cities, but it is also considering improving its promotion in rural areas as well. PROMOTION Ufone believes in Integrated Marketing Communication which is a carefully blended mix of promotion tools. Ufone employ different marketing activities and channels to communicate and deliver value to customer. These activities are coordinated to provide maximum communication output. These communication channels include Advertising, Sales Promotion, Public Relations, Direct Marketing, and Personal Selling. Ufone strategize to carry out promotion in order to increase its market share.  Public Relations: Ufone is less conscious of developing its general public relations. But recently it has launched its “Hajj Guide” service on Ufone for their International customers using Roaming services.  Direct Marketing: Ufone employ on-road umbrella franchises where the directly market and sell their connections and mobile SIM cards.  Personal Selling: Ufone administer personal selling facility to sell their PostPay connections targeting well to do people and businessmen. It won‟t be an exaggeration to say that Ufone has placed itself where it is now through brilliant promotions. 10 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 17. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT3.4. Consumer Behavior CHARACTERISTICS AFFECTING CONSUMERS Culture Demand of value added services is not that much high in Pakistan. Our cultural heritage does not have excess use of value added services, due to the lack of awareness. Social Class Middle class families tend to use mobile phone just for in contact with their relatives. Although, the usage of value added services is less than the other segments of market but the market size is huge because these services add value into the daily life of mobile users. Ufone should educate their target audience via advertisement; so they capture this market as well. Family Family & friends play an important role. The ladies has shown their concerned about long talk time. But the value added services can capture value out of this segment by adding value into their life. For example, Call Screening used by parents in their children mobile phones. Youth In all the advertisements of Ufone, their main emphasis is on youth. The consumer always feels that he/she is using a reliable service that adds value into their conversation and never carries doubt in their mind. CONSUMERS BUYING BEHAVIOR Here are the four consumer roles that can use in Mobile VAS segment.  Initiator: Loyal customers looking for innovative services  Influencer: Friends & Family, Traditions, Advertisements  Decider: Consumers  Buyer: Youth, Family 11 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 18. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT4.0. ADVERTISING STRATEGY & CAMPAIGN4.1. Why ZooZoo The objective of this campaign is to create awareness of Mobile VAS among subscribers and to promote and communicate these services offered by Ufone. The ZooZoo character has humor appeal to attract target customers more easily, rather to adopt traditional advertising strategy by casting celebrities. 1. Source of Attractiveness a. Similarity: The best thing makes ZooZoo so endearing is that they are innocent people living in a simple world unlike ours, who laugh loud when they laugh and who seem to be in an in-between world of animation and reality. b. Likability: These characters showing friendliness attitude with mobile users. 2. Funny and Attractive 3. Not a celebrity endorser, associated risks not present4.2. Media Plan  Marketing Objective: Build Brand image and increase market share  Show to be promoted: Value Added Services of Ufone  Target Market: Youth, Boys & Girls, College graduates  Primary markets: Universities/Colleges, Restaurants, Shopping Malls  Start time: 1st week of September, 2011  Duration: 3 months  Advertising domain: TVC and promotion on Social Media (Facebook, YouTube)4.3. Message Design and Execution Appeal The main appeal of this advertising campaign is to facilitate mobile users; Ufone‟s value proposition for subscribers is to “Make your life simple by using VAS in your daily life. Structure The main idea is to incorporate service marketing into this proposed TVC and advertising campaign for Ufone‟s to diversify VAS sector and to promote wide variety of services through all the communication channels (TV, Press, Radio etc), initially we focused on TVC and Digital 12 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 19. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT Marketing, i.e. marketing on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. This idea has been turned into an actual ad execution with Ufone‟s Mr. U that will capture the target audiences attention and interest. The creative team of Ufone and Agents of Change has discovered the best approach, style, tone, words, and format for perfectly carrying and executing the message during this advertising campaign. Following styles have been adopted in this TVC advertising campaign. Slice of Life In slice of style, the message is convey in such a way that it shows the problem with proposing solution. For example, in our case, if mobile subscribers use Call Blocking service, he/she can block unwanted calls by filtering/block the unknown numbers. Analogy: A couple sitting together in a park having conversation, after sometime a salesman break their privacy and want to sell the stuff. In traditional case, the couple has to cope up with this situation and keep trying to avoid that sales person. However, the 3600 approach is that anyone of them gives a boxing punch to that salesman, so he leaves that place and the couple can communicates freely. (Note: The TVC has a complete story and theme behind it; more details are available in the story board section) Mood or Image The ZooZoo builds a mood or image around the benefits of VAS that are offered in different segments of Mobile VAS. Change of Agents Approach Here are some recommended styles of advertising for VAS promotion.  Concept is important and directional towards consumers that will be using services and filling the gap. Focus on how people spent their life before using VAS and what change comes into their life when they are trying this VAS in their daily life.  Low cost ads can make good impact and company can work on other service offerings  Expensive Brand Ambassadors are not required; the animated or virtual ambassadors will work efficiently. They also have a positive & strong impact on mobile subscriber‟s mind.  Ads more relate to common man. Co-relating the service with life of common man will increase the value of service provider.  Most importantly, all the proposed TVC regarding this advertising campaign, have one thing common, the ads are very simple. 13 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 20. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT4.4. Story Board of Advertisements Here are the story boards of four TVC ads discussing the life before/after using VAS. Advertisements  Call Blocking  Job Alerts  Live Counseling  Balance Share Call Blocking Life before using VAS Restricting unwanted calls on your cell phones has been a dream for consumers. Traditionally there were no features of blocking particular number on mobile phones, so the customer churn-out rate was extremely high and low value in the eyes of customer related to service offerings. Life after using VAS ZooZoo way is the modern way of blocking the unnecessary and unwanted calls that is wasting your time and disturbing you while at work or with family. In result, the customer is not lost rather it stays and enjoys the other services associated with his or her way of VAS life. 14 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 21. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT Live Counseling Life before using VAS Counseling means guiding the way out to problems. Basically it has become the need of individuals to take decision or opinion right on time to avoid grievances that arise suddenly. For example, if you want to propose anyone you need glamorous phrases to convince your mate. This counseling was not available with the existing service providers. Life after using VAS ZooZoo way is the modern way of blocking the unnecessary and unwanted calls that is wasting your time and disturbing you while at work or with family. In result, the customer is not lost rather it stays and enjoys the other services associated with his or her way of VAS life. 15 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 22. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT Job Alerts Life before using VAS Jobs has been ultimate requirement for every youngster in our environment or be it other. Majority of them face problems and issues while finding right jobs and targeting right employers. So, targeting the right employer that suits your skillset is the key to success in professional life. The result is good future prospects and on the negative side loosing youngsters from track and ruining the future of themselves and the country. Life after using VAS ZooZoo way is the modern way of blocking the unnecessary and unwanted calls that is wasting your time and disturbing you while at work or with family. In result, the customer is not lost rather it stays and enjoys the other services associated with his or her way of VAS life. 16 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 23. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT Balance Share Life before using VAS In the traditional environment, subscriber used to charge vouchers or card in order to fill up the account but there were no alternate if any individual was in a need of credit on crucial times. In result, they unable to make important calls or sending message. Life after using VAS Change of Agents believes in caring and sharing love with each other, so they came up with an idea of sharing credit or get a balance transfer. The advantage was high involvement of customers but not everybody is coming for load on franchise or customer care. Now, subscribers can share credit with family members, friends and workers, so everybody is reachable and can make calls or send messages on critical moments. 17 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011
• 24. TELECOM MARKETING TERM PROJECT5.0. CONCLUSION It keeps on communicating the mobile phone users to adopt new offerings in the cellular market. Ufone always communicates its latest packages; value added services and offers through its promotion on TV and in Print media. In view of the above details, we can conclude that these value-added-services is focusing on the Affective Stage, by informing users to create interest, desire, liking, preference, conviction, favorable positive attitude, intention of buying, and it moves the customer to the Behavior Stage, for an action, purchase, adoption or a behavior that will result in subscription of the offer for the existing users and purchasing of Ufone‟s SIM. To sum up the communication objective, here are the major goals which Ufone‟s achieve after this advertising campaign.  Creating awareness of Mobile VAS  To generate interest and develop desire to use innovative VAS  Promote Ufone‟s Brand name  Ufone‟s ads have attracted people and which has boost their sales.  People want Ufone to lower prices.  Everyone is aware about the value added services (VAS) of Ufone as they are depicted through the advertisements clearly.6.0. REFERENCES The information has been gathered through the various sources including  Books: o Service Marketing by Christopher Lovelock o Advertising & Promotional Strategy, by Tom Robbins  Ufone – VAS Marketing department o www.ufone.com  PTA – Telecom Indicators of Cellular Industry for market share and growth o www.pta.gov.pk  Telecom Blogs o www.telecompk.net o www.propakistani.com 18 MBA Telecom Mgmt. Students | Summer 2011

internet and society issues

The world’s challenges and hopes are as diverse as its people

The same holds true for the technological, governance, and policy challenges we face as the Internet grows to meet the needs of billions of users. As the Internet expands, so do the issues that surround its stability and ability to constructively evolve. 

We tackle issues:

·         Access

·         Children and the Internet

·         Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)

·         Domain Name System (DNS)

·         Human Rights

·         Innovation

·         Networks & Trust

·         Open Internet Standards

·         Online Identity

·         Intellectual Property

·         Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)

·         Internet Regulation

·         Internet Governance

·         Internet Security through Resilience and Stability

·         Internet Protocol (IP) Addressing

·         IPv6

·         Net Neutrality

·         Privacy & identity

·         Routing Security

·         Spam

·         Standardisation

Internet and Society is a research field that addresses the interrelationship of Internet and society, i.e. of how society has changed the Internet and how the Internet is shaped by society.

The topic of social issues relating to Internet has become notable since the rise of the World Wide Web, which can be observed from the fact that journals and newspapers run many stories on topics such as cyberlove, cyberhate, Web 2.0, cybercrime, cyberpolitics, internet economy, etc. As most of the scientific monographs that have considered Internet and society in their book titles are social theoretical in nature,^[1][2][3] Internet and Society can be considered as a primarily social theoretical research approach of Internet studies.^{[original research?][citation needed]}

The approach by James Slevin (2000)^[3] is a social theory of the Internet that is primarily informed by the line of thought grounded by the British sociologist Anthony Giddens. The approach byChristian Fuchs (2008)^[2] is a social theory account that is primarily grounded in the works by Critical Theory scholars such as Herbert Marcuse, by the concept of social self-organization, and by neo-Marxist thinking.^{[citation needed][original research?]}

Fuchs argues that not just any type of Internet studies is needed, but a primarily theoretically informed theory of Internet and society, and that such a theory should be critical in nature (Critical Internet Theory/Research).^{[citation needed]} In this context, critique and critical, he argues, should be understood in the sense of the notion of critique advanced by the Frankfurt School.^{[citation needed]}

References[edit source | editbeta]

1.     ^ Maria Bakardjieva. 2005. The Internet Society: The Internet in Everyday Life. London: Sage.

2.     ^ ^a b Christian Fuchs. 2008. Internet and Society: Social Theory in the Information Age. New York: Routledge.

3.     ^ ^a b James Slevin. 2000. The Internet and Society. Cambridge, UK: Polity.