Another future of the mobile phones

Every now and then, I get these articles that describe the future of the mobile phone and related futures and I have to admit, it always is an interesting reading. Especially for someone so engage in the tech development as I am, it is crucial to know about future tech developments and its impact on Asia and the business environment, or the way it changes people's lifestyle.

Anyway, with the ongoing global growth in the mobile phone business and its convergence with more and more sectors, it is now interesting to see how someone tries to foresee the Australian future in the mobile sector.

So here it goes:

"Voice will remain the "killer application" on the phone but, increasingly, the handset will provide a multitude of internet-based services, most of which have not yet come on to the market.

The mobile phone will become your ticket on the train and tram, it will pay for your breakfast muffin and coffee and, according to Visa and MasterCard, it could even take over the functions of your credit card.

You can already buy tickets over the phone, but we will see the phone becoming a payment method itself, according to Vodafone's Victorian general manager Edward Goff. The phone will hold the credit so the Visas and the MasterCards will be doing deals to make the payment method fully integrated with the phone.

Anything available on the internet will be available on phones, plus pure content - downloadable music, videos and so on. Whatever you can imagine having access to will come to the phone."

Will Australians than become digital zombies?

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Koreans fight Internet real name system

I wrote about it a while ago, the requirement of Internet users in Korea to provide their real name if they want to participate in online discussions or comment at news pages.

Well, the requirement does not go down well, of course, considering that the Internet is still seen as a big playground where total anonymity prevails.

"A decision to require Web readers to use their real names when posting articles on the message boards of Internet news sites is touching off heated debates over privacy and freedom of expression.

The arguments erupted earlier this month when the National Election Commission (NEC) ordered about 800 online news sites to require their users to reveal their real names when writing responses to politically related news articles during the May 19-30 campaign period."

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Korea's digitial lifestyle

The Internet provides a great place for socialising, if you are sick of those "realtime" people, or simply have no time to socialise due to realtime life. Traffic jams, long working hours and work pressure force some people to find alternative outlets to meet similar minds. In addition, wireless connection enable yourself to still enjoy outdoor lifes by nevertheless connecting with others.

Something like this is happening in Korea, always on the technology forefront. Here, "a new lifestyle trend is springing up in South Korea, one of the world's most advanced digital hotbeds - more and more folks are retreating to their homes instead of socializing with others." There are even digital zombies, who do not leave their homes at all.

They can make money through work-at-home options and buy products by ordering them with electronic shopping.

What a life - get a life?

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Apple and Nike - are they talking?

Well, unusual alliances are bound to rattle business models. Yesterday, I wrote about an company that initially also looked like two unlikely partners before their merger - Sony and Ericsson, something that is now taken for granted.

Just now, I posted about eBay and Yahoo as potential marriage - something that looks more viable and easier imaginable.

But what about Apple and Nike? Well, these two also talk, okay, only about a partnership to develop products, and why not?.

"Imagine that your sneakers could tell you how far you've run and how many calories you've burned - and then choose a tune to inspire you. Nike Inc. and Apple Computer Inc. announced yesterday they are developing a wireless system to do just that. The Nike+iPod Sport Kit will be available in two months at $29, with shoes and iPod sold separately. The kit includes a sensor that will fit inside compatible Nike footwear and a wireless receiver that attaches to an iPod."

(By Asia Business Consulting)

eBay rumours

Rumours are rife on Wallstreet.

"Speculation is rife on Wall Street that a big internet deal or alliance is in the works, with Google, Yahoo, eBay or Microsoft as possible partners - and a Yahoo-eBay partnership seen as most likely."

An alliance or partnership between Yahoo and eBay would create an Internet powerhouse rivalling Google.

Google, which nearly doubled its revenues last year, is expected to grow 62 per cent this year. EBay is seen growing 30 per cent, down from 50 per cent two years ago, and Yahoo's growth is slowing at a similar pace.

The strengths of Yahoo and eBay are seen as complementary, with Yahoo in media and eBay in e-commerce. Yahoo's foreign strength is in Asia and eBay's is in Europe.

The most compelling scenario is an alliance where eBay uses Yahoo search to drive consumers to eBay auctions.

In return, Yahoo could take advantage of assets such as eBay's PayPal online payments franchise and the vast Skype web telephone audience that eBay has acquired.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Sony Ericsson's walkman phone in Japan

It is the silver bullet for Sony Ericsson and it is now available in Japan as well - its walkman phone. Think about that - two losing propositions make a comeback. Ericsson didn't do well, lost tremendous market share and that caused them to link up with Sony. Sony's walkman is also outpaced by digital music, and especially the iPod.

Now, combine the two and suddenly, you get a winner. Sony's strength is in the smallness and the music play - Ericsson's of course in the mobile phone business. Hardly any synergies became synergetic.

Risk is of course, to make it a repeated success, and not a one time bullet. Think, what will happen if they get into the movie business via their mobile phones. Why not?

For now, they launched in Japan, and let's see, how they will be doing there. "Japan is the ideal market for a phone like this due to the immense popularity of cutting edge cell phones and gadgets in the nation. Reports have shown that almost 90 percent of all downloaded music files in Japan go to cell phones rather than PCs.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Australia's online lovers

Even so Australia is not the most advance country in terms of broadband penetration, it seems that Internet connectivity doesn't hold back those who want to get connected online.

And the reason they get connected via online dating services is the convenience. So the number is still small, 13% of the 1,000 people aged 18 to 80 interviewed stated that they had formed a romantic or a social friendship online.

It is a new communcation channel, this Internet, and middle-aged adults comprised 50% of those using the internet, while 45% were young adults and 5% were over 75 of age.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Chinese website development

I already wrote here that China's presenting a high share in global Internet usage, and the report quoted confirms ongoing growth, this time not in the usage, but in the development of websites.

In 2005, the number of webpages in the country jumped 269 per cent to a total of 2.4 billion, while the number of domain names rose 40 per cent to 2.5 million.

The country has 694,000 websites, 60 per cent of which are company sites, with a little over 20 per cent belonging to individuals. Education and research sites account for only 5 per cent of the total. The highest number of websites, 18.6 per cent of the total, are located in Beijing, followed by 16.6 per cent in Guangdong and 9.7 per cent in Zhejiang. According to the report, however, not all sites are doing as well as expected. 39.6 per cent of the websites get less than 50 page views a day, and only 17.62 per cent of the total are updated at least once a week. 18.58 per cent are updated only once in six months."

China keeps roaring, for sure.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Filming an act with the handphone

Why do people do this? Filming videos on their mobile phones is fine, as long as you film your experience at the hawker stall, or in the shopping mall.

What I don't quite understand is how some can tape themselves in a sexual act, and then leave the clip on their mobile phone even when they bring the phone to repair?

First of all, the quality of the clips is mostly in bad quality but why do they leave it on the phone? Are they ever going to watch the movie clip in public?

Here is now a woman in Malaysia, who took such video on their mobile phone. She brought it to the repair shop when it broke down, and it was downloaded, and burnt on a VCD there. Selling like hot cakes, as the article outlines.

Stupidity never dies, right?

(By Asia Business Consulting)

India's next steps

India is huge in all aspects. Many expect it to be the global powerhouse, before or just behind China.

But challenges are manifold as well. Many countries fight to get the rural landscape into the "modern age", but India more so. Rural is still very much synonym with poverty, agriculture, cast system and dowry. So how to move such a colloss?

"Taking India to the next level is going to be a major part of the discourse during the World BPO Forum to be held in New Delhi."

Some numbers:

"Today there are close to 3 million wireless Internet connections in a country with a population of about 1 billion people. The number of wireless connections is likely to rise to meet the demand of 199 million over the course of the next few years.The capital alone has 200,000 Internet connections at present, with a demand for about 500,000."

"There are plans to wire 150,000 higher secondary schools in the country."

"Additionally, 600,000 villages are waiting to be networked with a broadband connection. Kiosk centers are a popular plan of action," and plenty are waiting to be installed.

When all this is ready, you will hear a new big roar from India, as it diversifies away from outsourcing to higher and higher value add services.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Positive: Mobile phone companies to help Africa

"Motorola will make a red version of its Slvr cellphone and donate part of the proceeds from sales to Bono's Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria", writes the New York Times.

Good initiative.

Another company that joined is American Express. "American Express has created a special co-branded Red card for British consumers; it contributes 1 percent of the transaction value from the card."

Apparently, "the fund was set up in 2002, has received nearly US$9 billion in overall financing commitments through 2008 and has approved the spending of US$5.2 billion on disease-fighting projects in more than 130 countries. But it says it is still short of its goals" - may be one reason is that the market leaders are not involved in (I guess, please inform me if you know better!). Amex and Motorola are not the market leaders in their respective markets, so naturally, the power of the market is against the total success of the fund.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Interrupted wedding night in Malaysia

The perils of text messages. Once again, another misfit happened, this time in Malaysia.

"A Malaysian man slapped his wife on their wedding night and stormed out of their home after she received a text message from an unknown admirer who professed his undying love for her.
"Though you are married, I still love you," was the message that flashed on the screen of the 19-year-old woman's mobile phone just as the couple were about to enter their room at 2 a.m."

Well, the guy walked out after the violent behaviour and the police investigates. I, personally, am not sure if the marriage would have worked out anyway. Slapping? No way. So better get rid of the guy during the wedding night is actually good news for the woman. Isn't it?

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Apple launches iPod mobile phone

It was so clear that this was coming, and now it is here: Apple's IPhone has been launched. And if it is as simple to handle as its IPod, or its Mac Computers, expect it to make waves.

"Apple Computer is getting ready to enter the cell phone market with a handset built with iPod music player functionality."

This one is launched following Apple's and Motorola's iTunes-compatible cell phone known as the ROKR E1, where sales were pretty disappointing due to an imposed 100 song limit.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Chinese shop online in teams

Those readers in Asia will know what I am talking about - discounts. Wherever one goes in Asia to shop, bargaining over prices with salespeople or huntining for the lowest prices in a mall is a given.

Retailers offering their goods over the Internet got away from bargaining shoppers - however, now the Chinese "team shopper" pops up.

This is how it goes:

"Last month, Fiona Li did what millions of Chinese shoppers do to find a bargain: she went online.
A few clicks later, she had a lead on where to buy the consumer goodies her brother wanted for his new apartment. Instead of reaching for her credit card, though, she jotted down a time and a place: 8 p.m. at a downtown electronics store. That evening, Ms. Li and her brother joined 15 strangers at the store to demand a group discount on a new television, refrigerator, and washing machine. Salespeople grumbled at the tactic, but the group refused to buckle. After two hours of haggling, and several walkouts by group members, the store manager agreed to a 10 percent markdown on the three items."

"By combining the power of the Internet to compare prices with the stealth tactics of the flash mob, team buyers are driving hard bargains in the world's hottest economy. Dozens of team-buying websites have sprung up to catch the trend, which first began in online forums and chat rooms."

What a fantastic idea!

(By Asia Business Consulting)

The language of blogs

What is the main language in which blogs are written? Did you guess English? Well, sorry, wrong!

"Technorati's David Sifry has produced some interesting data on the language of the blogosphere, indicating that Japanese, not English, is actually the most popular language for blogs. 37 per cent of blogs are in Japanese, followed by English (31 per cent) and Chinese (15 per cent)."

The Telegraph's Shane Richmond adds:
"But it isn’t just the blogosphere we should worry about – the internet at large is being divided along language lines. The latest figures show that there are around 300 million English-speaking internet users compared with just over 100 million who speak Chinese. However, internet usage in China is growing at a terrific rate and it won’t be long before the Chinese internet is bigger than its English-language counterpart."

So well, here we have another disparity - not only geographic but also by language.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Global Internet Usage

An impressively high number of youth aged 15 and above around the globe accessed the Internet in March 2006 = 694 million.

This is slightly above 10% of total global population - still a long way to go, but hey, public access to the Internet is not that long available. So let's celebrate those numbers as advancement and progress.

But naturally, there are huge disparities in the usage:

"China, Japan, India and Korea - which represent nearly 25 per cent of the total worldwide online population (168.1 million users). These four countries combined represent a larger user base than the US, which had over 152 million users in March."

Just imagine what benefits will happen if the usage spreads?

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Asian mobile phone growth

It is always interesting to see how companies forecast mobile saturation in growing markets, such as Asia.

Saturation was forecasted plenty of times, to no avail, so here is another forecast, this time for 2010, by Business Monitor International.

"BMI forecasts the total number of mobile subscribers in the region to reach 1.75 billion by 2010, amounting to a penetration rate of just over 50%. Mobile growth will surge fastest over the next five years in the developing markets of India (annual average growth of 80%), Vietnam (62%), Pakistan (38.5%), China (22%) and Indonesia (19.5%).

3G growth will be relatively slow in India, Vietnam and Pakistan, however, with operators unlikely to launch commercially before 2007/08. In Asia's more advanced markets of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, mobile growth is much slower, at no more than 2%, and operators are keen to invest in 3G networks in an effort to increase falling ARPU rates."

According to BMI, mobile subscribers in 2005 in Asia Pacific totalled 820 million of which an estimated 59 million were 3G mobile subscribers.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Sony to battle Microsoft

A battle of the giants. The software powerhouse against the electronics powerhouse. Both belonging to the best in the world.

It was clear that the convergence of industry sectors would throw them into the same ring, sooner or later. It happened with the XBox and Playstation.

Sony has hopefully learnt from the way how earlier companies went down to Microsoft with Netscape being the best example. Everybody laughed at Microsoft and its Internet Explorer initially, but they got better and better over time. Now, who still remembers Netscape? Basically the same happened when Microsoft first tried its hands on Windows CE. Everybody knew that their first version was pathetic - it took too long to load. Everybody had a Palm. Now look at the market today. Where is Palm today? Both companies are still fighting each other, but they are now more on even terms. Once again Microsoft had shifted the ground.

Sony, you better learn from their mistakes. And be better in your execution - better than ever before.

There are millions of users of your Playstation. In fact, Sony, has sold more than 103 million PlayStation 2s since their March 2000 debut.

"The company had 64 percent of the market for that generation of consoles. Microsoft garnered 16 percent and Nintendo Co. had 13 percent."

But this means that Microsoft is coming. "Microsoft in March more than doubled Xbox 360 shipments to retailers to help satisfy demand. The announcement came a week after Sony delayed the release of PlayStation 3. The increased production may have helped Microsoft win customers who decided not to wait for Sony's device. "

Sony, you better watch out!

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Children becoming increasingly tech savvy

Okay, it is about another study conducted in the UK, but I am currently very interested in the cultural changes that are brought about by technological advancements, such as Wi-fi, so let's reiterate the findings of this study here.

Ofcom, UK'scommunications regulator, has published the results of a survey of the technology used by 5,000 parents and children.

Apparently, parents are the ones challenged by the tech savvyness of children, and the amount of opportunities that children have to get engaged online.

"One in five children aged between 12 and 15 has a weblog and a website. One in four uses the internet to buy and sell goods through auction sites such as eBay and QXL.
One in eight children aged 8-11 and one in five aged 12-15 owns an MP3 player. Nearly half of all children see nothing wrong with the illegal downloading of music and films. A small number of children aged 8-11 (4 per cent) use Palm Pilots or personal digital assistants to manage their time, according to the survey.

Even relationships are being affected. Only 41 per cent of children would end a friendship or relationship face to face. One in five would use a text message or, for the briefest of dismissals, an instant messaging service.

More boys use the game consoles that are found in half of households with children, while girls spend more money on mobile phone services. More than 40 per cent of children aged 12-15 pay their own mobile telephone bill, at an average cost of £10.50 a month.

Television is still more popular than the internet, with the average child watching 14 hours a week. But classes in how to watch television may benefit a generation brought up on Big Brother. One third of those aged 12-15 believed that “reality TV” programmes presented the truth all or most of the time. Half of all children questioned had responded to an interactive television programme either by “red-button” voting, e-mail or sending a text message. Girls aged 12-15 were more likely to respond (69 per cent) than boys (44 per cent).

Monitoring usage of digital devices was a challenge for the parents interviewed, who agreed that their child knew more about the internet than they did. About half of households with internet access have no software to limit children’s access to certain websites. More than 70 per cent of children aged 12-15 use the internet at home unsupervised.

Seven out of ten parents with cable or satellite television have set no controls to restrict their children’s access.

The survey suggested a regional digital divide. Children in Wales and Northern Ireland were less likely to own an MP3 player, create their own websites or use instant messaging than English children.

Most children said that they trusted the information provided on websites, although children from ethnic minority groups who took part in the survey were more sceptical."

It is clear that the world is changing (language and culture) and that those who are able to navigate and understand the flood of information and sources of available information are those that stay competitive in the years to come.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Wi-fi to rule the world

Ambiteous title, I know, but this is how it is shaping oput to be.

Imagine a world of constant inter-connection. Anywhere, anytime. When mobile phones burst onto the scene, no one believed this little "anywhere, anytime" would actually become reality, and now it is. Why not then with Wi-fi as well?

So far, it was restrictive to your own little home, but sooner or later, hot spots will be pop up all over the place.

In the UK, the world is changing already: "In some British cities, plans are advancing to set up so many hotspots that entire neighbourhoods become wi-fi enabled. One of the biggest will be in London's Square Mile; it will give more than 350,000 workers always-on access to the net."

What will be the impact? You will be able to have everything from the web with you. Online games, reality games, constant working and receiving, writing and sending of e-mails.

"The divide that separates people from their online lives will utterly disappear."

Nice for those, who look forward to it. Bad for those, who feel threatened by it.

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Australia still lagging behind

Last year, Australia's speed of internet connection was comparable to Kazakhstan and already then did I doubt the future of the continent if nothing dramatic would happen. Nothing happens as a recent report by the Worldbank indicates.


"The figure was significantly down compared with Britain (13 mbps), France (8.4 mbps), Germany (6.85 mbps) Canada (6.8 mbps) and the United States (3.3 mbps), but was similar to Japan." Interesting, to see a similar speed in Japan.

In addition, its number of broadband connections are also low. "Although the government is claiming close to three million broadband subscriptions, the report said Australia had only 77 broadband connections for every 1,000 people.

This was lower than Canada (165), Japan (146), United States (129), France (109) and Britain (103), but close to Germany's 84 connections per 1000 people."

(By Asia Business Consulting)

Podcasters in China - next target for security

It was clear that after all the trouble that bloggers, the Internet and even TV created for China, Podcasters would be a target for China's security. This does not only involve nude podcasters, but also those that broadcast a different type of message, ranging from music to satire.

(By Asia Business Consulting)