Category: Software

MUMBAI: Tmobile2win, India`s leading VAS enabler hosted its first mobile Monday forum in Mumbai last week.

The meet was attended by more than 60 professionals and enthusiasts from the Music, Telecom, Media and IT industry.Mobile Mondays are small, informal meets arranged city-wise and every month.

The key note address was given by Netcore Solutions India VP mobile products and strategy Veerchand Bothra followed by mobile2win CEO Gopala Krishnan. He started off by explaining the concept of Mobile Monday(MoMo) and outlining the agenda for the evening followed by a presentation on the mobile indusry in general and the latest trends in mobile technology.

The theme for the event was The Mobile Music Market in India- Untapped revenue streams in urban and rural India. Key speakers were- Soundbuzz GM Mandar Thakur, mobile2win country head Rajiv Hiranandani, Universal Music MD Rajat Kakar, Hutch‘s Shailesh Varudkar, and ABP head Internet and telecom Saurav Sen.

Discussions ranged from wireless technologies to Piracy in the mobile music industry, entertainment offerings and value added services etc.

Kakar says, “Mobile Value Added Services (Vas) represents a growing format for sale and promotion of Music. Universal Music Group, as leaders in the Music business worldwide, have both,the responsibility and the desire to shape the contours of this opportunity in our endeavour to reach out to our consumers. Indian mobile landsacpe is among the largest in the World and interventions early in the product life cycles will, hopefully, ensure a viable eco-system for all players in this domain.”

Mr Rajiv Discussions ranged from wireless technologies to Piracy in the mobile music industry, entertainment offerings and value added services etc.

According to Mr Rajat Kakar, MD, Universal Music India Pvt Ltd, “Mobile VAS represents a growing format for sale and promotion of Music. Universal Music Group, as leaders in the Music business worldwide, have both,the responsibility and the desire to shape the contours of this opportunity in our endeavour to reach out to our consumers. Indian mobile landsacpe is among the largest in the World and interventions early in the product life cycles will, hopefully, ensure a viable eco-system for all players in this domain.”

Mr Rajiv Hiranandani, Country Head, mobile2win, says “Year 2006 is a landmark year for the Indian Mobile industry.The userbase has touched around 13 crore which is only next to China”. He further added, “Mobile Monday is an industry event and which is driven by the community, whose suggestions and co-operation makes it all possible. The forum give us a platform to discuss concerning issues related to the mobile VAS industry in a more open and informal manner”.

Hiranandani says, “Year 2006 is a landmark year for the Indian Mobile industry.The userbase has touched around 13 crore which is only next to China. Mobile Monday is an industry event and which is driven by the community, whose suggestions and co-operation makes it all possible. The forum give us a platform to discuss concerning issues related to the mobile Vas industry in a more open and informal manner”.

NEW DELHI: With 10 million video streams across its site in its first month, Rrajshri.com has introduced pay media.

Viewers are now able to download and own any of the movie content available on the site for their personal consumption, starting last weekend. And coming up is download-for-keeps for their entire music content as well. Prior to this, films could be downloaded on payment but for a limited period of 72 hours.

“We have ensured that the price points are very aggressive and have chosen to offer downloads without DRM,” Rajshri Media (P) Limited VP sales William D‘souza tells indiantelevision.com.

“Over the past month, we have received huge requests from viewers asking for downloads of the content,” he says, adding, “We are also at the final stage of introducing our ad-supported platform, through which we will soon integrate video ads and rich media banner ads on our site.”

This has been done at the “constant behest of advertisers, who see www.rajshri.com as an ideal destination to reach out to a global audience interested in Indian entertainment,” says D‘Souza.

Regarding other services on the site, D‘souza says they have bagged the famous GaneshaSpeaks Bejan Daruwala‘s astro service, and Sanjay Jumaani, numerologist, to provide that genre of content for them.

“Besides generic advice and predictions, we plan to offer personalised video consultations to consumers worldwide,” he says.

“The online ad campaign is currently ongoing and our communication will constantly keep changing as we continue to add newer and better features, categories and services to the website,” D‘souza adds.

Asked about the new alliances they are looking at, D‘souza said: “The biggest names in the business are working with us. Many more alliances are at an advanced stage of negotiation and will be announced shortly. Some of our current partners include Sony BMG , Universal Music, T-Series, Mattel Toys, B R TV, Saregama HMV, Music Today, Films Division of India, Osho International Foundation, Baba Ramdev and others.”

However the company has no alliances in the UK as of now. “While we have no alliance with any UK-based company, Rajshri.com has alliances with two US companies: Limelight Networks, the worlds leading content delivery network for digital media; and Brightcove, an internet TV service that empowers video producers and programmers to build broadband businesses while giving viewers more choices and control over their use of video and television,” D‘souza clarifies.

MUMBAI: Wire & Wireless India Ltd. (WWIL), the demerged cable outfit of Zee Group, is planning to invest Rs 3.28 billion on set-top boxes (STBs) over a period of two years to spread its presence in digital cable.

This will comprise 46 per cent of its overall funding requirement of Rs 7.14 billion. The next big expenditure will be towards hardware. The multi-system operator (MSO) has earmarked Rs 2.21 billion for investments in hardware during the two-year period.

“We have planned such investments for two years. We are bullish about digitalisation,” says WWIL CEO Jagjit Singh Kohli.

Another area where WWIL will be pumping in big money is customer acquisition. The company plans to put in Rs 1.14 billion towards this. “We are aggressive on customer acquisition. We have ramped up 250,000 subscribers in recent months through aggressive acquisitions,” says Kohli.

WWIL has made MSO acquisitions in Lucknow, Shimla, Agra, Nagpur, Pune Jalgaon and Indore. It is under negotiations with 15 MSOs in places like Meerut, Allahabad, Jaipur, Noida and Kohlapur.

The company is planning to launch a headend-in-the-sky (HITS) platform and has booked transponders on Thaicom satellite. It has already lined up a debt of Rs 2.15 billion and plans to make an initial investment of Rs 5 billion.

WWIL recently set up a digital headend at Worli in Mumbai. “We already have nine digital headends,” says Kohli.

MUMBAI: Multi-system operators (MSOs) are going to launch a two-pronged attack to make digital cable TV under Cas (conditional access system) popular as they pitch themselves in battle against direct-to-home (DTH) service providers.

While a la carte channels at Rs 5 are an attractive option they are throwing open to consumers in the Cas belt, the MSOs are also working at bouquet packages to target different segments. Discounts on second TV sets will also be made available.

Hathway Cable & Datacom is the first MSO to have finalised its tiered packages for pay-TV subscribers, allowing them to budget their cable subscription under Cas. The monthly value packages start at a low of Rs 85 (see table) and go up to Rs 120 (see table).

With taxes and Rs 77 on free-to-air (FTA) channels, the rates work out to Rs 222 and Rs 266 in Mumbai (Delhi will be cheaper by Rs 25 because of lower entertainment tax), excluding the rent on STBs. Hathway will make available over 60 FTA channels.

“We are offering 20 pay channels for Rs 85 at a discount of 15 per cent (from the a la carte option). The other option available is Rs 120 for 30 channels. Consumers can thus look at bouquets with this kind of discounting,” Hathway Cable and Datacom managing director and CEO K Jayaraman tells Indiantelevision.com.

On the second TV set, Hathway is offering two packages: 15 channels (see table) for Rs 40 (discount of 50 per cent); and 28 channels for Rs 55 (50 per cent discount). While those who subscribe to the Family Mix (Rs 120) can take either of the two schemes for the second TV set, subscribers of Rs 85 (Desi and Videsi Mix) can‘t take the Rs 55 Double Dhamaka offer of Rs 55 for the second TV set.

“The economics won‘t work and our ARPUs (average revenue per user) would be terribly hit. So we have kept the packages that way. We feel the Family Mix is ideally suited for the Double Dhamaka offer on their second TV set as we are targeting a slightly upscale audience. For the Desi and Videsi Mix, our focus is on SEC B customers. Under this segment, we have divided the customers into those with Hindi and with English preferences,” says Jayaraman.

ESPN and Star Sports are not included in the discount package for the second TV set. Consumers who take a la carte channels on their first TV, are also not offered any discounts on the second set.

Interestingly, the Zee-Turner channels are outside the bouquet offering, indicating a turf war that could emerge between the MSOs. And CNBC channels, which are distributed by Zee-Turner, have struck an independent deal with Hathway Cable & Datacom.

Sources in the industry say Wire & Wireless India Ltd (WWIL), the demerged cable company of Zee Group, is also working on a basic package where it will load Zee channels while keeping one or two popular channels of Star and SET-Discovery. WWIL CEO had earlier told Indiantelevision.com that he would be introducing a combo package where consumers who buy STBs on outright purchase and take annual subscription will be offered an attractive subsidy and at least 20 pay channels.

Clearly, Zee Telefilms founder Subhash Chandra is making an all out effort to hold the distribution business in his grip. He is set to give an aggressive push both to Dish TV, his DTH business, and WWIL. With Zee TV also gaining in ratings, he has ammunition on the content front as well.

The fight between Rupert Murdoch and Chandra is going to gather fresh colour in 2007. News Corp has a 20 per cent stake in DTH platform provider Tata Sky and 26 per cent in Hathway Cable & Datacom. Also grounded in the battle will be other MSOs like Hinduja-owned Incablenet as the cable industry enters the phase of consolidation.

“We have not been able to arrive at an agreement for including Zee-Turner channels in our package offerings. When we manage to do so, we will make another package for consumers,” says Jayaraman.

What this means is that in the lowest package offering of Hathway, Zee-Turner channels will not be included. Though Jayaraman gave no definite answer, sources say Star and Sony have given discounts to Hathway on the second TV set.

WWIL, on the other hand, will work out attractive pricing and packages where Zee channels are preferred. Chandra has a bouquet of regional channels which he will also try to leverage to his advantage.

Hathway has not packaged the regional channels. “For those who want regional channels, they can take it on a la carte basis. Zee channels are also available on a la carte basis. By creating bouquets, we are offering consumers a wider choice,” says Jayaraman.

Clearly, the ground for battle between DTH and cable in 2007 is being laid out. It looks like a price war is going to be fought to win subscribers.

Table elaborating Hathway‘s package offerings:

MUMBAI: Increased levels of broadband access, powerful and speedy PCs equipped with DVD readers and writers, portable video devices and next generation file sharing services are working in concert to make downloading of video content easier.

According to The NPD Group, a consumer and retail information company, among US households with members who regularly use the internet, eight per cent (six million households) downloaded at least one digital video file (10MB or larger) from a P2P service for free in the third quarter of 2006. Nearly 60 per cent of video files downloaded from P2P sites were adult-film content, while 20 per cent was TV show content and five per cent was mainstream movie content.

The NPD Group VP and senior industry analyst Russ Crupnick says, “While video P2P downloading is less pervasive right now than for music, it is a crucial issue for the film industry to keep track of. Even though right now the majority of downloaded video content is adult-film content, the amount of intellectual property stolen from mainstream movie studios, networks, and record labels will continue to rise, unless strong and sustained action is taken to prevent piracy.”

The offerings in the paid video download arena have also made inroads with consumers. In Q3 2006 two per cent of US households (1.2 million) with Internet access paid for a video download from an online download store. Apple’s iTunes led the market for paid digital video downloads, with nine in 10 downloads occurring on that site, followed by Vongo (five per cent), Movielink (three per cent) and less than one percent for CinemaNow. 62 per cent was TV programme content, 24 per cent was music video content and six per cent was mainstream movie content.

On a more positive note paid usage could double or triple within the next year as more content comes online, consumers acquire more video-enabled players and movies are offered that consumers can actually burn to DVD.

The competition between Apple’s iTunes/iPod juggernaut and Microsoft’s Zune platform will whet consumers’ appetites for digital video, though it will be quite a long time before we see consumers completely abandon the DVD in favor of digital downloads.

MUMBAI: Bharti has become the first Indian telecom service provider to launch 3G services. Telecom Seychelles, a subsidiary of Bharti Global, has launched 3G operations in Seychelles.

The company, which has been providing telecom services in Seychelles since 1998 under the Airtel brand, has made significant investments for rolling out state-of-the-art 3G services. Telecom Seychelles is also the first telecom operator to launch 3G services in the island nation.

Bharti Enterprises chairman and group MD Sunil Bharti Mittal says, “This is a proud moment for Bharti and the Indian telecom industry. This launch demonstrates that Indian telecom industry is ready to introduce world-class 3G services. Our 3G operations in Seychelles will provide us with valuable experience, which will be extremely beneficial for rollout of our 3G services in India.”

Customers in Seychelles will get access to a host of 3G services on the Airtel network. High speed web navigation – both on mobile through WAP and on laptop through Airtel 3G data card, Video calls – see and talk to each other on 3G handsets that have two cameras, sending and receiving large MMS messages are some of the many benefits customer will get.

A programme was initiated to upgrade the existing Airtel network in Seychelles. The upgrade included commissioning of Ericsson’s new MSC/Media gateway/BSC/RNC /IN and new 3G Node B‘s. All existing RBS 200 base stations with the latest 2206 BTSs have been enabled with EDGE to give the island nation a robust and futuristic telecom infrastructure.

MUMBAI: More US households now own DVD players (81.2 per cent of all households) than VCRs (79.2 per cent of households), according to Nielsen Media Research‘s third quarter home technology report.

As of the third quarter of 2006, DVD penetration in the US is up by six per cent from the previous year and continues to grow, while VCR penetration has started a decline. In 1999 when Nielsen first started tracking DVD ownership in its Home Tech Report, DVD penetration was only 6.7 per cent and was dwarfed by VCR ownership at 88.6 per cent.

Nielsen‘s latest report also found that DVD households now rent DVDs about twice per month, compared to VCR homes renting VHS tapes only about once per month. The frequency with which households rent video tapes has levelled off during the past six months.

Nielsen Media Research senior VP custom research Paul Lindstrom, says, “This study shows the culmination of a long battle for share of consumers. Nielsen clients have used information from our Home Tech Report for the past decade to trend the changes in penetration and report use of new devices as they infiltrate the marketplace, and we now see that the popularity of DVDs has finally surpassed that of VCRs.”

Some additional topline findings from Nielsen‘s Home Tech study include:

– Computers — 73.4 per cent of US homes currently have a computer in the household, and homes with children and teens are more likely to have a home computer. There is a large difference in the percentage of lower income homes vs. higher income homes that own a home computer. Homes with an income over $60,000 are 50 per cent more likely to own a home computer than homes with an income below $60,000.

– Internet – 95.4 per cent of consumers with Internet access go online at least once a week, and 37.3% of Internet users go online more than once a day. 78.2 per cent of online users have made purchases over the Internet. 46.8 per cent of online users (ages 12+) have used the Internet to download and play music from the Internet.

– MP3 Players – 26.7 per cent of US homes own or rent an MP3 player. Households with the presence of children 12-17 years of age are nearly 2 ? times more likely to own or rent an MP3 player than compared to the Total U.S. The percentage of homes owning an MP3 player has risen by 149.5 per cent since the third quarter of 2003.

– PDA – 16.4 per cent of US homes own a PDA, and since the third quarter of 2003, PDA ownership has increased by 4.5 per cent. Not surprisingly, higher income homes are more than four times as likely as lower income homes to own a PDA

MUMBAI: The mobile video market in China will take off in 2008, driven by interest in the Beijing Olympics. A new study from ABI Research forecasts total mobile video users at more than 32 million in 2008.

About 27 per cent of these consumers will use broadcasting technology, and 73 per cent will use unicast streaming technology, while a number of viewers are likely to use both.

This year the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (Sarft) had announced two handset-related standards. DAB is likely to be the first phase of mobile multimedia broadcasting standards development in China. DAB paves the way for upgrading to China‘s proposed mobile multimedia broadcasting standard, T-DMB, a terrestrial implementation of SK Telecom‘s mobile video format.

ABI research director Jake Saunders says, “Because both standards are voluntary, there are questions surrounding their effect in the market. “It is likely that local media groups and TV stations will deploy DAB initially, and implement T-DMB at a later date. The Chinese government will give preference to a standard that will be used in the 2008 Olympics, and DAB has been listed as one of the broadcast services that will be available at the Beijing Games.

“Although lack of content is still deemed to be a bottleneck for mobile video in mainland China, the problem will be solved in the next two years. The current content shortage is caused by the limited number of handset TV SP licenses. When more companies obtain licenses, competition will become the lubricant to drive up the market.”

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, mobile operators are active in mobile video streaming. Their international operations backgrounds allow them to provide diversified content to users. PCCW‘s experience in operating its IPTV business will boost its performance in the 3G market.

ABI Research forecasts approximately 715,000 mobile video users in Hong Kong in 2008, of which 99 per cent will be streaming users. In Taiwan, ABI Research forecasts that there will be over 1.5 million mobile video users in 2008, with 97 per cent receiving content via streaming

MUMBAI: O2 has announced the launch of its latest
additions to its Xda range of devices into India. The official release claims that the new Xda Atom Exec is the company‘s latest PDA-phone geared toward meeting the needs of rising professionals and high-flyers in the business world, while the Xda Stealth is designed with the multi-tasker in mind, offering the ease of use of a mobile phone with the full functionality of a PDA device.

O2 Asia Pacific CEO Mark Billington is quoted in the official release, “It is important to always focus on customer needs, which is why O2 continually strives to design and develop devices that offer compelling solutions combined with sexy silhouettes. We are always on the lookout for gaps in the market and how we can fill those gaps.”

The Xda Atom Exec has been targeted at  solutions-driven executives who need a “true mobile office” that pushes the standards of design, technology and usability. Packed under its matte “gun metal”-coloured casing are core functions of the Xda Atom, with upgraded software and enhancements to features and overall performance.

Besides its compact size and sleek design, the Xda Atom Exec is equipped with a host of productivity and connectivity features – including Wireless LAN, Bluetooth? and a sleek Infrared keyboard – it‘s a mobile office that doesn‘t look like an office.

Operating on the Microsoft Windows MobileÔ 5.0 platform with Messaging and Security Feature Pack, the Xda Atom Exec gives the convenience of direct push technology with real-time access to corporate email anywhere. It has an Intel 520MHz processor and 192MB of on-board memory.

Xda Atom Exec comes with many O2-exclusive applications like O2 AutoInstall, O2 Plus, O2 MediaPlus, O2 PhonePlus and O2 SMS Plus to help manage communication and entertainment needs and has an in-built FM radio and a 2.0 mega pixel camera with flash.

The Xda Stealth is the first device created by O2 in a new product category they have termed “hybrid”. Billington envisions this will be the first in a long line of devices from O2 that merge the best capabilities and sensibilities of different mobile platforms to better engage customers whose needs are not met by standalone PDA-phones, Smartphones or mobile phones.

One can access MSN Messenger, SMS and email capabilities by using the slide-out 12-key alphanumeric keypad with one hand or by tapping the 2.4-inch QVGA TFT-LCD touchscreen if you prefer. An intuitive eZiText function of touchscreen with a virtual alphanumeric keypad for texters and customers who want the convenience of a full-fledged PDA but do not want to lose the way they currently use their phones.

The Xda Stealth is powered by an Intel Xscale PXA 272 Processor at 416MHz and comes with 192MB Flash ROM of onboard memory. It operates on the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform with messaging and security feature pack, and comes with the latest editions of Microsoft Office programmes for Windows Mobile (including Pocket Outlook, Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and PowerPoint Viewer) and ActiveSync. Connectivity options include Wireless LAN 802.11b+g and Bluetooth.

The Xda Atom Exec is retailing at Rs 41,990 (MRP), while the Xda Stealth will retail at Rs 32,990 (MRP), starting third week of December through Brightpoint India outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore,Ahmedabad, Pune & Chandigarh.  Prices include GST (octroi is extra as applicable) and a one-year local warranty.