ITV

Tag: MCI

  • VSNL is SEA-ME-WE4 global consortium cable system network administrator

    VSNL is SEA-ME-WE4 global consortium cable system network administrator

    MUMBAI: Telecommunications major Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has been chosen as the network administrator for one of the world’s largest and sophisticated trans-continent cable systems-SEA-ME-WE4 (South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe). 

    This is the first time that an Indian company has been chosen as the network administrator for a global consortium cable system. The SEA-ME-WE4 consortium has 16 members.

    VSNL also hosts the network-operating centre in Mumbai. The twin role of network administrator and hosting the operating centre will enable VSNL to play a key role in the day-to-day operations of the cable system.

    Says VSNL executive director N. Srinath, “VSNL has built and acquired extensive global submarine cable networks, and is well positioned to become a major provider of bandwidth and managed services to carriers and enterprises, globally. The fact that 16 telecommunications companies from different countries across Asia, Africa and Europe have joined hands to build the SEA-ME-WE4 underlines the importance of cooperation in a global world. VSNL is privileged to have been chosen as the Network Administrator of this cable system. Now with the commissioning of the SEA-ME-WE4 system, we will be able to enhance our network coverage in Asia, Africa and Europe.”

    A consortium of 16 partners, comprising leading global telecom carriers, announced at Dubai on December 13, 2005 the completion and inauguration of the high-capacity fiber-optic submarine cable that stretches from France to Singapore. This latest cable named SEA-ME-WE 4 (South East Asia, Middle East and Western Europe), is the fourth in a series connecting three continents over a distance of almost 20,000 kilometers having design capacity of 1.28 Tera bits per second.

    The 16 companies that form the consortium are: Algerie Telecom, Bharti (India), BTTB (Bangladesh), CAT Telecom (Thailand), Etisalat (UAE), France Telecom, MCI, PTCL (Pakistan), Singapore Telecom (SingTel), Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), Saudi Telecom (STC), Telecom Egypt, Telecom Italia Sparkle (Italy), Telekom Malaysia, Tunisia Telecom (Tunisia) and VSNL.
    The SEA-ME-WE4 cable is initially equipped with 160 Giga bits bandwidth using state-of-the-art DWDM technology along with latest 640Giga bits matrix Digital Cross Connect in every station. The system can be upgraded up to its final design capacity of 1.28 Tera bits.

    VSNL is a leading player in the submarine cable bandwidth business globally. In addition to owning capacity on several cable systems the company has also built the Tata Indicom Cable (India-Singapore) and acquired the undersea
    cable assets of Tyco Global Network (TGN).

  • Zee News exposes corruption in Medical Council Of India

    New Delhi, 18th October’05 : Zee News, the leading Hindi news channel continues to bring out corrupt individuals of current systems to the public. In an extensive sting operation the Crime Reporter team of Zee News has exposed the corruption prevalent in high places even in the much-regarded ‘Clean’ Institutions like Medical Council of India.

    The sting operation was put in action following a tip off about how some corrupt officers in the Medical Council of India (MCI) are bringing it a bad name. The Zee News team had been planning for over 2 months to set the stage for this operation. Armed with hidden cameras and microphones the team went about their mission to capture the modus operandi.

    On the guise of setting up a Medical College, the Zee News Team went looking for someone to take the bait. After much searching for the right person, the team finally met up with Dr. K K Arora, a Deputy Secretary at MCI. The initial meeting with Dr. K K Arora was the first step that opened up a can of worms.

    Dr. K K Arora got the team introduced to his partner in crime A. S Nayar, Deputy Secretary and Head of Fraud Cell at MCI. As things took shape, the duo made a deal with Zee News team to give out two confidential FIR files of two medical institutes held by MCI for Twenty Lakh Rupees. The officials went a step ahead to offer their other packages. As per the officials a student who had done his MBBS from Russia could get registered through them to start a practice in India for Rs. 5 lakhs. Assuring Zee News team of their clout in the business, the officials hinted of their nexus with Health Ministry.

    With the officials caught on camera accepting bribe and the airing of the sting operation on Zee News for the first time on 14/10/2005 in a special programme, ‘Maut Ki Ghoos’, things got rolling. An executive committee meeting of MCI was held today on the issue, which has appointed a 2 member committee to look into the issue, also the two deputy secretaries involved in the matter are suspended with immediate effect. The executive committee has also refereed the matter to CBI for through investigations and in view of claims made by Dr. K K Arora about his links with the Health Ministry the Prime Minister’s office has been informed of the issue, for necessary actions.

    Zee News sting operation generated wide public response and appreciation with numerous phone calls and sms messages received, condemning the corrupt officers of MCI and advocating a strict legal action against the guilty.

    About Zee News

    Zee News, the news and current affairs channel of the Zee group, has taken giant strides ever since its inception in 1992. Reaching millions of viewers in five continents, the channel revolutionized the way news was brought home to the viewers and absorbed by them.

    Zee News is a pioneer not just because it was the first private broadcaster news in South Asia but also because it created history in 1999 when it became the first 24 hours news channel of the country.

    Keep on watching Zee News for more action.
    Media Contacts:
    New Delhi/Mumbai
    Chetan Saxena/Priyanka Joshi
    Saxenac@zeenetwork.com/joshipriyanka@zeenetwork.com
    9811323282/9820998151

  • Deriving further insights from TAM data after a psychographic definition

    Deriving further insights from TAM data after a psychographic definition

    TV Pulse 2005, the annual research initiative put together by the Joint Industry Body (JIB) and Tam Media, series continues with the paper – Deriving further insights from TAM data after a psychographic definition.

     

    The paper by Paper contributed by ATG, Group-M attempts to describe one such exercise undertaken by MCI in conjunction with TAM.

     

    One common issue with marketers of high-end products is defining their target audience through a combination of demographics and psychographics. In-depths, pen-portraits etc yield particular psychographic traits that possibly are unique to this particular category’s consumers. However, media planning and buying requires quantification. Therefore, key questions addressed in this paper are:

     

    • How does one size up a psychographic target?
    • What are ways in which one can then derive some broad media consumption learning?
    • How can one then, use some kind of ‘bridge’ definition of a TA that would help one analyze dynamic media information through viewership databases like TAM?
    •  

    Preamble viewership of channels with international news and entertainment could comprise of broadly two kinds of audiences. One is that segment which is genuinely interested in such programming as against other viewers who just dabble with such channels. Marketers who advertise in such channels are more interested in reaching the former. The latter would either not be part of their source of business volumes or could be reached through other cost efficient methods.

     

    The objective, therefore of the analysis were:

     

    1. To determine the various audience clusters of Category X and size up those who are skewed to English programming (International Entertainment and News)
       
    2. RLD analysis of heavy viewers of English entertainment and the skewness of various channels on this definition of the TA.

    This detailed paper clearly showed that combining a psychographic definition along with a special analysis using TV data helped make a smarter channel selection for this brand.

     

    The primary objective is to substantiate the hyphothesis that Category X consumption is skewed to a particular cluster which is characterised by heavy viewing of English programming. Also, it is to determine the overall size of this cluster in the broad demographic. This is important, as a marketing manager should avoid over/under-estimating the size of this up-market audience. A realistic idea of the size would help fix some kind of budget allocation across various audience clusters.

     

    The second objective would help answer which of the programming driven channels have a greater composition of hard-core international programming viewers‘ vs the ‘dabblers‘, as has been elaborated in the preamble. An extensive battery of over 290 statements allows the analyst to do various combinations before finalising on clusters that are internally homogenous and yet differentiated across.

     

    The paper points out that combining a psychographic definition along with a special analysis using TV data helps make a smarter channel selection for this brand.

  • Intelsat appoints senior managers in Data, Carrier & Internet Business Unit

    London: Intelsat is getting two new executives in the senior management cadre to manage sales and marketing for its largest customer segment, Data Carrier & Internet (DC&I).
    The new vice president for sales, Stephen Spengler, has been taken in to manage and strengthen global sales for DC&I. Sales and marketing in the Asia-Pacific region is also slated to get a boost with the newly appointed Ashley Fernandes, who comes in as the new regional vice president for sales and marketing.
    Spengler will be primarily looking at the global coordination of all sales staff, operations and regional offices within the DC&I group. He will be homing in on DC&I’s customer acquisition and retention strategy as also the company’s global financial and service growth objectives. He has prior experience of managing global sales at Broadband Access Networks, Cirronet Inc, ViaSat Satellite Networks and Scientific-Atlanta’s Satellite Networks.
    Fernandes also has held several key sales roles at PanAmSat, BT/Concert Global Networks, MCI, and at Telstra where he established their Singapore-based regional sales office that served the ASEAN and Indian market for voice and data services.
    “Mr. Spengler and Mr. Fernandes each bring superior knowledge and skills that will enhance our ability to address customer needs and ensure Intelsat’s continued leadership and development in the data, carrier and Internet market,” says Intelsat DC&I Business Unit President John Stanton. “Mr. Spengler’s focus on our global business will ensure that Intelsat continues to have the most professional sales force in this business, while Mr. Fernandes’ extensive experience in Asia and his presence in Singapore will be an asset in that region.”