ITV

Tag: Viber

  • BBC Burmese channel launches on Viber

    BBC Burmese channel launches on Viber

    MUMBAI: Burmese-speaking users of Viber now have access to the BBC’s news updates, with the launch of the BBC Burmese channel on the app.

     

    The BBC Burmese channel on Viber will deliver several updates of key news stories of the day in text, images, as well as short audio and video clips.

     

    With its population of 48.7 million, Myanmar has 29 million active mobile subscriptions.

     

    BBC Burmese editor Tin Htar Swe said, “While BBC Burmese audio news bulletins are available for listening on mobile phones in Myanmar, this is the first time BBC Burmese content is made available on a chat app. With Viber’s reported 14.8 million unique users in Myanmar, we can now connect with our audiences – existing and new – through this growing platform, offering them access to news from the BBC, in their language.”

  • Hot Star takes to cinema advertising to reach younger TG : Feb ’15 CAM report

    Hot Star takes to cinema advertising to reach younger TG : Feb ’15 CAM report

    MUMBAI: Being the newest entrant on the bloc, Star India’s digital baby Hot Star has managed to create the necessary buzz around it. The digital app, in a bid to reach a wider segment of young audiences, has chosen cinema advertising as part of its mega marketing campaign. 

     

    Using the movie Roy as a case study, the CAM report for the month of February 2015 found that out of the 200 screens, they were present in 32 per cent of the screens, which is close to 65 screens. “This number is more than the category that four wheeler and mobile phones undertake for their campaigns,” said Interactive Television CEO Ajay Mehta.

     

    According to industry experts and estimates, Hot Star undertook cinema advertising because of the demographics to reach out effectively to their TG i.e young audiences. The campaign for cinema advertising undertaken across the eight metros could have cost Star India close to Rs 50 – 70 lakhs. Such campaigns are usually undertaken for a period of four weeks. In the past, apps such as Free Charge, Viber and Hike have used cinema advertising extensively in similar patterns. 

     

    The report also found that during the same period, a total of 297 brands were active. Banking and Finance have emerged as the top category spending with State Bank of India topping the list. F&B followed with beauty and Personal care coming third in the hierarchy. 

     

    “There has been a three per cent increase in the number of brands active on cinema with the movie Roy in February 2015 round as compared to the earlier round,” adds Mehta.

     

    There has also been a major increase in spending of clothing/apparels category from 45 per cent in January 2015 to 79 per cent in February 2015. The automobile category has increased from 34 per cent to 57 per cent during the same period. Online portals too increased their spending from 21 per cent to 48 per cent for the same period. Choc On has the highest recall with 24 per cent present in 152 screens followed by Syska LED with 20 per cent present in 136 screens.

  • TRAI seeks views to regulate Over-The-Top services

    TRAI seeks views to regulate Over-The-Top services

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today asked stakeholders whether it was too early to establish a regulatory framework for over-the-top (OTT) services, since internet penetration is still evolving, and access speeds are generally low and there is limited coverage of high-speed broadband in the country.

     

    At the same time, TRAI sought opinion on whether a beginning should be made now with a regulatory framework that could be adapted to changes in the future in a Consultation Paper on ‘Regulatory Framework for OTT services.’ The regulator wants stakeholders to send in their comments by 25 April and counter-comments by 8 May.

     

    TRAI wants to know if OTT players offering communication services (voice, messaging and video call services) through applications (resident either in the country or outside) should be brought under the licensing regime.

     

    It has sought suggestions on whether the growth of OTT is impacting the traditional revenue stream of telecom service providers and is the increase in data revenues of the TSPs sufficient to compensate for this impact.

     

    The regulator wants stakeholders to state whether the OTT players should pay for use of the TSPs network over and above data charges paid by consumers, the pricing options that can be adopted and could they include prices based on bandwidth consumption.

     

    Do stakeholders feel that imbalances exist in the regulatory environment in the operation of OTT players? What should the framework to address these issues be, and how can the prevailing laws and regulations be applied to OTT players (who operate in the virtual world)? are some of the questions to which, TRAI wants answers.

     

    At the outset, TRAI has noted that TSPs offering fixed and mobile telephony are currently being overwhelmed by online content, known as OTT applications and services. The term OTT refers to applications and services, which are accessible over the internet and ride on operators’ networks offering internet access services e.g. social networks, search engines, amateur video aggregation sites etc. The best known examples of OTT are Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Chat On, Snapchat, Instagram, Kik, Google Talk, Hike, Line, WeChat, Tango, e-commerce sites (Amazon, Flipkart etc.), Ola, Facebook messenger, BlackBerry Messenger, iMessage, online video games and movies (Netflix, Pandora). Today, users can directly access these applications online from any place, at any time, using a variety of internet connected consumers. TSPs also means Network providers, Internet Service Providers, fixed and mobile, broadband providers, data service providers, wireless net providers and access providers.

     

    It said the public internet that started in the 1980s has grown in scope over the last three decades. In its current form, it has the added ability to carry the entire gamut of services that are required to be delivered to a consumer of telecom services. It allows a telecom subscriber to access almost all the services required for information, education and entertainment. It has enabled an individual’s commercial transactions including retail; in that respect, it has altogether redefined the conventional marketplace. Even personalized services, such as a taxi ride can be accessed on a person’s fingertips. This growth has also brought about a fundamental shift in other spheres including telecom and TV. Earlier, networks used to be built around specific applications, say voice, internet or Pay TV. Voice, message and video content have now been reduced to mere bytes.

     

    It is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to know if there is an economic difference in connecting various networks via a land phone, cell phone, or a computer. In fact, young users find it difficult to distinguish among these three networks; from their perspective, all that matters is connectivity. They visualize these not as a layered and interconnected series of discreet networks, but as an organic whole.

     

    The regulator therefore wants to know how the security concerns should be addressed with regard to OTT players providing communication services and what security conditions such as maintaining data records, logs etc. need to be mandated for such OTT players. Furthermore, suggestions are sought on how the OTT players offering app services ensure security, safety and privacy of the consumer.

     

    What forms of discrimination or traffic management practices are reasonable and consistent with a pragmatic approach, the regulator wants to know, and whether the TSPs be mandated to publish various traffic management techniques used for different OTT applications.

     

  • Madison Media bags media rights for Bandhan Bank

    Madison Media bags media rights for Bandhan Bank

    MUMBAI: Continuing its aggressive list of acquisitions in 2015, Madison Media has added one more account to the tally. The media agency has won the media mandate for the proposed Bandhan Bank in Kolkata.

     

    Bandhan Financial Services, a microfinance entity, was set up in 2001 to address the dual objective of poverty alleviation and women empowerment. Bandhan has been the talk of the banking and financing community having got an in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India to start its banking operations.  Currently, it operates in 22 Indian states through more than 2000 branches, run by 14,000 employees. It has a borrower base of 6.5 million. As a bank, it will have pan-India operations and meet the credit needs of different types of customers even as offering various savings products.

     

    Bandhan chairman and managing director C S Ghosh said, “As we embark on this new journey, we need to reach out to new consumer across Indian states and we are confident that Madison will help us achieve our objective.”

     

    “Bandhan’s accomplishments are truly remarkable and we are delighted to partner them in this exciting new phase in their life which will make them play an even more meaningful role in the Indian financial sector, changing lives of many millions,” added Madison World CMD Sam Balsara.

     

    Madison Media was in the news recently for handling the media mandate for BJP for the national elections and for Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and the current Delhi election. It has recently won a host of new accounts like Viber, Lenskart, Amul Hosiery, Metro Cash & Carry, DHFL and Gaana.com.

  • TRAI paper on broadband next month

    TRAI paper on broadband next month

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will come out with a comprehensive consultation paper on broadband next month. It will invite views of public on issues related to roll out of broadband in the country.

     

    Inaugurating the “Eighth Mobile India Summit: Broadband Highway-Driving India’s Growth” organised by Assocham, TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar said, “The authority has been working on broadband issues, and hopefully, we will come out with a paper on broadband, may be by the end of next month.” He also admitted that India’s progress in terms of broadband has been very limited and disappointing.

     

    “Of 1.8 lakh kilometres (kms) cable that has been ordered 15,000 has been delivered which is just about eight per cent, of six lakh kms for ducting actual achievement is about 2,000 kms which is about 0.3 per cent, the optical fibre cable pulled is about 250 kms which is less than 0.05 per cent of the target and all this has been achieved in past two years,” he added.

     

    He further stressed the need for targeted approach to achieve broadband policy objectives. He also focused on the scope to use available private infrastructure in conjunction with already existing public infrastructure

     

    TRAI is also planning to issue a consultation paper soon to discuss regulatory framework around Over-the-top (OTT) players like WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, WeChat etc.

     

    The OTT players facilitate free calls and messaging services, making it affordable for consumers to use them. Telecom subscribers are required to pay only internet charges to their operators for using OTT services.

     

    The authority had recently organised a seminar on ‘Regulatory Framework for OTT Services’ with the aim to provide a platform for exchanging views on key issues related to OTT and also rejected the proposal put forward by telcos to charge popular apps.

  • TRAI rejects telcos’ proposal to charge popular apps

    TRAI rejects telcos’ proposal to charge popular apps

    MUMBAI: In a victory for the users of WhatsApp, Viber, Skype and other apps, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided against a proposal of carriers to impose extra fees on these popular services.

     

    The cellular service providers placed a proposal last month for these apps to share a part of their revenue with them or the government which allow users to route calls and messages via the internet.

     

    As reported by the Economic Times, TRAI has now rejected the idea and also cancelled plans to hold a consultation on the matter. According to the report, TRAI feels that revenue losses can be offset by growth in the usage of data services and that there is no need to intervene at this time. 

     

    The proposal was given on the basis that the mobile service providers were suffering a loss of revenue due to declining use of cellular voice and SMS services.

     

    With the rise over the-top players (OTTPs), many subscribers use these apps rather than their telecom operator’s normal voice call and SMS services, affecting the carrier’s revenue. Hence telcos, having invested billions of dollars in creating their network, want OTTPs to be regulated so that both parties operate on a level playing field.

     

    Operators want the OTTPs—which use their telecom networks— to pay the same fees that they pay to the government, which if implemented will force the app makers to charge for their services, currently available for free.

     

    The proposal by the telecom companies sparked widespread criticism from the consumers, raising objection to the very idea of imposing fees on specific apps, pointing out that the carriers already charge for internet connectivity.

     

    According to OTT players, seeking payment and the move to regulate them is against the concept of free internet or ‘net neutrality’.

     

    TRAI recently held a seminar titled ‘Regulatory Framework for OTT Services’ bringing several OTT players face-to-face with operators as a precursor to regulating the app space in India. This would have been the first step in a consultation process, which has now reportedly been called off.

  • Your WhatsApp could cost you, soon

    Your WhatsApp could cost you, soon

    MUMBAI: Telecom operators are worried with the increasing number of over the top (OTT) services that are using their bandwidth to provide share audio, video and text. Therefore, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) decided to pacify everyone with a seminar to discuss the issue.

     

    The telecom industry claims that it is suffering huge losses due to platforms such as Skype, Whatsapp and Viber that provide similar services at no cost but the internet service charge. PTI reports Cellular Operators Association of India director general TV Ramachandran stating during the seminar, “We want some kind of regulatory help to get a level-playing field. There are so many regulations binding on us but the same don’t exist for OTT players. We can do a lot more if level-playing field is given to us.”

     

    According to data by PricewaterhouseCoopers managing consultant Neeraj Kataria, Skype usage is costing the telecom industry around $36 billion a year globally.

     

    On the other hand, when WhatsApp picked up speed in the country, several other such services such as Hike, Line, WeChat, Snapchat etc also emerged to eat a share of the pie.

     

    Ramachandran also shared his concern that OTT services can switch calls over the web outside India but telecom ops have to pay interconnect charges.

     

    Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI) president CS Rao said that OTT service providers have no rule regarding quality of service and consumer commitment. “If 20 per cent of our customers start using OTT service then burden on network will increase $55 per subscriber,’ he added.

     

    A report in Business Today states that telcos currently are losing around Rs 5000 crore per year due to these OTT services that will cross Rs 16,400 crore in next two years.

     

    On the other hand, Internet and Mobile Association of India president Subho Roy stated that TRAI should keep out of it since it is a business to business issue. But the TRAI secretary Sudhir Gupta is reported to have said that the purpose of the seminar is not to see if OTT services are cutting into telecom operators’ revenue but whether there is a need for regulating such service or not.

     

    Amid all this, Facebook India has also joined the Cellular Operators Association of India to ‘focus on mobile technology, access and its continued desire to work in collaboration with the industry to increase connectivity.’

     

     

  • Publicis Groupe’s H1 profit drops down 17 per cent, exchange rates impact numbers

    Publicis Groupe’s H1 profit drops down 17 per cent, exchange rates impact numbers

    MUMBAI: With the slowdown of global economic activity since the start of the year and economic uncertainties prevailing in several regions of the world, Publicis Groupe has announced that its second-quarter performance was well below that of the first quarter. The company saw a 16.9 per cent fall in first-half net profit to Euro 260 million as compared to the Euro 313 million in the corresponding half of the previous calendar year-2013.

     

    Due to the substantial impact of the strong Euro (Euro 81 million negative impact in Q2 alone), the Group’s reported consolidated revenue for Q2 2014 was Euro 1,761 million, down 1.5 per cent as compared to the Euro 1788 million in H1 Q2 2013.

     

    The group says that organic growth of just 0.5 per cent was largely due to unfavourable comparable (+5.0 per cent in Q2 2013), but also to the persistent weakness of certain markets and investments on the part of a number of clients who substantially downsized their budgets.

     

    In a statement published on the group’s official website, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy said, “The first half-year was heavily impacted by exchange rates which had an adverse effect on revenue of Euro 148 million. At constant exchange rate, revenue would have increased by close to 5 per cent during the period.

     

    As we predicted last fall, growth stalled in the second quarter. However, it should be underscored that weakness was stronger than expected mostly due to the cancellation or postponement of campaigns and lagging economies in Europe and in emerging countries. Our organic growth was +1.8 per cent for the first half-year. Our margin remained strong, though fractionally down, as a result of accounting treatments and lagging growth.”  

     

    Lévy conceded, “These figures are not satisfactory by our standards. They are not consistent with what our operations can achieve. As can be seen from our digital growth (+8.8 per cent) or the numerous awards from various juries (Gunn Report, Gartner and an impressive haul of awards at the Cannes International Festival), our strategy is spot-on and our networks are at the cutting edge of the industry. For the second part of the year, we can confirm that we are already on track for higher growth, and this should be evident as of the third quarter.”

     

    “Given the situation in Europe and the slow pick-up in the emerging economies, we prefer to be extremely cautious on growth prospects and prioritize cost control in order to achieve a margin closer to our goal for the full year.

     

    Although 2014 will be a difficult year, it does not undermine our mid-term prospects. Our business plan between now and 2018, as announced on 23 April 2013, is currently being revised to factor in market developments and the investments required reaching our transformation goals ahead of schedule. The strong feedback from our entities leaves us very confident about achieving all our goals,” he concluded. 

     

    It was in May 2014 when Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group have called off their $35 billion merger. Levy then in a statement mentioned, “The decision to discontinue the process was neither pleasant nor an easy one to make, but it was a necessary one.” Experts believe the deal failed majorly because of tax issues.

     

    Four regions contribute to Publicis Groupe’s revenue- Europe excluding Russia and Turkey, North America, BRIC + MISSAT (Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey), and the rest of the world.

     

    The group says that Europe (excl. Russia and Turkey) remained negative overall (-0.3per cent), while all the other regions reported growth in the first half-year. North America recorded growth of +2.8 per cent, and continues to show resilience.

     

    The BRIC and MISSAT countries achieved growth of +0.4 per cent though the good performances of Russia (+5.9 per cent), Mexico (+10.3 per cent), Turkey (+2.5 per cent) and Singapore (+7.2 per cent) were overshadowed by the Greater China region’s slower-than-expected return to high growth (+1.4 per cent) and by negative growth in Brazil (-0.6 per cent). India’s -14.7 per cent adversely affected the BRIC group. The economic slowdown observed since mid-2013 in emerging countries has had a significant impact on advertising investments. The rest of the world, which includes Australia and Japan, reported growth of +5.6 per cent.

     

    On 30 January 2014, Publicis Groupe acquired a major stake in Indian based advertising agency Law & Kenneth. In an unprecedented move, Law & Kenneth took over the Indian operations of Saatchi & Saatchi and now is called L& K Saatchi & Saatchi. During the first half of the year, the holding company’s BBH India won the creative mandate of Viber (India) and Piaggio Vehicles’ Vespa (India), while Leo Burnett India added MAA TV to its kitty.

     

    Click here to read the financial report

  • TRAI likely to come out with discussion paper on OTT services

    TRAI likely to come out with discussion paper on OTT services

    NEW DELHI: A discussion paper is likely to be issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) relating to Over The Top (OTT) services such as such as WhatsApp and Viber.

     

    However, a TRAI official said that this would not be in the form of a consultation paper since TRAI at present cannot regulate OTT.

     

    The official told indiantelevision.com that the major issue related to security threats and the direction these companies will take in the future. “We would also understand the concerns of telecom operators and consumers,” said the official.

     

    One effect of the TRAI study could be the introduction of payment for the OTT services to save the telecom companies, but this will have to be balanced with the capacity of the customer to pay. If the OTTs do not pay the telcos, the messages will be delivered slower and videos will take longer to download.

     

    The regulator will look into issues faced by telcos regarding usage of their bandwidth by OTT players and other internet companies without any share in revenue earned. Operators also have to spend periodically to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the growing data needs to consumers.

     

    While security agencies can access telecom data such as messages and call records provided there is a court order, there are more problems in accessing internet services.

     

    It is learnt that the government may ask its US counterpart to share the technology it uses to decrypt conversations happening over chat services like WhatsApp and Skype, if the companies do not cooperate.

     

    Value Added Services (VAS) are being affected with certain mobile internet services including ringback tones, voice SMS, job alerts etc. The role of telecom player gets minimised as consumers shift to more web services.