Mint published an article (contributed by WSJ) Why Microsoft, RIM Fight Is Entering the Consumer Market
“Already, Apple Inc.’s iPhone for consumers is forcing handset makers to rethink their own hardware designs. Meanwhile, Google Inc. is expected to jump into the mobile-phone market, hoping to court consumers by delivering software to handset makers and phone carriers to create offerings that could eventually be subsidized by online advertising. ”
Like to highlight couple of points:
• Increasing focus on consumers from enterprises (Morgan’s views earlier posted by Alok share the same thought)
• Demand of enabling platform/softwares like Web Services for search, digital maps for cellphones, voice based search, targetting ad
• Smartphones comprises only 10% of the total 1.2 billion handsets worldwide – increasing demand of technologies enabling basic phones into entertainment devices
Microsoft and Google have done some small acquisitions/partnerships in mobile technology arena. We are already seeing lot of action in Indian Mobile space. Indian mobile numbers are attractive for companies like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and investments from these will push the frontier further. Any potential Google/Msft target 🙂
-Mukul
- Onion Rs65/kg, Petrol Rs65/litre, Beer Rs65! - January 19, 2011
- NEN Program for Women Entrepreneurs - September 3, 2010
- A Billion Dollar Indian Internet Company - August 19, 2010
In Japan 50% people send emails using their phones .. and desktop sales are sinking.
And with this IMO, mobile is still a _HUGE_ untapped market. dodge this –
1. No good search platform in mobile to search SMS, docs and contacts. My mobile has 2 GB of valuable stuff.
2. No P2P programs for mobile which can enable user to share or stream files.
3. GPS is still much under utilized. e.g i can’t give off my locations to someone.
I guess google’s initiate to build an opensource platform will broaden scope for a lot of goodies.
– J
On this one, just the surface has been scratched. Expect more interesting software innovation on handsets right here in India (revenue models is another story!). And yes, if someone does true innovation, they will get acquired by the biggies you mentioned as well as the handset players. The innovation from the handset players has been slowing down and they need good software acquisitions to keep up.
The argument that Indian consumer is not `evolved’ is incorrect. I would say he is the `most evolved’ since his life will still go on even as virus attacks crash many a smart phone or you just happen to lose your phone. It’s just that he is more value conscious than any other global consumer and hence the best touchstone for value quotient in a new product.
That said, I go that most of the features offered as VAS apps are waiting to be `standardized’ as in-built device features in mobile phones. In effect, they should come FREE for the consumer – just as `reminder’, `address book’ etc. It soon will. Just as introduction of iPhone (with built-in iPod features) has hit the market for iPods, these new applications (including games) will have to find a way to integrate with a Nokia / Sony / Motorola to sell themselves.
Waiting for the consumer to `evolve’ and pay for it – looks to me as wishful thinking, at best, if not outright dumb thought…!
The
Request to Admin
Please post these link for others as food for thought
http://blogs.zdnet.com/web2explorer/?p=37
http://www.thealarmclock.com/euro/archives/2007/06/beyond_the_consumer.html
Good posts on disruptive ideas.
I was amazed to digg that there are more than 35 social networking sites started by indians.There are more than 10 online bus booking sites .I want to ask their founders and investors that why are we doing the same thing.
Hi Mukul,
In India, most of the cell phone users still use sms, proxy for alarm clock and missed calls only. ARPU is still amongst the lowest in the world.
I really wonder if there is a market for mobile phone software in India for near term (5 years). I simple survey amongst your friends tell you that less than 1% of your contacts would want to pay for VAS. And this is a good mix of people – students, professionals, home-makers etc.
This will change when todays school children grow up and are ready to spend money. Their parents already are making money and kids would want to spend it. I would say 5 to 10 years time frame is required to make any substantial dent in the market.
In US, most of the mobile phone users are evolved. And more people want to use services and applications that make your life easier.
I think most of these VAS and applications work on law of numbers – until they have large userbase, they wont break even (cost of deve, porting and distribution).
What do you think…?