mobile internet? bener ada penggunanya?

admob data bilang, akses mobile internet (semua site yang berbasis mobile – m.blabla.com, ataupun wap.blabla.com, ataupun www.blabla.com/m) Indonesia nomor 2 setelah peringkat Amerika Serikat.

Baru-baru ini, Opera – perusahaan yang  fokus untuk melakukan pengembangan mobile browser- meluncurkan data mengenai seberapa besar pengguna browser mereka yang berasal dari Indonesia. Cukup konsisten, mereka bilang Indonesia juga nomor 2 untuk traffic browsing menggunakan Opera-mini. Data yang di-release oleh opera-mini saat ini hanyalah data pengguna mobile internet dari Indonesia yang menggunakan Opera-Mini sebagai browser mereka. Bisa dibayangkan, seberapa besar akses GPRS yang sesungguhnya jika digabung dengan data orang-orang yang melakukan akses mobile internet dari default browser handsets mereka.

Masih menurut Opera, rata-rata pengguna mobile internet di Indonesia memakai sekitar 4MB / bulan. Mungkin hal ini karena tarif pemakaian GPRS yang masih cukup tinggi di Indonesia. Karena jika kita bandingkan dengan data yang dikeluarkan oleh pihak lainnya, penggunaan rata-rata mobile internet di Indonesia adalah 20MB / bulan.

Apa artinya? Tergantung dari sudut pandang mana anda berasal.

1. Media : belum khatam kita belajar mengenai digital media di Indonesia melalui media internet, mobile internet bisa dijadikan pilihan karena mempunyai angka penetrasi (dan jumlah absolute) yang jauh lebih tinggi dari Internet di Indonesia. Sebut saja situs-situs mobile internet seperti m.friendster.com, m.yahoo.com, telah mulai memasarkan banner di mobile-site mereka.
2. Brand Owner : salah satu peran dari mobile marketing (yang selama ini cuma dikenal dengan SMS broadcast saja) adalah banner di mobile internet. Kelebihannya, selain bisa mengarahkan pengunjung ke mobile-site dari brand, banner di mobile internet site bisa di program untuk:click-to-call:banner di klik kemudian langsung menyambungkan HP ke nomor yang telah ditentukan, click-to-SMS: banner di klik kemudian langsung membuatkan SMS dengan format yang telah ditentukan sebelumnya ke nomor yang telah ditentukan juga.
3. Mobile Operator: melakukan proposisi yang berbeda selain perang tarif telepon dan SMS
4. Publishers : mulai membuat versi mobile website mereka, untuk memaksimalkan revenue iklan dengan sesuatu yang lebih terukur.
5. Consumers : Bisa menikmati internet dalam skala kecil melalui HP yang sudah support GPRS

Dengan perkembangan industri telekomunikasi saat ini (10 operator telepon nirkabel, HP yang telah support GPRS dengan harga yang murah) hampir dapat dipastikan beberapa tahun ke-depan, banyak orang-orang Indonesia yang mendapatkan pengalaman pertama mereka menyentuh dunia maya melalui layar kecil HP.

innovate or re-invent?

Sometime it is hard for me to differentiate between innovate or re-invent or copycat especially when it come to creative idea in global space like internet or mobile internet.

For example, we create a ‘google/yahoo-news-like’ portal that specified for local news contents http://rangkum.com

The idea was discussed during lunch time with my ‘love-to-parse’ working buddy; Azis. We were discussing why google/yahoo seem not too bother with content localization especially to Bahasa Indonesia. Our discussion then become more specifically to news product and how we need to open more than one tab / windows just to cover all local news in Bahasa.

I believe many commuters don’t really have time to read newspaper or read internet news in their office. From our point of view, news will have meaning to the readers if only they really interesting after read its headline.

Then, with respect to Google and Yahoo!; we create rangkum.com . A news portal that gather local news sites in Bahasa Indonesia.

Do we violate intellectual property? off course no We honor them, that’s why we just take the headlines and some sentences of the news in order to update our readers to hot topics about Indonesia. If they interested to read more about the news, they can click a link then it will redirect them to the source of content owner sites.

Although we still on progress on do the web-semantic thing in our rangkum.com-beta portal and enhance it with more personalize functionality, we got positive feedback from our friends. I really hope our work can be useful to others too.

mobile marketing in Indonesia – a case study from an existing client

Client: leading motorbike manufacturer in Indonesia

Objective: supporting media to create a unique way in order to complete pre-launch activities series using new media and generate database

Target: youngster, new jobber (18-35 y.o)

Concept:

• Create a PR stunt supported by girls in a bike passenger suit
• Girls will give out their ‘name cards’ with their mobile numbers in malls, campuses, and biker hang out places
• 2 type of responses are expected from this stunt;
  • SMS directed to the girls; All SMS will be replied with generic message, but its editorial will follow the way youngsters talk via SMS. Start to tease soon to be launch product by announce URL for pre launch website
  • Call-in; All calls will be answered by generic voice-mail

Execution:

• Based on client’s consideration on contra-productive effect of mobile marketing based on the proposed concept, a name card design changed from a usual ‘model’ name card without any client’s branding and product info into a mini flier that have client’s branding and URL to pre-launch website
• SMS reply also change from a regular youngsters text copy into a hard sell copy mentioning about new motor-bike technology

Result:

• 5% SMS penetration
• 1% Call in
• Buzz in motorbike community in Indonesia
• Average 1500 visitors to http://www.motorimpian.com

Consider major changes from its original concept from a ‘model’ name card to a mini fliers, penetration was not bad at all (compare to SMS broadcast penetration ~10%).
Most important part will still need to be done; follow ups and create a relevant messages to people who interested to the product.

My 1st post from non QWERTY mobile phone..

Waiting is the most boring activity.. I dont know how many minutes spent browse around google reader through my mobile n got bored. Then I open my mini opera again n do ‘the art of doing nothing’ browse around mobile web sites.
I end up in my blog n write a post from my Nokia 3100c. Well, if u used to type in a qwerty keyboard, this activity tiring n time consumin.. But hey, I need to do sumthin that wasting my time anyway.. :p
People should think about it when create wap sites. less page clicks, less image, n most of all, less type… Maybe mobile apps dev. Should made a passwd n user-id storage; user only need to type once and use many.. What if u lost ur phone? Well, just make a passwd protected apps or maybe apps with ‘kill pil’.
Ok, before i get a sore thumb, it’s better to end this post…
Btw, if u want to create a post using ur mobile, make sure u have qwerty keyboard built in… :p

why I love telecommuting?

   telecommuting:”Telecommuting, e-commuting, e-work, telework, working at home (WAH), or working from home (WFH) is a work arrangement in which employees enjoy limited flexibility in working location and hours. In other words, the daily commute to a central place of work is replaced by telecommunication links.more“  

I’ve spent 1.5 hours driving to my office (around 35 Km), it will be the same time frame for me to conduct a weekly meeting to set a week goal(s). Although I’ve spent most of time reading google reader from my mobile (not a good sample of safety driving, but I was so bored… because my car only move once every 5 minutes). 

I’m subscribing to wireless internet connection for IDR 350,000.00 (US$ 40) for 1.2 GB volume/month. On top of US$35 / week for gasoline, stressful experience on the road, possibility to get a scratch car because motorbike. As soon as I arrived at the office, then I open my notebook, connect to Internet (using my office’s internet line), and start to work.

I wonder, how many people in Jakarta are actually a ’space independent’ work force. How many of them have to spend hours of their time and travel from their house to their office. Then I start to think how can they actually save their salary.

If it’s not for having a meeting and monitor my subordinates, I can stay home and work from my bedroom without have to worry about which way I should take to avoid 3 in 1, which way that have the least traffic and where I should have my lunch.

Not just it will cut half of my cost per-month, I also actively contribute to reduce pollution, decrease traffic accident statistic, and increase revenue to people that open a business around my house especially restaurant.

All I have to do is create a working standard in order to make telecommuting works in my company. I know that not all business will be effective by this working type, but creative agencies, digital media people, software developers, even receptionist and secretary can work from their house.

It will be the best long term solution for traffic jam rather than build never ending ‘busway’ road and mono-rail projects that not resulting anything but corruptions and more traffic jam. 

Nomad to Nomad ?

Some of you might have previous version of image above showing how people evolve. For me; image above will tickled me in a way that we actually going back to nomad because technology enable us to do so.

The difference between ancient and ‘neo’ nomad maybe only its tools and ‘know-how’. On ancient nomad, people will and always gather in groups, have their own sign/language, their own symbol, create their own currency (on bartering things) and their own unique habit (culture). All tools that used as means for their activities are simple, practical, and specific. Even, in some literature fashion also indicate their identity as a member of specific ‘ancient nomad’ groups (-although I’m still curious on how we can know how a pre-historic people dress-up-). Ancient-nomad will move places because many reasons included in this 2 groups; resource to support their groups and/or security.

‘Neo-Nomad’; will have all the social values had in ancient-nomad. Especially in Indonesia; I think Indonesian will be very easy to complete this sentence ‘let’s gather for ….”. We have community for almost every car type(even if it not a rare car), specific product from a brand – from id-mac, id-apple, ipod touch community, iphone, etc- , and specific sub-(sub-sub-…)group.

Thanks to technology, physical appearance will not be a mandatory; because we can have a ‘gathering’ in mailing lists, chat rooms, multiparties calling, and group SMS. Every participant can/want/need to be involved in decision making process; although most of the them never meet each other in person.

Demands (or dreams) to get more than what we have will always be there; either we need it or we want it. Started with a device that can only receive limited characters and a device that can exchange single duplex voice; now a device can do all things; text, voice, internet, music, photo, and ‘carry-able’.

Why we need it to be a ‘carry-able’ device? One of the reason is because we really want to take control on what we have, including our social networks / groups / community.

Technology shifted us to a ‘neo-nomad’ creatures.

1 million question: are we ready for this?

mobile marketing in Indonesia

(warning; it might take some time for you to read this article. I was carried away….. )

wikipedia says, mobile marketing is First, and relatively new, is meant to describe marketing on or with a mobile device, such as a mobile phone

Some corporate in Indonesia will refer it as SMS broadcast(90% of mobile subscribers in Indonesia have received at least 1 SMS promotional), sending unique number in some product packaging to special number and win a prizes (ok… I admit i’ve done it in my previous-previous job… because it was looked like a great idea; having a new revenue stream from corporate by selling the concept of “self funded promotional effort”). In short; like it or not it’s not a preferred extra service desired by a corporate although they know the potential of this new media.

Ok, so what’s exactly mobile potential anyway? These facts may support why marketing need to extend and explore mobile as a new media;

• Indonesia; 4th most populated country in the world has 20-25% of mobile penetration (compare with 8.9% -only- internet penetration) that will grow to 75% in 2015
• Average SMS traffic in Indonesia around ~300 million SMS/day (Telkomsel claim has 419 Million SMS/day in average every subscribers sent at least 10 SMS / day)
• People in big cities change their mobile phone in average once every 3 months; that make 90% of GSM handsets in Indonesia market already support GPRS/MMS unfortunately 95% GPRS/MMS supported handset users are ‘fake users’, meaning they don’t use their phone other than Voice and SMS
• SMS, still the sexiest product proposition for mobile carriers in order to increase activation rate targeted to youngsters
• 4 out of 5 people always carried more than 1 always-connected mobile phone (age 18-35)
• 3 out of 5 people sleep near their mobile phone
• 10% Promotion SMS (with interesting offer, e.g quiz with prizes, discount from well known brands) sent to mobile subscribers will get a response (2006)

Based on promising data above; I believe most of you will challenge it by asking “then why no body doing it…???” I’ll answer it by following reasons;

• Mobile marketing activities was started by Content Providers (CP)

(with all the respect to all mobile content providers pioneers that introduce ‘volume-game’ business in Indonesia ). Some mobile content business pioneers are already talked and executed mobile marketing by introducing ’self funded promotion’ (SFP) program. SFP was presented as a new way on ‘hard sale’ campaign activities in order to increase number of sales of a product by conducting a mobile contest or SMS quizes; how is it become a self-funded campaign? thanks to premium SMS. All SMS will be charged based on premium rate agreed by CP, mobile carrier, and off course corporate clients. The program is as simple as sending special number to specific short destination number/code (SDC) and will be charge more than regular SMS price (usually it’s Rp. 1000 – 2000 / SMS). Premium SMS revenue will be given to CP for funding the campaign (buy prizes, etc). What about the program promotion? it taken from budgeted promotion that planned to be executed within that budget year.

Depend on the cases and goal of the campaign; but most of the cases, campaign will be loose its own essence because CP will be calculating campaign program based on their nature of business; volume of premium SMS. Because some of the premium SMS revenue will be source of prizes fund.

If the goal is only for short term number of sales increase; I believe this will be the most effective program that can be done. Unfortunately; most of the participants are not brand’s target market. Even, in some of the SMS text program there always be a ‘quiz-prizes’ hunter, that join the program just for the prizes. As a result, there is no post promotion impact to the particular brand/product which wont represent corporate client’s goal. After few periods of programs; quiz prize hunters will find another programs that offer better prizes and programs will be subsidized (by CP, or sometime by client in order to save their image).

So, corporates then start to think it will be more efficient if they do the same program by traditional -send_to_po_box- way; because they can control end-to-end process and for them mobile will be less efficient because there’s no added value beside an ‘automation’ process of ’send PO.BOX’ way and it will only add unpredictable risk caused by low SMS traffic and some other technical problems.

• Stereotyping of mobile marketing and premium SMS by mobile subscribers

End user starts to view the type of ’send_unique_number’ campaign is another form of strategy done by mobile CPs or mobile carrier to increase their phone usage without any transparency related to drawing process, number of senders, and how’s their winning chance. It looks like from customer’s point of view a ‘who spend bigger money’ game. In some cases; it also encourage irresponsible party to ride on the campaign and create random fake notification via SMS about winner announcement.

Unfortunately; in order to get as many SMS volume as they can, some ‘naughty n opportunist’ CPs will make the program as subscription based program that ‘force’ customers to pay unwanted contents on daily basis. This case will cause brand owner will suffer and create unproductive impact to campaign goal.

• Privacy intrussion

This is another impression when I introduce ‘mobile marketing’ terms to corporates (at least some of clients that we’ve approached). Mobile marketing will be referred as SMS broadcast to random numbers about some promotions held by a brand.

Then what should we do?

IMHO, we should ‘juice’ mobile technology by;

• Treat mobile as a media; not source of revenue.
• Maximize its superiority value as a media that very personal, interactive, always connected, payment channel, and always carried
• Create exciting activity programs that align to the campaign goal
• Treat mobile as a complement to other media; don’t push it to be available to all campaign if it doesn’t relevant
• Treat mobile as a tool to create brand engagement, that create ‘we hear you’ impression
• Hear other industry expert about they think about how mobile can help them to ease their pain
• Educate both market and brand owner about above values and how should we do it

So, Octokers…. I challenge you to give me at least one activities that relevant to mobile that you think will be a great campaign model….. you can drop me an email or discuss with me at any chance…..

This source might give you clearer picture about mobile as a 7th mass media…

| View

Let’s differentiate ourselves by juicing mobile values in a right way… let’s be a pioneer…. put some passion on your mobile and be a mobile.juicer…

sony ericsson + microsoft vs apple iPhone?

New Sony Ericsson X1 powered by Windows mobile is HOT!!! cool DESIGN, cool user interface, video call, motion sensor, full qwerty keyboard, high speed internet connectivity (HSDPA), touch screen and many more!!!!!

Feature wise, it’s definitely ahead iPhone; in fact it might also ahead iPhone 3G that will be release sometime this year. Volume wise, X1 will beat iPhone because it’s mass product (when I say mass, it means X1 will be sold in all SE distribution channels in all continents).

For SE, it can be a way to beat Nokia’s product popularity on high end smartphone and for Microsoft, it will answer Apple’s threat in mobile world.

So? wait for cracked iPhone 3G or buy X1 with local warranty

If I have a chance to buy X1, definitely I’ll buy one!

meaningful technology

Everyday, technology evolves. Technology companies become participants in endless innovation race tracks. Will all innovation works? not necessarily, but it’s part of the risk. Will it be relevant? not necessarily because innovation doesn’t have to be relevant in current situation. Will it add values to our life? not necessarily, because values in life can be influenced and created based on commercial interests.

In developing country like Indonesia, unfortunately -admitted_or_not- WANTS will be most reason for technology adaptations. Cool, future trends, pioneer will be the main keywords used by big RnD spenders companies and (unfortunately) encourage consumptive behavior in emerging markets. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, because people are trained (by sales persons) to be able to justify their consumptive behavior. Decision makers will be in the intersection of politic, economy, and social interest. Most decisions in developing countries will take the sequence of economy, politic, then social interests.

Meaningful technology will be built based on social interest that will create a multiplication effect on economy interest. 1 Million PC program, might work for a country that use English as their main language. Will it be meaningful in Indonesia? it wont. Will it ever be meaningful technology in Indonesia? Yes, as long as there is a political will to apply a public policy that support this interest.

Indonesia, the 4th largest population country with more than 30% mobile connectivity penetration suppose to have no issue on technology. Unfortunately technology is perceived as meaningless to most of the people because it doesn’t add value on any aspects on their life.

Education will always be the main reason for this, but there is no continuous effort done by Indonesia’s intellectual technologists to make a meaningful technology to low educated people. For example, rather than thinking locally, most of them are referring to long distance learning methodology in developed countries that will require extra bandwidth as well as hardware that can support them. Some of them are one step ahead thinking about how to deliver knowledge to mobile devices, but most of them always try to adopt PC based mediated learning to mobile which will lead them to the same problem; high spec device.

Will our target really require the same education experience as we did? Will a fishermen need generic education? the answer will be no. Can we create a simple SMS based service that supplied fishermen an information on which spot will have the most fish colony or which market will give the best price for their catch? The answer is YES.

This kind of implementation that categorized as a meaningful technology. It doesn’t have to be sophisticated, because sophisticated technology tends to require sophisticated support elements. Meaningful Technology need to be very practical, tailored based on users’ daily life, can add a overcome their pain, most of all can give them a direct impact in other aspects so it can support a long term goal.

If you are an IT students that search for a topic for your research; by comparing or implementing IT experts theory or creating commercial application will only prove you as a smart students. But contributing an action to build an application that really works to specific target will prove that you are not just smart, but also have a potential to be more than just a technologist.

Let’s start small, let’s start simple, most of all; let’s start NOW