Rajani Baburajan

India’s 550 million mobile customers have been waiting to enjoy live streaming videos, video con-ferencing, enterprise applications and mobile TV – all of which come with high speed.

Even without the advent of 3G, Indians experienced the mobile Internet, but without good quality and less transparent pricing. Mobile Internet – whether it’s on Vodafone Connect or Tata Teleservices’ Photon – have not reached expectations. It so far ensured connectivity with a price. It ensured poor quality, unopened videos, bill shocks to users.

Aricent, a provider of communications technology and services, works closely with communications service providers (CSPs) and equipment manufactures to solve the emerging and complex innovation, SI and R&D challenges these organizations face in this highly competitive market. The company has co- developed some of the world’s first Femtocell, WiMAX and In-flight broad- band solutions.

According to the latest findings from NASSCOM , the Indian IT -BPO (business process outsourcing) sector is poised for a record growth of 5.5 percent to reach US$49.7 billion for FY 2009-2010. The industry association finds that the performance of the industry is far stronger than what is reflected through the growth numbers.

The 2010-11 Union Budget is significant for India in many ways. A fast-emerging economy, India is one of the countries that showed the first signs of economic recovery from the global recession that struck in 2008. This year, India is hosting several international sports events, so it is preparing to get the infrastructure and resources ready to showcase these extravaganzas. However, India is facing an increasing number of challenges like population, security issues, price increases and carbon emissions.

A recently-launched commercial from a leading mobile communications provider inspired me to think about the immediate possibilities of mobile value added services in India. A rural woman bargains with a “machiwala” (fish seller). At the end of a typical bargaining drama and the deal following, she picks up the mobile phone from her bosom and presses a few buttons and asks him with a casual look, “Did you get it?” The machiwala picks up his phone lying in the mutilated fish and replies in a contented manner, “Yes.” The money is in his account.

Despite several efforts made by direct-to-home (DTH) operators in India, the industry has not picked up the desired momentum. Cost remains as the major concern preventing mass adoption of DTH services in India. Unless DTH providers revise their content and cost strategy to make the service appealing to middle-income households, they are not likely to gain from the market and put an end to the monopoly of cable operators.

 

Most innovations happen during harsh times. Currently, the global economy is going through a transition period owing to the recession. A majority of the corporate sectors are facing the worst sides of the recession that started with the mortgage crisis in the United States in early 2007. Companies have curtailed expenses. Mass layoffs have become the order of the day. To survive, they are forced to adopt such tough measures. Strategic partnerships and innovative technologies are reshaping the markets worldwide.

MTS, the largest mobile phone operator in Russia, entered the highly lucrative Indian market in December 2008 through Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL), a joint venture between Sistema of Russia and Shyam Group of India. During the past year since its launch, the company has recorded astonishing growth in the region, adding new telecom circles and announcing new milestones in customer growth almost every month.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the latest buzz in telecommunications markets worldwide. And China is not behind. In fact, China is driving the LTE wave with a lot of investments made in LTE R&D. There are aggressive efforts by leading carriers to launch LTE services earliest by 2011.