BYOD ( Bring your own device)

BYOD is a cool acronym used these days. "Bring  Your Own Device" essentially refers to companies allowing employees to use their personal devices like Tablets and Smartphones for offical work instead of the laptops (higly unlikely to be the latest ones). Reports indicate that BYOD will result in increased productivity. However question remains on how organizations would manage the security aspects.

If the productivity improvements are indeed seen,  Will organizations provide latest gadgets to its employees( instead of the typical "use-it-for-three-years"), which would certainly be far more secure? OPLD ? Organization Provided Latest Device! Mobile Device OEMs will  like it.

Global Mobile Awards 2012 and the winners are....

BEST Smartphone  : Samsung  - Samsung Galaxy S2
Best Feature Phone : Nokia C3-00
DEVICE MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR: Samsung

BEST MOBILE APP for consumers: Rovio  - Angry Birds Rio
BEST MOBILE APP for Enterprise: Citrix Systems - Citrix Receiver
BEST OVERALL MOBILE APP : WhatsApp Inc - WhatsApp

BEST ENTERPRISE MOBILE SERVICE : Fiberlink - MaaS360

BEST CONSUMER MOBILE SERVICE : Google - Google Maps for Android

NEST USE OF MOBILE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS: UBL Omni, efficient cash discbursement service after 2010 Food crisis

Dialling Progress

This article titled "Dialling Progress" authored by V Sridhar and me has appeared in Financial

Chronicle. The article indicates the poor quality of connection and clarity experienced by us as subscribers on mobile networks; outlines the measurement methodology of QoS implemented by TRAI; examines the gap in the metrics and methodology; and prescribes measures for enforcing stricter QoS metrics and measurement procedures. We also suggest empowering TRAI for the imposition of penalty on errants.

Please click on the picture for print replica or click on the link Dialling Progress 

 

122 licences cancelled , another 50K Crore?

@4.4Mhz for each of the 122 circles, about 530Mhz will be Available for auction.  Just to re-cap, 3G auction resulted in @ 71 Blocks * 5 Mhz , 355 Mhz spectrum was sold at roughly 190Crore per Mhz  ( Frequecy pair - UL +DL) 

 Even if consider the say 50%  ( Trying to be Bejan Daruwalla for a moment!!) of the average price realized during the 3G Auction per Mhz, the upcmoing 2G Auction could give more than 50K Crore.  But will the Telcos be able to cough up this with already stretched Balance sheets. Hopefully,  the goverment will make this  530Mhz  technology neutral,  that would make it attractive the operators as they could use the spectrum for 4G whenever it becomes economically viable.

Will large players buy? Spectrum is so scarce that they will bid.  . But what will they do with their existing 3G spectrum. The bigger ones could move their higher ARPU customers to 3G and free-up some space.

Will the operators like Uninor rebid in the auction? They could at least in the circles they are doing well. Infact Uninor wanted additional spectrum in some of the circles where they were doing well like Westbengal.

Dwindling ARPU. Prices will go up and some sanity will set-in. India’s ARPU is about 2USD are perhaps the lowest

Mobile Handset Industry: Is change the name of the game?



Picture source: Rediff

This article written by me has appeared in Rediff. The article tries to argue that 1) The Industry structure has changed dramatically thanks to market outsiders like Apple and Google (2) With no differentiation, mobile phones have become like TV and other consumer electronics market(3) More consolidation in OEM space, patent wars , newer technologies on the anvil makes the industry so dynamic that practically anyone can create an impact in this market.

Please click the link below or click on the image for the article:

"Mobile Handset Industry: Is Change the name of the game?"



Top 5 Smartphone vendors

The infographics below show the dramatic change in  Top 5  smartphone vendors over the past 3 years.

Reading this, you enjoy double subsidy

This is my first attempt at a generic article. I have tried to capture my thoughts comparing news paper in India and abroad based on my experience. This one appeared in the editorial page of Daily Post on 29th November 2011. Reading this, you enjoy double subsidy. Please click on the image to read print replica

Has mobile truly become a commodity

Five  years back, there was  a popular opinion that mobile phone will become a commodity at some point. Looks like we are already witnessing this now. So far, every phone maker had some innovative stuff in terms of hardware or software gettign into the phone every 6 months or one year. Remember teh Razr from Motorola, the mini from Panasonic etc. Now the differentiation is almost negligible aka TV market. What is the difference between a Samsung LCD TV and say a Videocon or Sony?

Infrastructure and Literacy

This article authored by me appeared in the Financial express on the 26th Oct 2011. The article emphasizes the need for improving broadband infrastructure , creating an indigenous ecosystem and focusing on e-education for India to witness superlative broadband penetration. Please click Infrastructure and Literacy or click on the image for the print version

For Telecom Sense Today

This article that I co-authored with Dr Sridhar appeared in the Economic Times, editorial page on 21st October 2011. The  article tries  to stress the need for new draft Telecom Policy 2011  to be operative immediately. Instead of faulting operators sharing 3G spectrum, the government should commend it. Some operators refarm spectrum, consumers gain and DoT should not interfere. Please click the link For Telecom Sense Today  or click on the image for print replica. 

Telecom Policy lags practice

This article that I co-authored with Dr Sridhar appeared in the Economic Times, editorial page on 7th Sep 2011. The article discusses about issues of roaming in 3G and BWA services for data services; benchmark initiatives in the European Union on data roaming regulation; recent market developments in this area; initiatives on spectrum re- farming and spectrum sharing without appropriate policies; hence the need to legitimize these initiatives. Please click on the link Telecom Policy lags practice  or click on the picture for viewing the print replica

Take charge & go-ahead! It is your career

This article authored by me appeared in today's Deccan Herald, Avenues supplement. This article tries to look at some of the beliefs and practical aspects of career planning. Organizations can only play a supportive role. Among other things, longevity in an organization and focusing on soft skills would certainly provide the right impetus for growth.

Please click the link Take charge & go-ahead! It is your career or click on the image to read the print replica