The Future of Mobile VAS

There is one India that is finding it increasingly difficult to imagine life without mobile connectivity. There is another India waiting to be touched by the wireless revolution, and this is a segment that is fast expanding. Both markets have varying and evolving needs. We are at the exciting juncture where we have the opportunity to not just explore enhancement of the existing range of mobile Value Added Services (VAS), but also define new ones. The future seems full of possibilities - many of them quite clear.

3G is inevitable. Considering that 2G networks are overburdened with exponential growth in the number of subscribers, 3G networks -- with increased network capacity and a lower delivery cost -- will be able to resolve this imminent bottleneck. 3G technologies will also be able to feed the incessant hunger of wireless users for new products and services. With better bandwidth and transfer of data at higher speed, substantial improvement in quality of voice, multimedia and broadband data on 3G networks will be visible.

Subscribers the world over demand new and innovative services continuously. For this, it is necessary to develop video applications for 3G networks which will enhance user experience of wireless services. Mobiles are intrinsically a personal device. Personalisation of services will show an upward trend with video chatting, video sms, sharing of video clips, live mobile TV and many such video-based applications.

From my personal experience, I can say that Indians love to connect with others. And we like to share things. So, we can expect an upsurge in peer to peer (P2P) sharing of content. This is one area that advertisers can utilise optimally. Embedded advertising can ensure that content is subsidised to the extent of it being available free. When we speak of P2P flow of content we can be almost sure that if the initial delivery of the advertisement is on target, subsequent sharing will also be within the target group.

Business wireless services like e-mail, sharing of uploaded presentations amongst a closed group, video conferencing and many others are expected to get a boost with improved quality of services and cheaper price options. Business communication like video announcements, video call centers will make the interaction much more personal between businesses and customers.

We are keen on seeing increasing instances of m-governance and one97 is partnering with many agencies to develop applications to facilitate this. We foresee that the remote areas of the country which have limited access to information and services, will be able to connect to mainstream India and the world with development and propagation of innovative applications. Advanced medical facilities located in different areas could be accessed with video conferencing; higher education and tutorials could be made available by utilising the multimedia and broadband capabilities of 3G networks. Effectiveness of disaster management, which requires moment-to-moment information, would increase by utilising its video and broadband capabilities.

But all this will come a cropper unless we see seamless integration of 2G and 3G networks. It is most essential to address all the wireless voice and data requirements of Indian customers without alienating anyone. Handset manufacturers can help in propagating these services by keeping the handset cost low. Service providers are the crucial link in this eco-chain, as they are the ones defining pricing of various services. Lower priced entry level services can get the price conscious Indian subscribers to sample products on 3G networks and subsequently opt for other premium services. This, we hope, will arrest the falling bottom-line that all telecom operators are experiencing. The wireless revolution has facilitated subscribers from all corners of the country a gateway to an ever-widening range of products and services. We are going to see vertical and horizontal growth in mobile VAS space with content and application developers addressing needs and aspirations of every section of users.

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