Africa - GSMA: Africa is the second largest mobile market

According to an official report released by the GSMA, Africa is now the second largest mobile market in the world. The report showed that over the past five years, Africa’s mobile subscribers has increased by 20 percent every year, and is expected to reach over 735 million subscribers by the end of 2012.

Asia stands as the largest global mobile market, but Africa is the fastest growing mobile market in the world.

The report calls on African governments to aid in expanding the mobile networks across Africa by allocating spectrum and lower taxes. The report says this would generate major economic and social growth.

The report, known as the GSMA Africa Mobile Observatory 2011 report, shows Africa had achieved this milestone in the fourth quarter of 2011 when mobile penetration reached 649 million connections. Earlier in 2010, mobile penetration exceeded 50 percent.

96 percent of all subscriptions in Africa are pre-paid, and voice services dominate the market. Figures show however, that the demand for data uptake has also been growing and there are currently six live HSPA+ networks across Africa with a seventh planned for the near future. By 2015, the report predicts that next generation LTE networks are predicted to reach half a million connections in Kenya, 1.1 million connections in Nigeria and 2.5 million connections in South Africa.

Source: By Luiz Sanchez on Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Zimbabwe - SMS technology for your business

In Zimbabwe, you can send a message for as little as seven cents. All current phones have internet capabilities, but will limited 3G and GPRS coverage, the text message still trumps social networking as a means of communication.

According to the latest figures from POTRAZ there are about six million active cell phone users in Zimbabwe and the number is growing. Therefore, it is easier and cheaper to reach your targeted audience than ever before via SMS. Below are some business applications of SMS technologies, most of which I am sure you are familiar with:

Bulk SMS

You compose one message and you broadcast it to 10,000 targeted recipients. How to get their numbers is very easy, but the fact is that you can target a market segment with clinical precision with just 160 characters is what matters. You can even let the computer do it for you. How? That is even simpler.

After composing your message and saving it on your PC, you will need just three things: a GSM modem, phone and a SIM card. You will also need a computer programme that will interface with your GSM modem. The next step is to copy and paste your message to the body of your SMS sending program, then add your recipients from your address book or database in the form of a text file and then click the send button. And you are done.

The messages will be placed in a queue as your GSM modem sends your messages. For 1,000 recipients it could take about 6,000 seconds working to have all the messages delivered. This will depend on the speed of your GSM modem, network availability and congestion of your cellular provider.

Make sure that the message is simple, direct, effective and calls for action on the part of the recipient, otherwise you have donated $70 worth of airtime to your cellular provider. According to Parreto's 80/20 rule, at least 20% of the recipients will read your message with interest.

Spamming concerns

Spam is a contextual word that usually applies to unsolicited emails. It has been around for a long time and we are bombarded by it when we sit in front of the television, look at billboards or listen to the radio.

After a while, we become desensitized to this kind of marketing.

With SMS marketing, you can target specific products and services to your niche market based on the needs of that particular market. SMS spamming is where you send unsolicited messages to recipients who might not be interested in buying your product. The other day I received a text message from Pioneer Seeds to buy high yielding seeds for low and high rainfall areas. I am neither a farmer, nor do I intend to be one. However, by forwarding the message to a farmer in Marondera, I have given that company potential business.

Phones can not filter out spam SMS and so it is prudent that you do not annoy potential clients. Your SMS campaigns must be highly focussed or else you will end up sending beer promotion texts to a group of religious members of a Christian setup.

Banks already use mobile marketing to let their customers know whenever a

transaction occurs on their account. The city mayor can remind his residents of refuse collection dates. Pharmacies can send out messages that a customer's prescription is due to run out in three days, with an option that allows the customer to text a “reorder” back to the pharmacy. The Veterinary department could remind farmers about the foot and mouth disease outbreak in specified regions of the country. ZimStat could remind people to get counted in the forthcoming 2012 census, and the list goes on.

Two way SMS

The set up is the same, but in this case the SMS system responds to specific input by the sender. It has what is called short codes and key words. A short code is a five digit number that you buy from your service provider. This is the number that you advertise in any form of media for people to respond to, whether by voting SMS or simply by texting the displayed key word.

How much do you charge for this? Well if it is a service that people are willing to pay for, you can charge any amount you want, as long as your advert is very clear that the SMS will cost that much. Some short code services could be free, especially if they benefit you.

Vanity numbers

You do not necessarily need a short code to deploy a two way SMS system, but you can with the use of a regular $1 SIM card bearing an easy to remember number like 077 770 7700. All you need is a PC, a GSM modem, an SMS system and, of course, air time. You can be up and running in less than an hour. Use of vanity or golden numbers as the one listed at the end of this article could boost your visibility when doing SMS promotions.

Sender ID branding

This is when that the space on each message, usually reserved for the mobile number of the originating mobile phone, can be replaced with the name or brand of the company sending the message.

So if I was to send an SMS to you, instead of getting +263713100000 in the from field, you would get the branded sender ID: NDLOVU. This can be used effectively to create brand loyalty.

A much simpler way to implement this is to outsource this service. Engage a company or an expert to do it for you. Concentrate on what you know and do best. It does not matter which industry you are in.

The festive season is around the corner, have you considered ‘out of the box’ text messaging technology to push your sales volumes up?

Source: By ROBERT NDLOVU

Asia Pacific - Global Mobile Connections to Reach Six Billion Milestone, With Asia Pacific Accounting for Half, Reports GSMA

Hey guys, look at the potential mobile market in Asia Pacific! Want to tap into the market to reap the benefits brought by mobile phones? Come, let's go on with us!

HONG KONG, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Asia Congress -- The GSMA today announced that global mobile connections will reach six billion by the end of November 2011 and that the Asia Pacific region, a major driving force behind the global mobile sector, accounts for half of these connections. According to the GSMA Asia Pacific Mobile Observatory 2011 report(1), mobile penetration in Asia Pacific will reach a landmark three billion connections in Q1 2012 – nearly two years earlier than projected in the region's 2009 Mobile Observatory. By 2015, it is expected that the region will reach 4.1 billion connections, growing at twice the rate of Europe and North America, and will account for 40 per cent of mobile data traffic worldwide.

Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA commented: "Asia Pacific is one of the world's fastest-growing mobile markets, through an impressive combination of investment and innovation. China alone currently has 940 million total mobile connections, exceeding the total number of connections in Europe and the US combined."

The extensive growth in penetration of mobile services in Asia Pacific - from just 12 per cent in 2002 to 78 per cent in 2011 - is largely due to mobile operators in the region's major markets investing an average of 16.3 per cent of their revenues into capital expenditure, significantly higher than their counterparts in other parts of the world. Other key factors include:

-- Investment in Mobile Broadband infrastructure, as many operators across the region are already driving HSPA+/LTE rollouts;

-- Cost-effective pre-paid services (84 per cent of Asia Pacific connections versus 66 per in Europe and 15 per cent in USA/Canada);

-- Introduction of low-cost handsets and reduction in mobile usage prices;

-- Innovative business models including infrastructure sharing and unique distribution strategies, making the expansion of network coverage to rural areas economically viable for operators and consumers; and

-- Limited fixed-line infrastructure, driving many consumers to adopt mobile communications.

Social and Economic Contribution of the Mobile Industry to Asia Pacific

Mobile connectivity has rendered significant social and economic benefits for the Asia Pacific region. The mobile market across the AP17(2) countries currently generates an estimated US$485 billion, or 2.7 per cent of total GDP, with mobile operators alone contributing over US$310 billion in 2010. The industry is also a significant contributor to employment in the region, with approximately 11.4 million people either directly or indirectly employed through the mobile ecosystem.

However, as impressive as Asia Pacific's mobile connectivity growth has been, its largest countries by population, China and India, have penetration rates at just over 60 per cent, which means that approximately one billion people in these two countries alone are still without a mobile connection. Meanwhile, other markets such as Pakistan and Bangladesh still have mobile penetration rates below 60 per cent.

Mobile Broadband Readiness Index (MBRI)

According to the Observatory's inaugural Mobile Broadband Readiness Index (MBRI)(3), the 17 largest markets in Asia Pacific are actively cultivating a mobile ecosystem that is conducive to further growth. In 2010, Japan was at the top of the index, driven by its early HSPA, HSPA+ and LTE rollouts and its pro-innovation environment. Hong Kong and Vietnam also featured strongly demonstrating their commitment to fostering a prosperous Mobile Broadband landscape.

However, although the results of this Index indicate markets' 'preparedness' for increased growth, they also demonstrate how key barriers such as insufficient spectrum, ineffective regulatory policy and taxation inhibit connectivity and major socioeconomic benefits delivered through Mobile Broadband services.

The GSMA Observatory finds that there is scope for far greater progress to 'connect the unconnected' across the Asia Pacific region and is calling for the following measures:

-- Optimise spectrum allocation and licensing

The Observatory has found that the majority of Asia Pacific countries still lack sufficient spectrum, which is preventing a full range of voice and data services being made available for consumers across the region. To ensure the delivery of mobile services at the lowest possible cost and to allow consumers to use the widest selection of devices, the mobile industry needs allocation of internationally harmonised frequency bands and implementation of internationally harmonised band plans.

-- Drive effective taxation

The GSMA is also calling for mobile industry taxes in Asia Pacific to be reduced in order to drive mobile penetration, and, ultimately, increase the total tax intake for governments. For example, the Bangladesh mobile sector is one of the most heavily taxed amongst developing nations, where no less than six different taxes are in place, resulting in the lowest mobile penetration rate among the AP17 countries (49 per cent).

-- Rebalance regulatory frameworks

The GSMA is also an advocate of rebalancing regulatory frameworks to address new players in the growing mobile ecosystem. Overall, the market power of mobile data service providers, device manufacturers and operating system providers in the mobile sector is growing rapidly, as are their revenues from mobile services.

"This situation needs to be redressed, both to ensure that major players in the mobile sector do not remain below the regulatory radar, and to bring transparency to the sector, which in turn will help stimulate investment and growth," continued Phillips. "A more balanced regulatory framework and strategic public and private partnerships would have a significant impact in decreasing the costs of handsets, increasing the availability of cost-effective pre-paid services and propelling both domestic and foreign investment. The sum of these factors would support Asia Pacific reaching 100 per cent mobile penetration and enable the full extent of the economic and social benefits of Mobile Broadband services to be realised."

Source: by PR Newswire on 16th November 2011.

Want to know more and feel it yourself? Contact us at +603-8996 4780 or sales@moceansms.com

New Movers of the Mobile Advertising Industry

Standing at the front line under the technological world is essential to keep you competitive enough. Be creative, be up-to-date, be targeted are key notes to be considered when running a successful marketing campaigns.


There is no doubt that mobile advertising has been growing stronger and stronger than ever with the rising mobile market in Asia, Australia and Europe. In UK and USA the mobile market has become so matured that they would be case studies as to whether the mobile business can be sustained. But with the ever growing technology, mobile advertising has to keep up with the times and find new ways to engage with mobile users to get the value out of client's money.

Though conventional methods like SMS marketing can still get the message across and with its cost remaining the same and therefore it is considered one of the cheapest and oldest methods to conduct marketing. Yet, there now exists some new innovations on the mobile advertising sector which may not be cost-productive, but serves as an alternative to boost interactivity with the mobile users, while encouraging creativity amongst advertisers to boost their engagement with their target audience. After all, it is a means to an end.

The rising number of tablets from the Apple iPad to the Samsung Galaxy Tab has given more prominence to tablets to be used as a replacement to laptops for casual to consumer users. A slightly bigger screen with a different approach to mobile internet surfing, with more people now capable of reading the news and articles with ease compared to the smaller screens in smartphones. This will create a newer advertising and business model as the new ways are being experimented and hopefully adopted in the near future.

One of the newest innovations that will soon be mainstream is 3D mobile advertisements, whereby products are constructed to look like its physical form so that users can get first-hand experience tinkering with the product even before they get to see or touch the physical product. Users can rotate and move the display try and test the features of this new product that is embedded within the advertisement. Primarily targeted at tablet users, these 3D mobile advertisements serve to not just inform the user about the product, but enhanced it more with interactivity and creativity to give the user a "first-hand" experience so to speak.

Advertising is always about inputting creative ways to get the message across, but sometimes intrusive ads will turn users away from reading its message. Some advertisers have found new ways to instill a ways that will force users to recognize the brands they used, in the real physical world and the virtual world. In certain game, companies have taken the leverage to pay gaming companies to transform their virtual products to bear real names. It is not as intrusive and it does get the brand message across. How's that for innovation?

Another considerable change of the mobile advertising industry is to refine location based advertising with demography-based advertising. Instead of targeting the advertising based on location, perhaps there is need to establish other personal or psychological attributes like gender, hobbies, or frequently visited places. Too often mobile advertisers forgot about the personal attributes of a person which are also as important rather than the location they're in. Audience may not reject advertisements that targets and caters to their interest.

Source: http://newyork.citybizlist.com/18/2011/11/15/New-Movers-of-the-Mobile-Advertising-Industry.aspx by MobGold on 15th November 2011.

Want to know more and feel it yourself? Contact us at +603-8996 4780 or sales@moceansms.com

Facebook, Email, SMS Breakups Growing in Popularity [33% of Adults in Relationships Say They Have Broken Up Using Social Networks]

As social networking grows in popularity, so do the downsides of being connected online. A survey has found out that one third of adults in relationships have broken up using Facebook, email or SMS.

Market research firm Lot 42 has found out from a survey among 550 adults that about 33% have broken up with their partners using online communication or messaging. In particular, these breakups have occurred over Facebook, text and email. 40% of the respondents say that if given a chance, they will probably break up with their mate using Facebook, SMS or email. This underscores the popularity of social networking even in relationships that are supposed to be private and personal.

Source: J. Angelo Racoma, Published on TFTS by J. Angelo Racoma, 13 November, 2011