Vicky Lalwani

In a recent article that I read on the SMH and after further discussion with Chris Elson (New-Media Sales Head at Dialogue Communications), it would seem mobile internet still has a long way to go before it is widely accepted in Australia. And when I say Mobile Internet, I don’t mean browsing the internet on your laptop while you’re mobile - but actually using that piece of technology in your pocket to get on the internet.

Now immediately the first thing that’s hit your head is - “Data Charges”!!! Yep, many people are afraid of that and so they should be. Carriers charge us an atrocious amount either for the data downloaded or time spent.

Let’s assume for the next 5 mins that using your mobile phone to go on the internet was free (like it is for me), what hold’s people back from actually using it?

1) Education
There is no way to explain to someone how to use their web browsers on their mobile phone. Sure, there’s the Nokia manual - but seriously, how many of you have read that? People who advertise for their products saying go to www.something.com/mobile surely don’t explain how to actually put the URL into their phone for a layman. Is it because there are way too many phone models and different operating systems to explain how it’s done? Maybe - Modu Mobile will solve that issue.

2) Content
Google.com is my mobile browser’s homepage. I search for restaurants, answers to questions that get my nerves, read the news and it’s ideal for when I’m on the go. But is that all? Do the carriers provide the general people with a reason to go onto Mobile Web?

Network Carrier 3 has their 3Planet which syndicates content from various sources, such as RSVP, RealEstate, and so on. I don’t have a 3 anymore, so I’m not sure what they charge. And Vodafone has Vodafone Live - which I personally haven’t used because the would probably charge me for anything I click on (see, again no education on the pricing of their content)

Telstra tried their new WotNext website - which I must say is pretty cool, but hasn’t yet lifted off compared to YouTube or other popular video sites. The website allows the general public to put up videos that they’ve taken. If a Telstra mobile user downloads the content on their phone ($1 per video), then the user who put it up get’s 50% i.e. 50c for each download.

So, I though I’d give it a go. Chris and I went through one of the tunnels in Sydney during the time when he hired an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. I put the video on WotNext, and so far we’ve earned $35.00

I’m assuming that those 70 people who downloaded our video know what they’re doing or are oblivious to the fact that they got charged a $1 for each download.

SMS 28576 to 19 WOTGET (19 968 438) (note: you’ll get charged $1 by your carrier - don’t say that I didn’t tell you!)

3) The Premium Services
Ok, now this actually get’s on my nerves. Have you ever seen that stupid bunny on the tv singing to a carrot? That tune is bloody annoying… but when you start to read the fine print, you begin to notice how much that service actually costs you.

$4 to sign up, + $4 for each message sent and receieved - and they send you the top 5 ring tones per week.

So let’s do the math for the first month - $4 to sign up, + 4 X $20 per week (for 1 ringtone that is automatically pushed to your phone each weekday). That’s $84 per month - which is more than my phone bill!!

Oh, and if you need to stop your service that’s another $4 to send the word ‘STOP’ to their premium number.

Premium service providers are making money because they target the teens and those unaware until their first bill. But will general companies that want to sell their product ever realise that Mobile could be the next big thing in the coming future?

To end off, I’ll leave you with this line that I read from 160 Characters:

“A wise man once said that there are three ways to lose money: The fun way, which is women. The fast way, which is cars. And the certain way which is to invest in the mobile industry”

 I was tagged by Mark Cohen to write 8 little things about me.

The meme is basically defined as follows:

The ground rules for the meme are simple. Here they are…

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

So here goes: 

1) I was born in India and at the age of 2 moved to Nigeria where I spent about 9 years for primary schooling. Then I moved to Australia, and this is now home.

2) When I was 10, I went to London with my parents to meet my Dad’s extended family. While I being naughty in a restaurant running around as I was chased by my cousin sister, I looked back and missed a step in front of me - only to slide about a meter, and put the right side of my forehead into a metal chair. My uncle’s handkerchief was drenched in blood, I was crying, my mother nearly fell sick. It only took my uncle 5 British pounds to shut me up by buying me a toy gun (I still have it!!)

3) At the age of 11 I went to a boarding school which was pretty much military style.

This is sample weekday schedule:

5:30am - Wake up
5:30am to 6:30am - Brush, shower, change
6:30am to 6:45am - Inspection by the warden (yes, that’s what they called him)
6:45am to 7:45am - Be in class for morning prep (doing some early studies and homework)
8:00am to 8:45am - Breakfast
9:00am to 12:00pm - Teaching time 3 subjects for 1 hour each
12:00pm to 1:00pm - Lunch
1:00pm to 4:00pm - Teaching time 3 subjects for 1 hour each
4:00pm to 5:00pm - Shower, change, polish your shoes and have it inspected (again by the warden)
4:00pm to 4:15pm - Tea (you can be lucky to get a chocolate)
4:15pm to 5:30pm - Play some sports or head to the library
5:30pm to 6:00pm - Shower and change to evening clothes
6:00pm to 6:15pm - Roll Call (they check to make sure no one has run away from the campus by counting everyone)
6:30pm to 8:30pm - Evening Prep
8:30pm to 9:30pm - Dinner
9:30pm to 10:00pm - Prepare for bedtime.
10:15pm - lights out!

4) At the age of 16 I was travelling from high school back to Nigeria to meet my parents. I usually travel from India to London (meet family) and then travel down to Nigeria. 3 hour mid air after the flight left London, the pilot was told that Nigeria airport had a strike and was shut down (nothing new for African countries). We were diverted to Ghana. Worried as my parents were, I called them saying that I was fine and found a hotel for the night until the next flight to Nigeria. My Dad was impressed when I told him that I was calling them from the hotel’s restaurant dining on a pizza and sipping on Club Beer (local Ghana beer, really good that I had to have 4 before I had a good night’s sleep)

5) I started uni when I was 17 (3 months shy of being 18), but I was still able to get into the university 18+ events. It seems security only looked at my year of birth and not the month =)

6) I had a small business during my bachelor’s degree at university selling computer hardware on eBay. All I did was simply liaising with the wholesale dealers and shipping them directly to the end customer. Started with no capital and came out with $7000 profit over 12 months. I pretty much drowned myself in the university pub at the end of my degree. Unfortunately I didn’t have the heart to do it again when I did my masters.

7) I love cooking. I haven’t been thought by my parents, but by being independent most of my life. Infact, my mother didn’t know how to cook when she got married, my father thought her the basics. I admit to watching the Food channel on foxtel and get receipe ideas. I also like entertaining friends, but given my fairly small sized apartment, I don’t think I can host more than 4 friends at a time…

8) Prior to Fairfax I worked at Wiliam as a Developer, Team Leader, Production Manager and Web Services Director (all these positions titles in 2.5 years). You’ve got to love agencies that just give you a job title on a platter.

Now, to tag some people to do this meme:

www.benjaminchristie.com
www.cheb.com.au
www.robertbeerworth.com
www.gregorybrine.com
go2naveen.blogspot.com
www.lauratj.com

Giving Yahoo! 3 weeks to make a decision seems quite generous. If I were the CEO, I’d say “You’ve got 48 hours or we’ll make direct contact with your shareholders”. 

Arguably in the next 3 weeks, the employees of Yahoo! now have a decision if they’d like to stay in their current job or move on to other promising opportunities. Remember Gates said that in buying Yahoo! you also get very talented staff.

Furthermore, I think if Microsoft was to pull out of this offer, we would only see Yahoo! stock plummet - giving opportunity for say Google or other interesting buyers to propose a lower buyout price.

 Below is the letter that Steve sent over to Yahoo!

April 5, 2008
Board of Directors
Yahoo! Inc.
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Dear Members of the Board:

It has now been more than two months since we made our proposal to acquire Yahoo! at a 62% premium to its closing price on January 31, 2008, the day prior to our announcement. Our goal in making such a generous offer was to create the basis for a speedy and ultimately friendly transaction. Despite this, the pace of the last two months has been anything but speedy.

While there has been some limited interaction between management of our two companies, there has been no meaningful negotiation to conclude an agreement. We understand that you have been meeting to consider and assess your alternatives, including alternative transactions with others in the industry, but we’ve seen no indication that you have authorized Yahoo! management to negotiate with Microsoft. This is despite the fact that our proposal is the only alternative put forward that offers your shareholders full and fair value for their shares, gives every shareholder a vote on the future of the company, and enhances choice for content creators, advertisers, and consumers.

During these two months of inactivity, the Internet has continued to march on, while the public equity markets and overall economic conditions have weakened considerably, both in general and for other Internet-focused companies in particular. At the same time, public indicators suggest that Yahoo!’s search and page view shares have declined. Finally, you have adopted new plans at the company that have made any change of control more costly.

By any fair measure, the large premium we offered in January is even more significant today. We believe that the majority of your shareholders share this assessment, even after reviewing your public disclosures relating to your future prospects.

Given these developments, we believe now is the time for our respective companies to authorize teams to sit down and negotiate a definitive agreement on a combination of our companies that will deliver superior value to our respective shareholders, creating a more efficient and competitive company that will provide greater value and service to our customers. If we have not concluded an agreement within the next three weeks, we will be compelled to take our case directly to your shareholders, including the initiation of a proxy contest to elect an alternative slate of directors for the Yahoo! board. The substantial premium reflected in our initial proposal anticipated a friendly transaction with you. If we are forced to take an offer directly to your shareholders, that action will have an undesirable impact on the value of your company from our perspective which will be reflected in the terms of our proposal.

It is unfortunate that by choosing not to enter into substantive negotiations with us, you have failed to give due consideration to a transaction that has tremendous benefits for Yahoo!’s shareholders and employees. We think it is critically important not to let this window of opportunity pass.
Sincerely,
Steven A. Ballmer
Chief Executive Office
Microsoft Corp.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/apr08/04-05LetterPR.mspx