Over the past few years, value-added services (VAS) have emerged as a key business opportunity for telecom operators who are exploring alternative revenue streams and customer retention strategies in the face of shrinking operator margins and ARPUs as well as increasing voice commoditisation.
A large number of players have jumped on the VAS bandwagon to improve their financial performance. This is evident from the fact that the share of VAS in operators? revenues has increased from 2 per cent in 2002 to 15 per cent currently.
Today?s market is flooded with a range of services, including music downloads, wallpapers, email, instant messenger, ringtones and gaming.
tele.net takes a look at some of the value-added services offered by major telecom operators…
Bharti airtel
Bharti airtel?s unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)-based delivery allows users to access Facebook through their handsets without availing of data plans. The USSD acts as the browser to pull content to the handset.
The telecom operator has also joined hands with Nuance Communications to launch the One Number, One Voice service, which provides access to voice-based services. Powered by Nuance Recognizer 9.0, the One Number, One Voice service is available for airtel customers in the Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Kerala, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh (East and West) circles. The service is currently available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, and will be offered in other Indian languages in the future. It covers major voice services provided by the operator including Hello Tunes, airtel Radio, news and sports, and is available for Rs 2 per minute.
The operator?s airtel Money service is a mobile wallet facility aimed at offering users an efficient alternative to cash transactions. The service is currently available in Gurgaon. For service rollout, the operator has partnered with coffee shops, restaurants, etc. to accept payments through airtel Money.
Vodafone Essar
Vodafone Essar has launched the Night Radio service for subscribers in Karnataka. It enables users to listen to the radio for Rs 2 per day. The service is available in English, Kannada, Hindi and Tamil.
RCOM
Reliance Communications (RCOM) has launched mobile banking services in association with the State Bank of India (SBI). The company?s GSM consumers can avail of these services through their handsets. RCOM subscribers with an SBI account need to register for the services with the bank. Customers will be able to check their account balance, access mini statements, carry out fund transfers, change their MPIN or recharge their mobile account through these services. Also, users receive confirmation regarding successful transactions through SMS.
The company has partnered with Microsoft to offer the Windows Mobile solution on RCOM?s wireless network. According to the agreement, Microsoft will offer its solutions including push email support, chat, photo sharing and content back-up to RCOM?s customers. The operator will offer Microsoft?s Windows Mobile solution under its post-paid and prepaid offerings. As part of the rollout, RCOM has introduced a data plan offering 200 MB of download for Rs 95 per month.
The company has also collaborated with Altruist Technologies to launch a user-generated caller tune service. The facility allows customers to record content using the tune-maker tool and set it as their caller tune. Subscribers can also post their creations online for other users. This facility is available online and through an interactive voice response interface. Tune charges have been set at Rs 5 per month while the one-time subscription charge is Rs 30. Renewal charges are Rs 5 per tune per month.
Tata Teleservices Limited
TATA DOCOMO has launched the CoMix on-the-go application in collaboration with Zero-Sum Wireless Solutions. The service enables users to read comic books on the mobile, along with special effects such as character vibration, sounds and zooming text bubbles that magnify the blurbs for better reading. The content offers about 2,000 titles. The service is priced at Rs 20 per comic book and is valid for a year.
TATA DOCOMO has collaborated with mCarbon to launch the Name Tunes value-added service. Name Tunes allows subscribers to greet callers with their name and a personalised message, instead of listening to a traditional ringtone or a musical caller tune. The subscription charge is Rs 30 per month and each name tune download is charged at Rs 15 for 90 days.
The operator?s English Seekho service is a simple and interactive medium through which users can learn conversational English via handsets. The application guides the user through audio clips that teach spoken English. The service has five levels ? the basic course, the social course, the professional course, the advanced course and the complete course ? comprising 44 chapters. It is priced at Rs 10 for 15 days and at Re 0.01 per second thereafter. The service is available for both prepaid and post-paid subscribers.
Idea Cellular
Idea Cellular has joined hands with handygo to launch the Behtar Zindagi service in rural Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh (West) and Andhra Pradesh. The service provides information on health, education, finance, weather, mandi rates, livestock, agriculture and fisheries. Subscription charges are Rs 2 per day and Rs 30 for 30 days.
Uninor
Uninor has launched the Talk Time Transfer facility in Karnataka. The offering allows prepaid subscribers to borrow or transfer talktime from family and friends as per requirement. Subscribers can transfer balance amounts ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 50 at a time. A maximum of seven such transactions are allowed each day and Rs 2 is deducted from the transferred amount.
The operator has also launched the Unlimited Music service in collaboration with Hungama and 30 regional music labels. The service is a platform through which customers can choose from 250,000 songs at a daily charge of Rs 2.50. Caller tunes and ringtones can also be accessed through this service.
SSTL
Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) has introduced deals and discounts on products and services like consumer electronics, travel packages, beauty services, restaurants and apparel for its prepaid voice and data customers. The offers can be availed of by recharging through the MTS website. MTS customers have to pay in advance through the internet and the product is delivered at the specified address.
SSTL has also tied up with Meru Cabs to offer mobile broadband internet services to passengers in Delhi and Mumbai. There is no time or data limit for using the service.
Aircel
Aircel has joined hands with IMImobile to launch the Make My Tunes service on its ringback tone (RBT) platform for customers in the Chennai and Tamil Nadu circles. This service enables the users to listen to a song and choose a part of it as their RBT.
The company has partnered with Blyk, a UK-based interactive and multimedia mobile messaging service provider, to launch the Blyk on Aircel service. Users will be sent content on entertainment, sports, lifestyle comprising travel, etc. via messages (both SMS and MMS).
Loop Mobile
Loop Mobile has launched two services, a push mail service and a video application. The Loop Mobile Mail service enables subscribers to send and receive emails on their handsets in the form of text messages. The service enables users to compose, reply and forward emails from the handset using the SMS option. A subscriber?s mobile number becomes the email address and the user can programme his email address to forward a copy of all mails to the Loopmail address. The service is free for one year.
The operator has also launched a mobile video service, which enables users to download videos related to entertainment, current affairs, technology, etc. The service is available to both prepaid and post-paid subscribers, and does not involve any rental. Each download is charged at Re 0.10.
