Venturebeat – a popular blog about high tech startup companies – published a post about Help Me, a startup which provides affordable support to mobile app developers. The company behind this is Next Generation Innovations, based in Karachi, Pakistan. CEO of Next Generation Innovations, Farzal Dojki is very active and well know in Pakistani ICT circles. Great work Farzal!
Mobile app support is currently non existent, and a niche where we can help provide affordable support, says Farzal Dojki.
Currently Apple doesn’t have a very good after-sale support mechanism for the apps in its AppStore: Users click on a “Report a Problem” button, and are then prompted to go to the developers website, where they can directly contact the developer. Developers working with Help Me would link their contact information (email or phone) to Help Me so that Help Me can then take over the support.
By now you must have heard about Nexus One from Google. This calculated move from Google shows its ambition and aggressiveness. The web and social networks are full of buzz about the phone, its features and how the other services – such as Google Voice – and apps will create an attractive solution which could be come a new standard.
I came across this article from CNET on frequently asked questions about smartphone safety and thought that I’d share it with readers. Never a bad idea to remind ourself about safety of data and apps. Here’s the basic checklist:
Do you have data on your phone backed up in case you lose it?
Is there business or personal information (such as accounts or passwords in messages) which is easily accessible to someone who gets hold of your phone?
Are you aware of the applications installed on your phone: commerce related apps, social networking apps
Be careful about the usual phishing and other social-engineering scams – with so much browsing on the phone, it is more likely these days to follow a bad link and give away your password by mistake
Beware of sending sensitive info over unencrypted WiFi
Interesting presentation which talks about why smart phones are so important for marketers, what are the major areas of growth and how to target this group of early adopters.
Windows Mobile’s share of the global smart-phone operating-system market fell to 7.9% in the third quarter from 11.1% a year earlier, research firm Gartner estimates. Also losing ground was Nokia’s Symbian. In contrast, both Apple and BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion boosted their shares, while Android grabbed 3.5% from zero a year earlier. That will likely increase given the popularity of Motorola’s new Droid phone.
Here’s an interesting illustration of how Apple and Google are competing.
Mashable has interesting commentary about the role of iPod touch. In the context of the mobile platform wars, the contest is often framed as “the iPhone” versus Android, BlackBerry and the rest of the smartphone market. However, even if the iPhone is the only phone that Apple sells, there is another device that runs on the iPhone OS: the iPod touch. In fact, according to the mobile analytics firm Flurry, the iPod touch might even be Apple’s secret weapon when it comes to long-term results and platform retention. Flurry makes this argument in its November Industry Pulse report.
The new battle ground for smart phones is Motorola Droid versus iPhone. The Droid is offered by Verizon Wireless in the US and runs on Google’s Android OS. Verizon and Google teamed up against a common rival to come up with the Droid, which is supposed to offer a number of features which iPhone lacks. Droid has been getting good reviews but iPhone remains a tough one to beat. I think the discussions around comparison of these and other smartphones will continue. At the end of the day this is a subjective discussion and the market will determine the winner.
A GSM version of the Droid is also available and its only a matter of time before it hits the market worldwide, including Pakistan.
The first one is a Verizon advertisement which pokes fun at the limitations of iPhone.
For those who are interested in details, read this review by Mossberg or watch this video after the break which compares Droid and iPhone:
Google officially released the next version of Android this week, bringing what appears to be some solid evolution to the mobile platform.
New features for Android 2.0 include useful-looking improvements to the way contacts can be accessed. Developers can play with the platform now, but the first device expected to have it is the Motorola Droid, which is slated for release in November.
As reported by WSJ. Just like Pakistan, Chinese consumers are unofficially enjoying iPhone already. Imported iPhones currently sell on the gray market in China for as little $680, and those have Wi-Fi (the official phones will not have Wi-Fi because of a Chinese govt regulation). Unicom’s challenge will be to price the iPhone at a level that is competitive but still doesn’t hurt its average revenue-per-user.
The highly anticipated release of the iPhone in China — which has 687 million wireless subscribers, more than twice the population of the U.S. — is expected to be a boost for both Apple and Unicom, one of three Chinese state-owned telecommunications carriers. Still, the two companies face challenges to realizing the iPhone’s potential in China, including competition from similar devices, and the companies left several key questions about pricing and other details unanswered Friday.
The release of the iPhone in China could turbocharge overseas growth for what is already Apple’s fastest-growing product. China is the world’s largest mobile market by subscribers, with some 687 million subscribers. That compares with more than 270 million subscribers in the U.S.
In China, however, touch screens are hot, and there are already a number of popular models that have no keypads. The Apple name has value as a status symbol, and Internet usage through cellphones is increasing.
Competing products are already in the works in China, adding urgency to the iPhone’s launch. China Mobile Ltd., the country’s largest carrier by subscribers, plans to start selling smart phones with similar functions to the iPhone this year based on Google Inc.’s Android operating system. On Monday, Taiwanese phone maker HTC Corp. announced it plans to launch seven third-generation phones, including at least one Android phone, with China Mobile by next year.
Launching the iPhone in China would likely boost Apple’s small presence in the country. Apple currently has less than 1% market share in personal-computer shipments in China. In the second quarter, Apple sold only about 36,000 units out of 11.7 million PCs shipped in China, according to IDC.
One indication of the iPhone’s strong potential in China is the thriving underground iPhone market that already exists there. Though the device isn’t officially available, BDA estimates there are already 1.5 million iPhones in use in China, and the handset is on sale everywhere from online vendors to resellers of Apple products in sprawling electronics malls.
People can use the iPhone and buy applications on Apple’s iTunes store by unlocking the device with software that enables it to work with any network operator, even if they aren’t approved by Apple.
If you want to see clear indications of future opportunities in telecom, look no further than mobile applications and data services. The U.S. wireless data market hit $10.6 billion in service revenue for the second quarter, according to this report. Mobile Apps – made popular by iPhone – are one of the big drivers. This is one area where talented developers anywhere can showcase their work and make money. Other than a few success stories, Pakistan has yet to tap into this market.
The report mentions that the increased use of smartphones and data cards is putting more pressure on wireless operators to accelerate their strategies to deploy the next generation of mobile data networks. I recently attended a presentation about Mobile App Development. The key take aways were that with Html 5, you can build cool web apps and not worry about complexity of native apps. There’s also the option of building hydrid apps (web and native) which allow you to take advantage of native features (GPS, accelerometer) but still save some effort and time. Google’s decision to go with Web apps as standard (as one example, new gmail works outside of iPhone app store) is also significant.
The mobile application marketplace is dominated by Apple’s App Store, but is the App Store the best model for corporations to distribute their mobile applications? We discuss the long term drawbacks of the App Store model and highlight the benefits of the Internet as the App Store of tomorrow. The discussion will further focus on tips and techniques for creating mobile Web applications using HTML 5, CSS3, and JavaScript with WebKit technology. This presentation is for both desktop and mobile developers as well as executives interested in learning how and why the Internet is the lowest barrier to entry for enterprise-class mobile applications.
Here is an outline of the topics covered.
1. Mobile big picture
- Smartphone advancements (hardware, network performance, geolocation, cloud computing)
- App Store (merits/disadvantages)
- Mobile Web usage stats (iPhone)
- Architectural models (native, Web, hybrid)
- OSS: Eclipse Blinki & Pulsar – Other OSS initiatives
2. Mobile app strategy
- General industry-wide approach
- Finding a different strategy to stand out, examples
- Mobile web as pragmatic and capable, low risk/low cost entry point
3. HTML 5 Movement
4. Mobile Web/HTML5 demo
- Getting started in mobile Web
- Demo HTML5 capabilities and key example sites
Technology Review published a collection of articles on developments in cell phones. In addition to including some research, it has some interesting articles on iPhone, Android and Palm Pre. Here are a few of these – enjoy:
Wi-Tribe has now officially launched its Wi-MAX services in Pakistan. The official launch press release is as follows.
Launches largest wireless broadband Internet service in Pakistan
Doha, June 30, 2009: wi-tribe, a Qtel Group company, today announced the official launch of its wireless broadband service in Pakistan, its largest market to date. The launch phase will include the cities of Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
“Today, a new milestone is achieved in the evolution of wi-tribe and the realization of our vision to become one of the top 20 telecom players by 2020,” said Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of The Qtel Group. “Following our launch in Jordan, Pakistan marks a major stepping stone towards our expansion strategy and our intention to leverage the scale and strengths of The Qtel Group in order to deliver the latest technologies to our customers and continue to enhance services across our operations,” added Sheikh Abdullah.”
Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO of The Qtel Group and Chairman of wi-tribe, commented: “Consumer broadband is at the heart of the Qtel Group strategy and a major pillar of growth. The launch of wi-tribe in Pakistan is a very important moment for all of us at The Qtel Group as it reflects a major stepping stone towards our commitment to bring broadband wireless access to more people, to connect individuals and businesses more easily and to improve access to the internet in all new and emerging markets.
“Broadband penetration levels in new emerging markets are currently very low compared to markets in the region. However, consumer demand for wireless services is growing at a fast pace. So we will continue to focus on this area in the future as we see good business opportunity and significant growth potential,” added Dr. Nasser.
Shaikh Abdulrahman Ali Al Turki, Chairman and CEO of A.A.Turki Group A.A. Turki Group of companies (ATCO), commended on the growth and success achieved by the wi-tribe group stating, “At ATCO we are extremely pleased with wi-tribe’s developments since its establishment in 2007. The addition of Pakistan to our tribe is proof of our firm commitment to bridge the digital divide and bring to emerging markets the best in connectivity and ease of access. It is about time these markets got excellent quality service.”
“wi-tribe uses WiMAX technology to provide customers with the advantage of broadband internet access wirelessly, giving them the option of accessing the internet whenever and wherever they choose within the network area,” commented Sami Hinedi, CEO, wi-tribe Group. “We strongly believe in improving the lifestyle of our customers by understanding their needs and offering them the best personalized customer experience. We want to provide solutions that are simple, easy and valued by individuals, businesses and the Government,” he added.
wi-tribe is a focused and dedicated consumer wireless broadband provider and will offer instant connectivity with applications tailor-made and simplified to accommodate the needs of every customer. The wi-tribe service will deliver broadband internet access through the ‘plug in and play’ option offering speeds of 256Kbps, 512 Mbps, and 1 Mbps. The process of becoming a wi-triber is extremely simple and beneficial. The wi-tribe service uses an efficient and highly effective plug and play modem which provides online access on the go. Internet users in Pakistan will experience the best in consumer wireless broadband service and wi-tribe’s unique customer care experience.
The official website has details for packages that wi-tribe is offering in Pakistan.
With this launch the WiMAX competition will definitely boom in Pakistan.
Those who have used the wi-tribe services, do share your experience with us.
Venturebeat – a popular blog about high tech startup companies – published a post about Help Me, a startup which provides affordable support to mobile app developers. The company behind this is Next Generation Innovations, based in Karachi, Pakistan. CEO of Next Generation Innovations, Farzal Dojki is very active and well know in Pakistani ICT circles. Great work Farzal!
Launches largest wireless broadband Internet service in Pakistan
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