Goodbye Etisalat, Hello Skype
What’s easier to remember? A name or a number? 9/10 would probably say a name. How many times do we bother to remember numbers of our contacts. Remember Iridium’s sales schpiel of having only one number wherever you are in the world? Well what i am trying to get at is eventually numbers will be [...]
What’s easier to remember? A name or a number? 9/10 would probably say a name. How many times do we bother to remember numbers of our contacts. Remember Iridium’s sales schpiel of having only one number wherever you are in the world? Well what i am trying to get at is eventually numbers will be a thing of the past!
VoIP! Can’t say that enough. The Skype phenomenon. With the advent of Wifi, and all the new devices that are propping up all around the place, it is easier than ever to use the PC to make phone calls. I don’t need to remember any numbers, i have my contact list, just double click the name and voila!
I got myself a Linksys Cordless Skype phone from the market and within minutes had full mobility in my house to move around and make calls like i would do with my regular phone. And it looks up my contact list on the phone itself! Free calls worldwide and good clarity as well. And the best part is that Skype runs on pocket pc’s as well. So if you are in a wifi zone, you can use your PDA phone to make calls using Skype.
Soon all the major mobile phone manufacturers will build skype into their handsets. And with the proliferation of WiFi, its just a matter of time that techologies such as the exisiting GSM networks and satellite based systems become defunct. Imagine, no roaming charges, no sim cards, no wondering if you will have GPRS when you are travelling.
And the advancement in WiFi coverage is just getting better. Whole cities are becoming giant hotspots. Look at Philadelphia, each and every lamppost has an access point built in. So at the end you just pay one monthly subscription fee and you are connected 24×7. Even Google is enabling San Francisco to be completely WiFi with Earth Link.
Etisalat, hopefully you can take a few pointers from Earth Link and WiFi this country or start looking for a new business model, cause the days of ripping off your customers is slowly coming to an end.
comments
angelo
June 13th, 2006 at 9:02 pmatleast etisalat aren’t imposing stone age internet policies on their users like Batelco currently is wrt threshold packages for residential consumers (see boycottbatelco.com).
Etisalat can easily pop up a profit engine using skype by encourage it’s usage instead of trying to screw with the blocking of ports…
Most traditional telecoms like Etisalat and Batelco who are expanding as VOIP service carriers tend to dislike skype in the thought that they’re stealing the international calling biz and the investment on NGNs are going down the pipe….
All what Etisalat needs to do is strike a partnership with Skype (and i know that at this point in time skype would welcome a mideast deal especially in the uae.) like a co-branded homepage-portal [like the ones that google does in terms of co-branded search pages for dell and firefox, etc.] for Etisalat’s homepage, ie - targetting their users with skype download/utilities links. It could even be co-branded skype powered applications for various Etisalat services…
so what’s the benefit & where’s the profit?
Direct exposure and marketing of skype + indirect usage of Etisalat’s broadband internet/bandwidth by consumers.
Now in summary:
the traditional telecom will promote the usage of skype on their networks and in return inet/skype users will switch to broadband speed + if there are broadband users already, it means more consumption of bandwidth due to usage of skype & skype-related apps = more penetration for skype & expanded skype API services + increased revenue [$$$] via bandwidth and broadband net usage for Etisalat
they could try it for a niche business clientele first… before expanding it to a residential market.. though it would most probably work the other way in terms of demand… in terms of major bandwidth consumption, business clients are the key to this trial…
Saif
June 25th, 2006 at 4:12 am“And the best part is that Skype runs on pocket pc’s as well. ”
This is soo true & its a beautiful feature. I have been using it for past few months. I use to make pocket pc to pocket pc Skype calls to US (fraction of a second delay) UAE, Brunie, Malaysia (Real time with crystal clear sound !!).
Can we hope for a Skype Messenger with Video soon
Then it will be mobility to the core.