We’ll be rocking the movies !!!!

Big Tree just launched its very own movie ticket site BookMyShow.com, it basically offers online real-time booking and seat selection at theatres and events in as many as 27 cities across India. This will be awesome for all of us who seem to be constantly worrying ,whether we will be able to get tickets for our favorite movies or shows .

The great part is where bookmyshow are getting noticed for there idea and providing all the movie buffs and entertainment seekers a platform to avail of a holistic entertainment services,it is the easy navigation  and the supporting m -commerce application that will be making the buzz ….. in fact  It’s we at one97 who will be making the news  here………………

Pat yourselves on the back guys !

One97 is the mobile tech. partners for BookMyShow.com with the fastest turn around time providing Big Tree its m commerce solutions .

Ibnlive.com and contentsutra seem to be talking about it at http://www.contentsutra.com/entry/419-bigtree-tries-to-play-ticketmaster-with-bookmyshow/

Some of our supporters have infact pointed out to content sutra that it’s One97 who support bookmyshow phone applications  …whoever it was ……… Thanks.

3 cheers to 3G

We are very excited with the imminent adoption of 3G networks and technologies in India. For a country which is enamoured by television and films, high quality transmission of TV channels, downloading music tracks and streaming video is likely to be killer applications with availability of better bandwidth and reliable data transfer at high speed. 3G technologies have capability to support heavier downloads of multimedia files.

Mobile being such a personal product, entertainment on mobile will see phenomenal growth. Each user will make choices based on his tastes and content developers and providers can fulfill their demands on multimedia platform. Whether it is music on demand, streaming videos, video blogging, video chatting or films shot especially for small mobile screens, we wouldn’t be limited to voice or text.

Last mile connectivity being a major issue, number of Indians with internet access has been very limited. For a large number of present count of 170 million mobile subscribers, internet connectivity via 3G networks would be first brush with it dues to its faster internet browsing capability. Email functions by handheld is expected to become an essential service for mobile Indians in 3G scenario.

Rural India, which is the target for expansion of subscriber base, can be served well with applications that fulfill the lack of certain basic amenities. They include access to knowledge centres like institutes of learning or even libraries, medical facilities and others. Interactive learning can be facilitated with video conferencing or visually interactive medical aid over mobile phones or for that matter even talk to a medical representative sitting in some other location. Farming advice can be sought by sending visual images of their fields/crops to experts in government organisations.

Gaming which is on rise in India, will take off to greater heights as feature rich mobiles will offer console like gaming experience. New emerging technologies will support greater interaction among groups of users. Multiple user gaming, currently not much fun due to poor state of GPRS connection, will see phenomenal growth.

Mobile banking, payment through mobiles will be another growth dimension. Of course for telcos,  especially in current scenario of over subscribed to the point of choking networks, the most significant feature of 3G technologies is the capability to support greater number of voice and data customers. But 3G services, if priced correctly – and this is going to be the success determinant – will see mobiles evolving into an organiser, entertainment device, payment device and of course communication device for masses. Revenue from such value added services through 3G is the ray of light for telcos who will continue to see drop in the bottom line of voice revenue.

One97 Partners with HP for Enhanced Voice and 3G Applications for telco networks

HP OpenCall Powers Technology Development at One97
One97 Communications, India’s leading telecom solutions provider in partnership with Hewlett-Packard, has announced the setting up of a first of its kind 3G telecom and technology laboratory to research and develop technologies and applications for the 2.5G and 3G market. The research lab is powered by HP’s OpenCall Media Platform (OCMP), the most comprehensive and mature voice service platform in the industry. HP OCMP enables rapid development and secure deployment of next-gen voice and video messaging, portals and enhanced interactive services.

With this partnership, HP recognizes One97 Communications’ commitment to the development of high quality and innovative mobile applications. This relationship enables One97 to offer ready-to-install applications for 2G and 3G networks for the Indian as well as the Global markets. The R & D at the new laboratory will focus on creating applications for deployment and integration of HP platform with existing telecom networks including development of VAS applications.

According to Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Managing Director, One97 communications, “One97’s vision and focus entails becoming a global VAS enabler through business and technology innovations. Partnership with HP provides us with the latest developments in network platforms and access to their worldwide support services to help build unrivalled capability as a global telecom VAS service provider.”

Says T Srinivasan, Executive Director, HP Software: “We chose to partner with One97 Communications as they have a proven record of leadership in developing and executing innovative applications that cater to market requirements. HP is the global leader in the supply of 3G technological platforms and this relationship helps showcase this prowess.”
HP OCMP supports development of the VoiceXML applications, as well as IP multimedia subsystem based services with its media resource function capabilities including next-generation voice mail, mass alarming and alerting, 3G video capabilities, personalized ring-back tone, video messaging and others. Scalable and backed by HP’s worldwide delivery, support and services organization, the HP OCMP integrates easily with existing network architectures, allowing service providers to rapidly capitalize on near-term business opportunities such as large-scale interactive voice response (IVR) applications, unified messaging, virtual call centers and entertainment services.

A Small Party for Airtel VAS Team

We threw a small party for the entire VAS team of VAS Managers of Airtel on 29^th April.  Most of them managed to attend this and really had a good time.  It was a great platform for our employees to mingle with the VAS team. They are now able to put a face to some of the names they have been dealing for quite some time.

One could hear some interesting discussions happening at the party, while everybody had a good time. The idea of this party was conceived by Abhay and Team One97 quickly got into action and the party was organized. Cheers to Abhay!

Some comments from Team One97:
It was really great having a get together with all Airtel VAS Managers. In fact when you meet the person to whom you are interacting daily in a face to face situation the thing is different. Also the venue was pretty good as it had a very soothing environment in which discussions could go on. There was a series of discussions among our team and our customers and it reflected that their group was also happy with the organized event. I think the event will really work as a catalyst in making our relation with customer more healthy, friendly and interactive in positive way. by Rajiv Sharma

It was really a nice experience to meet with the people with some of whom we have been interacting for so long only over the phone or through emails. The event being an informal one made sure that we could talk business in a much friendlier way. by Dhiraj Gupta

 The Party was really fruitful, especially I met many people with whom I have been interacting for the last 3 years but haven’t met. Now I am much more comfortable to coordinate with them.by Saurabh Gupta

To hit the bull’s-eye

Studies continue to show that teenagers (16 – 19 year old) are first to adopt new technologies and products. This is a generation that has grown up on technology, adapts to changes easily without clinging to the comfort of familiar playthings, and has access to new products easily.  JupiterResearch report says that, though initial adoption of technology by older teenagers is likely to be more than two times than that by younger teens but this gap narrows significantly as technology matures. 

 

The telecom boom in India has seen a phenomenal increase in number of mobile subscribers even though the ARPU has steadily been dropping. By end of 2007, the number of mobile subscribers is expected to cross 200 million and teenagers will constitute a large segment of this wireless population. They have been enthusiastically adopting every new product, service and innovative technology that caters to their tastes. Ringtones that appeal to their music sense, sports updates especially cricket scores and trivia which is almost a religion in India, wallpapers of their favourite film stars and sports personalities, sms contests, valentine messages and many such products lead to a significant conclusion: For rapid adoption of new technologies, products and services have to be developed which appeal to teenager tastes. This is a segment that needs to be continuously watched and their changing interests and behaviour patterns tracked. This is especially significant for an India just about to step into the 3G era when most companies have already started work on developing innovative products for 3G networks. 

New Strategic Vision of One97

As we all know that Vision Statements and Mission Statements are the inspiring words for any organization to clearly and concisely convey the direction of the organization.  

One97 has now announced a new strategic vision as an integrated – voice, data and IN based – telecom VAS player, and has one of the largest third party CTI infrastructure in India today.  One97 Communications provides this array of services to telcos, corporate clients and retail consumers.

The Vision of One97 Communications – “Transform telecom networks into unrivaled media to deliver content, information and intelligent transactions to consumers worldwide”
 

Cities need Emergency Warning System

Virginia Tech tragedy has once again highlighted the need for emergency notifications communications system in today’s world. As society is becoming increasingly prone to attacks by terrorists and other anti-social elements, such a system will assist authorities in containing the extent of damage. If a messaging system had existed in Virginia Tech Univ, students could have been warned via SMS or out-dialers and number of casualties could have been considerably less. 

Location based messaging can be very effectively used in times of natural disasters or terrorist attacks without creating panic for general population. City governments, especially those which are susceptible to threats from terrorist organizations, ought to set up such systems on an urgent basis. 

And Corporate sponsorships is a good option for funding such services… 

White Water Rafting Experience by Team One97

If Team One97 works hard, it knows how to have real fun as well!! We keep going out every once in a while to give ourselves a break and come back refreshed. Our last trip was to Rishikesh on March 23rd, where we had an incredible river rafting experience.

A group of over 25 of us took an overnight journey by road to reach Shivpuri, where we camped amidst a beautiful scenario bound on all sides by lush mountains, with the lovely river flowing at our feet. The serene beauty was soon punctuated with our fun-filled laughter and thrilling squeaks as we began the white water rafting we had gone for. 

Here is a glimpse of the fun we all had: 

 

We will, we will rock you

With this show of confidence in our abilities to be a leader in the mobile Value Added Services space, the VCs have in-fact reposed enormous responsibility on us. Innovative products and services, which have always been One97’s hallmark, are ready to be showcased to the global audience. Small, tight knit team has grown into a professional multi layered cohesive one with several new leaders ready to join their ranks.
 
Buzz is gaining ground as excitement is building up in One97 and mercury in Delhi scales new high everyday. We got funds when investment in the sector was drying up (check here). And that is an indication that our time has come – time to be the next global icon.

One97 Communications receive VC funding from SAIF partners

New Delhi, April 12, 2007: Delhi-based mobile value added services company One97 Communications has received Series A funding from SAIF Partners. Silicon Valley Bank has also participated in the current round with a minority contribution. One97 has many firsts to its credit, including India’s first short code sms service, 3030. With this investment, SAIF Partners has increased its India portfolio to more than ten companies, including National Stock exchange, IL&FS Investsmart, Makemytrip.com, TV18 Group, JustDial, and SlashSupport, amongst others.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Vibhor Mehra, Principal, SAIF Partners said: “One97 has an interesting transaction driven business model, backed by a very passionate founder.  We will be leveraging our relationships with VAS portfolio companies and telcos across the globe, particularly in China, to create a broader footprint for One97.”

“We’re very excited that SAIF will be partnering us as we target to move to a higher growth trajectory.  With this investment, we are now well positioned to offer a broad range of integrated service offerings across voice and data platforms to global  telcos, corporate, as well as retail customers.” said Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and MD of One97 Communications.

Today, SAIF Partners has a significant portfolio in India with a dedicated local team that works closely with its portfolio companies to develop their business, seek synergistic cooperation among them, as well as enhance shareholder value via promotion of good corporate governance and best management practices.