Team-BHP > Shifting gears


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Old 4th September 2009, 06:42   #1
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This is India, and this is Marketing!!!(Tata Indicom's new Scheme)

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call made by Tata Teleservices’ will no longer be charged on a per minute basis. These duration free calls, which are only available for its pre-paid CDMA customers, will be charged at Re 1 per local call and Rs 3 for every STD call. Put simply, a local call will cost only Re 1 even if the customer were to speak for two hours while an STD call to any network in the country will come at Rs 3 irrespective of its duration.

“There is no catch or any hidden charges. We have never gone back on a promise and our business model involves earning the respect and trust of our customers. That is how the Tatas work. This is a path-breaking value proposition for Indian telecom users,” the company’s MD Anil Sardana said.
Quote:
Existing pre-paid users can move to the new tariff scheme by purchasing a one-time recharge voucher of Rs 96.
Source:
Tata Tele to charge per call, no matter the duration- Telecom-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

Now going by their site Prepaid Plans from Tata Indicom providing a range of prepaid plans for you

Quote:
Note for Pay per call Plan :
1. Each local call to be charged at Rs 1 for 10 minutes & each STD call to be charged at Rs 3 for 10 Minutes
2. Pulse for Local & STD call will be 600 secs
3. Pulse for Roaming calls will be 60 secs
4. This new starter kit allows keep talking benefit only with the purchase of a new handset on the tata indicom network , if sim is used with old & used handsets , the default tariffs of Rs 1/min for Local calls & 1.5/min for STD Calls . Local SMS @ Rs1 & National SMS @ Rs 1.5
5. As a special promotion , customers will enjoy an extended pulse of 24 hours for all local calls for first 15 days from date of activation
6. Daily rental to be charged at Rs 1 per day
7. Keep talking plan is a stand alone plan & can not be coupled with any other special offers which has free talk time or free minutes built in.
Eventhough it is welcome move to charge Re.1 for 10min of local call, don't you think this is marketing gimics?
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Old 4th September 2009, 07:42   #2
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The Claim in the first quote ^^ in the first post could be true iff 'TATAs have booked enough of profits and want to go into losses or go nuts'.

What the Tata Indicom site says is more feasible and believeable.

It think this and the DOCOMO plans are enough to shake the earth beneath all other competitors.
Like Audi, Tata would ask Reliance about 'Your move next'
Hoping to be checkmated soon.
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Old 4th September 2009, 08:17   #3
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There is no catch or any hidden charges. We have never gone back on a promise and our business model involves earning the respect and trust of our customers. That is how the Tatas work. This is a path-breaking value proposition for Indian telecom users,”
Ha ha ha. Now doesn't that sound familiar

1 lakh car anyone
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Old 4th September 2009, 08:25   #4
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It doesn't have to be marketing gimmick. Technology is becoming cheaper.

Last week I heard from a friend in NJ that his new Internet plan gives him 50Mbps speed for both upload and download, this is as measured by speedtest.net by himself. No limits on volume either. What price? $99 per month.

I just fell out of the chair.
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Old 4th September 2009, 08:32   #5
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Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
Technology is becoming cheaper.
Agreed sir, but with the limitless conversation @1 buck, people would never disconnect.
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Old 4th September 2009, 09:18   #6
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Telephone balance may not be a limiting factor but human psyche does have one. You wouldn't want to exhaust all topics to talk in one day and then resort to "aur kya" which is the most irritating sentence I get to hear from anyone.

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Agreed sir, but with the limitless conversation @1 buck, people would never disconnect.
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Old 4th September 2009, 09:21   #7
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Telephone balance may not be a limiting factor but human psyche does have one. You wouldn't want to exhaust all topics to talk in one day and then resort to "aur kya" which is the most irritating sentence I get to hear from anyone.
Oh really, maybe not you and me, try asking the love brids who are frekking hooked on the phone till eternity. Remember the night free plans from Idea and people. God if someone died in those free hours, we'd come to know only next day 8 Am sharp.

Last edited by prince_pervez : 4th September 2009 at 09:34.
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Old 4th September 2009, 09:33   #8
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Well in Delhi Tata-Tele use to offer unlimited talking for a plan of around 300-350, so this is another narrowed down version of the same.

However, this plan seems to be a clear winner since one has to get a recharge of 97 Rs and pay 1 Rs/day as subscription charges... or something like this. So after spending a small amount you will defiently get the stuff you are looking for i.e. cheeaper talking. As Samsurai san said technology is getting cheaper and above all CDMA is much cheaper and better technology then that of GSM.

Marketing Gimmick.. Why not, for these things only they are paid for
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Old 4th September 2009, 09:36   #9
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Hey guys, I don't think people will get glued to their phone if they were offered zero-pulse plans. Don't forget that all the way up until early nineties, we didn't have any pulse for local calls on our DOT/ telephones. I think life carried on just as well in those days, when we didn't even have today's standard distractions like TV/DTH, Internet and a fast car in the house!
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Old 4th September 2009, 09:47   #10
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Wait until department of telecom removes the artificial restriction on VOIP. Currently it is illegal to mix IP traffic and Indian PSTN traffic in a single call. They have done this to keep BSNL/MTNL in business. TRAI has recommended removal of this silly ban. Once that happens, telephone calls will become virtually free. Vonage kind of companies can come to India and we can get unlimited minutes for 1000 bucks a month.

Imagine, the real cost for ISD and local call will be same. The words ISD and STD will fade away and everything will be local call or just voice call. There will be no money in pure voice. Companies have to start making money on video services, and conferencing and other imaginative services.
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Old 4th September 2009, 09:55   #11
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In Marketing world, everything is possible

1. Google founders said few years ago that "voice telephony must be free" what they meant was through advertisments, they can subsidize the voice telephony. Another expample if Skype which is free.

2. once I was talking to a senior executive of a leading private energy utility company in India, as per the statistics, the energy theft and losses are approx 40% to 65% in the industrial / agriculture sector. if these thefts are prevented the domestic sector could be supplied with free electricity.

3. Reliance's RS 500 Mansoon Hangama offer few years ago where people used to get a CDMA phone (costing ~ 6000-7000 RS) along with the monthly subscription if he commits 18 months subscription

4. Shampoo sachet @ 1 Re (Cavin Care started this), actually is more costly than when one buys a 100ml bottle, but packaging is more suitable for consumers.

there are numeours examples where intelligent marketing has created the market/consumption growth. In all above examples, the respective companies are making healthy profits and achieving year on year growth rates.

Last edited by StarVegabond : 4th September 2009 at 09:59.
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Old 4th September 2009, 10:19   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greenh0rn View Post
Hey guys, I don't think people will get glued to their phone if they were offered zero-pulse plans. Don't forget that all the way up until early nineties, we didn't have any pulse for local calls on our DOT/ telephones. I think life carried on just as well in those days, when we didn't even have today's standard distractions like TV/DTH, Internet and a fast car in the house!
In those times, the number of telephone connections were very less. Telephone was a luxury, not a necessity. The condition is totally different now.

And many people used to take advantage of the fact that the charges were same for a local call irrespective of the duration. Many aunties in our colony used to exchange cooking recipes through telephone and not hang up till the dish was ready to serve !!!

When digital exchanges were introduced for the first time in India, the 3 minute pulse system came as a rude shock to these aunties. They could not figure out why they were getting such a huge bill. They thought they had made only one call as long as they didn't hang up.

Also, when free night calls were introduced by some operators, the service was highly abused by many people. Many of my friends used talk to their girl-friends till midnight (at least 2-3 hours non-stop). They used to sit near an electrical point and keep the charger connected to the mobile (which is not recommended, by the way) to make sure that the mobile battery does not die between their useless/senseless conversation.

I could never take advantage of such schemes because I am a morning person - Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy (definitely), wealthy (doubtful) and wise (I don't think so).

These unlimited free calls schemes cannot survive in the long run. These are only marketing gimmicks to draw customer attention in the short duration.

Rohan,
Bangalore
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Old 4th September 2009, 10:26   #13
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These unlimited free calls schemes cannot survive in the long run. These are only marketing gimmicks to draw customer attention in the short duration.
I wouldn't call it a gimmick but a good use of Marketing Principles

Also these need customers to support their existing infrastructure. Why else do you think only companies like Tata Indicom & Reliance(or other Operators with less volume in a circle) offer such schemes?

The idea is to get new customers as not everyone who gets a connection for such schemes disconnects it once the scheme is over.
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Old 4th September 2009, 10:30   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
It doesn't have to be marketing gimmick. Technology is becoming cheaper.

Last week I heard from a friend in NJ that his new Internet plan gives him 50Mbps speed for both upload and download, this is as measured by speedtest.net by himself. No limits on volume either. What price? $99 per month.

I just fell out of the chair.
Hi Samurai, which type of carrier he is using? Technology is advancing like anything soon we will get 100Mbps downlink speed and 50 Mbps uplink speed in mobile phones (Wireless). Trial and actual setup of network already started in Japan.

Those who are happy listening 3G technology coming to India, hold on read about LTE (Long Term Evolution). This is 4G Technology and everything is finalized by 3GPP. Implementation already started.
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Old 4th September 2009, 10:35   #15
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Heh! Do you guys know that SMS actually costs the operator nothing? These guys are absolutely minting their panties off with the mobile revolution in India.
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