Ziggy you are bordering something I have always advanced as a reason why sms usage is still very low and that is the literacy levels more so literacy in english !!! Out of the 800.000 mobile phone subscribers, I wouldnt be suprised if only 10% can comfortably use sms services without guidance.
Actually for the masses, there is a sense of security when they know that some one will willingly help them load airtime after scratching or even then help them send an sms with airtime to some one else they want to share a card with. This is one of the reasons why even the ATM fad is going to take a while before it can be comfortably used by the majority of Ugandan bankers. Going thru those routines that the machine prompts u is something that the better schooled like us take for granted. PS: It took my mother who is a School teacher almost a year to become familiar with SMS use. Wire > > > When rolling out a product you first have to look at a couple of things, > Acceptance and Convinience. I stand to be corrected on this as well, my > view is that the whole sms thing is something you going to school the > masses for a longtime. As simple as we think SMS ( to some of us who > have used it for a while and also know the who schematics of it) it > might not be to many, which means you might have many calls to your > call centres for help. Look at SMSINFO and all the other SMS products > do you know how long it actually took to sink in , even with all the > advertising many people still didnt understand the product, either it > was syntax errors or didnt know which number or they need a whole lot > of schooling to get it right. These are some of the disadvantages of > SMS i believe. Some people might not mind at all scratching those many > times and sending a simple sms , it actually makes them feel that they > have more control of there airtime. Look at companies who still use > notebooks rather than Databases which have a point and click interface, > what would you say is more convinient there ??? and how long do you > think it will take them to accept change ?? > > i am basically looking at acceptance which i believe plays a big role in > product roll out. > > > -Ziggy > > On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:07:40 +0300, gittas wrote >> Not wanting to always turn the lug into some Marketing place or >> Company bashing list, honestly is it more convenient scratching 5 >> times and STILL sending the recipient an message or giving them a call >> or just >> sending the message. >> >> Also Ziggy, if I intend to give you 2000/= am now past the point of >> your 2 minutes argument, what the point of discussion is, is the >> method of getting it to you. >> >> Is it more convenient to buy another card, scratch it 5 times and >> then send you the message? >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Ziggy David Lubowa [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 1:45 PM >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Subject: RE: lug_: The giant is moving >> >> I think it is pretty much the same concept , just different ways of >> getting the job done. It seems it's now about who can offer the best >> value added service if you would like to call it that. The mango >> product is like the one in Tanzania and i think it is working fine. >> As for MTN besides the fact that you can share airtime, how many >> people would share airtime that is already loaded, infact think of it >> this way most pre-paid subscribers who are willing to help you use >> their phones when you want to make a call, what they >> >> would say is " Please use 1minute or 2 minutes ) am sure all of you >> who have ever borrowed phones to make a call always use about that >> much, so i find it hard to believe that someone can actually send you >> 2,000/= of there already loaded airtime without much of a >> complaint. I think airtime that is not loaded yet like Mango's >> airtime strip is more of a better innovation. >> >> I stand to be corrected on this :) >> >> - Ziggy >> >> On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:29:08 +0300, gittas wrote >> > How does Me2U compare with Mango Share card in terms of convenience? >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Wire James [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 1:33 PM >> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > Subject: Re: lug_: The giant is moving >> > >> > These guys truly amaze me. Last weekend I flipped when I tried out >> the Mango Share card. It is a cool innovation indeed. Buying airtime >> in smaller denominations is one easy way of reaching out to the low >> income earners. >> > >> > Viva UTL >> > >> > Wire >> > >> > > * UGANDA'S UTL LAUNCHES SOLAR LANDLINE >> > > >> > > Uganda Telecom has introduced solar-powered accessory for the >> newly introduced TelesaverPlus landline. This will especially be >> useful for rural >> > > populations, which have no access to regular electricity power. >> > > >> > > "This is in line with our goal to provide total communication >> solutions to everyone including those in the rural areas at rates >> suitable to them. Everybody has a right to communicate," Mr Hans >> Paulsen, UTL's Marketing Manager, said on Monday. >> > > >> > > He was speaking at the launch of the two products (TelesaverPlus >> and solar charger) in Mbarara town. The solar panel, which comes >> with a battery, costs >> > > Shs160,000 exclusive of the landline, which costs Shs240,000. More >> than 8,000 people have subscribed to TelesaverPlus since its >> launch a month ago. >> > > >> > > Faisal Ijaz Khan, UTL's Chief Commercial Officer, said UTL is in >> the process >> > > of upgrading its network to accommodate the increasing >> subscription. He said >> > > within six weeks Masaka, Ntungamo, Kabale, Bushenyi, Kasese, >> Soroti and Tororo will be connected on the TelesaverPlus. >> > > (SOURCE: The Monitor) >> > > >> > > warmest regards >> > > � >> > > Shem Nnaggenda K. Nsubuga >> > > Country IT Manager, Standard Chartered Bank Uganda >> > > Standard Chartered Bank, 1, Aldermanbury Square, London EC2V 7SB, >> UNITED >> > > KINGDOM >> > > Tel: +44 (0)20 7457 7248 +44 (0)20 72807248x: +44 (0)20 7457 7248� >> or +44 (0)20 7280 7500 >> > > Mobile: +44 (0) 790 4795061; AEN: + 1044 7248 FONENET+1401 7248 >> Fax: +44 207 280 7208 >> > > "Leading the Way in Asia ,� Africa and the Middle East" >> > > >> > >> > -- >> > "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, >> but people don't pay for the software," he said. "Someday they will, >> though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal >> ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure >> out how to collect sometime in the next decade." Bill Gates as >> Quoted by C|Net >> News.com >> > >> > --------------------------------------------- >> > This service is hosted on the Infocom network >> > http://www.infocom.co.ug >> > >> > --------------------------------------------- >> > This service is hosted on the Infocom network >> > http://www.infocom.co.ug >> >> Regards >> >> David Ziggy Lubowa >> Network Janitor >> Tel: +256 078 230380 >> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Website: www.trueafrican.com >> ------------------------------------------------------- >> Trueafrican Interactive Information Solutions For Africa >> >> --------------------------------------------- >> This service is hosted on the Infocom network >> http://www.infocom.co.ug >> >> --------------------------------------------- >> This service is hosted on the Infocom network >> http://www.infocom.co.ug > > > > Regards > > David Ziggy Lubowa > Network Janitor > Tel: +256 078 230380 > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Website: www.trueafrican.com > ------------------------------------------------------- > Trueafrican Interactive Information Solutions For Africa > > > > --------------------------------------------- > This service is hosted on the Infocom network > http://www.infocom.co.ug -- "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software," he said. "Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." Bill Gates as Quoted by C|Net News.com --------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
