Topic: Cell Phone Calls and SMS

The Importance Of Cell Phones In Society:


Cell phones have become a necessity for many people all over the world. The capability to keep in touch with family, business associates, and access to email are some of the reasons that make a cell phone an important equipment. Cell phones have become almost a status symbol in addition to the convenience and security that comes from owning them.Image of a cell phone

 Today’s with technically advanced cell phones we  are not only able to receiving and making phone calls, but storing data, taking pictures, and can even be used as walkie talkie.

When cell phones were first launched to the public, they were heavy, costly, and some even required a base unit that had to be transported along with the phone. Good response was a major problem and in general, early cell phones could only be used in assured position were the signal was mainly strong. As cell phone technology highly developed, the difficult in using them became less. Today, cell phone service has improved very much due to the use of satellites and wireless services. As cell phones improved and became simple to use, the importance of cell phones increased.Image of a mobile phone

Cell phones are the perfect way to stay connected with others and provide the user with a sense of security. In any emergency, cell phone allow you to quickly contect anyone for help  and could possibly save lives. However, the value of cell phones increases personal safety. Modern cell phones are capable of internet access, sending and receiving photos and files, and some cell phones are equipped with GPS technology, allowing for use in most locations around the world and allowing the cell phone to be found or the user located in the event of loss or emergency.

Cell phone reception has become trustworthy and of high quality due to advances in wireless technology. Wireless service providers offer excellent packages and promotions for cell phone users. The development of the wireless service provider industry gives cell phone users a choice and the increased competition has caused a drop in prices of wireless cell phone service. The importance of cell phones has increased due to the capability to make or receive phone calls. Cell phone users can directly send data to the home or office, check for important email, use their cell phone as a PDA or calendar, and store photos which can be easily transmitted to a PC or laptop computer.

Image of a mobile phoneCell phone manufacturers have produced a wide range of cell phones, which sell for prices that range from very inexpensive to over one thousand dollars. The available options give users the choice of purchasing a basic cell phone to use simply for making calls, or selecting a complex, technologically advanced cell phone that can perform as many or even more work that a PC does. As time passes, the  cell phones has made  a necessity for most people. Even remote and underdeveloped countries have some access to cell phone technology and wireless services.

The importance of cell phones has increased the competition in the wireless service provider industry, making cell phones very reasonable and very easy to use.

 

Voice SMS- is it worth investing?

Including voice to SMS messaging changes SMS technology to the next generation of significance.  

Voice enhances users’ flexibility and freedom. Provides the option to send audio SMS, to reply to text and voice SMS messages with verbal response.

Voice SMS complements other messaging services: Compared to standard text SMS, Voice SMS builds on the basic benefit of  

  1. Convenient and inexpensive messaging                                   
  2. Overcomes the difficulties posed by “triple tap” text input 
  3. Addresses literacy issues

OnMobile’s Voice Messenger Solution 

This is one of the providers of voice SMS. The OnMobile’s Voice Messenger Solution addresses the limitations of conventional SMS messages such as- 

  • Character limitation
  • Lack of support for local languages
  • Provides mobile users with a greater freedom of expression- emotions, language and message duration
  • Voice SMS allows users to send voice messages in the form of audio files that are sent to the recipients
  • The conventional “Store and Forward” mechanism is used for sending these messages, thereby ensuring messages only get sent during the non-peak hours

Voice SMS benefits the users by its 

  • Flexibility in pricing as compared to SMS or airtime usage since Voice SMS can be positioned as a premium service
  • Customers can be offered better value, especially for long-distance communication, thereby reducing customer churn
  • Service can be extended to conventional landlines to increase the coverage
  • Better utilization of network and ability to avoid congesting using Store & Forward technologies
  • Real-time end-to-end circuit connection between the two parties not required, thereby reducing infrastructure costs
  • With support for multiple languages, the usage of Voice SMS can be easily increased, leading to higher revenues

Operators can further customize the Voice SMS application through:   

  • Outbound calls are not made to roaming recipients
  • Duration of the voice message is increased from the default 45 seconds
  • Recipients can discard the message immediately or after a specific interval of time based on the duration set by the operators

The key textures of Voice SMS technology are-  Duration of the voice message: 

It is configurable giving added flexibility to the user and to the Operator  

“Grunt Detection” technology installed: 

Messages that do not include voice are not saved. For example, users might access the voice mail to send across a message but abort the process before recording. In such cases, the Grunt Detection detects the silence and does not record the message. 

Notifies the sender of delivery: 

The voice SMS sent, would be notified by the sender of delivery using voice or SMS by the system. 

Can discard the message immediately: 

The message could be discarded by the recipient immediately, as defined by the system. 

Can review the recording and re-record the message: 

The technology lets user review the recording and re-records the message before sending it, which tends them tweak it. 

Languages handled without difficulty:  

As, an audio file is created; dialects and cultural mix in languages are handled without any difficulty.  

Voice SMS uses- The Voice Mail system consists of standard Intel Servers and NMS Telephony interfaces, and uses OnMobile Voice Messenger Solution package. 

The two primary interfaces with the Core Network are the standard SS7-based E1/T1 telephony connectivity and the SMPP interface with the SMSC Gateway.  

Hence investing in voice SMS is worth of course

Trends of Cell Phone Calls and SMS in India

 

Trends of cell phone calls and SMS in India

The Indian cell-phone boom isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Indian mobile operators are adding around 8 million new subscribers a month.

February’s tally of 8.46 million brings the total to 246 million, making the country second only to China.

At the time, there were 34 million subscribers and hopes of hitting the 100 million-subscriber mark.

Introduction of calling cards

The introduction of calling cards is another plus point in the hike of cell phone subscribers. The call rates are so cheap that everyone can afford long distance calling. Especially international calls could be made at a very low cost.

Voice over internet protocol

The voice over internet protocol is one more tag towards call trends. The voip facilitates the subscriber to call abroad at a near zero cost. Most of the Indian cell phones operators are now aware of VOIP and its advantages. They are now switching on their cell phones, computers and landlines to voip. This enables them to communicate to the other end cheaper.

SMS- short message servicing

With around 33 million subscribers in the country, the concept of mobile marketing is rapidly gaining momentum.

The beginnings of SMS

Many youths and small budget keepers thank the Hutch Company for its initiatives of short messaging service. At first the Hutch (which is now Vodafone) gave 100 SMS free per day. There by setting the business and more means of communication cheap and easier to their subscribers. After this the trend spread to other companies also.

Direct and personalized

The communication is more personalized with short messaging service. Especially for the youth and family members, young couples in love do all like this feature of SMS. It targets the other end directly. It is more personalized than making calls. Lets one have more privacy without disturbing the ambience.

Interactive medium

SMS is a better means of interactive medium. It proves to be a direct approach with its non verbal features.

Conversation with a customer

Business and marketing is so simple and easier today than ever else. The companies or the service providers can catch hold and advertise their target audience instantly.

Interaction can be non-intrusive

The interaction between the subscribers would be non intrusive with the short message service. They enable one to communicate uninterrupted.

The calls and SMS adoption is very powerful that -

Irrespective of adoption age, usage intensity increases with advancing current age rapidly.

Irrespective of modern epoch, usage intensity is consistently higher for earlier adopters especially for those owning mobile phones at their 14 years of age.

The effect of adoption age increases sharply with rising current age.

While earliest adoption goes along with largest partner lists at least in the three oldest cohorts, these effects are higher for the 18 year olds than for the groups of more advanced age. The size of personal networks reacts more to immediate current conditions than to lower-term effects of learning and socialization.

Economics of SMS

At first the short messaging service was initiated free of cost. Then slowly all companies including Hutch (Vodafone), Spice etc charged one paisa per SMS, which is now become 5 paisa in Spice, 10 paisa in both Hutch and Airtel.