Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Revolution has Touched Everyone

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Revolution has delivered on its promise.  While our expectations on what it can do are still very high, I believe we have achieved a lot already. Communication revolution has given IT a platform to make life easier for almost every Indian who can be reached via road, rail, on foot or by the mobile network.  I share some of the use cases and associated stories with you, as in my opinion, they provide a vivid picture of how IT and Communication has changed our lives for the better.

1.       Travel and Ticketing - Most visible benefit of computerization that common man saw in late eighties was “Computerized Railway Ticket”.  With charts displayed prior to boarding the train and real time status of railway reservation, in one stroke, it took away the opportunity of rent seeking behavior. Millions of Indians, who travel daily on Railways, not only saw the benefits, but also became the champions of IT in India. That, to my mind, is the single most driver of IT adoption in India. 

2.       Travel and Ticketing - Internet ticket by Railways is also nothing short of a revolution. A local Internet Café accepts payment in cash and delivers me a ticket without the need to approach the local railway station. Savings in cost of travel to the station and back, no time taken to travel and easy access to railway information, all benefits have been delivered with the convergence of IT and communication.

3.       Real time Communication - 20 years ago, an Aunt of mine was coming to visit us. She lost her way and we learned that she had left her residence a long time ago and by all means, should have reached us by that time. Yet, there was no sign of her.  We imagined that she had probably lost her way.  We went in several directions to look for her. An hour long search and we could locate her, safe yet tired.  Just imagine the scenario today, she carries a mobile phone. We can reach her anytime and she will probably never get lost.

4.       Location Services - A similar incident like the one before. A few years ago, while traveling by train, I woke up with a start. My train was expected to reach by destination at 4am in the morning. It was already 3.40 am and I did not know how much time we had. I switched on my Blackberry and checked my location on Google Maps. We were just 2 Km away from the destination.  The train was running ahead of time. I knew we had to rush and get ready before the station arrived. Google map and easy access to mobile network on a train route helped me find the exact location and prepare me.

5.       New Customers for Small Businesses - Until a few years, for any problem with electric fittings or plumbing requirement, I will visit an Electrical or Sanitary/Hardware shop. I will wait for an electrician or the plumber and leave a message for him to visit us.  A number of follow up visits later he will arrive and do the necessary job. Today, every electrician, plumber or even a domestic maid, carries a mobile phone. They are reachable immediately and confirm their availability.  Everyone has benefited in the process. Of course, except the Electrical or Sanitary/Hardware shop owner, who has lost the cut he used to get.

6.       Mobile Payments - A construction worker was due to receive his wages from the contractor. However, he asked the contractor to keep the wages in his safe custody as he was afraid of losing the money since he had no regular place to stay and risk of thefts. A month later, when he wanted to go back to his native place, contractor made him run around for getting the accumulated wages. With no place for safe keeping, he was at the contractor’s mercy. That has suddenly changed with Money Transfer on the mobile phone. He can now transfer money back home without waiting for his next visit.

I am sure all of us have experienced something similar in our lives. ICT has touched everyone. With new innovations, our expectations are also soaring high.

·         Touch and speech are two new interaction elements which are making IT more accessible to every individual.  Touch phone is more intuitive and so, is speech. Siri is a great beginning in this direction. Speech recognition as a technology holds great promise and with a commercial value attached to quality, I am confident it will soon improve to serve the masses.

·         Another promising initiative is Aadhar. That shall help the common man in opening Bank accounts by providing an identity proof required to access services.  Will banking correspondents make up for absence of banking branches? That remains to be seen.

·         Will remote healthcare delivery graduate from being pilots/experiments and scale up to District or State level delivery models? Healthcare workers cannot replace the expertise of a doctor, yet they can at least provide timely help for the patients.

ICT is a force multiplier, yet it is not sufficient to improve the living standards of the common man.  Without roads, it is hard to make services accessible in the hinterlands. Without drinking water and access to healthcare, progress will remain limited. Physical infrastructure is a must for progress.

Google TV: Another step towards convergence

The installed base of television far exceeds that of personal computers, particularly true for the emerging markets. I have special interest in this field of convergence.  I tend to view a TV as a monitor without a CPU.  Google TV is in a way opening up the existing investments that households have made in the TV set and enabling them to use a neighbouring WI-FI connection to browse the Internet. 

I can see enormous potential, however, Google needs to set up

• A brand and product awareness exercise to make existing customers aware of the product, that is, going beyond Internet advertisements and using print and TV campaigns to reach the end customer.
• A customer service organization - This is a hardware offering - which needs customer support and education.  What if the WI-FI hot spot is at a distance from the TV, with walls and roofs in-between? Will a customer service person tune and configure the system? Who will provide support and service?
• Support for community sharing - Will this work in apartment complexes who set-up a shared WI-FI link?

An interesting initiative, which has all the potential to succeed and yet, too many execution risks at this stage.  Google will need all the program management and marketing skills they have to make it a success.  I wish them luck !!

Sachin Tendulkar on Twitter

World of Internet is buzzing with the entry of Sachin Tendulkar on twitter.  This event can potentially be a significant game changer for not only for Twitter, but also for Internet penetration in India.  With 60 million Internet users, India has the third largest number of Internet users. Sachin's entry on Twitter may help India move to the top position.

• Twitter got coverage yesterday in almost every newspaper, radio and TV channel.  That's worth more than a few million dollars in free advertising money.
• Almost every Indian celebrity on Twitter is a fan of Sachin and they have posted welcome messages across Twitter
• There is no better icon of determination and success than Sachin Tendulkar in India. 
• During the recent concluded IPL (Indian Premier League), loyal supporters of IPL franchisees will make an exception for Sachin.  Instead of supporting their favorite team, they will root for Mumbai Indians simply because Sachin plays for them. 
• Will more Indians get accounts on Twitter to follow Sachin? Will telecom companies include Sachin's account on Twitter as one reason to buy their mobile phone service (and follow Sachin)? Will Airtel sign up Sachin as brand ambassador and use the punchline "follow me on Twitter"?

I have stayed away from Twitter so far. The question I am asking myself this morning - 'Should I join Twitter'?

Update - Well, thoughts led to action, I joined Twitter today (@jainvivekIndia) and promptly became a follower of sachin_rt.  Hopefully, I will learn the language of tweets in a few days.....

Social Networking and Purchase Decisions

We value opinions of our friends.  We often meet these friends, talk to them or chat with them.  They probably know my preferences and I know some of theirs.  It helps to know what they bought, liked and if yes, why they liked something versus say another alternative.  We seek opinions about movies, schools, products, travel and almost everything we care about. This weekend I shared my purchase decision and several parameters that influenced my purchase of a flat panel TV and I sought opinion from a friend on purchase of an insurance policy. In general, for all complex purchase decisions which have an element of risk (either monetary or emotional) we seek opinions.

Social networking over the web has helped me connect with colleagues, classmates, business associates and also personal friends.  It helps to maintain relationships even at a distance, across geographies, and also be a silent participant in our journey of life, together and yet, distinct from each other.  I recently saw one of my friends seek opinion about a laptop purchase while movies get debated on why someone liked it or not.  I also see comments on new product launches, for example, iPad and this helps shape opinions of passive listeners as well as the active participants in the discussion. 

Web as the medium helps me get into a conversation without being intrusive.  It is easier for me now to pop the question and have my friends comment on it. For example, a telephone call to seek opinions may be considered an interruption in my friend's daily life and I may not want to call 300-400 friends which I have on FaceBook or any other networking site. 

Social networks continue to shape our life.  I can't really imagine a life without them anymore.  They now seem integral part of our life - how can anyone live without them !! I continue to learn and explore how social networking will evolve and influence purchase decisions.  Do share your insights.

6.5 million Online Railway Tickets booked in January 2010

Online commerce in India is increasing at a fast clip. The number of online tickets booked on IRCTC site is up from 4.6 million in April 2009 to 6.5 million in January 2010.  40%+ growth in less than 9 months is a very positive sign.  Railways is one of the largest enterprises in India (by turnover, customers and employees).  Computerized reservations started by Railways 20 years ago brought the benefits of computerization closer to common public.  IRCTC is repeating the same success now in online environment.

From a consumer perspective, online railway reservation saves plenty of time in traveling to nearest reservation center, provides them easy access through any cybercafe, visibility of reservation status and with transaction charges kept at minimal Rs25, it makes economic sense for consumers to adopt.  From Railways perspective, it eliminates the need for new reservation centers, computers and clerical staff for entering data and printing tickets.  For cybercafes, it creates a business opportunity - many of them have become travel agents and provide services like making online payments on behalf of customers and accept service charges in lieu of this service.

Online Airline and hotel bookings are also on the upswing.  Will online retailers take notice? If businesses offer value, Indian customer is willing to make online payments or find ways of doing that.  It is time for them to ask the question - Am I offering real value to the customer?