Many of my friends, specially those whom I've not gone to school with, think that the new world is getting too geeky. They believe that you have to spend a hack of a time to learn how to use the new technologies efficiently and effectively and that technically makes you a geek in that area.
I have to agree with them. People have different interests and cannot spend 5 - 10 hours on something that they don't like spending time on (like their phone or their computer) just to learn how it works efficiently. They may be able to divide their internet/phone bill by half if they spend this much time but they are just not interested in that stuff and don't want to spend 10 hours on a 'boring' subject.
People have to spend a lot of time, which they usually don't have, to keep up with new changes. That is probably because we are moving too fast in the technology world and one cannot possibly know everything about all the new technologies. This means missing possible opportunities which is just natural.
Companies who are coming up with new services and/or products have to make sure that they minimize the time that is required for their users to understand their product well. In other words, the products should be very simple to understand and use. Even if a product has a lot of great features, can reduce costs [and clean your room without you waking up :)] but you have to spend 5-6 hours to understand it, the product is next to useless for general users. That product will only be used by the geeks of that particular subject who are interested to spend that much time in that area. This means the product cannot become mainstream.
Here is the challenge though: It is not always easy or even possible to make everything simple to grasp. For example, I described how anybody can have a next-to-free phone line here and here but realistically speaking how many people would actually go through all the hassle just for $20-$30 per month? Many people may choose to pay that money but don't bother reading about the stuff that they don't care about. This is perfectly normal. It's like me in the fashion industry. If I know Macy's has a sales on the Boss line and they sell it for 25% less than the retail price, I most probably won't bother going there because I prefer to spend the retail price but don't go through the hassle of standing in lines and busy stores. My clothing example is not a common issue because the number of people who are actually willing to go through the hassle of shopping in a busy store is way more than the number of people who are willing to spend 5-10 hours to learn a technological subject to save $250 per year. This is understandable(not necessarily desirable) because technology is usually considered a boring subject to a good number of people specially when it comes to completing a puzzle using different high-tech products.
Here is the million dollar question: How would a company present their services in a way that users can understand in a blink of an eye and get it to work in 10-30 seconds? This is something that not every company is doing a good job at. Even big guys like Google, Microsoft and even TV makers are coming up with products that general users cannot understand how they work. They may say "sure, it's cool but I don't have time for this!" which basically means: Booooriinngggg... (Just look at Google Wave. I have no idea how they even explained it to themselves let alone other people).
The same is happening in the phone service business. Most of the phone services are boring and require people to spend a lot of time understanding them. Don't get me wrong, users will benefit from that time that they spent on learning the product (either by saving money or having a more effective service) but when they add the "hassle factor" to this equation, it's just not worth it.
The phone services should become easy and fun to use: For example: 

1- Get a free basic phone service; Users click on it and there; they have it.
2- Add a voicemail with web interface; Click, Done!
3- Add your friend to your call; Just drag and drop your friend to your current call.

Getting a phone number should be as easy as signing up for a new email address and adding features to it should be as easy as a mouse click! Features should be easy to use (I am still not comfortable with three way callings let alone more complicated services). The whole thing should (and will) change. There is no point in waiting to talk to "customer support or sales" just to get a phone number! This is so 2009!

Labels: Google Wave, Marketing, Social phone services

Think new phone technologies are too geeky? And you are right.

So, this is a how-to guide for the people in the USA/Canada and possibly all around the globe to use their cell phone minutes optimally and reduce their cellphone charges. We are talking about the basic connectivity at this point and not addressing services like VoiceMail.
Let's get right to it:
Browse the following list, find your current cell phone plan and read our solution to exploit your plan to its fullest:

1. MyFave, MyCircle, etc: Basically any plan that allows you to make and receive unlimited calls to/from a certain number of contacts (called favorite contacts/numbers). These plans also include a certain number of minutes to make and receive calls to/from the numbers that are not in you Favorite list.

Pros:

• This type of plans are really good for the people who 'usually' call certain people and receive the majority of their daily calls from them. You can talk to you girlfriend/boyfriend as much as you want for a flat monthly rate.

Cons:

• You will run out of minutes fast if you call any other number (have you ever used your phone to make a call to a company's customer service? They put you on hold for hours and you can watch your beloved minutes wasting away; one after another!

Solution


There are services, like Google voice, that can help you turn your plan into an unlimited plan. You can setup these services in a way that all of your incoming look like being originated from a number that you already added into your "favorite numbers list" and therefore your incoming call minutes is unlimited. For the outgoing calls, you would have to call the same favorite number and then punch in the phone number that you want to call(two stage dialing).

Pros:

• You will have an unlimited cell phone plan for an affordable cost.

Cons:

• You will loose your caller-ID feature for all of your incoming calls. All of your calls will be coming from the same number regardless of who is calling you.


• Your cell number will be changed and you will have to give your friends a new number to call you.


• You cannot use your cellphone's phonebook to make calls.


• It is a hassle to make outgoing calls in two stages.


• Not a click-go setup




2. Unlimited incoming call plans: These plans allow you to receive unlimited incoming calls from any phone number. However, your outgoing minutes are limited.

Pros:

• Great for the people who usually receive calls as oppose to making calls
  

Cons:

• Expensive in case you exceed your outgoing minutes.

Solution


Use Call-Back Services like Vbuzzer, ComWave, etc. Here is how it works:

1. You call a certain number provided by your Call-Back service provider.


2. Your provider disconnects the call before it is answered(so, you are not getting charged for making that outgoing call)


3. Your provider will call you back and when you answer, you will be asked to punch in the number that you want to call.


4. Your call will be connected.

Basically, the Call-Back service turns your outgoing calls into incoming calls.

Pros:

• You get an unlimited voice plan

Cons:

• Making outgoing calls in two stage is a hassle.


• The Call-Back service is not that cheap!


• You cannot use your cell phone's phonebook to make calls.




3. Plans with limited incoming/outgoing minutes and unlimited data: This type of plan is usually not a pre-packaged product. You have to bundle you limited voice plan with an unlimited data plan to get such a plan.
   

Pros:

• You can browse the internet as much as you want.

Cons:

• You can only talk for the minutes included in your plan and have to pay extra for the extra minutes.

Solution


Since you have an unlimited data plan, we are going to assume that you have a smart phone otherwise why would pay for the data plan on a phone that does not support convenient web browsing? Let's assume you have an iPhone, Android phone or any other smart phone with the ability to install applications (BlackBerry is excluded). The solution is to use VoIP on your data plan. Depending on your device and your provider you could find a VoIP application that you can be installed on your device and use your data plan to make and receive calls. In the US, AT&T just started offering such a plan. They also allow their users to use VoIP on their network. In fact, you can get an unlimited data plan only with no voice plan!

Pros:

• You get to make and receive unlimited calls on your cellphone.

Cons:

• The calls that you make with your VoIP application will be originated from a different phone number than your original cellphone number. Technically, you'd have two different numbers. If you happen to get a data-only plan, this wouldn't be an issue because you wouldn't have any other number other than your VoIP number.


• If your friends call your original cellphone number (and not your VoIP number) you still get charged.


• VoIP call quality is not as good as a regular cellphone call quality.


• The setup is not a click-go.






4. Limited outgoing/incoming plans and no/limited data plan.
   Pros:
   
   • Affordable.
   
   Cons:
   
   • You cannot really do much
   
   Solution
   
   
   This is the hardest category to address. There are some tips and potentially services that you can get to manage your minutes wisely(and we will talk about them in future). However, none of them would turn your limited plan into an unlimited one. However, there is a way to 'somehow' enhance your service if you have a WiFi enabled cellphone (iPhone, Android based devices, etc). There are many WiFi providers in the US/Canada (AT&T, Boingo, Bell, etc) that provide you with WiFi access at their hotspots for an affordable monthly fee. There are also free hotspots that you can find in coffee shops, hotels, shopping malls and more importantly StarBucks! I know the last one is also a coffee shop, technically, but I think there are enough of them in the world that can constitute a distinguished entity.
   Using your Wifi service, you can benefit from a VoIP software and make/receive unlimited calls whenever you are at a hotspot.
   Pros:
   

   • You get unlimited incoming and outgoing plan.
   
   
   • You can avoid roaming fees as well if you find a free hotspot (that's why I named Starbucks because they have stores all over the world; I often use this method when I am traveling).
     

   
   Cons:
   

   • Besides all the cons of the previously discussed plan (the limited voice with unlimited data), you are also restricted to make and receive calls only at hotspots (if you want to avoid using your minutes)
     
   
   

There are also other services that enable you to seamlessly transfer your calls to a landline if you have access to one (for example at work) and save your cell phone minutes. We will talk about such services in a separate post.

Labels: cell phone plans, tips

How can you turn your limited cell phone plan into an unlimited one?

Social networking has been around since late 1800s. However, the term became popular only after the successful launch of Facebook. Facebook, and other similar services, have changed the way we interact and do business. Let's look at some numbers (dated Jan/15/2010):

• Social media spending is expected to increase from $716M in 2008 to $3.1B in 2014
• 86% of marketers plan to increase their social marketing budget in 2010
• Pepsi dropped its Super Bowl ad this year but they are investing in a $20M social media campaign
• Best Buy has 2500 employees on Twitter to help its customers
• 99% of retailers plan to have a Facebook page by 2011
• 83% of CMOs are tracking their number of fans in social media
• 68% of small businesses plan to increase their social media marketing in the next year
• 46% of Facebook users say that they would talk about or recommend a product on Facebook

Social media platforms are attracting more visitors because people like to find other link-minded people to connect with. Consequently, businesses that are consistently looking for new ways to connect with their customers find these media a phenomenal place which deserves more investment and attention.
It is apparent that social media are emerging as the communication platform for businesses and consumers. It is getting more difficult nowadays to dismiss the impact of social media in our life. If you have any teenagers around, just see how much time they spend on Facebook, Twitter or Myspace. They use these platforms to communicate with their friends and get involved in the communities that they like. 'Facebook me' and 'Twitter me' are heard more and more everyday.
Social media, in their current form, have replaced the traditional online interactions. You don't just email your friends anymore to ask if their company is hiring. Instead, you can look for a job on LinkedIn, find out if any of your friends know anybody in the hiring company and then ask for an introduction. Your network is much bigger now and you can do much more than what you used to do with an email. Social media is the next generation of online interactions.
Now, let's look at phone services as another form of communication. People have been making phone calls for more than 100 years now. Granted, we have seen many devices and improvements in quality and services but the basic idea remains the same: Pick up your phone and call your friend. That's all! There is nothing social-media-like about your phone services. It's like the traditional email with two differences:

1. You speak instead of writing
2. It's in realtime; in a sense it's similar to Instant Messaging (IM)

Considering the evolutionary road from the traditional email/IM to online social media, what would phone services look like if they take the same path? The answer is what we call: Social Phone Services
For example, let's say you are talking to one of your friends on your phone (cell, home, work, etc). In the middle of your conversation you feel that what you just talked about, or are talking about, might be interesting to a group of your friends. Social phone services could enable you to let your friends know about the call you are on and allow them to join your call without you having to put your ongoing conversation on-hold. You may want to allow them to comment on your call or share your call with their friends. Obviously, we don't want to share every single conversation that we have; just like the way we don't want to write every single message on our friends' wall.
Social phone services can also come to rescue the phone companies who are threatened by services like Google Voice (only if they stop charging an arm and a leg for the basic service and start thinking about how they can add value to their customers' life). The basic phone connectivity will shortly become a commodity and phone companies will not benefit from it. However, social phone services will create new opportunities and phone companies can consider business models like the ones adopted by Facebook or other social networking sites.

Labels: Social phone services

What are social phone services and how can we benefit from them?