eCommerce, Telecommunication and Banking

With the advent of WNP ( wireless number portability) this makes it easier for a customer to move to another provider for a better offer and still retain the same telephone number.

Telcos have started to bundle products together and offer the customer a discount based on the number of products and length of contract being signed.

Customers want the best ( cheapest price) and excellent customer service. A customer can also have one or more smartphone (one for work and one for after hours) - different model and/or a different device.

Most Telcos offers have too many variations, options and restrictions. Offers need to be simplified and have unlimited voice and data plans.

Also when they have a problem, they want to talk to a live knowledgeable person. Being sent to a call center in another part of the world where they have difficulty comprehending the problem. They are just following a script. Often having to be handed off to another person who also cannot help.

With more providers moving to faster networks such as 4G and LTE networks and offering more services such as social media, video streaming, Video conferencing etc., there will be a greater demand for simplified offers such as a unlimited data plans.

New smartphones will have embed chips to allow payment and purchases using NFC (Near Field Communication) and also act as an electronic wallet. It will replace carrying cash and a credit/debit card.

The customer service groups will need to be better trained and have better tools to assist the customer. The environment will be even more complex since most often the content is coming from a third party. Tools that allow ability to push software changes, monitor a device and support a multitude of devices will be required.

Put yourself in the customer shoes. The service that you expect and demand when you call, is the service you need to provide - a live agent at the end of the line, knowledgeable and empowered to correct the situation. Nothing less.

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication.

GSM is a digital cellular system that started in Europe in the early 1980s.

GSM uses a combination of TDMA (Time Dvision Multiple Access) and FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access). This insures that all channels are digital and allows for more channels of communication.

GSM is readily available in the following areas across the world:

• North America - Primarily 1900 MHz also 850 MHZ and 1800MHz

• India, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, South America - Primarily 900MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz

The higher frequency bands allow for greater capacity and higher subscription densities thus being very cost effective.

Since GSM is available worldwide, it makes it easier to allow roaming if a roaming agreement exists between your service provider and the country you are visiting.

One of the advantage of GSM over CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA) is that you need a SIM card (Subscriber identity Module). This card, also referred to as a Smart Card, gives a subscriber flexibility to change cellular phones without having to activate the phone. The SIM card is made up of non- volatile memory chip and it contains the following minimal information:

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    • The subscriber’s identity number
    • The subscriber’s telephone number
    • The original network that the subscriber is registered to

The information is read from the SIM card and transmitted to the network to identify the subscriber.
If a person travels to multiple countries, then, the person can purchase just the SIM card of the local service provider and use the same handset. Therefore potentially avoiding international roaming.

1G - Analog
2G - 5.6 kbps - 13 kbps
3G - 1.2 mbps
4G (LTE) - 172 mbps - 326 mbps (download); 86 mbps (upload)

For more information, visit: http://www.gsmworld.com/