Mobile Minder : Cloud Service adapted for African Business

This is a good example of emerging “cloud services”. The service can be provided on feature phones but when it is delivered over smartphones such as Android it is extremely powerful The Business Minder could help you to poach some of the SME’s from the bigger players in your market.

However what I think is different about Mobile Minder is the “integrated” supervision facility that it offers: i.e. it is not so much tracking and locating ( which many applications can perform) but the overall supervisory and management capabilities which  BizMinder, in particular, offers.! In particular the opportunity to offer SME Business the capability to effect a mini-Business Intelligence system for their field staff .In other words it can “supervise” a range of activities of field staff through active management of the content of voice and sms. This is linked to a back-end CRM database facility which delivers intelligent management of that content.

Associate Mobile are building and commercialising cloud based mobile platforms for Enterprise and Consumer markets.The am Vision

Create the foundation that underpins the mobile user experience beyond the limitations set by device manufacturers and network operators.

How is the world changing?

The mobile phone is no longer just for making calls. It keeps people informed and connected. am creates intelligent platforms for enterprise & power users. While others only make apps.

One Tree Service is on the associate mobile advisory board of am. One Tree provides am with knowledge and information regarding the intricate industry in which they are looking to be more involved with. With this advices it give am a greater opportunity to focus their innovative ideas through the right channels.

Social Networking Solutions suited to an emerging market

Many advanced Operators have deployed User Generated Content and content download portals . These are a very powerful means to bind your customers into a user community. These are appropriate in environments where data and internet penetration is commonplace. The Mixem platform provides an opportunity to deliver this approach on older generation networks. It provides a very powerful toolset to deliver Social Networking combined with tools for customer profiling, content management and mobile advertising . The Mixem Platform provides you with the opportunity to effect an integration of powerful profiling tools to give you an integrated Social Community Platform .

Mixem provides end-to-end, telco operator grade solutions for the total management of the mobile market place. Together with our global partner network we can deliver all Mixem platforms as turn-key systems or as completely hosted service solutions.

 

Established in 2000, Mixem is a pioneering mobile VAS technology vendor. Company’s headquarters and technology centre are located in Helsinki, Finland and regional sales offices in Hong Kong and Eastern Africa. Mixem also works closely with several OEM, VAR and SI partners throughout EMEA, LATAM, North America and APAC.

Mixem supplies telco grade service and content delivery management as well as mobile social networking and marketing systems for wireless network operators and service providers globally. Mixem comprehensive suite of solutions allows our customers to fully exploit and increase their mobile market place revenues while dramatically improving customer retention and satisfaction levels.

Driving Data uptake through local empowerment

Data services represent one of the best sources of growth potential. I can suggest a low cost low risk way to drive your entry into data if you do not already have one.……ideal for an Operator who may be trying to catch-up in Data service provision or who does not have a skill-set in the Data services management  area. The accelerated data rollout option gives you access to an arpu segment that is slightly more healthy.

Many Mobile Operators in Africa are dissapointed with data uptake despite their best efforts to market and drive these services.Uptake is generally good in the main urban centres but can be slow to take off in secondary cities and towns. This is often because the support structures needed for data services ( which are different to mobile telephony) are not in place. 

The solution identified here is one which taps into the power of local entreprenuers and which provides all the support needed for quick and effective rollout of services.It provides a white-labeled data access service for Operators including local network rollout and data service management support and training.

  Azotel  equips broadband operators with the technology and automated business processes required to build out commercially successful and highly profitable networks – anywhere in the world.

Here are some of the key features :

Ø  Based on a ( ‘plug and play’) revenue share model ….data/internet service branded for the Operator

Ø  focused mainly on high-end personal and SME customers ( $50 ARPU and above)

Ø  No up-front capex for the Operator

Ø  Proven Data service Management  and support provided by rollout partner

Ø  Simple, minimum hassle rollout for Operator

Ø  Superior -service oriented module for dedicated rollout of Internet Café solutions to maximize uptake and reach

By choosing Azotel you will be following in the footsteps of numerous other Azotel Enabled Operators. Proof of the model is further demonstrated by the willingness of banks, financial institutions and governments to invest in Azotel Enabled Operators. In essence, risk is greatly mitigated given that the AEO business is following an already proven model. Resources are not being wasted reinventing the wheel on technology and processes that are now available in a box.

Aventura Venture Partners

Aventura Venture Partners is an international technology-focused corporate finance and venture development boutique headquartered in Dublin's International Financial Services Centre and with an operating presence in Thames Valley (UK) and Amman, Jordan.

The directors and associates are senior industry experts and experienced venture capital and investment professionals. Aventura clients receive partner-level attention, a commitment to excellence and a deep domain expertise in telecoms and IT, venture investment finance and the drivers for venture success.

Using Customer analytics to deliver Smart Marketing

Analysis and insight of your customer usage and behaviour

It is fundamental to have a solid analysis and segmentation strategy.The better you can understand and interpret the beahiour of your customers the better you can compete. The data every Operator has is very rich but not everyone is making good use of it. OneTree has  identified a Service Platform  which analyses your CDR’s and predicts customer behavior allowing you to do your marketing much more effectively ( it does the job of an “SAS Business Intelligence Engine” for a fraction of the cost and much quicker)

 The Idiro platform has been very successful for a number of operators in helping them to predict customer behavior and in identifying customer groups that are “at risk”.
 Armed with a solid analysis of your customers it is essential to have an innovative range of pricing plans and propositions backed up with a systematic segmentation and  communication plan for reaching likely 'churners'; high value segments; identifying and exploiting influencers …..and you must also set yourself apart from the pack in some form and this is where the innovation in services can help enormously.

The Idiro Platform Solution

Idiro’s Social Network Analysis solution allows you, the mobile operator, to reduce churn, acquire customers and improve ARPU by exploiting the social groups – and the influential customers in those social groups - within your customer base. Our software uses your call records to build a social network model of your customer base. It then provides scores specifically designed to meet your marketing needs. For example, the Idiro Churn Pressure Score is used to predict churners who cannot be predicted by traditional means.

With one operator, the addition of this score doubled the operator’s churn prediction accuracy.  

The strong return on investment for this service can be proven quickly and simply using Idiro’s transparent trial methodology. Depending on the option chosen, our solution can be implemented with almost no integration with your existing systems. Furthermore, Idiro provides workshops and training to ensure the mobile operator gains the most value from the Idiro Social Network Analysis modules.

Webphone service tailored to an Operators requirements
Webphone is now a common App for Smartphone users in developed markets. Operators in emerging markets now have the choice to take a lead role in channelling this facility or gradually losing attractive international revenues.

The ePlixo Concept

 A tailored "white-label" Video / Audio Android Smart Phone Application  which provides Video, Voice and SMS access  through the internet… with Integrated Social Network feeds.

Problems Solved

  • Differential pricing for lucrative “International Segment”
  • Roaming charges, multiple numbers/IDs, contact synchronization,  access to SMS

The Opportunity

  • Increase ARPU ( timing of ‘LandGrab’ is critical )
  • Defend against inevitable  VOIP OTT apps and operators
  • Increase recurring VAS revenue 
  • Existing customers virally create Brand  awareness

The Potential

  • First mover advantage in key markets
  • New customers attracted to Brand
  • Upgrading and up-selling to existing customer base
  • Reduce churn on high value business customer

Service Outline

  • Voice Video and SMS
  • Shared network address book integrated with Twitter
  • Full Twitter client, access to Facebook and YouTube Social Media tools within the same application
  • Powerful Operator  Dashboard and Analytics

Defend & Advance

  • Defend against Skype & other VOIP substitutes
  • Timing and positioning is critical
  •  High end Personal and SME business targets  are prime potential
  •  Widespread adoption of Android in coming 24 months
  • Attacker service in new markets
Making better use of messaging to enhance communication and drive revenues

Here is another great service which any Operator could offer as a branded service   to increase messaging from business customers and drive new revenues .

In essence it provides a very flexible broadcast messaging facility which can be used by end users  and which can ,if needed, integrate with all top  CRM packages so that it can easily be used by Callcentres and contact centres.

This is a facility which many Operators use extensively to reach out to customers, provide notifications  and to market new offerings. But traditional SMSC arrangements require that each communication requires a customized set-up and configuration. This new service platform offers the same communication facility to end users in a simple and flexible way.

There are one or two platforms which have done this kind of thing in the past but they do so under their own brand and do not offer the same level of flexibility and convenience for end users .

 

And it can be deployed on a revenue share arrangement so there is no capital risk

 

Contact as usual at noel@onetree.ie

 

Billfaster: Simple but Powerful system for tracking and managing your Business accounts

This is a quick and simple solution for an SME to set up,track  and manage their basic business  accounts and produce simple management accounts.The basic service is free online. It provides a free online book-keeper service for tracking incoming revenues and outgoing costs  which captures the bulk of what most small businesses need on an ongoing basis.It does not replace the need for a Financial accountant but addresses the bulk of the management accounting which the business manager needs .

This is a very clever cloud based business application because it focusses on the core financial requirements of most small businesses. Most trditional  business software applications offer a very broad range of functionality.....but the core functionality  accounts for 80% + of the usage and value  ( consider how much of word or excel functionality you actually use ! ). This service focusses on delivering simplicity ,convenience and effectiveness for the 80% requirement rather than trying to provide the full functionality of traditional finacial software packages.....and it does it very well.

For more information contact me at noel@onetree.ie

ForceLink : Mobile workforce management

About Forcelink

Forcelink is a mobile workforce management system that allows organisations to issue work electronically to their field staff and receive updates from the field, using mobile phones.
Forcelink improves customer service, and reduces costs (20%+ productivity improvement,
very rapid Return on Investment).
Forcelink is a fully hosted solution, making it extremely simple to implement and get started -all that is required is an internet connection, web browser, and smart phones for the field staff.
Forcelink is ideally suited for organisations that do any form of field work over large geographical areas. Typical industries include: Utilities, Telecoms, Public Works, IT Field Service, Asset Inspections, Facilities Management, Roadside Assistance and Maintenance Management companies.

From the front-end, users can maintain their customer and resource database, maintain stock levels and perform all field work management activities, such as issuing of workorders to the field for execution and issuing work requests or quotations for estimations/inspections.
The front-end also tracks all actual information captured from the field, such as:
• Details of work performed
• Actual materials used
• Actual labour used
• Actual mileage travelled per shift and per
workorder
• Fault causes
The front-end uses Google Maps to allow the subscriber to track the position of resources,customers, workorders, work requests and quotations on a spatial platform, as well as perform functions such as work assignment, create workorders/work requests/quotations/customers, and cancel/reallocate work assignments.


Key Benefits

 

  •  Increase Productivity Improves speed and accuracy of work allocation to field resources
  • Improve Cash Flow Reduce administration, speed up estimating and sending quotes, faster invoicing
  • Improve Customer Service Improve customer communication using standard mobile technology, view and share status with multiple users
  • Reduce Administration and Operational costs Reduce field downtime, mileage and repetitive data capture and entry
  • Low Cost No upfront licence costs, low running costs, monthly payments, pay as you go and scale as you need
  • Accurate Reports Configurable and flexible reporting
  • Technology Choice Operates on Android, Symbian and Blackberry smart phones and tablets, SMSbased and WAP legacy versions available
  • Real-time Status See work status, field resources, customers on real-time maps, drag and drop assigments
  • Accurate Issue Diagnosis Instant feedback from work location
  • Highly Configurable Forcelink is flexible and configurable
  • Fully Supported and Updated Forcelink issues new functionality on a regular basis, and involves customers in the product development roadmap
  • Integration Forcelink is designed for integration, we have experience with direct integration (e.g. SAP PM, IS-u) and middleware, from simple uploads to real time web services
  • Informed by Expertise Forcelink is designed and developed by experts in work management systems,with deep domain knowledge from multiple implementations of enterprise software

The Mobile application in Forcelink is used by Field Resources in order to receive workorder information and to provide work feedback, as well as making themselves available/unavailable for duty.
The Forcelink Mobile application has the following key features:
• Set available/not available for duty
• View allocated workorder/quotation/work request list with all of the details (including customer,
location, details of the work to be done)
• Accept/Reject work (with reject reason selection)
• Workorder/Quotation/Work Request Progress feedback
• Milestone Feedback (ETA, ETR, Completed, etc.)
• Resource tracking GPS (mileage calculated per workorder and per shift)
• Ability to work off-line when there is no network coverage
• Routing using GPS navigation software on the phone
• Workorder Technical Feedback
• Materials Management
• Request Additional Resources
• Bar code and photo capture
• Asset management history and asset hierarchy on the mobile device
• Asset and document annotation in the field (redlining)
• Routing (via instructions or on Google maps)
• Invoicing from the field
• Inspection check lists
Forcelink operates on Android, Symbian and Blackberry smartphones and tablets. Forcelink has legacy
WAP and SMS versions with standard functionality except GPS tracking and offline working. 

Lend directly to a small Business in Africa

MYC4 is your opportunity to help grow small businesses in Africa.

Africa is growing like never before and it has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Yet more than 380 million people there don’t have access to a bank. This is a huge problem for Africa’s growth and prosperity because it’s typically the small businesses that can’t borrow money to expand and become more effective.

MYC4 has a solution for this and you can be  part of the solution.

MYC4 is an internet marketplace where you and investors from around the world can lend money ( as little as 5 euros) directly to entrepreneurs who are doing business in Africa and create growth together with them. That means when the African business makes money as a result of your loan, you can also make money. MYC4 is a business – a business that creates growth – growth created by you.


By promoting business potential in Africa, it is possible to trigger long-term positive social impact. Funding speeds up economic growth and prosperity permeates through the lives of entrepreneurs, their families, employees and local community
Find a business that you like and be part of the development. You can lend as little as €5.
It is easy and simple. All amounts count. 

Contact me at noel@onetree.ie  or check it out directly at www.myc4.com to become a supportive investor.