Category: Indian internet

Mobile phones

admin

Most banks and financial institutions want people to use mobile phones for transactions , but mobile phones are extremely unreliable and can be easily hacked.

In the last few months at least  2 Nokia phones including a new Nokia C6  have become dead after receiving a phone call.  The Android based Dell XCD 28 is even more unreliable, automatically making calls costing Rs 0.30 on its own.

Dell XCD 28 making calls on its own

I am facing this problem mainly with the one mobile number that is published publicly and it appears that many others are facing the problem.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ai9eR45rbGEGAnS272CW0MUjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20060916172931AAdoApN

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmDrNPxtEJlU5A3bFLaUj.8jzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20091025175138AAmx5lh

Shipping times

admin

One of the biggest deterrent to the growth of ecommerce is the time sellers take to ship orders.  Ideally, goods should be shipped 24 to 48 hours after payment is received,  but often sellers delay shipping by up to 1 week.  Tired of the long delays in receiving the product ordered,  many online shoppers think twice before placing their next order online.

Buying websites

admin

Many internet companies spend millions of dollars buying websites, but the acquisition does not often work out as planned. An example is the purchase of Bebo by AOL for $850 million dollars,  they are now planning to shut it down or sell it in less than 30 months. 

 When you start a website from scratch there are a lot of things taken into consideration, which the buyer of a readymade website will never realise.

Prepaid Airtel Blackberry internet plan

admin

Though it is listed on their website, I am unable to activate Airtel Prepaid Blackberry Internet services.  I have provided the following details as requested by Airtel Blackberry customer support at Bb.Support@airtel.in
1- Customer Name
2- Blackberry Mobile Number
3- Alt. Number
4- Blackberry Model Number
5- PIN Number
6- IMEI Number
7- Circle
8- Plan for activation
9- Error while activating the services,
but still get the error message,
We are unable to process your request. If you are a new Prepaid customer please try again after 24 hours. Postpaid customers can call 121 for activation.
Have been trying for one week now,still unable to activate.

Internet browsers

admin

Sometimes you face a problem in using a particular website or making online payments, this problem can easily be solved by changing the browser used.  The latest version of Firefox seems to be saving passwords for all websites, even if you specifically state that you do not wish to save password for a website.

Many websites are designed for optimum performance with Internet Explorer alone. If you call customer support, they will tell you not use other browsers like Mozilla, and change to the latest version of Internet Explorer.

Fake Rapid Tax refunds

admin 
Have been getting a lot of mails regarding fake rapid tax refunds. 

From: Income Tax Departament [mailito:refund@incometaxindia.gov.in]
	Subject: Rapid Tax Refunds

	Dear applicant,
	After the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined
	that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of 150000 Rupees.

	Bank account holders at the Bank of India, will receive the money within 12 hours after filling the form
	To Access your tax refund please complete the form attached to this email .
         If you are using Internet Explorer please allow ActiveX for scripts to perform all data transfers securely. 
	---------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Department of Revenue,Ministry of Finance Government of India 
        If you are using Internet Explorer please allow ActiveX for scripts to perform all data transfers securely.

Talking too much

admin

In most industries, the turnover and profits of a company is considered a measure of the size , competence and skill of the company. In the Indian internet industry, the amount of media coverage and venture capital funding is .
Most people have not heard of the saying ” Loose Lips May Sink Ships”
More info at http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/237250.html

Email marketing

admin

Email marketing can be very effective for SMEs ,  but many Indian companies and website send  emails which exclusively consists of images which are hosted on their server.  Due to security reasons, these emails are rarely opened and the email marketing effort is wasted.

Most foreign companies use email marketing more effectively,  they at least  include some description of the product or service they are offering in their email message.

Advertising spam

admin

I am getting this email regularly, this is the 4th email I have got.
———————————-
Dear Sir

Across India, Google AdWords is proving to be a key ingredient in the success formula of many companies like yours. Have you started using the power of Google to attract more and more prospective new customers? Remember, your limited time offer of Rs. 2,500 is valid only till November 30th. So, call 1860 266 6622 and get started now.

Advertising on Google through AdWords helps you target thousands of potential new customers inexpensively, effectively and at the exact moment when they are searching for your products and services.

You can now test the power of the Internet for yourself by advertising on Google through AdWords at absolutely no risk. Google offers all Indian SMBs a special limited time advertising trial offer of Rs. 2,500. Which means Google will be paying for Rs. 2,500 worth of advertising for your business.

AdWords puts you in total control of your Internet advertising.

* You choose where your ad is displayed – across the world or in specific cities

* You set your own budget, as there are no minimum spend levels required

* You pay only when a prospective customer clicks on your ad

To get started with your advertising trial offer from Google, just call 1860 266 6622 and mention your personal code to our customer representative. We will help set up your AdWords account and credit your account with Rs. 2,500 of free advertising. You can also visit www.adwords.google.co.in and follow the steps to create your account.

Your Promotion Code: 7AZ2-UG5T-ST9J-297P

On behalf of the Google team, I look forward to introducing your business to the power of advertising on Google. So call 1860 266 6622 today and start promoting your business on Google.

Yours sincerely

Sridhar Seshadri
Head of Online Sales and Operations

*Credit Terms and Conditions:
Promotional credit must be applied to a new AdWords account within 14 days of creating the AdWords account and is valid only for new Google AdWords customers with self-managed signup accounts. Advertisers will be charged for advertising that exceeds the promotional credit. Advertisers will need to suspend their ads if they do not wish to receive additional charges beyond the free credit amount. Subject to ad approval, valid registration and acceptance of the Google AdWords Program standard terms and conditions. The promotional credit is non-transferable and may not be sold or bartered. Offer may be revoked at any time for any reason by Google Inc. One promotional credit per customer. Offer void where prohibited by law. Advertisers with self-managed signup accounts are subject to a Rs. 250 account activation fee. Prepay customers must deposit Rs. 500 into their account for activation. Offer expires on 30th Nov, 2009.
————————————
Some big companies online and offline are able to offer personalized service to their customers. Others use automated systems. But they should remember that in most SMEs, spending decisions are not taken by bots, but by human beings who remember past unpleasant experiences.

Online office and tools

admin

Web based applications, productivity suites and tools get a lot of coverage in the websites covering technology. These include online office tools like Google Docs, Zoho and personal finance management tools like Onyem, Boxfer , Perfios . These tools may be very popular but may not succeed locally because of several reasons

  • Internet access is still expensive, ISPs like BSNL, MTNL, Hathway charge users on the basis of every MB downloaded. For BSNL , the lowest plan has a download limit of 150 MB, so just uploading and downloading the documents can be expensive.
  • Internet connections are not reliable. At times, the connection is not available for more than  24 hours due to cable failure and other problems. You may need to review it , but will simply not be able to access it.
  • Security – Even when you deal with the largest internet companies today as a customer or affiliate, most of them are unable to ensure that your data is confidential, some times due to factors beyond their control. Uploading your personal information including finances and bank details online can lead to a new set of problems.