Metabical Marketing Case free essay sample

What is the decision making process for Metabical? ? Who is involved? ? What role do they play? ? What are the stages in the process? In the launch of Metabical for the US market, several marketing decisions need to be made to bring a viable product into the market to maximize market penetration and gross margins over the PLC and to best serve the needs of the customers The players are †¢ Health Care Professionals ? Will prescribe Metabical to their patients ? Can influence Insurance Companies, patients and the community, peers ? Decider, Influencer roles Customers Buyer, User, Influencer roles ? Participants of market survey ? Consumers of Metabical. Can influence their peers and community in future stages of the PLC Marketing team headed by Barbara for managing the launch, and the PR campaign. Initiator, Decider, Influencer roles ? Sales Force will market to health care professionals. Push approach ? Advertising team will market direct to consumers. Pull approach ? Will follow the PLC and adjust the marketing mix along the way Health Insurance ? Potential future PR targets to lobby inclusion of the drug in their health plans. We will write a custom essay sample on Metabical Marketing Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Decider, Buyer, Influencer roles Competition ? Their relative strengths and weaknesses are used to position Metabical to the target market segment with the best value proposition. Influencer role FDA ? Body of Authority that sets up CSPs exclusivity to the market for the prescription drug. Influencer role American Obesity Association ? Source of credible studies. Influencer role Media organzations ? Cost Moderate gastrointestinal discomfort on consumption of high levels of fat and calories Threat Failure of past drugs in overweight segment due to side effects. Possible stigma with drug class †¢ Who is the optimal target market? ? Define the segment. ? Evaluate its attractiveness CSPs Metabical has been clinically proven to be effective in achieving significant weight loss for overweight (25

Understanding Gaslighting and What Victims Can Do

Understanding Gaslighting and What Victims Can Do Gaslighting is a harmful form of psychological abuse in which a person or entity attempts to gain power over others by making them question their own recollection of events, perception of reality, and ultimately  their sanity.  Ã‚  Ã‚   As used in clinical research, literature, and political commentary, the term comes from the 1938 Patrick Hamilton play â€Å"Gas Light,† and its film adaptations released in 1940 and 1944, in which a murderous husband slowly drives his wife insane by progressively dimming their home’s gas-powered lights without her knowledge. When his wife complains, he convincingly tells her that the light has not changed.   Since almost anyone can fall victim to gaslighting, it is a common tactic of domestic abusers, cult leaders, sociopaths, narcissists, and dictators. Gaslighting can be perpetrated by either women or men. Often especially convincingly charming liars, gaslighters consistently deny their devious actions. For example, physically abusive persons involved in intimate relationships may gaslight their partners by passionately denying  they had acted violently or by trying to convince victims that they â€Å"deserved it,† or â€Å"enjoyed it.† Ultimately, gaslighting victims lower their expectations of what constitutes true affection and start to see themselves as being less deserving of affectionate treatment. The gaslighter’s ultimate goal is to instill a feeling of â€Å"I can’t believe my eyes† causing their victims to second guess their perception of reality, choice, and decision, thus increasing their level of trust in and dependence on their abuser for helping them â€Å"do the right thing.† Dangerously, of course, the â€Å"right thing† is often the â€Å"wrong thing.† The longer the gaslighting continues, the more catastrophic its effects can be on the victim’s psychological health. In the most serious cases, the victim actually begins to accept the gaslighter’s false version of reality as the truth, stop looking for help, reject the advice and support of family and friends, and become completely dependent of their abuser. Techniques and Examples of Gaslighting The techniques of gaslighting are cleverly designed to make it hard for victims to recognize. In most cases, the gaslighter purposely creates situations that allow them to hide the truth from the victim. For example, a gaslighter might move his partner’s keys from their usual spot, causing her to think she had misplaced them. He then â€Å"helps† her find the keys, telling her something like, â€Å"See? They’re right where you always leave them.† According the Domestic Abuse Hotline, the most common techniques of gaslighting include: Withholding: The gaslighter pretends not to understand or ignores his or her victims. For example, â€Å"Oh, not this again,† or â€Å"Now you’re trying to confuse me,† or â€Å"How many times have I told you†¦?†Countering: The gaslighter wrongly blames the victim’s faulty memory, even when the victim’s recollection is accurate. For example, â€Å"You’ve been forgetting things more often lately,† or â€Å"Your mind is playing tricks on you again.†Blocking or Diverting: The gaslighter keeps changing the subject or questioning their victim’s mental health, For example, â€Å"I bet your crazy friend (or family member) told you that,† or â€Å"You’re just making things up so you can use them against me.†Trivializing: The gaslighter makes the victim’s needs or fears seem unimportant. For example: â€Å"You’re mad at me for a little thing like that?† or â€Å"You’re going to let that come between us?†Forgetting or Denial: The gaslighter falsely claims to have forgotten what actually happened or denies promises made to the victim. For example, â€Å"I told you I was going to be late,† or â€Å"I never told you I would pick you up.† Common Signs of Gaslighting Victims must first recognize the signs  of gaslighting in order to escape the abuse. According to psychoanalyst Robin Stern, Ph.D., you might be a victim if: You seem to be second-guessing or doubting yourself more often,You constantly wonder if you might be â€Å"too sensitive.†You often feel confused, possibly to the point of doubting your own sanity.You constantly feel you need to apologize to your partner.You wonder why, with so many good things in your life, you are so unhappy.You frequently feel the need to make excuses for partner’s behavior.You often withhold information about your partner’s behavior from friends and family.You know something is very wrong, but can’t quite figure out what it is.You struggle to make what should be simple decisions.You constantly feel that you need to be a â€Å"better person.†You feel hopeless and joyless.You wonder if you are â€Å"good enough† partner. Since some of these signs of gaslighting- especially those involving memory loss and confusion- could also be symptoms of another physical or emotional disorder,  persons experiencing them should always consult with a physician. Recovering from Gaslighting Once they recognize that someone is gaslighting them, victims can recover and regain their ability to trust their own perception of reality. Victims often benefit from re-establishing relationships they may have abandoned as a result of being abused. Isolation only makes the situation worse and surrenders more power to the abuser. Knowing they have the trust and support of others helps victims recover the ability to trust and believe in themselves. Recovering gaslighting victims may also choose to seek professional therapy to gain reassurance that their sense of reality is correct. Again able to trust themselves, victims are better able to end their relationship with their abusers. While gaslighter-victim relationships can be salvaged, doing so can be difficult. As relationship therapist Darlene Lancer, JD, points out, both partners must be willing and able to change their behavior. Willing partners sometimes successfully encourage each other to change. However, as Lancer notes, this is less likely to happen if one or both partners has an addiction or personality disorder. Key Points About Gaslighting Gaslighting is a harmful form of psychological abuse.Gaslighters attempt to gain control over others by making them question their own memory, reality, and sanity.Gaslighting is a common tactic of domestic abusers, cult leaders, sociopaths, narcissists, and dictators.The first step in recovering from gaslighting is realizing it is happening.As with all forms of psychological and domestic abuse, professional help is often needed. Sources and Additional References Firth, Shanon. â€Å"What is gaslighting?† The Week onlineJacobson, Neil S.; Gottman, John M. When Men Batter Women: New Insights into Ending Abusive Relationships. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-81447-6â€Å"What is Gaslighting.† Domestic Abuse Hotline. Online. May 29, 2014â€Å"7 Signs You Are a Victim of Gaslighting†. Divorced moms .comâ€Å"11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting.† PsychologyToday.com. January 22, 2017Stern, Robin, PhD. The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. Harmony. ISBN 978-0-7679-2445-0â€Å"Gaslighting Definition, Techniques and Being Gaslighted.†Ã‚  HealthyPlace.comâ€Å"Gaslighting.† GoodTherapy.org onlineLancer, Darlene JD, LMFT. â€Å"How to Know If Youre a Victim of Gaslighting.† PsychologyToday.com. January, 13, 2018Stout, Martha. The Sociopath Next Door. Random House Digital. ISBN 978-0-7679-1582-3.

Discussion & Interpretation of an International Issue or Event during Essay

Discussion & Interpretation of an International Issue or Event during the Cold War - Essay Example On the other hand Realist or classical realist IR scholars and practitioners emphasized upon being updated with the modern day military and economic power responsible for the conviction that mishandled the problems at hand threatens to forestall all possible futures. Communism is another universalistic system of thought that offered Americans a way to feel themselves tied to the larger world (Klein, 2003, p. 30). In the conflict between liberalist and realists scholars, IR was decided to fate upon the ‘Realism’ where political strength through World War II left not just a single power vacuum in that part of the world, as in Europe, but several other parts as well. Japan’s defeat destroyed an empire that had dominated northeast Asia for decades. The rise of China during cold war was followed by the weakening rule of Nationalist government and strengthened its long-time Communist rivals, preparing the way for renewed and intensified civil conflict. Elsewhere Japanese victories undermined the authority of European colonial regimes, encouraging independence movements on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia (Gaddis, 1998, p. 55). The Cold War alignments let the Chinese to harden Cold War alignments through choices they themselves made. The European pattern had been one of the Soviet Union imposing its authority and the United States being invited to respond, in China the situation was reversed. The Chinese people chose to transfer their allegiance from the Nationalists to the Communists, hence Mao’s great victory in 1949. The Mao’s powerful government, both for ideological reasons and because it feared an American attack, sought China’s incorporation within a Soviet sphere of influence. By 1950, a fundamental shift in the balance of power had taken place where nearly overnight the communist world appeared almost to have doubled its extent. Realist school of thought have always succeeded in appearing self-evident, for

History of the French Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of the French Revolution - Essay Example France as a country traditionally had a monarchy as its head of state. But just like most countries headed by royals at the time, the common citizens of the nation did not manage to get their fair share of the wealth that the country had. These masses lived in squalor and poverty. This discontentment led to the awakening of their consciousness in an era known as â€Å"The Enlightenment† which helped stoke the fire of independence in the people. This enlightenment was further fueled by the historical American war that saw the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The French people wished to be freed from the same perceived controlling regime of the monarchy at any cost because of the struggle for hegemony and the fact that the empire often times used up all of the fiscal resources of the country, leaving very little if at all for the peasants. Due to the rise of â€Å"The Enlightenment† among the social classes, political conflicts began to erupt which led the publ ic to wonder as to whether the current governance of their country could still be overthrown and a new type of government that would benefit all social classes in France could be set in its place. The political system of France at the time was also on very shaky ground since the there was a conflict between the monarchy and the aristocracy when it came to the perceived reforms of the tax system which often times led to a non-functioning state of government. The main problem with the French leadership at the time was the fact that the monarch, had been given absolute control over the country. Such type of power tends to make the monarch and his cohorts prone to abuse of authority among those they govern.

Respond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Respond - Essay Example The discussion post effectively captured the relevant elements of performance improvements and emphasized its relevance in contemporary work settings. The articles that were selected focused on the health condition of employees; particularly focusing on nutrition and weight loss. One agrees that the holistic well-being of all employees must be a paramount concern of organizations. Actually, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) defines standards that require employers to seriously take care of the safety and health condition of workers. As such, the information contained in the articles impact the performance of workers through assuming a healthy disposition (physically, mentally, emotionally and even socially) in order for them to achieve defined goals. The focus on health emphasizes that a healthy human resource would be least costly for the organization in terms of avoiding absenteeism, illness, and propensities for

Business Potential of Data Solutions

Business Potential of Data Solutions 1. AUTHORISATION The project â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market† has been done during my Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India during February to May of 2011, as a partial fulfillment of the requirement of PGPM program of IBS Kolkata. 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India was a great learning experience for me. The project was quite interesting as the telecom industry is a highly evolving industry in India with intense competition and lots of changes happening. The project would not have been a smooth run for me without the help of lots of people. I would like to mention Mr. Saugat Kumars (company guide) help at Vodafone with respect to practical exposure to the telecom industry. He had given me thorough insight into the dynamics of the telecom industry and also facilitated practical exposure through variety of activities. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Siddhartha Kars (marketing manager) guidance regarding project formulation, questionnaire designing and chalking out a plan towards effective execution of the project. Also, there were a lot of other people at Vodafone, who helped me to understand this industry and work through my project. In the academic front, I would like to mention the support of my faculty guide Prof. Bhaskar Basu and my SIP coordinator Dr. Subir Sen. They have given me constant guidance throughout my project regarding academics and SIP formalities. Most importantly, I am grateful to my family who had been always supportive and encouraging in all my endeavors. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As part of my Summer Internship Program of IBS Kolkata, I got an opportunity to do an assignment at Vodafone India. The project was â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market†. Vodafone is one of the premier telecom companies globally and getting an opportunity to work there helped me gain a lot of exposure in the corporate world. The Telecom is a high volume industry in India with lot of competition. The Telecom industry in India is divided into 23 circles and around 14 telecom service providers are presently operating in these circles. The most prominent among the service providers are Vodafone, Airtel, Reliance Communication, Tata Teleservices, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Aircel, Uninor etc. The telecom products and services can be broadly classified into voice and data. The data solutions primarily include data cards, Blackberry services, mobile internet, internet leased line and wireline broadband. Vodafones business operations are broadly classified into business and consumer divisions. My project was in the business division and was focused into the SME market of Kolkata. For Vodafone, a SME company is typically a company with annual turnover ranging from 10 to 250 crore rupees. The SME market of Kolkata is highly diversified with companies ranging from various industries, which include manufacturing, en gineering, IT/ ITES, healthcare, education, hospitality, financial services, travel tourism, logistics, real estate, trading (whole sellers/ retailers), pharmaceuticals, etc. In the initial phase of my summer internship at Vodafone, I was required to do secondary research about the telecom industry (both national and global). From the secondary research, I learnt a great deal about the major telecom companies, telecom products services, evolution of telecom technologies and the key operational issues of the telecom industry. Next I was given exposure to field operations through tele-marketing, visiting SME clients, traveling with the sales team, visiting distributors of the company and market mapping. The field exposure helped me to get a feel of the market at the basic level. This exposure later proved to be hugely beneficial when I started doing market survey. The methodology of the project was to do a market research on a sample (consisting of SME companies in the Kolkata area). For time constraints, the sample size was kept at 65. Questionnaire was designed and market survey was conducted. Analysis was done on the data collected, ranging from SME company profiles, market size of the sample with respect to different products, client perception regarding various attributes of telecom service providers, competition among service providers and future SME market implications. From the initial analysis it was found that the SME clients are highly demanding with respect to value they are getting and the price of the products. They were highly aware of their businesss end to end operations and knew very well what kind of products would add value to their business operations. Regarding data solutions, wireless data has huge potential in the coming years. The whole project helped me to learn a lot about the telecom industry and also get exposure to the sales marketing operations of a MNC company like Vodafone. 5. INTRODUCTION The Telecom Industry has evolved a great deal over the past two decades. Advancement in communication and information technology has changed the industry structure dramatically. Earlier our communication needs were restricted to landline phones. But now almost everybody has a mobile phone connection. Mobile phones have changed our lives immensely. It has given us the power of communication anytime anywhere. At present the industry is going through tremendous transformation with the convergence of telecommunication, information technology and computer technology and thus making vast resources of information available in the palm of our hands. Wireless internet is the latest trend in the industry with the advent of 3G technology and in the long term there should be information boom, with gradual advancement towards LTE (long term evolution) and 4G. Wireless internet boom has already been experienced outside India mainly in North American, European and South East Asian markets. It has e ntered India quite late with roll out of 3G and is expected to create huge impact in our social and professional lives. This project is only concerned with the business potential of data solutions. Before going deep into the project let me give a brief idea about the telecommunication industry, telecommunication technologies, major telecom players and various products services. 5.1. TELECOM INDUSTRY: MARKET SCENARIO 5.1.1. GLOBAL SCENARI By the end of 2010, there was an approximately 5.3 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, including 940 million subscriptions to 3G services. Access to mobile networks is now available to 90% of the world population and 80% of the population living in rural areas. People are moving rapidly from 2G to 3G platforms, in both developed and developing countries. In 2010, 143 countries were offering 3G services commercially, compared to 95 in 2007. Towards 4G: a number of countries have started to offer services at even higher broadband speeds, moving to next generation wireless platforms they include Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and the United States. Mobile cellular growth is slowing worldwide. In developed countries, the mobile market is reaching saturation levels with on average 116 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2010 and a marginal growth of 1.6% from 2009-2010. At the same time, the developing world is increasing its share of mobile subscriptions from 53% of total mobile subscriptions at the end of 2005 to 73% at the end of 2010. In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates was expected to reach 68% at the end of 2010 mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. India and China alone were expected to add over 300 million mobile subscriptions in 2010. In the African region, penetration rates would reach an estimated 41% at the end of 2010 (compared to 76% globally) leaving a significant potential for growth. The number of Internet users has doubled between 2005 and 2010. In 2010, the number of Internet users would surpass the two billion mark, of which 1.2 billion would be in developing countries. A number of countries, including Estonia, Finland and Spain have declared access to the Internet as a legal right for citizens. With more than 420 million Internet users, China is the largest Internet market in the world. While 71% of the population in developed countries are online, only 21% of the population in developing countries are online. By the end of 2010, Internet user penetration in Africa would reach 9.6%, far behind both the world average (30%) and the developing country average (21%). While in developing countries 72.4% of households have a TV, only 22.5% have a computer and only 15.8% have Internet access (compared to 98%, 71% and 65.6% respectively in developed countries). At the end of 2010, half a billion households worldwide (or 29.5%) would have access to the Internet. In some countries, including the Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Sweden, more than 80% of households have Internet access, almost all of them through a broadband connection. The number of people having access to the Internet at home has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. There has been strong growth in fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions, in both developed and developing countries. At the end of 2010, fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions would reach an estimated 555 million globally (or 8% penetration), up from 471 million (or 6.9% penetration) a year earlier. Despite these promising trends, penetration levels in developing countries remain low: 4.4 subscriptions per 100 people compared to 24.6 in developed countries. The developing worlds share of fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions is growing steadily. By the end of 2010, the developing world would account for an estimated 45% of global subscriptions (up from 42% five years earlier). Africa still lags behind when it comes to fixed (wired) broadband. Although subscriptions are increasing, a penetration rate of less than 1% illustrates the challenges that persist in increasing access to high-speed, high-capacity internet access in the region. With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed connections. For example, at the minimum broadband speed of 256 kbps, downloading a high-quality movie takes almost 1 ½ days compared to 5 minutes at a connection speed of 100 Mbps. With increase in GDP per capita, the propensity to consume increases and thus increases the availability of various services. In the above figure, GDP per capita and the penetration level of broadband services are mapped against each other. Countries like USA, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Canada have high per capita GDP and the broadband penetration is also high in these countries. South Korea has comparatively low per capita GDP but very high broadband penetration. On the other hand, UAE and Saudi Arabia have comparatively high per capita GDP, but their broadband penetration is low. Brazil, Russia and China have comparatively low per capita GDP and their broadband penetration is also low. India is nowhere in the picture in terms of broadband penetration. Data business is seeing a steady growth across global markets. In 2010, data revenue generated per subscriber is highest in US Canada followed by Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. According to Vodafone, the future of telecom business lies in the mobile data category with majority of the revenue share being generated from there. In 2014, an estimated $337bn revenue will be generated from mobile data business, almost $138bn increase from 2010. India and China are the two emerging economies with substantial number of mobile customers and still having average mobile penetration level at 45% and 54% respectively, thus making them highly lucrative markets for mobile phone service providers. With a high GDP growth, market customers growth and potential for SIM penetration, India is a high value market. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers Globally (by number of subscribers) (www.knowledgebase-script.com) Globally, China Mobile is in the first position (522m subscribers), followed by Vodafone (333m), Telefonica (202m), America Movil (201m) and Telenor (172m). Two Indian companies Bharti Airtel (125m) and Reliance Communication (100m) are in the top 15 list. 5.1.2. INDIAN SCENARIO The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 671.69 million in Jun-10 to 723.28 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a sequential growth of 7.68% over the previous quarter as against 8.11% during the QE Jun-10. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 42.09% over the same quarter of last year. The overall tele-density in India has reached 60.99 as on 30th September 2010. Subscription in Urban Areas grew from 452.59 million in Jun-10 to 487.07 million at the end of Sep-10, taking the Urban Tele-density from 128.20 to 137.25. Rural subscription increased from 219.09 million to 236.21 million, and the Rural Tele-density increased from 26.43 to 28.42. The share of Rural subscribers has increased slightly to 32.66% in total subscription from 32.62% in Jun-10. About 66.83% of the total net additions have been in Urban areas as compared to 63.47% in the previous quarter. Rural subscription recorded a decline in rate of growth during the quarter, from 9.18% in Jun-10 to 7.81% in Sep-10. Rate of growth for Urban subscription increased marginally from 7.61% in QE Jun-10 to 7.62% in QE Sep-10. With 52.21 million net additions during the quarter, total wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base registered a growth of 8.21% over the previous quarter and increased from 635.51 million at the end of Jun-10 to 687.71 million at the end of Sep-10. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth over the same quarter of last year is 45.79%. Wireless Tele-density reached 57.99. Wireline subscriber base further declined from 36.18 million at the end of Jun-10 to 35.57 million at the end of Sep-10, bringing down the wireline Tele-density from 3.06 in Jun-10 to 3.00 end of Sep-10. Internet subscribers increased from 16.72 million at the end of Jun-10 to 17.90 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth rate of 7.02%. Top 10 ISPs together hold 95% of the total Internet subscriber base. Number of Broadband subscribers increased from 9.47 million at the end of Jun-10 to 10.30 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth of 8.79% and Y-O-Y growth of 42.93%. The growth in the number of Broadband subscribers during the quarter and also on Y-O-Y basis is more or less similar to the growth in the overall telephone subscriber base. Share of Broadband subscription in total Internet subscription increased from 56.7% in Jun-10 to 57.6% in Sep-10. 86.89% of the Broadband subscribers are using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM-Full Mobility service declined by 10.16%, from Rs.122 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.110 in QE Sep- 10, with Y-O-Y decrease of 33.1%. ARPU for CDMA full mobility service declined by 1.34%, from Rs.74 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.73 in QE Sep-10. ARPU for CDMA has declined by 17.5% on Y-O-Y basis. GSM subscription continues to grow at a faster rate. At the end of Sep-10, GSM subscribers constituted 84.12% of the wireless market. The GSM subscribers were 578.49 million at the quarter ending Sep-10 as against 527.62 million at the end of the previous quarter, showing a growth of 9.64%. Bharti with 143.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest GSM mobile operator, followed by Vodafone (115.55 million). The CDMA subscriber base increased to 109.22 million during the quarter ending Sep-10 from 107.88 million at the end of previous quarter, thereby showing a growth rate of 1.23%. Reliance with 55.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest CDMA mobile operator. However, in terms of net additions during the quarter, Sistema added the highest number of subscribers (1.54 million), followed by Tata (1.20 million), rest of the service providers recorded decline in subscribers. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers (GSM) in India (by number of subscribers in million, 2010) (www.trai.gov.in) 5.2. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY 5.2.1. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY FRAMEWORK TRAI The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the independent regulator established in 1997 by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India. DoT The Telecom Commission and the Department of Telecommunications are responsiblefor policy formulation, licensing, wireless spectrum management, administrative monitoring of PSUs, research and development and standardization/validation of equipment etc. WPC The Wireless Planning and Co-ordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications, created in 1952, is the National Radio Regulatory Authority responsible for Frequency Spectrum Management, including licensing and caters for the needs of all wireless users (Government and Private) in the country. It exercises the statutory functions of the Central Government and issues licenses to establish, maintain and operate wireless stations. WPC is divided into major sections like Licensing and Regulation (LR), New Technology Group (NTG) and Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA). SACFA makes the recommendations on major frequency allocation issues, formulation of the frequency allocation plan, making recommendations on the various issues related to International Telecom Union (ITU), to sort out problems referred to the committee by various wireless users, etc. TDSAT TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) was set up in May 2000 by the government of India. The TDSAT was set up so that it can adjudicate over disputes that arise in the telecommunication sector. TDSAT was established with the view to protect the interest of the consumers and service providers of the telecommunication sector and also to encourage and ensure the growth of the telecommunication sector. The various functions of TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) are that it can adjudicate any disputes that arise between a group of consumers and service providers, a licensee and a licensor, and also between two or more than the service providers. 5.2.2. INDIAN TELECOM CIRCLES The Indian telecom sector is divided into 23 circles which are as follows: Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar and Jharkhand Chennai Delhi NCR Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Kolkata Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Maharashtra and Goa (except Mumbai) Mumbai North East Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Tamil Nadu (except Chennai) UP(E) UP(W) West Bengal (except Kolkata) Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata (www.vodafone.in) 6. VODAFONE Vodafone Group plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the worlds largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the worlds second-largest measured by subscribers (behind China Mobile), with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of November 2010. It operates networks in over 30 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries. It owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, the second largest mobile telecommunications company in the United States measured by subscribers. The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones. Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It had a market capitalization of approximately  £92 billion as of November 2010, making it the third largest company on the London Stock Exchange. It has a secondary listing on NASDAQ. Vodafones operations are categorized in two divisions: Consumer This division caters to the B2C market and primarily operates like a FMCG company. Business This division caters to the B2B market and operates more like a corporate services company. Vodafone Indias ‘Business division is operational in 9 circles. Vodafones Business division operates through marketing sales team and service team. The marketing sales team again operates through KAM (key account manager) They give direct and highly customized service to the corporates and government and are meant for organizations having annual turnover greater than rupees 100 crores. Channel Partner CP is responsible for giving service to small organizations having annual turnover less than rupees 100 crores. 7. VODAFONE: SWOT ANALYSIS 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT IN BRIEF We have to explore the SME market of Kolkata region and identify client needs in terms of data solutions. We also need to compare Vodafone with its competitors in terms of product offerings in the areas of business data solutions for the SME segment. Finally, we need to evaluate the business potential of the Kolkata SME segment in terms of data solutions for Vodafone, both at present and in the near future. 9. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT To find understand the requirement of data solutions in Kolkata SME base (business sector specific data solution requirements). To estimate the market size of data solutions in the Kolkata SME base. To compare the data solutions of Vodafone with its competitors. To forecast future product/ service requirements in Kolkata SME base. 10. KOLAKATA SME MARKET The Kolkata region is largely composed of SME companies rather than large MNCs. For Vodafone, a SME would typically be a company, whose annual turnover is in the range of rupees 10 to 250 crores. Vodafone (Kolkata circle) has divided Kolkata region into 6 zones CBD 1 (central business district), CBD 2, North, South, Howrah and Hoogly. The main concentration of SME business in Kolkata is in the central business district area comprising of Dalhousie, BBD Bag, Esplanade, Central Avenue, Burrabazaar, AJC Bose Road, Chowringhee, Park Street, Park Circus, Camac Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Sarat Bose Road, Minto Park, etc. A lot of SME companies in Kolkata will also fall in the IT/ ITES category, which are mainly concentrated at Sector V, Salt Lake and Rajarhat New Town. Typical features of a SME would be: Small workforce Unorganized Will look for more value for money Less buying power compared to corporates Key decision maker would be one or two individuals for all operations 11. VODAFONE: PRODUCTS SERVICES The various products and services of Vodafone that we are dealing with are as follows: Wireless Data Solutions (2G/ 3G)  § Data Cards/ USB Dongles  § Blackberry Plans  § Vodafone Mobile Connect Fixed Line  § Voice  § Data Machine to Machine Solutions  § Telemetry Solutions  § Vehicle Tracking/ People Tracking/ Asset Tracking Solutions  § Security Solutions Bulk SMS Toll Free Numbers Audio/ Video Conferencing VPN (virtual private network) GVN (global virtual number)/ Interactive SMS 3G specialized products  § Office in a Box (1 3G simcard, 1 fixed line slot, 4 slots LAN + Wi-fi)  § Wi-mi (1 3G simcard, 5 Wi-fi connections) 12. SUMMARY OF THE WORK DONE Initially, we did secondary research on global Indian telecom market, evolution of telecom technologies, SME market, latest trends in the telecom industry (3G, 4G, Machine to Machine solutions, LTE) and various telecom products services. Next, we were given field exposure in terms of tele-marketing, traveling with FOS (Fleet on Street) team, visiting SME clients, visiting company channel partners and market mapping. Next, we designed questionnaire keeping in mind the project objectives. Finally, we conducted market survey. The learning that we achieved by doing the above tasks are of tremendous value for the execution of our project. It not only gave us an insight into how we were going to approach the project but also an invaluable ground level market exposure. From the field exposure we got a clear picture about the micro level sales operations of the telecom business, the Kolkata SME market overview and most importantly the soft skills of client handling. The learning outcomes of the activities undergone are briefly described below. Activity Learning Outcomes Secondary Research Got an overview of the telecom sector (global national) Became aware of the major telecom companies Came to know about the various telecom products services Learnt about the evolution of telecom technologies Also learnt about the latest trends in the telecom industry Got an idea of the SME sector business structure Tele Marketing Learnt the art of sales pitch Learnt about telephone etiquette Got an idea of how to communicate to a business client Learnt about how to influence a potential customer and close a deal Traveling with FOS Got an idea about the basic level sales and client handling operations of a telecom company Got practical experience of face to face business negotiations Learnt about how to keep business relationship with clients Channel Partner visits Learnt about the sales distribution of a telecom company in the B2B sector Got an idea of the operations of a channel partner Learnt about how company and channel partner operations are integrated SME client visits Got a feel of the Kolkata SME companies Became aware of the client expectations from a telecom service provider Got an idea of the clients perception of Vodafone and its products services Learnt about how to professionally handle clients and responsibly execute tasks Market Mapping Exploration of the Kolkata business areas and identification of prospective clients Business Potential of Data Solutions Business Potential of Data Solutions 1. AUTHORISATION The project â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market† has been done during my Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India during February to May of 2011, as a partial fulfillment of the requirement of PGPM program of IBS Kolkata. 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India was a great learning experience for me. The project was quite interesting as the telecom industry is a highly evolving industry in India with intense competition and lots of changes happening. The project would not have been a smooth run for me without the help of lots of people. I would like to mention Mr. Saugat Kumars (company guide) help at Vodafone with respect to practical exposure to the telecom industry. He had given me thorough insight into the dynamics of the telecom industry and also facilitated practical exposure through variety of activities. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Siddhartha Kars (marketing manager) guidance regarding project formulation, questionnaire designing and chalking out a plan towards effective execution of the project. Also, there were a lot of other people at Vodafone, who helped me to understand this industry and work through my project. In the academic front, I would like to mention the support of my faculty guide Prof. Bhaskar Basu and my SIP coordinator Dr. Subir Sen. They have given me constant guidance throughout my project regarding academics and SIP formalities. Most importantly, I am grateful to my family who had been always supportive and encouraging in all my endeavors. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As part of my Summer Internship Program of IBS Kolkata, I got an opportunity to do an assignment at Vodafone India. The project was â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market†. Vodafone is one of the premier telecom companies globally and getting an opportunity to work there helped me gain a lot of exposure in the corporate world. The Telecom is a high volume industry in India with lot of competition. The Telecom industry in India is divided into 23 circles and around 14 telecom service providers are presently operating in these circles. The most prominent among the service providers are Vodafone, Airtel, Reliance Communication, Tata Teleservices, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Aircel, Uninor etc. The telecom products and services can be broadly classified into voice and data. The data solutions primarily include data cards, Blackberry services, mobile internet, internet leased line and wireline broadband. Vodafones business operations are broadly classified into business and consumer divisions. My project was in the business division and was focused into the SME market of Kolkata. For Vodafone, a SME company is typically a company with annual turnover ranging from 10 to 250 crore rupees. The SME market of Kolkata is highly diversified with companies ranging from various industries, which include manufacturing, en gineering, IT/ ITES, healthcare, education, hospitality, financial services, travel tourism, logistics, real estate, trading (whole sellers/ retailers), pharmaceuticals, etc. In the initial phase of my summer internship at Vodafone, I was required to do secondary research about the telecom industry (both national and global). From the secondary research, I learnt a great deal about the major telecom companies, telecom products services, evolution of telecom technologies and the key operational issues of the telecom industry. Next I was given exposure to field operations through tele-marketing, visiting SME clients, traveling with the sales team, visiting distributors of the company and market mapping. The field exposure helped me to get a feel of the market at the basic level. This exposure later proved to be hugely beneficial when I started doing market survey. The methodology of the project was to do a market research on a sample (consisting of SME companies in the Kolkata area). For time constraints, the sample size was kept at 65. Questionnaire was designed and market survey was conducted. Analysis was done on the data collected, ranging from SME company profiles, market size of the sample with respect to different products, client perception regarding various attributes of telecom service providers, competition among service providers and future SME market implications. From the initial analysis it was found that the SME clients are highly demanding with respect to value they are getting and the price of the products. They were highly aware of their businesss end to end operations and knew very well what kind of products would add value to their business operations. Regarding data solutions, wireless data has huge potential in the coming years. The whole project helped me to learn a lot about the telecom industry and also get exposure to the sales marketing operations of a MNC company like Vodafone. 5. INTRODUCTION The Telecom Industry has evolved a great deal over the past two decades. Advancement in communication and information technology has changed the industry structure dramatically. Earlier our communication needs were restricted to landline phones. But now almost everybody has a mobile phone connection. Mobile phones have changed our lives immensely. It has given us the power of communication anytime anywhere. At present the industry is going through tremendous transformation with the convergence of telecommunication, information technology and computer technology and thus making vast resources of information available in the palm of our hands. Wireless internet is the latest trend in the industry with the advent of 3G technology and in the long term there should be information boom, with gradual advancement towards LTE (long term evolution) and 4G. Wireless internet boom has already been experienced outside India mainly in North American, European and South East Asian markets. It has e ntered India quite late with roll out of 3G and is expected to create huge impact in our social and professional lives. This project is only concerned with the business potential of data solutions. Before going deep into the project let me give a brief idea about the telecommunication industry, telecommunication technologies, major telecom players and various products services. 5.1. TELECOM INDUSTRY: MARKET SCENARIO 5.1.1. GLOBAL SCENARI By the end of 2010, there was an approximately 5.3 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, including 940 million subscriptions to 3G services. Access to mobile networks is now available to 90% of the world population and 80% of the population living in rural areas. People are moving rapidly from 2G to 3G platforms, in both developed and developing countries. In 2010, 143 countries were offering 3G services commercially, compared to 95 in 2007. Towards 4G: a number of countries have started to offer services at even higher broadband speeds, moving to next generation wireless platforms they include Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and the United States. Mobile cellular growth is slowing worldwide. In developed countries, the mobile market is reaching saturation levels with on average 116 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2010 and a marginal growth of 1.6% from 2009-2010. At the same time, the developing world is increasing its share of mobile subscriptions from 53% of total mobile subscriptions at the end of 2005 to 73% at the end of 2010. In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates was expected to reach 68% at the end of 2010 mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. India and China alone were expected to add over 300 million mobile subscriptions in 2010. In the African region, penetration rates would reach an estimated 41% at the end of 2010 (compared to 76% globally) leaving a significant potential for growth. The number of Internet users has doubled between 2005 and 2010. In 2010, the number of Internet users would surpass the two billion mark, of which 1.2 billion would be in developing countries. A number of countries, including Estonia, Finland and Spain have declared access to the Internet as a legal right for citizens. With more than 420 million Internet users, China is the largest Internet market in the world. While 71% of the population in developed countries are online, only 21% of the population in developing countries are online. By the end of 2010, Internet user penetration in Africa would reach 9.6%, far behind both the world average (30%) and the developing country average (21%). While in developing countries 72.4% of households have a TV, only 22.5% have a computer and only 15.8% have Internet access (compared to 98%, 71% and 65.6% respectively in developed countries). At the end of 2010, half a billion households worldwide (or 29.5%) would have access to the Internet. In some countries, including the Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Sweden, more than 80% of households have Internet access, almost all of them through a broadband connection. The number of people having access to the Internet at home has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. There has been strong growth in fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions, in both developed and developing countries. At the end of 2010, fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions would reach an estimated 555 million globally (or 8% penetration), up from 471 million (or 6.9% penetration) a year earlier. Despite these promising trends, penetration levels in developing countries remain low: 4.4 subscriptions per 100 people compared to 24.6 in developed countries. The developing worlds share of fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions is growing steadily. By the end of 2010, the developing world would account for an estimated 45% of global subscriptions (up from 42% five years earlier). Africa still lags behind when it comes to fixed (wired) broadband. Although subscriptions are increasing, a penetration rate of less than 1% illustrates the challenges that persist in increasing access to high-speed, high-capacity internet access in the region. With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed connections. For example, at the minimum broadband speed of 256 kbps, downloading a high-quality movie takes almost 1 ½ days compared to 5 minutes at a connection speed of 100 Mbps. With increase in GDP per capita, the propensity to consume increases and thus increases the availability of various services. In the above figure, GDP per capita and the penetration level of broadband services are mapped against each other. Countries like USA, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Canada have high per capita GDP and the broadband penetration is also high in these countries. South Korea has comparatively low per capita GDP but very high broadband penetration. On the other hand, UAE and Saudi Arabia have comparatively high per capita GDP, but their broadband penetration is low. Brazil, Russia and China have comparatively low per capita GDP and their broadband penetration is also low. India is nowhere in the picture in terms of broadband penetration. Data business is seeing a steady growth across global markets. In 2010, data revenue generated per subscriber is highest in US Canada followed by Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. According to Vodafone, the future of telecom business lies in the mobile data category with majority of the revenue share being generated from there. In 2014, an estimated $337bn revenue will be generated from mobile data business, almost $138bn increase from 2010. India and China are the two emerging economies with substantial number of mobile customers and still having average mobile penetration level at 45% and 54% respectively, thus making them highly lucrative markets for mobile phone service providers. With a high GDP growth, market customers growth and potential for SIM penetration, India is a high value market. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers Globally (by number of subscribers) (www.knowledgebase-script.com) Globally, China Mobile is in the first position (522m subscribers), followed by Vodafone (333m), Telefonica (202m), America Movil (201m) and Telenor (172m). Two Indian companies Bharti Airtel (125m) and Reliance Communication (100m) are in the top 15 list. 5.1.2. INDIAN SCENARIO The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 671.69 million in Jun-10 to 723.28 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a sequential growth of 7.68% over the previous quarter as against 8.11% during the QE Jun-10. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 42.09% over the same quarter of last year. The overall tele-density in India has reached 60.99 as on 30th September 2010. Subscription in Urban Areas grew from 452.59 million in Jun-10 to 487.07 million at the end of Sep-10, taking the Urban Tele-density from 128.20 to 137.25. Rural subscription increased from 219.09 million to 236.21 million, and the Rural Tele-density increased from 26.43 to 28.42. The share of Rural subscribers has increased slightly to 32.66% in total subscription from 32.62% in Jun-10. About 66.83% of the total net additions have been in Urban areas as compared to 63.47% in the previous quarter. Rural subscription recorded a decline in rate of growth during the quarter, from 9.18% in Jun-10 to 7.81% in Sep-10. Rate of growth for Urban subscription increased marginally from 7.61% in QE Jun-10 to 7.62% in QE Sep-10. With 52.21 million net additions during the quarter, total wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base registered a growth of 8.21% over the previous quarter and increased from 635.51 million at the end of Jun-10 to 687.71 million at the end of Sep-10. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth over the same quarter of last year is 45.79%. Wireless Tele-density reached 57.99. Wireline subscriber base further declined from 36.18 million at the end of Jun-10 to 35.57 million at the end of Sep-10, bringing down the wireline Tele-density from 3.06 in Jun-10 to 3.00 end of Sep-10. Internet subscribers increased from 16.72 million at the end of Jun-10 to 17.90 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth rate of 7.02%. Top 10 ISPs together hold 95% of the total Internet subscriber base. Number of Broadband subscribers increased from 9.47 million at the end of Jun-10 to 10.30 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth of 8.79% and Y-O-Y growth of 42.93%. The growth in the number of Broadband subscribers during the quarter and also on Y-O-Y basis is more or less similar to the growth in the overall telephone subscriber base. Share of Broadband subscription in total Internet subscription increased from 56.7% in Jun-10 to 57.6% in Sep-10. 86.89% of the Broadband subscribers are using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM-Full Mobility service declined by 10.16%, from Rs.122 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.110 in QE Sep- 10, with Y-O-Y decrease of 33.1%. ARPU for CDMA full mobility service declined by 1.34%, from Rs.74 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.73 in QE Sep-10. ARPU for CDMA has declined by 17.5% on Y-O-Y basis. GSM subscription continues to grow at a faster rate. At the end of Sep-10, GSM subscribers constituted 84.12% of the wireless market. The GSM subscribers were 578.49 million at the quarter ending Sep-10 as against 527.62 million at the end of the previous quarter, showing a growth of 9.64%. Bharti with 143.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest GSM mobile operator, followed by Vodafone (115.55 million). The CDMA subscriber base increased to 109.22 million during the quarter ending Sep-10 from 107.88 million at the end of previous quarter, thereby showing a growth rate of 1.23%. Reliance with 55.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest CDMA mobile operator. However, in terms of net additions during the quarter, Sistema added the highest number of subscribers (1.54 million), followed by Tata (1.20 million), rest of the service providers recorded decline in subscribers. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers (GSM) in India (by number of subscribers in million, 2010) (www.trai.gov.in) 5.2. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY 5.2.1. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY FRAMEWORK TRAI The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the independent regulator established in 1997 by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India. DoT The Telecom Commission and the Department of Telecommunications are responsiblefor policy formulation, licensing, wireless spectrum management, administrative monitoring of PSUs, research and development and standardization/validation of equipment etc. WPC The Wireless Planning and Co-ordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications, created in 1952, is the National Radio Regulatory Authority responsible for Frequency Spectrum Management, including licensing and caters for the needs of all wireless users (Government and Private) in the country. It exercises the statutory functions of the Central Government and issues licenses to establish, maintain and operate wireless stations. WPC is divided into major sections like Licensing and Regulation (LR), New Technology Group (NTG) and Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA). SACFA makes the recommendations on major frequency allocation issues, formulation of the frequency allocation plan, making recommendations on the various issues related to International Telecom Union (ITU), to sort out problems referred to the committee by various wireless users, etc. TDSAT TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) was set up in May 2000 by the government of India. The TDSAT was set up so that it can adjudicate over disputes that arise in the telecommunication sector. TDSAT was established with the view to protect the interest of the consumers and service providers of the telecommunication sector and also to encourage and ensure the growth of the telecommunication sector. The various functions of TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) are that it can adjudicate any disputes that arise between a group of consumers and service providers, a licensee and a licensor, and also between two or more than the service providers. 5.2.2. INDIAN TELECOM CIRCLES The Indian telecom sector is divided into 23 circles which are as follows: Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar and Jharkhand Chennai Delhi NCR Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Kolkata Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Maharashtra and Goa (except Mumbai) Mumbai North East Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Tamil Nadu (except Chennai) UP(E) UP(W) West Bengal (except Kolkata) Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata (www.vodafone.in) 6. VODAFONE Vodafone Group plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the worlds largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the worlds second-largest measured by subscribers (behind China Mobile), with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of November 2010. It operates networks in over 30 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries. It owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, the second largest mobile telecommunications company in the United States measured by subscribers. The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones. Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It had a market capitalization of approximately  £92 billion as of November 2010, making it the third largest company on the London Stock Exchange. It has a secondary listing on NASDAQ. Vodafones operations are categorized in two divisions: Consumer This division caters to the B2C market and primarily operates like a FMCG company. Business This division caters to the B2B market and operates more like a corporate services company. Vodafone Indias ‘Business division is operational in 9 circles. Vodafones Business division operates through marketing sales team and service team. The marketing sales team again operates through KAM (key account manager) They give direct and highly customized service to the corporates and government and are meant for organizations having annual turnover greater than rupees 100 crores. Channel Partner CP is responsible for giving service to small organizations having annual turnover less than rupees 100 crores. 7. VODAFONE: SWOT ANALYSIS 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT IN BRIEF We have to explore the SME market of Kolkata region and identify client needs in terms of data solutions. We also need to compare Vodafone with its competitors in terms of product offerings in the areas of business data solutions for the SME segment. Finally, we need to evaluate the business potential of the Kolkata SME segment in terms of data solutions for Vodafone, both at present and in the near future. 9. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT To find understand the requirement of data solutions in Kolkata SME base (business sector specific data solution requirements). To estimate the market size of data solutions in the Kolkata SME base. To compare the data solutions of Vodafone with its competitors. To forecast future product/ service requirements in Kolkata SME base. 10. KOLAKATA SME MARKET The Kolkata region is largely composed of SME companies rather than large MNCs. For Vodafone, a SME would typically be a company, whose annual turnover is in the range of rupees 10 to 250 crores. Vodafone (Kolkata circle) has divided Kolkata region into 6 zones CBD 1 (central business district), CBD 2, North, South, Howrah and Hoogly. The main concentration of SME business in Kolkata is in the central business district area comprising of Dalhousie, BBD Bag, Esplanade, Central Avenue, Burrabazaar, AJC Bose Road, Chowringhee, Park Street, Park Circus, Camac Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Sarat Bose Road, Minto Park, etc. A lot of SME companies in Kolkata will also fall in the IT/ ITES category, which are mainly concentrated at Sector V, Salt Lake and Rajarhat New Town. Typical features of a SME would be: Small workforce Unorganized Will look for more value for money Less buying power compared to corporates Key decision maker would be one or two individuals for all operations 11. VODAFONE: PRODUCTS SERVICES The various products and services of Vodafone that we are dealing with are as follows: Wireless Data Solutions (2G/ 3G)  § Data Cards/ USB Dongles  § Blackberry Plans  § Vodafone Mobile Connect Fixed Line  § Voice  § Data Machine to Machine Solutions  § Telemetry Solutions  § Vehicle Tracking/ People Tracking/ Asset Tracking Solutions  § Security Solutions Bulk SMS Toll Free Numbers Audio/ Video Conferencing VPN (virtual private network) GVN (global virtual number)/ Interactive SMS 3G specialized products  § Office in a Box (1 3G simcard, 1 fixed line slot, 4 slots LAN + Wi-fi)  § Wi-mi (1 3G simcard, 5 Wi-fi connections) 12. SUMMARY OF THE WORK DONE Initially, we did secondary research on global Indian telecom market, evolution of telecom technologies, SME market, latest trends in the telecom industry (3G, 4G, Machine to Machine solutions, LTE) and various telecom products services. Next, we were given field exposure in terms of tele-marketing, traveling with FOS (Fleet on Street) team, visiting SME clients, visiting company channel partners and market mapping. Next, we designed questionnaire keeping in mind the project objectives. Finally, we conducted market survey. The learning that we achieved by doing the above tasks are of tremendous value for the execution of our project. It not only gave us an insight into how we were going to approach the project but also an invaluable ground level market exposure. From the field exposure we got a clear picture about the micro level sales operations of the telecom business, the Kolkata SME market overview and most importantly the soft skills of client handling. The learning outcomes of the activities undergone are briefly described below. Activity Learning Outcomes Secondary Research Got an overview of the telecom sector (global national) Became aware of the major telecom companies Came to know about the various telecom products services Learnt about the evolution of telecom technologies Also learnt about the latest trends in the telecom industry Got an idea of the SME sector business structure Tele Marketing Learnt the art of sales pitch Learnt about telephone etiquette Got an idea of how to communicate to a business client Learnt about how to influence a potential customer and close a deal Traveling with FOS Got an idea about the basic level sales and client handling operations of a telecom company Got practical experience of face to face business negotiations Learnt about how to keep business relationship with clients Channel Partner visits Learnt about the sales distribution of a telecom company in the B2B sector Got an idea of the operations of a channel partner Learnt about how company and channel partner operations are integrated SME client visits Got a feel of the Kolkata SME companies Became aware of the client expectations from a telecom service provider Got an idea of the clients perception of Vodafone and its products services Learnt about how to professionally handle clients and responsibly execute tasks Market Mapping Exploration of the Kolkata business areas and identification of prospective clients

The Storm :: essays research papers

The Storm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first rays of dawn shone upon my face. The sunlight illuminated the interior of my tiny yacht. Rising, I stood at the deck, watching the now sparkling blue sea. For the first time, I felt dwarfed by the vastness of the sea; my yacht was nothing compared to the sea. It was the second day of my cruise around the world, a silly challenge I had taken up in a moment of folly. Still I was determined to prove myself in my group of friends. Such an odyssey would gain my prestige rivaling that of a pop star. However, I had no idea what was to come later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I scanned the morning skies for any cloud that might bring unwanted rain. There was none. Satisfied with my observation, I went into my cabin, and checked the weather instrument. All was fine, except that the surrounding air pressure was dropping quickly. I was not unduly alarmed. Air pressure fluctuated at sea and thus, I never realized what was about to come. Had I realized, I would have probably abandoned the original course and head for shore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Around noon, the winds began to pick up. Hoping to gain a little more speed, I hoisted my sails. All was fine until a few moments later. The sky turned dark, rendering day into night. All around me, there was silence, except for the occasional howl of the wind. The sea and the sky blended as one; the whole area turned into night and clouds concealed the sun. The winds steadily grew stronger. Fumbling in the darkness, I searched for my torchlight, accidentally knocking over something.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It began to drizzle. Having found my torchlight, I made my way back to the steering wheel in the cabin, only to hear the cables snapping and see my mast collapse. The sea was now turbulent, with waves over three meters. The initial drizzle now turned into a heavy downpour, soaking the whole yacht. In the state of panic, I tried to radio for assistance. To my complete horror, I realized I had knocked the radio off the table earlier. It now laid broken on the floor, its circuits rendered unusable by the torrential rain. Now left with no option, I had to sit out the storm and pray that I would survive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rain steadily grew worse. Visibility was reduced so much the darkened skies, illuminating everything in their path.