Micro letter carriers usher voice OTT “revolution”
Original title: micro-letters, operators welcome speech OTT “revolution”
Following the OTT enterprises such as SMS and MMS app “revolution”, the carrier voice business and finally by the Internet giant, terminal manufacturers and mobile Internet businesses join forces to attack.
On December 23, the 360 has announced the launch of “free” Beta, call the national mobile phone, landline, and free support for caller ID. Prior to this, Tencent launched micro Telecom, launched Bao phone touch touch technology, China Telecom cooperation with NetEase launched version 3.0, millet also launched a chat inside version, while Baidu in buying snacks after the team had in fact introduced snacks dial once to enter the free calling areas.
So 4G, why is the end of the year, “free phone” becomes the focus of wrestling? What is the purpose behind? Micro-based business letter carriers can become another “revolution”? the one observer had discussed the matter with the industry chain of parties, the following are the main information:
What are the “free phone”?
In fact, “free” is not exactly free, but there is a certain risk.
Micro-phone book
Micro phone book is based on the user’s data network (WiFi or 4G/3G) on the phone prior to this with letters, QQ’s voice or video call and there is no significant difference. According to company insiders on one survey says: “app phone is app team August 2013 launch of the product, Tencent QQ product team has also added a free phone features, but given to avoid excessive operator, whether it is a micro-phone book or a senior were Tencent QQ phone forced low profile.”
Ma this year January in Wuzhen also public said “micro letter phone this just a small of products, competitiveness does not strong”. the persons said: “Tencent low-key of causes is two paragraph products even was operators blocked, also does not effects micro letter and QQ mainstream business, actually micro letter phone this at is a paragraph trip thunder of products, but given competent sector and operators no real reaction, Tencent Festival Qian immediately will another a paragraph name for light talk of products introduced domestic market, and micro letter phone this different, Even if they are not installed applications can call for free “.
Contact Po telephones
Touch technology in mobile application developers in China at the end of October, “Bao phone touch” upgrading version launched a free phone features, in a WiFi/3G/4G environment to the mobile phone or fixed-line call toll free, new registered users get 500 minutes of free calling time, invited the user can increase the length of free, touching the treasure call unlimited call between users.
Touch technology CEO Wang Jialiang on one survey said the market toll-free are in fact not really addressing user pain points, such as entrances to such a depth, the user is impossible to achieve using; voice quality cannot be guaranteed in the absence of WiFi environment consuming user data traffic, is not the true meaning of free calls. Touch treasures ready to invest 100 million Yuan subsidy free calls between users, users use the operator without the WiFi costs paid for by touching the treasure of the phonological loop, users invite and be invited to call free, to realize the true meaning of free calls.
360 free call
360 number is still in the beta stage, also call the national mobile phone and landline, and 100,000 registered users to be presented with 99,999 minutes before calling time. 360 insiders told the author that: “360 Mobile face is a lot of pressure this year, toll free number launched hastily, Zhou hongyi t aims to introduce free calls increased by 360 mobile end user awareness and use of the product viscosity, while working with cool big app and exposure of the gods”.
Millet, chat
Millet, chat is currently also in beta, introduces the millet, millet, chat is a dial-back phone, users will not have to answer the phone to pay extra charges (within a certain time), resulting in phone bills paid for by the company, provided two phone card to a local answering free roaming to the other charges.
In fact, millet chat not millet products previously has been implemented on this distribution function on the rice talk, chat app just metres under the impact of users are not active. Chat and millet is porting this functionality to MIUI system, and phone book functions by the user.
Version 3.0
Noteworthy is that OTT for all languages in the product launch, believed to be the only Internet company NetEase launched jointly by the operators, China Telecom’s “free” products that use dial-back telephone user calls both free (within a certain length), remains operator of the traditional voice channel, zero traffic. Users receive each month’s duration will be according to user’s friend to add star ratings with the activity, net accounts arising from fees paid by the company.
In addition to these enterprises, Huawei, Lenovo mobile phone businesses in a variety of phone models, such as touching the treasure was also built in address book in phone companies such as launching applications, also supported free phone function. So, always walk in policy why VoIP applications on the edge of sudden eruption at the end of 2014, and attracted the Giants covet? Domestic voice will affect market competition?
“Free call” behind the competition
In the age of 2G and 3G, VoIP in terms of both speed and bandwidth restriction, 4G to the popularity of VoIP technology and industrial base. Dominated by Governments and regulators of “private capital into the communications business” background and trends, it is difficult to allow operators a relaunch in 2010 with the original Mii provided similar bans on UUcall event related.
More important is that the operators have also come to realize the general trend of industrial change. China Mobile, for example, under the user scale continues to grow, its profit fell in the third quarter from a year earlier to 9.7%, SMS usage fell 20.2%, total number of voice call minutes fell 0.3%, and mobile data traffic growth over the previous year to 98.6%, almost twice last year, traffic revenues account for a growing share of business. In December this year in Guangzhou, China Mobile Chairman XI guohua said publicly: “voice revenue growth has come to an end”, for which China Mobile launched a converged communications (RCS) programme, its voice, SMS, MMS and other businesses in the future will be to migrate the data channel.
For the Internet giant, terminal manufacturers and mobile Internet businesses, competing for many years APP pre-loaded, attempts to “mobile Internet access” and then suddenly found by user contacts led “yellow pages” mobile platform is a software + hardware + platform entrances. That’s 360 and cool to form a joint venture and launched a free phone, launched millet millet with MIUI chat applications such as the root cause.
Touch technology CEO Wang Jialiang expresses, in fact, the current round of “free phone” debate is behind the mobile platform wars for the eco-portal, is different from the taxi world war APP capital subsidies, free phone subsidies with the expansion of users, more users migrate from the channels to the network operator voice channels, its subsidies for individual user APRU is actually less quickly. And from user experience Shang view, through occupation contacts way than micro letter phone this, APP installation way more can reduced user operation steps, while increased platform ecological of of can operation sex, so for parties enterprise and capital for, “free phone” are is a following micro letter zhihou of platform of concept points, is expected to 2015 “free phone” on will became giant were race of main direction.
As the Basic Telecom operators, China Mobile’s marketing department says one head of one survey, from international and industry trends, rapid decline in voice revenues is unavoidable, even before the next 2-3 years in the speech can achieve unlimited length calls within the package, China Mobile’s launch of converged communications (RCS) programme is actually gesture. Telecom insiders on one survey said that OTT services such as voice and SMS app under the impact of rapidly shrinking is a foregone conclusion, operators last future is traffic fine business. Operators feel anxious is, how not to occupy the platform entrance, operators will inevitably trend of pipeline.
So, who will become the operator voice “revolution” of the forerunner? Half income account operators do voice market will continue shrinking in 2015? Millet, 360 and Tencent will usher in the operator’s voice OTT enterprises such as counterattack and baiting? Wait and see.
Sohu IT text/Su Yi Mao Qiying