[HOW TO] - Commercialize Your Mobile Apps & Become A Potential Millionaire

I have written this TIP in one of the Mobile Application Developers Forum in Malaysia. I think I better share this TIPs also here....

Most developers have the misconception that their innovative ideas can be commercialize and make "easy money"
Before we raised any false hopes, let me share some of my experience and make this part of your tips:-

1 - Survey the market and survey the apps that have been launch by the telcos in Malaysia. Do not duplicate things which have been launched unless yours is being proven to be better (features and can get more revenue).

2 - Ensure you have good technical support to convince the telcos. A good product need to have propoer customer service support and clear product roadmap. Its not something which is "one-off" sort of app. You cannot simply "run" away after selling the product to the telcos.

3 - Have a system can consolidate your data (traffic) against the telcos. There might be variances that you might challenge with the telcos. And normally the telcos have the right to use their traffic data to make payment to you.

4 - Ensure your apps have the right capability to charge the customers.

5 - Get a reliability system to host your application. Cannot afford downtime.

6 - A telco can commercialize with a techno-preneur but if possible (advisable), work with an established company (CPs) that have establish relationship with the telcos to be your business partner. Its easier to convince this way rather than an unknown company.

7 - Be flexible in your business model. You might lose in the short term but gain in long term. There are times when the telcos didn't realize that a revenue share model can be very risky to them and finally they have to pay A LOT to the CPs. How they wish they just buy the solution....hehe..

8 - Get to know the people in the telcos to ensure you have the buy-in. Some sale life-cycle can be 1 month but some can be 6-12 months period. Don't expect fast wins.

9- Don't raise your hope so much if there is a verbal agreement from the telcos. Things are so "volatile"... Decisions can change very fast. Get an official award letter.

10 - Ensure that your products have the trust from the customers. Don't cheat them and try to make fast money.

Maxis - Mobile Content Challenge 2007

Its not a surprise to see that Maxis is now pushing hard to be a leader in creating the mobile applications eco-system.

Currently, there are only two mobile telcos in Malaysian that have a Developer Program i.e. Maxis MDP and Celcom Power Circle.

I have been waiting for Celcom CPC to launch a developers competition. They have promised to do so and mentioned that plans are on the way but *sigh* still can't see any announcement in their CPC website.

No wonder the CPC Forum is quiet nowadays.... Maybe the University students are busy with Maxis Mobile Content Challenge. If I'm also a student, most probably I will be joining them too! LOL

However, its good to see that someone is committed and brave enough to drive the mobile data industry. We need more people with this kind of vision. Hopefully, our mobile customers will be more mobile internet savvy and use better applications rather than purely peer-topeer SMS.

Screenshot for S60 3rd Edition

This freeware is an excellent screencapture software for the Nokia N73.
Its better to keep the link here so that I can return back and find the website to download it. Click here to get the file --> Screenshot

Internet Download Manager

I have tried several download accelerators but nothing beats the speed of Internet Download Manager.

It is blazingly fast since its has a smart download logic accelerator that features intelligent dynamic file segmentation and safe multipart downloading technology to accelerate your downloads.

SMART Motorway Malaysia (Tunnel in KL)

Today is my 1st experience (after the Tunnel is officially opened on May 14) to drive through the 3.0 km tunnel.



The tunnel is quite small ... No wonder there is this pole that only allow small vehicles to pass through. I saw one big vehicle trying to back up because the height dont allow it to pass through.



The tunnel is not really straight and enough for two lanes (it merged into one lane before exit). The surface of the road is quite rough. Maybe its made of concrete rather than tar.



Going to KL is quite smooth, but returning to South bound can have a slight congestion at RHB building. Most probably because the entrance of the tunnel is in the Middle thus causing cars from left and right lanes to criss-cross each other.



When I emerged at the exit near Sungai Besi, I will encounter another traffic jam.
*Sigh* Traffic in Malaysia will always be like this. Most probably we need to build multiple elevated highways across City Centre just like in Tokyo.


Its amazing that the Smart Tunnel is published in Wikipedia.

You can view some video here --> Smart Tunnel videos

Issues of Malaysian WiMax Operators

Read Jeff's Ooi comments on the recent Malaysian WiMax winners (See article "Broadband 2010: The WiMAX 4")

Personally, I believed the new WiMax operators will have an uphill battle to launch such services. Why? I have a dinner talk with one of the Korean visitors lately. He said the take-up of WiBro (Mobile Wimax) in Korea is slow. The problem with the 1st phase is because all the devices are only Mobile WiMax and thus users have problems when they are out of the WiMax coverage.

Luckily the Korean operator also operate a CDMA network. Now, they have designed new devices which have two-modes i.e. WiMax and CDMA.

So what happen to the Malaysian new WiMax operators who don't have 3G or GSM spectrum? Can they rely on their WiMax network without proper domestic roaming? Will the incumbent 2G and 3G operators allow to have this roaming arrangements?
Something to ponder....

Download this great Magazine --> Telephony's Guide to WiMax

Developing IMS Applications

Why telcos are reluctant to deploy IMS? Most likely the telcos have the attitude of "wait-and-see". Since IMS is still new, they don't dare to invest early since they still have legacy networks which runs on non-IP infrastructure. Furthermore, the mobile internet users in Malaysia are still low and lack of awareness.

Read here --> An example of IMS Application.

Some of the good articles to read about IMS:-

1 - So What is an "IMS Service", Anyhow?
2 - Service Creation Within IMS
3 - Enabling the IP Multimedia Sub-system (IMS) with Java Technology
4 - Telecom has an SOA too - the IMS

What say you? Please leave your comments and inputs here. Thanks.

Mac Club Indonesia - The BEST Forum to Search Mac Softwares

I found this Forum when I was searching for Mac softwares.

The contents of this Forum worth more than my Macbook (if you understand what I mean).

For those who are seeking for the best softwares, you might want to subscribe to this Mac Club Indonesia Forum.

One of the best tool to download is the KCNScrew.

How To Build Active Forum?

I'm always concerned in the way Forum like CPC having a lukewarm response. Many suggestions have been proposed but it also lacked response from members and the owner of the Forum to take the ideas from members and making them a reality.

Thus, I searched around for more tips, how community forums can e more active.

• Have a contest where members can win forum privileges, such as a custom member title, etc., or actual items
• Pay a few people to do a certain amount of posts to get your website active
• You can do some post exchanges with other webmasters, that’s a good way to get your forums going without spending extra money that you don’t need to spend.
• Post around at forums and notify people that your forums are up
• You can exchange links with another forum in the same general field as yours. You need to be careful, as you don’t want to do a link exchange with a website just like yours. If you do that with a bigger website then yours, you might lose more members then you will gain.
• Make an introduction forum so your members feel welcomed

And here are some ways to keep your members:

• Give out custom member titles like: Top Poster, Most Improved, etc.
• Stay active on your own forums, never stop posting!
• Keep adding new things to your forums so your members stay interested.
• Create a section where members can give comments and critique your forum. It’s a great way to feedback from the members of what you need to improve
• Make sure your forums have a set of guidelines that members have to follow. That helps your members not get out of hand

The above source is taken here --> How to build an active community

Developers Community Forum - CPC

This is one of the mobile applications developer community in Malaysia called Celcom Power Circle.

Once you registered as a CPC member, you have access to the Forum to pose any questions related to the mobile applications development for Celcom - technical or business matters.

This site needs to be more active in getting members to participate in the Forum.

Which is First? Chicken or Egg?

I know the answer! Its the Chicken!

Typical Malaysian mobile data users are SMS users. They use more SMS than GPRS/EDGE/3G/HSDPA services. Why? Most probably we are not tech-savvy.

Some would claim its the issue of not enough compelling applications too use mobile internet. (Other reason would be price, of course)

There are millions of content over the fixed Internet. The telcos should bring this contents to the normal to the mobile users. However, many people misunderstood about the current Internet contents which can be viewed through normal browsing.

Converged applications utilizing both fixed and mobile networks will change the whole landscape of providing mobile applications which simply use SMS.

IMS is the game. The telcos should find a way to migrate to IMS.
Will the telcos invest in the expensive and new technology like IMS? Answer - they should. If not, the IMS eco-system will not flourish.

IMS developers will only come in if there is an infrastructure and users that they can tap into.
Once there are enough applications, we can definitely see more SIP phones in the market (such as the new phones from Nokia).

IMS - The Glue for Fixed & Mobile Services

What is IMS?

Click here for Wikipedia definition of IMS.

Ever wondered how a service be seamlessly switched from a fixed network to a mobile network (and vice versa) without disrupting the communications?

IMS is the solution. Its the glue.

MyPDACafe.com Mobile Edition

The MyPDACafe is my favorite Tech Forum website which I frequently visited and contribute. Almost all the problems related to my computer, phone, PDA or DSLR, I will pose to this website for answers.

Surprising enough - almost all the time, I will get the answers back and get my problems resolved.

What's the Upcoming Technologies?

There are so many technologies upcoming that sometimes you lose track of them.
However, in the case of ICT, I believed the technologies are moving towards the concept of "Ubiquitous Network". Sometimes it is called "Ambience Intelligence" - a more popular acronym in Europe.

- Wireless (Mobile WiMax)
- IMS applications
- Web Services 2.0 or 3.0

What's in store for wireless?

1st Blog - FUTURE7007 - Why this Blog Name?

Why did I chose this Blogname http://future7007.blogspot.com ?
Its mainly because I tried various options such as future, future2007, future2008, future2020 but all are taken.

Naturally, I tried using something which is easier to remember but still reflect the year which this Blog is created. Thus --> future7007

Note: This is a personal blog and the views are personal in nature.