Baidu Second Quarter Revenue Reaches $858 Million

Everything increases for Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU): revenue, profits, and expenses. It’s looking good, particularly its $858 million in revenue for the quarter, up 59.8 percent on the same time in the previous year. You can read the numbers in detail on Baidu’s investor relations page.

Robin Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Baidu noted:

In the coming quarters, we will maintain momentum by rolling out optimized sales processes and more advanced tools to help current and potential customers increase returns on their online marketing spend. We will also continue to actively explore the vast opportunities in China’s fast-emerging mobile Internet and cloud sectors.

The post Baidu Second Quarter Revenue Reaches $858 Million appeared first on Tech in Asia.

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Bollywood takes Internet route to air promos that are otherwise censored by the Censor Board

While the trailers of forthcoming Bollywood flicks such as Ekta Kapoor’s Kya Super Kool Hain Hum and Mahesh Bhatt’s Jism 2 and Madhur Bhandarkar’s much-hyped Kareena Kapoor starrer, Heroine, earned an A certificate label from the Central Board of Film Certification, the  makers are not making much hue and cry over not being able to air these on big screens (in theatres), TV, as they are taking the Internet route to reach the targeted audience for their movies.

Recently, the promo of Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2, starring porn actor Sunny Leone, got an A-certificate, which essentially means the trailers of the film are not given the go-ahead for promotion on television. After this hiccup, Bhatt decided to release the promo on the internet and it is instantly hit with more than half-a-million hits so far on YouTube.

Following the censorship row over Kya Super Kool Hain Hum, Ekta Kapoor, producer of the film also decided to launch the promo via Internet. Also, producers of Heroine are planning to launch the ‘adult’ version of its promotional trailer on Internet (Youtube, to be most precise). Apart from that, Harud, a movie that talks about status quo of Kashmir also faces censorship whip on its promotional trailer. Surprisingly enough, while the censors have taken objection to the promos, the film has been approved and given a U/A certificate, with the controversial scene intact. Following this move from censor board, Aamir Bashir, director of Harud has decided to air trailers over the internet.

However, this is not the FIRST time when mainstream films have chosen the Internet over big screen (in theatres) television to promote the censored trailers. Earlier in January this year, Bittu Boss uploaded its trailer on YouTube when Censor Board refused to clear it for big screen and TV. In the same month, Censor Board had raised its eyebrow over word ‘sex’ being used in promos of Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu and over a scene where Karina Kapoor pinched Imran’s butt.

The Censor Board, meanwhile, is mulling over online action too. “There is only a marginal change (in the number of ‘A’ certificates being handed out to promos). The board is deliberating on the issue of internet censorship,” says Censor Board chief Leela Samson. So the question arises – in which ways Censor Board can control the controversial trailers/promos over internet? The probable answer to this – Censor Board should lay guidelines for releasing trailers/promo online ( such as uncensored trailers/video meant for 18 + only). However, by doing so Censor Board cannot assure that under age (below 18) will not watch them. In India even an underage can watch ‘Kamasutra’ a prohibited flick for underage (available on Youtube) and not only Kamasutra, underage can also have access to hard core porn sites if they impersonate them as above 18, which is otherwise very easy to do.

So where do we draw the line? Does the onus (again) lies on the Youtubes of the world?

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Hacker-turned-entrepreneur, once arrested by police, now helps you Spawt good food

Singaporean Steven Goh was on Interpol’s wanted list for being a black hat hacker.

But the law grabbed him by the tail. Nine years ago, He was arrested by Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for coordinating a large-scale global botnet — which involves infiltrating a massive number of computers through malicious software. He was 17.

Steven thought he was going to jail, but fate yielded him a second chance. The CID decided to let him off with a stern warning after two years of investigation. He secured a place in the National University of Singapore too. Steven then decided to channel his independent streak towards something entirely different.

“The day I spent in lock-up was the day I turned into an entrepreneur,” said the NOC alumnus.

Today, the former hacker is the founder of Spawt, a free mobile app for iOS and Android that helps users discover experiences around them. Steven bills it as an “intelligent and social city guide” that aims to be the “Google of real life”. It is targeted at the United States and Singapore market.

Right now, the app is a minimal viable product. It contains mainly data from HungryGoWhere in Singapore and Yelp in the US. Once you access the app and sign in with Facebook, Spawt recommends eating places based on your current whereabouts.

Undergirding the service is a number of technologies aimed at understanding your behavior patterns, the time of the day, and your geographical location. The data is then used to make personalized recommendations. Behavior patterns are determined by machine learning and behaviorial science algorithms, which means that over time, the app will understand you better and give more relevant suggestions.

The app procures information about places using crowdsourcing and web-scraping.

Nicole (left) and Steven (right) from Spawt.

The company has barely left the starting block — their Android app has been around for about a month, while the iPhone version launched about a week ago. It has secured co-funding from Crystal Horse Investments and MDA iJam totaling S$260k (US$206k), one of the two offers Steven considered.

“I eventually went with Crystal Horse Investments who seemed to be more liberal and had a focus towards the American market (rather than Chinese market),” he told KillerStartups.

Joining Steven full-time at Spawt is Nicole Tay,  a freelance web designer, SG Geek Girls member, and NOC-er who is passionate about startups. She is tasked with improving the app’s user interface and leading the company’s marketing efforts.

At this point, Spawt is focused on product development and traction, and as such monetization isn’t a concern yet. Nonetheless, it is looking at location-based advertising as one possible revenue source.

“What sets us apart from all the other startups that fail at this space? Intent. Users are already using the app to discover what to do next, that really means that they are looking for the next business to spend money on,” said Steven.

He is also considering mobile niche guidebooks and online ticketing as additional avenues. All of which will work only if they have a large user base, which leads to massive sales.

Ultimately, Steven envisions Spawt as a recommendation engine that can suggest not only restaurants, but also clubs, pubs and any venue with interesting activities. In other words, he hopes to out-Google Google.

His ambition underlies the challenge that Spawt faces: Google has been pre-occupied with giving users intelligent recommendations for some time, and its Google Now, a mobile, voice-activated search assistant that will be available in Jelly Bean, Android’s next incarnation, has been touted as being superior to Siri.

Apple won’t take it lying down in the high-stakes battle for the future of mobile, and it is constantly making improvements to its wisecracking digital assistant.

So whether Spawt prospers in such an environment would very much depend on the technical expertise, as well as designing and marketing chops it can muster. While it is certainly an underdog, Spawt could bring with them new perspectives, ground-up insight, and nimbleness that might give it a crucial edge.

Plenty of luck helps too. And Steven, having used one Get Out of Jail free card in his life, knows that all too well.

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Hackathon Coming to Philippine in August, Named WebGeek DevCup

Founded 2009, WebGeek Philippines, is a community that serves as a venue for Geeks, Developers, Startups and Tech Enthusiast in Philippine. WebGeek has organized and hosted several major events over the past years as part of WebGeek advocacy to create a thriving community of like-minded tech and startup devotees.

Pinged by John Arce, founder of WebGeek Philippines,

On August 25, 2012, WebGeek Philippines will bring you the WebGeek DevCup, an all-day hackathon extravaganza that will give rise to the most creative and most skillful team to deliver the best web application.

John told us, “in this day-long hackathon, each team will be given six hours to develop a web application based on the theme to be given that day. Presentations will be delivered from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. During this time, teams are expected to have accomplished a web app that will either be fully or partially functional. The web apps will be evaluated according to technical complexity, user experience, social relevance, and originality. The panel of judges consists of seasoned gurus in the field of web application development. Registered participants only need to bring their own laptop and development tools (pre-packaged libraries, widgets, and frameworks), and Internet connection, power, space, food, and drinks will be provided.”

The details about this hackathon and registration can be found here.

If you are not that familiar with Philippine startup scene, we highly suggest you read this great post on SGEntrepreneurs.

 

 

Related posts:

1. TechCrunch Disrupt Coming to Beijing – Entrepreneurs Get Ready!
2. Tencent's Cloud Operating System Might be Coming
3. 22.14m Android App Downloads Vs. 78.29m iPhone App Downloads in China in August 2011

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In India, a customer does not buy a product – they buy a phone number

[Editorial notes: Continuing from our earlier thread on ‘why Indians do not buy online’, here is another interesting observation (by Mukund Mohan) on what Indian customers buy’]

The amazing part of selling in India is the ease of access to founders (promoters, they are called here) and Managing directors (CEO). Most have their cell phones listed on their website and many may have it listed on their ads.

Throughout the last few years when I ran relatively small (<20) person sales team, targeting companies with less than $2 Million revenue we found that getting appointments with CEO’s at small companies was extremely easy. A conversion rate of 50% from cold call to face-to-face appointment was not unheard of.

At a price-point which was less than a full-time resource to manage marketing, they found our solution relatively easy to adopt, but they were focused on quick ROI – meaning if they put $1 now, they expected $5 within the first month and an increase every month.

During the first few months, we spent an inordinate amount of time trying to simplify our product. We realized most decision makers & users at these companies were the CEO’s so we wanted to make sure they found our product easy to use. We did 4 sets of focus groups and removed a lot of features from the product, making it so that just one of two options were provided on each page. Navigation was made simple as well, with large buttons and primary colors.

After 2 months, we had an interesting problem. None of the CEO’s actually used the product. Every time they wanted data from our system, they’d just call the sales rep and ask him for information. We showed them how easy it was for them to look up the information on their cell phone, but they’d still call and “chat up” the rep, share more information about their business, their issues, etc.

We then provided a customer service team who would answer these questions so our sales person would be more productive. The sales person still got calls. One sales person left to join an MBA program. Even a year after he’d left, the CEO’s he sold to would call him to ask him for information.

That’s when we realized that Indian customers don’t buy a product or a service. They just buy a phone number – a person’s mobile phone which is their user interface to the product.

Then I got to know about a central number system. Basically its a number that you can give and you can change it to any set of numbers by “routing” the call based on the number. We did not implement it fully, but the first few weeks of using it were a lifesaver for our sales productivity.

What are your thoughts?

[Reproduced from Mukund’s blog.]

[Notes from Pi team: If you want to share your insights vis-à-vis customer behaviour/sales, do connect with us (team@pluggd.in)]

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China’s 3G Subscribers Hit 175 Million, But Is Growth Slowing?

We keep hearing China’s monthly mobile subscriber figures, each time with the totals reaching ever more impressive heights. In the first quarter of this year, the country passed a billion total subscribers, something that got everyone’s attention. But 3G is where the true action is these days, and each month I always wonder how the three major telecom’s growth would look over the past year or more.

So this morning I jumped down the rabbit hole of China’s 3G subscriber numbers, and plotted the monthly totals for each of the three major telecoms – China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom – since January of 2011. You can view them in the chart below [1].

[Download image version of chart]

While the numbers are pretty stunning for each, neither company appears to be running away from the others. Although China Mobile is currently the only carrier that doesn’t have an iPhone, so things could change if they strike a deal with Apple.

The figures look even more impressive when the three carriers are combined for a national total of 3G subscribers. Note that the total for 3G subscribers now stands at a whopping 175 million:

[Download image version of chart]

If you look at the monthly subscriber numbers and calculate a month-on-month growth rate [2] then we see that while still pretty impressive currently, it is tapering off a little since 2011. It will be interesting to watch if this changes as newer and more affordable smartphone offerings come to market though. This is not a market that I would expect to stall.

[Download image version of chart]

---

1. Data accumulated from Marbridge Consulting and Reuters. You can download the raw data here: [subscribers, growth (csv format)] ↩

2. For this month for example, it would be (June subscribers – May subscribers) / May subscribers.  ↩

The post China’s 3G Subscribers Hit 175 Million, But Is Growth Slowing? appeared first on Tech in Asia.

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Is your startup fit for an incubator?

(Credit: Paul Miller)

If you’re a first-time entrepreneur, you have probably been on the hunt for the startup holy grail: a blueprint for guaranteed startup success. Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already discovered, there is no such thing. Fortunately, there are incubation programs.

Joining an incubation program gives you the opportunity to learn from others’ experience so you can avoid pitfalls and common mistakes associated with starting your own business. Studies show that startups that successfully complete a business incubator program are more likely to stay in business (87 percent as compared to the average success rate of 44 percent for all companies, per the U.S. Small Business Administration).

What is an incubation program?

So, what is an incubation program exactly? While there is a class-setting type of incubator program for which you pay a small fee to meet and work with other entrepreneurs, that is not the type of incubator program that has exploded in recent years. With the class setting, you get to rub elbows with other entrepreneurs, but there’s often no real structure and support.

What we’re seeing a lot more of these days is a kind of incubator program that is much more structured, defined, and focused; some call these types of programs accelerators. In these types of programs, you typically get some seed money (the amount of which varies widely) in exchange for a small piece of equity. Of equal or greater value, you will be matched to entrepreneur mentors from your community. These mentors provide you with the support, advice, and practical training you need to get rooted, make connections, grow, and succeed.

Advantages of joining an incubator program

Along with the intangibles, such as the confidence and reputation boost that you may get as a member of a successful entrepreneur community, there are many practical advantages to joining an incubator program (and I’m not just talking about office space!), including:

Strong mentors. The best mentors will be experts in your industry who act as a sounding board, at the ready with helpful advice and guidance—without taking control of your startup.

Seed money. In some cases the seed money is a small amount, other times it can seem like a small fortune. In either case, any early-stage funds are helpful in setting up your infrastructure. Interestingly though, many entrepreneurs who have joined incubator programs say that the connections that they made were much more valuable than the money itself, so no need to be overly-focused on the exact dollar amount of your seed money.

Access to business resources. There are likely some gaps in your startup team. Maybe you’re lacking knowledge around HR, accounting, finance, marketing, or product planning. You can fill these gaps, for the short-term, with the expertise of your incubation program. Whether you need help refining your business plan, creating your business model, crafting your pitch deck for fund-raising, defining your marketing plan, or managing your day-to-day bookkeeping, your incubation program can offer you support and extra hands where you need them.

Connections. Incubator programs not only have their own staffs of experienced entrepreneurs, they also bring in visiting professors, entrepreneurs, and other connected guests and often organize industry networking events. These connections all serve as to accelerate and enhance your networking abilities.

Finding the right incubation program

To get the most out of your incubation program, you need to find the best program for your startup. In the Bay Area alone, we currently have 76 incubator programs and co-location facilities (which are similar to incubator programs but differ in some key ways). From StartX to RocketSpace to 500 Start-Ups to Plug and Play to Y Combinator, there are so many great programs all with their own key selling point. You need to research the background and strengths of different local incubator programs to find the one that is right for you. Do you need a program that can help you finesse your product design? Or a program that emphasizes data? Or would you most benefit from an incubation program that specializes in distribution?

Because you will be giving up some amount of equity in order to join the incubation program, you want to make sure it’s worth it. Choosing the right program will have a huge impact, so choose wisely.

And remember: Your success within an incubation program depends as much on your commitment and involvement in the program as on the program offerings.

If you’re a serial entrepreneur or experienced CEO, an incubation program is probably not for you. Your own hands-on experience and connections are of greater value to you than your participation in an incubation program. But, if you’re just starting out, an incubation program can provide you with invaluable assistance.

This post was originally published on YEC.

About David Ehrenberg

David Ehrenberg is the CEO of Early Growth Financial Services and has worked with early growth companies at every stage in the development process. His expertise includes building high growth technology companies, venture funding, debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning and operational expertise in accounting, human resources, legal and corporate governance, facilities, IT and administrative functions.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC recently published #FixYoungAmerica: How to Rebuild Our Economy and Put Young Americans Back to Work (for Good), a book of 30+ proven solutions to help end youth unemployment.

Link to full article

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Is your startup fit for an incubator?

(Credit: Paul Miller)

If you’re a first-time entrepreneur, you have probably been on the hunt for the startup holy grail: a blueprint for guaranteed startup success. Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already discovered, there is no such thing. Fortunately, there are incubation programs.

Joining an incubation program gives you the opportunity to learn from others’ experience so you can avoid pitfalls and common mistakes associated with starting your own business. Studies show that startups that successfully complete a business incubator program are more likely to stay in business (87 percent as compared to the average success rate of 44 percent for all companies, per the U.S. Small Business Administration).

What is an incubation program?

So, what is an incubation program exactly? While there is a class-setting type of incubator program for which you pay a small fee to meet and work with other entrepreneurs, that is not the type of incubator program that has exploded in recent years. With the class setting, you get to rub elbows with other entrepreneurs, but there’s often no real structure and support.

What we’re seeing a lot more of these days is a kind of incubator program that is much more structured, defined, and focused; some call these types of programs accelerators. In these types of programs, you typically get some seed money (the amount of which varies widely) in exchange for a small piece of equity. Of equal or greater value, you will be matched to entrepreneur mentors from your community. These mentors provide you with the support, advice, and practical training you need to get rooted, make connections, grow, and succeed.

Advantages of joining an incubator program

Along with the intangibles, such as the confidence and reputation boost that you may get as a member of a successful entrepreneur community, there are many practical advantages to joining an incubator program (and I’m not just talking about office space!), including:

Strong mentors. The best mentors will be experts in your industry who act as a sounding board, at the ready with helpful advice and guidance—without taking control of your startup.

Seed money. In some cases the seed money is a small amount, other times it can seem like a small fortune. In either case, any early-stage funds are helpful in setting up your infrastructure. Interestingly though, many entrepreneurs who have joined incubator programs say that the connections that they made were much more valuable than the money itself, so no need to be overly-focused on the exact dollar amount of your seed money.

Access to business resources. There are likely some gaps in your startup team. Maybe you’re lacking knowledge around HR, accounting, finance, marketing, or product planning. You can fill these gaps, for the short-term, with the expertise of your incubation program. Whether you need help refining your business plan, creating your business model, crafting your pitch deck for fund-raising, defining your marketing plan, or managing your day-to-day bookkeeping, your incubation program can offer you support and extra hands where you need them.

Connections. Incubator programs not only have their own staffs of experienced entrepreneurs, they also bring in visiting professors, entrepreneurs, and other connected guests and often organize industry networking events. These connections all serve as to accelerate and enhance your networking abilities.

Finding the right incubation program

To get the most out of your incubation program, you need to find the best program for your startup. In the Bay Area alone, we currently have 76 incubator programs and co-location facilities (which are similar to incubator programs but differ in some key ways). From StartX to RocketSpace to 500 Start-Ups to Plug and Play to Y Combinator, there are so many great programs all with their own key selling point. You need to research the background and strengths of different local incubator programs to find the one that is right for you. Do you need a program that can help you finesse your product design? Or a program that emphasizes data? Or would you most benefit from an incubation program that specializes in distribution?

Because you will be giving up some amount of equity in order to join the incubation program, you want to make sure it’s worth it. Choosing the right program will have a huge impact, so choose wisely.

And remember: Your success within an incubation program depends as much on your commitment and involvement in the program as on the program offerings.

If you’re a serial entrepreneur or experienced CEO, an incubation program is probably not for you. Your own hands-on experience and connections are of greater value to you than your participation in an incubation program. But, if you’re just starting out, an incubation program can provide you with invaluable assistance.

This post was originally published on YEC.

About David Ehrenberg

David Ehrenberg is the CEO of Early Growth Financial Services and has worked with early growth companies at every stage in the development process. His expertise includes building high growth technology companies, venture funding, debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning and operational expertise in accounting, human resources, legal and corporate governance, facilities, IT and administrative functions.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC recently published #FixYoungAmerica: How to Rebuild Our Economy and Put Young Americans Back to Work (for Good), a book of 30+ proven solutions to help end youth unemployment.

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Jam in the cloud with Angel’s Gate at Amazon Web Services

Angel’s Gate, a 360-degree reality series that gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity of a lifetime to pitch their dream business ideas to some of Asia’s most successful investors, is introducing a whole new series of events for both aspiring & seasoned entrepreneurs! A monthly occurrence, Angel’s Gate Jam Sessions aims to inspire as well as provide an avenue for entrepreneurs to network and learn from one another.

To pump up the excitement, Angel’s Gate is having its first ever Jam session with Amazon Web Services! This session will feature three speakers, namely Pieter Kemps, Principal of Business Development & Venture Capital, Asia at Amazon, who is responsible for establishing and managing relations with the venture capital (VC) community for Amazon Web Services in Asia Pacific; John Fearon, founder at DropMyEmail, whom we have previously interviewed, and lastly Ash Singh, CEO of Angel’s Gate.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, 31st July 2012
Time: 7:00PM-9:30PM
Venue: AWS Regional Office, Capital Square #10-01, Singapore
REGISTER HERE

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Beijing Says Total 20 Mbps Broadband Coverage Coming By Year’s End

Yesterday, Beijing authorities (including the committee that manages telecommunications and the committee that manages housing) held a meeting and said that by the end of this year, Beijing will have 20 Mbps broadband coverage everywhere, a project that will require adding fiber-optic infrastructure to around one million new households. That’s a tall order, and as the city’s vice-secretary Dai Wei put it, “2012 is already half over, so [telecoms and the government] must seize the moment.”

The housing committee also stated publicly that housing community managers cannot get in the way of this. In the past, one major obstacle to the rollout of faster internet is that some of these managers have accepted kickbacks from one telecom company in return for keeping competitors out, eliminating competition and ensuring slower service at higher costs. This, Housing and City Construction Committee property management department head Guo Yanli says, can no longer happen.

As with most government pronouncements about broadband speeds, though, it’s not clear exactly how any of this is going to be enforced. It’s also not clear what these 20 Mbps connections will cost once they are available to everyone, as prices can vary by provider and by location. And, of course, there’s the eternal complaint that a 20 Mbps connection probably doesn’t mean 20 Mbps speeds; I’ve been using my 4 Mbps connection for a year now and I barely get up to 3 Mbps on a good day (most days it’s more like 1 Mbps). Still, having a 20 Mbps connection that only goes 15 Mbps would still be a big improvement, and if on the way to accomplishing that, the government can stamp out local housing community ISP monopolies, that would be great. Here’s hoping it all works out, somehow.

[Beijing News via Sina Tech, image via Shutterstock]

The post Beijing Says Total 20 Mbps Broadband Coverage Coming By Year’s End appeared first on Tech in Asia.

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