Friday, December 7, 2012

Investor response to Bharti Infratel’s Rs 4,500 crore IPO this Tuesday will be key to Indian Telcos

Telecom infrastructure provider Bharti Infratel Limited is set to raise nearly Rs 4,500 crore from the share market on Tuesday.

More than 18 crore shares of the company owned by the Bharti Group will be sold in one of the largest public offerings the country has seen since the public offering of Coal India Limited in 2010.

The move that will test investor appetite for India’s cash starved telecom sector, is being watched by competitors as well as retail investors looking to buy into India’s mobile revolution.

According to analysts, one of the advantages the infrastructure provider has is that its owned by the Bharti group which operates Airtel, one of the country’s largest cellular services provider. Response to this IPO will be crucial to the cash starved industry looking for growth capital.

Funds raised from the IPO will be used to set up more than 1,000 new towers and upgrade or replace over 1,200 existing towers, says the company. It has also earmarked Rs 639 crore to take up green initiatives at tower sites, according to the papers filed by the company with the market regulator.

Indus Towers, state run BSNL, Reliance Infratel, GTL Infra, Viom Networks, Tower Vision and ATC are some of its competitors. Indus towers, its larger rival has more than a lakh towers installed in the country whereas Bharti Infratel operates about 70,000 towers.

“Avoid the issue on account of its premium valuations,” wrote Viral Shah and Ankita Somani in a report by Angel Broking. The over capacity in the industry added to regulatory uncertainties could inhibit growth, said the report.

According to Analysys Mason, the Indian wireless telecom services sector clocked a combined revenue of Rs 1361 billion at the end of March 2012. There are nearly 919 million mobile subscriptions in the country.

IPO Details
Face Value: Rs 10
Offer Size: 18.89 crore shares of Rs 10 face value
Post equity Paid up capital: Rs 188.6 cr
Issue size: Rs 3967 cr- Rs 4534 cr
Price band: Rs 210 – Rs 240


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Pi of Life : Revisiting Your New Year’s Resolutions.

What did you resolve to do in 2012?

We know how most resolutions go – so we thought we’d explore a few that you might have wanted to really really follow up on, but couldn’t find the motivation or conviction to.

1. You were wondering whether you should start on your own – and told yourself you would do this year. And are still wondering ?

Like many have said, the best time to start being an entrepreneur is NOW. Don’t worry about your idea not being ready enough. Don’t think of first networking and “getting to know the market”. Don’t assume moonlighting will help you slowly get comfortable with the idea. The best way is to dive right in.

Image: Bumsonthesaddle.com

You still have 3 weeks to go and this holiday season might just get you started on the best journey of your life!

2. If you started last year, you promised yourself you’d reach certain goals – operational profitability, a minimum number of customers, funding or even just launching the damn product. And you’re still not there.

Don’t kill yourself. Entrepreneurs are always an optimistic lot and that means we constantly imagine we can do much more than we can. Its a long battle and there’s no point in feeling low about what did not get done when there’s so much left to do. Remember – it usually takes 3 years to get anywhere, and often 5 before it becomes a reliable, viable business. Hopefully, you have a better grip on the variables now, and can plan more sensibly.

Of course, don’t stop having that optimism.

3. You’ve been slogging for ages. You promised the wife a vacation this year. And have been pushing it out for “when things are stable”.

Do it NOW. The family is important [PI of Life : Entrepreneurship & Family] – despite what the pundits say. They are more critical for your succcess (and what you do with it!) more than any co-founder, any investor and even any customer.  you owe it to them to take time out for them, and even more so for yourself.

Take that vacation [Disconnect], and also start taking time out for the occasional movie, dinner or even a board-game or two with the kids.

The Truth

4. You resolved to meet more people.

For many techies, the computer is the world. Its our comfort zone. Programming to start with, and perhaps spreadsheets, emails, CRM, support tools and the like as you become more business inclined.

Yet, its important to be out there and meet people. For your own sanity, for keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the world (no, Facebook is a NOT a decent proxy, and Twitter is worse), and for giving serendipity a chance, its important you start on this one right away.

Some structure an afternoon a week, some create ad-hoc time as the opportunity presents. Keep a tab on who lives where, and give them a call if you have other work in the area to “meet up for coffee”. You’d be surprised how much brand equity you can build by just being a warm voice and person than a cold email or status update.

And don’t always be slave to a specific agenda or a desired outcome from the meeting. Like I heard recently, “Networking is not about hunting, its about farming”.

5. You promised yourself, and maybe even the world, that you’d start blogging or writing.

Add a blog to your site. And create a draft right away. Jot some thoughts in it and revisit. Or maybe create a Facebook note on your page and share.

Don’t wait for something “important enough to say”. Your journey, your opinions, your take on the industry, its people are not just important, they’re fun to read. You and your product/service/brand both have a certain set of attributes and character which emerge as you share your thoughts more. That’s why people ask brands to communicate, and that’s why you signed up for it.

This is really as easy one, and very very impactful. Don’t get stuck [ PI of Life : Writers Block (for geeks)] .

6. You resolved that this year you’d get your finances in shape.

This again is a simple one. [ PI of Life : Personal Finance for Bootstrappers] At least to get started with. Open a spreadsheet online and create a sheet for each month, with annual totals. Just start tracking everyday expenses as a start. Bookmark the sheet’s URL on your browser bar, or keep the tab open.

You could also use any of a wide array of tools, but the important thing is to do it everyday.

Soon as you get comfortable with the numbers, you’ll understand cashflows, be able to plan ahead, and see how much you’re able to save. Once you track and understand your needs, the essential vs the discretionary become obvious, and you’re able to budget not just for the year ahead, but for your future as well.

The day you start on this one, your life becomes less messier. So today’s a very very good day to do it.

7. You desperately wanted to start exercising/quit smoking.

And failed to start.

So did we. Don’t worry. Let’s take a walk. Let’s not aim for the stars and start shooting mangoes? That is, let’s get started somewhere.
When it comes to health, we often wait for an external trigger [read: link]

Today is 8th. You STILL have a chance!

Start small. [ Read: PI of Life :  Wheels of Entrepreneurship]

Exercise is as important as food and you’re not going to get too far if you just keep abusing that body. And you will not be 25, or 30, and especially 35, forever.

Of course, please don’t attempt instant nirvana and try and start all of the above today. Pick a few battles, and fight them well. And you’ll not only survive the 2012 Mayan scare, but have a great 2013!

Thoughts?

[Image credit]


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How a Domestic Game Console Could Win in China

Today, I found myself on the Amazon China page for the CT-510, Lenovo-backed Eedoo’s $600 home entertainment system, reading the reviews. They are not pretty. Here’s a clip from the most highly-rated review on the site:

What is $600? With that you could buy a 300 liter fridge, a 32-inch Sharp HDTV, approximately one ton of chicken eggs, or a decent desktop computer. So what does the CT-510 give me [for that price]? Limited apps, only Kinect-style [motion] games, karaoke, and the pitiless mocking of Xbox 360 players.

The thing is, before it became expensive and dropped the gaming focus, the CT-510 (then called the eBox, and following that the iSec) was supposed to be a real game console. It’s not clear why Eedoo shifted the device’s focus — that game consoles are technically illegal in China may have had something to do with it — but whatever the reason, that hole is still empty. And I think someone else should step in and fill it.

I imagine the legal issues with that could be dealt with, especially by any of the major tech companies that already have established relationships with the government. Yes, game consoles are illegal, but let’s not forget that microblogs were de-facto illegal for a while too, and we all know how that turned out. Moreover, a domestic game console could help spur economic growth and support a whole new ecosystem of developers. It also wouldn’t necessarily mean allowing foreign players into the market; while I personally think the government ought to allow that, it wouldn’t have to. There is certainly plenty of precedent for that kind of protectionism, especially in the tech sector.

Let’s just say someone can get the government to sign off on allowing them to build a game console. How can they then avoid the pitfalls that turned the iSec into an overpriced DVD player? By focusing on the idea of the console as a platform.

What Would it Look Like?

In China’s current market, there’s no way to sell a traditional $60 console game. There is simply too much piracy; most players will just pick up the $1 pirated version for PC that’s being sold under every overpass in the city instead. So a Chinese console can’t be focused on games like that unless they’re exclusive to the platform; if they aren’t, players will just play the games on PC. But if they are exclusive, they’ll have to be pretty damn amazing to lure gamers onto a new and more expensive platform.

A better approach would be to look at the console sort of like Xiaomi’s set-top box. It would be a way for gamers to access already existing content on their TV screens. Most Chinese homes have a TV, but many don’t have a computer, so if the console could be priced cheaply enough, plenty of gamers would likely be interested. Even gamers who have PCs already might be interested if they happen to own a TV screen larger than their monitor (when it comes to gaming, bigger is often better, or at least more awesome).

So what will they play? The easiest and cheapest solution would be web games, of which there are thousands and thousands. Most of these run right in the browser, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to translate the console’s gamepad input into something the games can understand. But web games are just the beginning, and frankly, it’s not going to be all that compelling to play web games on a TV. The graphics don’t tend to be all that impressive, and some of them really require a keyboard and mouse (although ideally the console would have a USB port for keyboard and mouse support).

Web games are great, but cloud games would be the real bread and butter of the Chinese game console. For a subscription fee, or perhaps even an hourly fee like internet cafes, users could select from a wide variety of on-demand games that they play through the internet. The games run on servers operated by the console company and only video is streamed to the console, meaning that gamers can play high-end games with advanced HD graphics even though their consoles don’t have the expensive hardware required to run those games.

Minus the support for browser games, I’m basically describing a Chinese OnLive service, and I think it could really work in China. Although it sounds very internet-intensive, OnLive actually only requires a 3-5 Mbps internet connection, and those speeds should definitely be attainable in most Chinese cities. Even if this console went into development tomorrow, I feel certain that by the time it was released, average broadband speeds would be well above the minimum requirements anyway.

Oh, and motion games? Can ‘em. Most Chinese apartments are too small to be treated like gyms, and there simply isn’t room to be jumping all over the place. Moreover, developing or buying proprietary motion-sensing tech is expensive, and then you need to have games custom-developed to work with it, which isn’t cheap either. The console I’ve laid out here would be pretty cheap to design and build because it doesn’t actually require much; just an internet connection, a browser with flash, java, and HTML5 support, a platform to stream the on-demand games, and maybe a simple OS for some apps if there’s extra money in the budget.

The pricing of the device would be key, and I admit that the high broadband costs associated with streaming games to users across the country might be difficult to fit into a budget. Moreover, as Eedoo is learning, gamers just aren’t going to pay $600 for a console when there are pirated games everywhere, so the device and the service would have to be cheap. But I imagine there is a way to do it, especially if one assumes that sooner or later the Chinese government will get serious about cracking down on game piracy once it is actually affecting a domestic console industry.

Is There a Market For That?

Internet cafes have been making money from gamers playing games like this for years. The console is, essentially, a take-home internet cafe. For a lump of up-front money, games can play all the games they have access to at the internet cafe from home. It’s more convenient and, given the amount of second-hand smoke in the air at the average internet cafe, much healthier. Plus, since games are run either in the browser or from the console company’s own servers, users won’t really have to worry about viruses or bugs affecting their gaming.

For that reason, the console ought to be attractive to PC owners, too. Not only does it save them from the worries of downloading the wrong game and getting infected with a virus, it also saves them from the hassle of installing games and tweaking their settings to get them to run properly. Plus, with hundreds of games available on demand, the console would probably offer more options for instant gaming than the average PC, with its limited hard drive space, even could.

Gray-market Western consoles are, of course, widely available in China, and pirated games are widely available, so Chinese gamers who are really into the idea of consoles probably already have at least one. But the on-demand nature of the console that I’ve described might still make it more attractive than Western counterparts, and it should be possible to beat Western imports in price, too. The OnLive system sells for $100, which is less than half of what most regular Western game consoles sell for. Given that, it shouldn’t be too difficult for a domestic console focused on cloud gaming to beat the Western consoles in price.

So why hasn’t anyone done it? I’m not sure. The regulatory hurdles would be difficult, though I think not impossible, to overcome. And given that there’s no precedent for it (unless you count the CT-510), it would be a pretty risky endeavor, especially considering that it would require a lot of up-front investment to do properly. But for a team with guts and the right connections, I think it’s definitely doable, and I hope someone does it. (And when they do, they should know that I’ll take my thanks in the form of stock options!)

The post How a Domestic Game Console Could Win in China appeared first on Tech in Asia.


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DailyDose: Google to replace M&A head, to start a late stage group

Google to replace M&A head, to start a late stage group

Google Inc is replacing the head of its in-house mergers and acquisitions group, David Lawee, with one of its top lawyers, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Don Harrison, a high-ranking lawyer at Google, will replace Lawee as head of the Internet search company’s corporate development group, which oversees mergers and acquisitions. [Source]

Netflix CEO Hastings Faces SEC Action Over Facebook Post

Netflix Inc. and Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings said they may face a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil claim over a July Facebook post that coincided with the stock’s biggest gain in almost six weeks. SEC staff alleges Netflix and its CEO violated rules governing selective disclosure, according to a company filing yesterday. The July 3 post by Hastings said Netflix viewing “exceeded 1 billion hours” of videos in June. The shares rose 6.2 percent that day. [Source]

Russia’s Richest Man Says U.S. Tech Overvalued

Russia’s richest man, a billionaire named Alisher Usmanov, wasn’t one of the unlucky investors squashed by Facebook’s belly-flop of an initial public offering.

An early backer of Facebook, Usmanov managed to propel himself to the very top of the ranks of Russia’s wealthiest people this year with the well-timed sale of shares in the social networking  company. He sold a third of his Facebook holdings for $1.4 billion in the company’s May IPO, helping to bring his fortune to $17.2 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. [Source]

Crowd-Funding Site Indiegogo Is Going International

As crowdfunding continues to affect the lives of millions of people around the world, Indiegogo has been listening carefully to our global community of campaigners and contributors. With that, we’re very excited to announce some new enhancements to our global platform — currencies, languages and localized experiences — that will help our community in the UK, Europe, and Canada get more out of their crowdfunding experiences.

Starting today, Indiegogo will now support transactions through PayPal in Euros, Pounds Sterling, and Canadian Dollars — in addition to the US Dollar. Our hope is to give campaigners and contributors more bang for their buck/Euro/Pound/Dollar [Source]

Judge calls for global patent peace as Apple, Samsung fight again
A Thursday courtroom hearing went on for three and a half hours, bogging down with continual disagreements from both sides. Here’s a brief roundup of what happened in the first day of Apple and Samsung’s long appeals process. [Source]

China Unicom, Microsoft Forge Alliance To Boost Windows Phone Sales In China

The world’s third largest wireless operator, China Unicom, has today announced an alliance with Microsoft’s Windows Phone to help boost sales and provide more innovative Windows Phone devices in the Chinese market, reports the China Daily.

According to Analysys International, a Beijing-based research firm, Windows Phone holds less than 3 percent of the market in China, whereas Android came away with a 72 percent share in the third quarter of this year. [Source]


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SMS Your Stolen Motorbike to Get It Back

The S-Bike from Setech Viet | photo via http://www.baomoi.com/

Setech Viet, a small unknown one-and-a-half year old company in Ho Chi Minh city just released a device that allows you to text your own motorbike if you’ve lost it. This is a welcome product for Vietnamese folks concerned about their belongings being stolen off the city streets, and at 1,550,000 VND ($75), the anti-theft device is certainly affordable – especially since most new motorbikes run anywhere from $1000 to $20,000+.

With Vietnam’s burgeoning motorbike culture, at last count in 2011 – there were more than 33 million motorbikes in the country – it’s a massive market for a motorbike thief. So much so that the authorities are finding new and unique ways to address it. Just this week, the municipal police of Ho Chi Minh city declared a VND 5 million award (that’s US$250) to citizens that could catch a thief. Before any of the vigilantes start hitting the streets in capes and tights, Setech Viet is stepping in to give motorbike drivers some security.

The device, dubbed S-Bike, operates with a SIM installed, and receives texts from any phone. Pre-installed with its own Setech Viet software, when activated via the SIM card, the device can whistle, turn off the motorbike and even send GPRS coordinates (with a Google Map link).

The device echoes a similar idea from Indonesia by some clever young school kids, only that one was for cars. Android users will also be happy to know that Setech Viet has even released its own Android app. The problem the company may face, though, is a particularly clever thief population who have been known to disable even Apple’s Find My iPhone function.

The post SMS Your Stolen Motorbike to Get It Back appeared first on Tech in Asia.


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Trials and Tribulations of a Young VC in Southeast Asia

Google Map - Southeast Asia
It’s not easy to be a young venture capitalist (VC) in Southeast Asia. I know it because I’ve been one for the past three years at Neoteny Labs. Fred Wilson, who ...
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China State Administration: Chinese online video audience reached 450mn

image:cnaif.com

Online video outpaced social networks, becoming the most popular online service in terms of time spend, declared Luo Jianhui, director, department for online video and audio, SARFT(State Administration of Radio, Film and Television) , at CNAIF, the annual event organized by SARFT yesterday.

He revealed some numbers to conclude 2012:

  • Chinese online video audience reached 450mn, covering over 70% of the total Chinese internet users.
  • Mobile phone video audience surpassed 100mn.
  • OTT TV (over the top TV) devices cover over 30mn families.
  • IPTV, through CNTV and BesTV platform, reached 21mn households (The total cable TV households are 31.25mn.)
  • Online video advertising is estimated to surpass 9bn yuan ($1.45bn).

 

IPTV

According to DVBCN, a research and consulting agency in TV industry, IPTV households reached 28.3mn in the third quarter of 2012, even higher than the number, 21mn, released by SARFT. There are more IPTV users in southern provinces or cities such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. There are approaching 3mn in Guangdong.

Telecom operators partners with content providers, such as BesTV, offering videos on demand, subscription-based, and other value-added services. According to an industry insider (article in Chinese), IPTV “open rate” is even higher than that of conventional TV, for, apart from TV programs, users can access videos on demand, games, music and even education applications.

Carriers and authorized content providers would share subscription fees. Third-party application developers can get a revenue cut through paid value-added services. Guangdong division of China Telecom sees 25% of all users pay for premium content, games, movies, Karaoke, etc., according to the insider mentioned. He expects, in general, the average monthly revenue per user, excluding monthly subscription fees, can be 30 yuan ($5).

 

OTT TV

The representative of SARFT reiterated policies on internet TV:

1) content providers must have authorized SARFT licenses — the license for cable network operation isn’t applicable;

2) integration platforms must be built by authorized subsidiary bodies of SARFT;

3) device manufacturers must partner with authorized integration platforms, producing devices with serial numbers granted by SARFT and distributing them in three pilot cities, Shanghai, Changsha and Hangzhou.

In this case, Xiaomi Box has to apply for serial numbers — it determines how many devices can be shipped, only carries content from WASU — its license-holding partner, and sells products only in the three cities mentioned. Of course, Xiaomi can sell its set-up box as jailbroken Apply TV that will works well with the Doukan software.

The number of  households that have adopted OTT TV, 30mn, must only include set-up boxes and other devices that carry official content and be lower than the reality. Numerous manufacturers in southern China are producing devices that have same functions, if not even better, with those Xiaomi Box had claimed before SARFT stepped in. Some can make a device small enough or costs low enough. It’s not likely that SARFT will one day go after them, for this market is pretty fragmented — unlike some other devices that authorities at national level would order local governments to purchase from selected companies — that those manufacturers cannot be too big, or so foolish as Xiaomi Box to have a high-profile launch.

 

Related posts:

  1. China Online Video Roundup: Tencent, Advertising Money, iQiyi
  2. Chinese Online Video Sharing, Where Is The Way Out?
  3. Are Chinese More Willing to Pay for Online Video Content Now?


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“Creative” among the most overused words on Singaporean LinkedIn profiles

LinkedIn has shared a list of overused words according to contents of user profiles, with “creative” topping the list.

If your LinkedIn profile says you’re the creative or motivated type, then you have just used what can be considered a cliche on the professional network.

Want to know the most overused words by professionals this year? LinkedIn has gathered the most overused buzzwords based on LinkedIn Profiles for year 2012 and the word “creative” tops the list. Here are some of the dominant words in most of the profiles belonging to Singapore-based professionals.

2012 buzzwords
  1. Creative
  2. Motivated
  3. Track record
  4. Analytical
  5. Effective
  6. Responsible
  7. Interpersonal
  8. Dynamic
  9. Problem solving
  10. Innovative
2011 Buzzwords
  1. Track record
  2. Motivated
  3. Effective
  4. Creative
  5. Dynamic
  6. Innovative
  7. Problem solving
  8. Communication skills
  9. Extensive experience
  10. Interpersonal skills

Chan Ngee Key, career coach and strategist at YourOwn360, advises against using too many buzzwords on your professional profile. He says that being unique and different gives you a better chance to get noticed by companies and other professionals. Instead, elaborate on your experiences and accomplishments. This is definitely more convincing than labelling oneself as “creative,” he says.

Singapore shares the overuse of “creative” with the U.S., Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand, says LinkedIn. This is also the first year in which the word “analytical” has appeared in the list.

If any of these buzzwords ring a bell, perhaps it’s time to revamp your own LinkedIn profile. Check out the competition and see what everyone is doing to get ahead. Become a magnet for endorsements, and create that killer professional headline that entices potential hiring managers or investors to dig in deeper through your profile.

Featured Image Credits : Incorporating Movement

The post “Creative” among the most overused words on Singaporean LinkedIn profiles appeared first on e27.


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“Creative” among the most overused words on Singaporean LinkedIn profiles

LinkedIn has shared a list of overused words according to contents of user profiles, with “creative” topping the list.

If your LinkedIn profile says you’re the creative or motivated type, then you have just used what can be considered a cliche on the professional network.

Want to know the most overused words by professionals this year? LinkedIn has gathered the most overused buzzwords based on LinkedIn Profiles for year 2012 and the word “creative” tops the list. Here are some of the dominant words in most of the profiles belonging to Singapore-based professionals.

2012 buzzwords
  1. Creative
  2. Motivated
  3. Track record
  4. Analytical
  5. Effective
  6. Responsible
  7. Interpersonal
  8. Dynamic
  9. Problem solving
  10. Innovative
2011 Buzzwords
  1. Track record
  2. Motivated
  3. Effective
  4. Creative
  5. Dynamic
  6. Innovative
  7. Problem solving
  8. Communication skills
  9. Extensive experience
  10. Interpersonal skills

Chan Ngee Key, career coach and strategist at YourOwn360, advises against using too many buzzwords on your professional profile. He says that being unique and different gives you a better chance to get noticed by companies and other professionals. Instead, elaborate on your experiences and accomplishments. This is definitely more convincing than labelling oneself as “creative,” he says.

Singapore shares the overuse of “creative” with the U.S., Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand, says LinkedIn. This is also the first year in which the word “analytical” has appeared in the list.

If any of these buzzwords ring a bell, perhaps it’s time to revamp your own LinkedIn profile. Check out the competition and see what everyone is doing to get ahead. Become a magnet for endorsements, and create that killer professional headline that entices potential hiring managers or investors to dig in deeper through your profile.

Featured Image Credits : Incorporating Movement

The post “Creative” among the most overused words on Singaporean LinkedIn profiles appeared first on e27.


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English 2D Virtual Space “Ameba Pico” To Close

CyberAgent Inc. [J] has announced that they will terminate service of “AmebaPico” [J], their overseas 2D virtual space, by December 17th.

AmebaPico is a virtual space opened in March of 2010 as an English version of Ameba Pigg, and a Facebook app is also available.  Also they linked up with the American Mochi Media [J], who maintain online networks, and they offered official avatars for this service.  However according to the official blog announcement [J], due to limited development resources, they are no longer able to continue to offer new versions.  The same blog post calls for the use of all points, virtual currency, tokens, etc, by the service termination date.

related articles

  1. Ameba Pico, already number of users tops 1.5 million [J]
  2. Ameba Pico tops 1 million users [J]
  3. Ameba Pico tops 500,000 users [J]
  4. Ameba Pico Facebook app version, already user number tops 100,000 [J]
  5. Ameba Pigg finally heads overseas – English version “Ameba Pico” Released [J]

Translation authorized by VSMedia



English 2D Virtual Space “Ameba Pico” To Close


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iPhone 5 Now Available for Pre-Order in Indonesia, Delivers Next Friday

Apple’s latest handset, the iPhone 5 is set to be available on December 14th in Indonesia. Two operator partners – Telkomsel and Indosat XL Axiata have made their first move to sell the handset in the country, with the former becoming the first operator partner to open online pre-orders today. Telkomsel is dishing out the following bundling prices for the handsets. Interestingly, the bundling package is only available for the company’s Halo card users, and not for other Telkomsel SIM cards like Simpati and As.

We also have the converted rate for the iPhone 5:

Users would need to make a down-payment of IDR 500,000 ($52) at the pre-order registration process. Telkomsel believes that even in a market dominated by Blackberry, the iPhone 5 will be a big hit.

Customers who have pre-ordered their iPhones can pick up the gadgets at a few pick-up points located in Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya between December 14th to 16th. The telco operator wants to give its customers the convenience of reserving the phones online and picking the phones up without the hassle of queueing in lines because of the high demand.

Telkomsel plans to offer pre-paid bundling packages for Simpati users in the near future. For registration and more information, you can check here.

In the meantime, another mobile operator, XL Axiata, will also be starting iPhone 5 sales on December 14th at Xplor Centers in Central Park and Senayan City. The company promises comfort for customers during the queuing process with its ‘Antri Like a King’ program (antri means “queue”). The comforts XL Axiata promise include the ability for queuers to step out to buy food and take a walk without losing their place in the queue. The company even offers massages for tired customers at the event. You can register and check more information about it here.

The post iPhone 5 Now Available for Pre-Order in Indonesia, Delivers Next Friday appeared first on Tech in Asia.


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