Posted: November 17th, 2008 | Author: James Barnes | Filed under: Press releases | Comments Off
MACAU - Virtual International Mobile Network Operator, Morodo has announced the launch of an Affiliate and Reseller program, enabling everyone to share in the success of the popular MO-Call mobile international calling service.
Speaking at GSMA Asia Macau, where Morodo are exhibiting, Morodo Group Managing Director, Andrew Reid, said, “We had not planned on launching an Affiliate and Reseller program so soon but we were inundated with requests from around the world. It’s a great means of letting everyone share in the success of MO-Call.”
The MO-Call Affiliate program has been created to reward website owners for referring and creating new customers; Affiliates earn uncapped commission, in perpetuity, based on customer spending. The MO-Call Reseller program offers discount on volume airtime purchases. To join either program, simply visit www.mo-call.com
“Everyone wants to save money on international calls made from a mobile, MO-Call let’s you do just that.” Said Mr. Reid. “In the present economic climate, we believe the Affiliate and Reseller program will be a welcome source of extra income for members of the MO-Call global community.”
MO-Call enables low-cost international calling direct from a mobile phone, without the need to change mobile number, SIM or network. Offering seamless connection of low-cost calls, MO-Call provides savings of up to 90% over existing Mobile Network International Tariffs. The service works through a plug-in software application that can be downloaded, free of charge, from the MO-Call website www.mo-call.com
Morodo is exhibiting MO-Call at the GSMA Asia event in Macau from 18th – 20th November. Come and see Morodo in Hall D Stand B42. www.mobileasiacongress.com
Posted: November 15th, 2008 | Author: James Barnes | Filed under: blog | Comments Off
The Register posted an article this week about a subject that must be close to everyone’s heart at the moment: tariff transparency.
Seems that the gentlemen in grey from the UK telecom regulator, Ofcom, have once again been prompted into action to do something about telephony provider tariffs. Why? Because the public just cannot understand the tariff plans on offer and are fed up. Biggest amongst the complaints is switching network provider for a better deal that turns out to be more expensive.
Caveat emptor? In the world of mobile, bundling minutes and SMS has to be one of the greatest legitimised scams of all time. Ever tried to compare either prepaid or post-paid mobile plans? It’s hard and it should be a lot easier. More choice does not always equate to better value.
Once upon a time I sold corporate airtime from one of the world’s largest mobile operators to suits in the City of London. Were these companies offered bundled minutes and SMS? No, we would not insult their intelligence so. The offer? Straightforward line rental, service charges and per minute billing. Keep It Simple Stupid we would say.
We tried to keep MO-Call rates as easy as possible to understand. Despite the fact that MO-Call World can be a fairly complex service for the new-to-mobile to understand, we think that we have done just that. Plain per minute rates, no surcharges and no hidden fees.
PS: if you’re interested in seeing how we stack-up against our MO-Call competition, please have a look at this site: www.lowcostmob.com. We might not be the cheapest of the alternative operators but we like to think we are one of the best. If you live in one of our MO-Call Home countries, we’ll even give you some free credit to try before you buy.
Posted: November 9th, 2008 | Author: James Barnes | Filed under: blog | Comments Off
Phandroid has posted a noteworthy story on Huawei’s plan to launch a mobile based on Google’s Android Operating System in early 2009.
Huawei is well known locally as China’s Wolf in the Network Hardware business and in recent years has gobbled up Ericsson/Nortel/Lucent/Alcatel’s customers in this sector, supplying kit to British Telecom, Vodafone and France Telecom amongst others.
Huawei’s adoption of Android comes as no surprise. Firstly, I do not know one single mobile developer in Beijing who does not want to work on a Linux-based mobile platform. Secondly, whilst Symbian and Microsoft continue to sell OS licenses at between GBP 5 and GBP 10 per unit, who wouldn’t want to choose a ‘free’ OS?
Posted: November 9th, 2008 | Author: James Barnes | Filed under: blog | No Comments »
As smartphones are getting smarter, it’s good to see not-so-clever phones being blessed with a little more intelligence too.
Planning to build on the incredible success of the 1100 Ultra Low-Cost Handset (ULCH) Nokia has announced an upgrade to its ULCH range, introducing seven new low cost devices, each one packed with more features than ever before.
Pricing the mobiles from Euro 25 through to Euro 80, Nokia aims to capture the next billion unconnected consumers in the emerging markets and with missionary zeal, build that Brand.
Converting the masses to the Nokia experience is very much in evidence in the feature-set across new the ULCH range. Nokia’s Life Tools and Ovi Mail service offerings are as prominently promoted in the press kit as I am sure they will be in the packaging. Read the Nokia mantra.
And perhaps packaging is one of the key issues: many of these ULCHs will ship to sales channel as subsidised and bundled with a Network Operator prepaid SIM. How many will be ‘box-broken’ for the mobile and SIM to be sold separately? In the prepaid segment, how much greater is the consumer’s loyalty to the hardware than the Network bitpipe?
Network Operators should perhaps be watchful of Nokia pulling off an ‘iPhone’ in the emerging markets.
Amen to that.
Posted: November 3rd, 2008 | Author: James Barnes | Filed under: blog | 1 Comment »
Has the iPhone become so pervasive in the market as to be the lowest common denominator of smartphones? According to a post on IT World that was Slashdotted this weekend, it would seem that way. For the world outside America, Symbian still rules supreme but there is no denying the way that the iPhone has changed the common expectation of what a mobile can and should do.
Most Slashdot comments focused on the whys and wherefores of those on US$25,000 pa buying US$200 mobiles on US$70 pcm contracts. I’d argue that this focus detracts from a more interesting point: post iPhone everyone (and I really do mean everyone) expects more from their new mobile phone.
We expect our mobiles to be smart enough to cope with email, WiFi powered web-browsing, IM and a bunch of clever applications. Perhaps a significant segment is prepared to over-extend their budget to get what they want? Perhaps these people are switching off their fixed line to do so?
When we founded Morodo, a little under three years ago, some people thought we were mad to base our business on downloadable mobile apps. “Applications? Bah humbug! Ringtones, Games and Enterprise applications are all that’ll ever amount to.” They said. Now, Apple, Microsoft and Research In Motion are serving mobile download stores for the masses and the masses are coming.
The plug: Our flagship application, MO-Call, can save you money on every international call you make and can be used anytime, anywhere, without the need for an Internet connection. We planned ahead so that you could use MO-Call on practically any mobile you choose, over 1,100 at last count. Sign-up and download it for free. You’ll be very glad you did.
