The Knowledge to Decide

As wearable technology grows, attention is shifting to internables. These are internal sensors in our bodies used to measure wellbeing. Internables may well become the new wearables. We are naturally looking for better ways of living, trying to minimize our time spent on mundane chores but maximizing productivity. The ability to augment our sensory abilities with advanced technology might herald a new beginning. For instance, the Sgnl smart strap – developed by Innomdle Lab – enables a user to make phone calls with their fingertips, via a mobile device. Will the ability to augment sensory abilities with technological advances become a reality? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/internables-next-big-thing-in-wearable-technology/

Natural calamities and war often cause chaos, where many people become homeless or displaced. That is when people often want to contact their loved ones to tell them they are safe. However at such times, the communications infrastructure often takes a hit. Providing medical aid, food and shelter also becomes difficult for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and aid agencies without proper communications. This is where innovation can play a role. The Vodafone Foundation – the telecom giant’s charity – has developed an instant ‘network mini’ which is an 11kg backpack that contains a 2G mobile network. It offers a 1km coverage radius with a 6-hour battery back-up and a small solar panel. Is mobile technology set to change global disaster relief communications? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/mobile-technology-a-beacon-of-hope-during-natural-calamities/

Mobile business in India has never been better. According to studies, Micromax, Lava and Intex – prominent Indian smartphone brands – expect a whopping 100% year-on-year revenue growth from 2015 to March 2016 due to surge in smartphone sales and rising average sale prices. Moreover, the rise of Made-in-India brands such as Micromax, Karbonn, Lava and Zen are taking the smartphone market in India by storm as they emerge as the top five smartphone brands across the nation. For instance, Micromax expects a 50% growth in sales from INR10,949 crore in 2014. Catering to the whims of consumers who now demand cost-effective models with high-end features, market players are making a beeline for India’s market. Will Indian handset manufacturers be able to compete against global, established players? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/made-in-india-handset-market-continues-to-grow/

Asia’s mobile market is poised for growth. As competition intensifies, brands are increasingly customizing their approaches to the unique needs of the Asian mobile customer. Spire Research and Consulting shared insights on key trends in Asia’s vast mobile market, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog. Global mobile technology brands are excited about the 85% mobile phone penetration in vast countries like India, China and Indonesia. At the same time, there are still over 400 million people in Asia who do not have a mobile phone, which suggests plenty of room to grow. What will set top brands apart? Three brands are taking the competition to a whole new level in the region and here is how: Xiaomi is a popular Chinese brand which has made headway into the Indian market with its recent fourth flash sale – marking a record 11,500 mobile phone units sold per second! Xiaomi’s popularity stems from its low price points ranging between USD200 and USD300, combine

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Indonesia make up much of the nation’s economic and employment activity. MSEs constitute 98% of all businesses and provide 94% of employment. To explore the market potential of this ‘unbanked’ segment, Spire Research and Consulting conducted a study to evaluate potential demand for Mobile Money and Branchless Banking services (MM & BB). The findings of the study were published in a report released by TNP2K, a public-private coalition of Indonesian and international agencies working towards poverty reduction. Spire’s study was conducted across four provinces, namely Bali, South Sulawesi, West Java and South Sumatra. 400 survey interviews with MSE owners and 16 Focus group discussions were conducted in August and September 2013. The findings revealed that MSEs can potentially make use of a number of MM & BB services wherein neither the gender nor the province of the MSE owner would be a hindrance. This is due to the fact that women fo

Vietnam’s rural population is still struggling with access to basic financial services. With the high mobile penetration rate, can mobile phones be a platform to address their needs? Yap Far Loon, Business Development Director, Telecommunications at Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights on the untapped potential for mobile financial services to serve Vietnam’s rural population in The Saigon Times Daily. According to a Spire report, an astounding 60 million people in Vietnam do not have access to basic financial services. Only 22% of the population – predominantly those residing in urban areas – have access to financial services. Why are the rural areas being left out? Yap opined that high costs are the main reason. For instance, the cost of installation, maintenance, operation and location rental for Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) alone exceeds VND300 million annually. Moreover, as rural transaction volumes are low, economies of scale are limited, making it even

Mobile and digital banking are now the drivers of rural banking. Many banks in South East Asia are intensively reaching out to the rural unbanked population. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views on this growing industry trend in FST Media. Bahar observed that many banks in Indonesia are now targeting the unbanked. Only about a quarter of the Indonesian population has access to traditional banking services. Besides, with Indonesia’s mobile phone usage running at over a 100 per cent penetration rate, it is natural for banks to offer mobile financial solutions to the unbanked. To better target this market, some banks are partnering with microfinance institutions to enable the unbanked to sign up for a bank account the paperless way. These institutions would then help users to conduct banking transactions via their mobile devices. Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia, has launched a pilot program, ‘Mobile Payment S