Sri Lanka's mobile sector is expected to consolidate in the next 12 months seeing the number of mobile service providers in the market reduced to three.

BMI View: Improved monetisation opportunities will arise from consolidation in Sri Lanka's mature mobile market. Although consumer choice will be diluted as the number of operators shrinks from five to three, the increased scale enjoyed by the survivors means they will focus less on pricing and more on service quality for growth. Sector profitability will improve with a shift away from price-based competition.

Sri Lanka's mobile sector is expected to consolidate in the next 12 months seeing the number of mobile service providers in the market reduced to three. According to Hindu Business Line, Airtel, the smallest operator in the market, has been negotiating with rival Etisalat since June 2013 concerning the sale of its operations but deal terms have yet to be finalised. Second-ranked Mobitel agreed to acquire fourth-placed Hutchison in February 2014 pending regulatory approval. BMI believes slower sector growth prospects and low EBITDA margins are forcing smaller players to leave the market.

BMI forecasts mobile subscriptions to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.1% between 2013 and 2018, compared with the 13.1% growth seen in the preceding five year period. Tariff discounts have been the main driver for multiple SIM adoption, but operators now need to innovate and introduce more appealing services to both attract and retail customers as well as growing their bottom lines. The shift in market dynamics makes it harder for smaller players to compete as scale is needed to justify investment in new services and products.

Online Transactions via ComBank Visa Debit Card..

So this is the story and latter the news.

Today (27/07/2012) I wanted to book two tickets for tomorrow's (28/07/2012) show on 1.30pm at the renovated Savoy 3D cinema for ICE AGE 4 movie and I couldn't go to Sampath bank and top up my Sampath Webcard before 3pm.

So I was bit upset and thought to just try my Commercial Bank Visa Debit Card. And I entered my card details there and Voila....!!! Here it accepts the card and now it is asking for a "One-Time Password" (OTP). I was wondering what is OTP and from where can I get it..?

Right away I made a call to ComBank Hotline which is 0112353353 and asked whether I can make online transactions using my Visa Debit card. The operator said the feature is available since two months back now and you just have to do is pairing your mobile number to the Visa Debit card. Then I asked whether it is possible to do it now via a call and he said I have to go to a branch and request it in written. #Sigh ! =[

Then I thought to talk to my friend who works at Commercial Bank and ask her help to activate this immediately. She got me through and activated it within 15mins. #Win ! =]

After that I tried to book the tickets again and at the below stage, I got a text to my mobile number with six digits.

I entered it and double VOILA !!! I made it Yes I made it !!! The online transaction was successfully and I booked the tickets even though there is a little crack on the screen of Savoy 3D cinema as I heard. #Hehe ;]

Pros:

1. No need of having webcards, credit cards to make an online transaction anymore.

2. Quite secure with one-time password which comes directly to your mobile.

Cons:

1. Bit risky - depending on how you safeguard your mobile phone and wallet.
2. Friends will ask to do online payments for them. :P

Tips:

1. Never keep your mobile phone and wallet (with Debit Card) together.
2. Double check your bank statements. Always.
3. Never do online payments at unsecured websites.

Conclusion:

• That means CBSL has given their approval to use Commercial Bank Visa Debit Cards for online transactions.
• Better future for people who do online businesses.
• More people will be doing online transactions.

Bus Vs. Car and My Visits

Yesterday I was at Kantale on the Eastern side of Sri Lanka, doing an introduction on social media for the students at one of the telecentres located there.

I have been there more than four times now and most of the times I visit there by public transport (bus). Yesterday I went there by a Toyota Prius which is a hybrid car. (Should note that we did not have to pay a lot since it is one of our friend's vehicle) I felt like ummm.. I should have gone by a bus or the train when I was heading back. I was asleep most of the time when I was inside the vehicle and A/C plus music was there to make more comfort.

Despite the fact that the Prius is very very very comfortable and luxurious, I still prefer public transport. It gives me more freedom to interact with unknown people, hear what they talk, how they behave, what they do and don't. My stress gets relieved with those and updating my knowledge about people.

I'm a huge SOCIAL animal and I love talking to people. When I have to do a lecture or facilitate a workshop, I start a discussion with the audience. In the first 30 minutes, I'm trying my best to understand the pulse of my audience. Then I change my tone and what I talk according to that. Even though, I have already prepared a presentation or a lineup, I never hesitate to change it instantly to match with the people in the audience.

I do never get tired of talking to people. Each minute I pass with the people, gives me energy to talk more and more and I share that energy with the audience to keep them active and energized.

People love to listen, only if we talk what they like to hear. I always keep that in mind when I speak. And I believe that there is nothing great, like sharing the knowledge.

P.S: I hate when I have to use microphone.

Online Local Marketplaces in Sri Lanka..

Thought to write a blog post after few weeks.. Hmm.. A month may be.. This time it is about Facebook and the little little shops (chooti chooti kada) in it.

Recently I came across about hundreds of groups and Facebook pages (open groups mostly) on Facebook which are there to sell and exchange new and used goods like mobile phones, electronic items etc. I noticed that those groups are administrated by few individuals and there about thousands of members posting their goods for sale or exchange.

They are doing it quite very well when compared to the physical marketplaces that we visit daily. They don't know each other at all most of the time. What they all do is this:

1. Joining to a group (like Sri Lanka Shop, Faceshop)

2. Uploading a picture of the item (Mostly the original item or a picture from an online source sometimes)

3. Description of the item (Specification, Usage, Defects, warranty etc..)

4. Expected Price or the expected goods to be exchanged

5. Contact details (Phone number or asking to drop a message)

6. And Hit 'Post' finally..

Then begins the bargain. This is the best part I have seen. People come to the discussion and comment below it asking many questions. Some people say price is too high and shows evidence by posting some links grabbed from ebay or similar source. Same time, few people argue that price is fine but the delivery is the issue. And some may put few review article about the device. And discussion goes on. So many buyers are there and what seller waste is only few minutes online. Then one person calls to the seller and doing the sale.

Also there are some closed groups which are like the proprietary trading shops where there is only one seller and rest of the people are customers. And some people use Facebook pages as their online shop. Some may use the both closed groups and Facebook pages. Most of them do not have physical shops at a town or somewhere but they do deliver the goods within a certain area for free of charge. I have seen some success cases like that and I have even bought few goods from them. I will write a separate post about it later.

I have seen this happening only in the cities like Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Kurunegala and some other major cities. It would be great if there are groups or Facebook pages serving this purpose for the people in rural areas who are already using social media. Personally I have witnessed that most of the youth in rural areas are now on Facebook and what they only need is guidance on how to do these and use effectively for their wealth.

I believe that the Social Media Networks are the greatest tool that the rural entrepreneurs can utilize to explore new market and increase their income.

Friends & Enemies..!!

So UN Resolution on Sri Lanka war crimes probe has adopted today by the majority of 24 votes.. Yes, we won't give a single eff about that, but will pin point our friends and enemies on the atlas.. Biggest one is India obviously..

List of Friends:

Congo

Mauritania

Uganda
Bangladesh

China

Kuwait

Indonesia

Maldives

Philippines

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Thailand

Cuba

Ecuador

Russia

List of Enemies:

Benin

Cameroon

Djibouti

Libya

Mauritius

Nigeria

India

Chile

Costa Rica

Guatemala

Mexico

Peru

Uruguay

Austria

Belgium

Italy

Norway

Spain

Switzerland

United States

Czech Republic

Hungary

Poland

Moldova

Romania

Chris Pfeiffer Sri Lanka Street Tour..

So after few weeks, thought to write again bit about biking and stuffs.. It was bit tough for me to ride my bike in last few days. Rain + Heavy traffic + Strikes + Picketing are there everyday.. Anyway I heard that Chris Pfeiffer, the well-known motor bike stunt rider is coming back to Sri Lanka for a show almost after two years..

Around the world, he is popular for his breathtaking motor bike stunts. Chris came to Sri Lanka in 2009, in an event sponsored and organized by Red Bull Sri Lanka. He entertained Sri Lankan public with some stunning motor bike and bicycle performances as well during his visit to Sri Lanka.. Below are some video clips taken in his last visit..

This time the organizers Red Bull Sri Lanka is planning to bring the show outstation. First show will be happening in Jaffna on 01st of March 2012 and I see that's good move. People in rural areas have less chances to witness these kind of events. I hope this will make a difference in selecting venues for future international events as well.

However, for the people who lives in Colombo and suburbs can see the stunts on 3rd of March at 3pm near Nelum Pokuna and at around 5pm near World Trade Center.

I missed last show of him in 2009 and wish I won't miss this time. ;] Hope everybody will make it to the show. It's FREE. =]

Official Event Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/180133498761786/

A Review on Kapruka Gift Delivery Service..

This time thought to write a little review on Kapruka Gift Delivery Service which is quite popular among Sri Lankans living in abroad.

This week one of my closest friend, hmm.. I'd say a To-be-A-Relation had her birthday on the 25th and I wanted to send her something to make her surprise. So the best and easiest option I had was Kapruka.

I wanted to send some flowers in the morning on 25th to her office at boralesgamuwa. So I made a call to the hotline number [+ 94-11-2823336] of Kapruka and asked how long will it take to deliver if it's within Colombo. A girl answered the phone and said they can deliver the goods tomorrow if I place the order today before 9pm in the evening.

So I visited their site which is www.lanka.info and searched for an affordable flower bouquet. The ready-made flower bouquets were quite expensive for ME at least, so I searched for custom-made flower bouquets and found the link here. However their minimum total for custom flower arrangement is USD 5.00. That's alright with me so I ordered a flower arrangement for USD 11.76 with a vase. I paid it through my Sampath Webcard and got the order confirmation email right after I did the payment.

So on the day after, sharp at 11.54am I got another email saying that order was successfully delivered to the address. And it was really quick confirmation I'd say. Because at 11.56am sharp, I got the call from my friend and she thanked me saying it's so beautiful. I was surprised how fast Kapruka is. They could confirm the receipt just two minutes before my friend does. I guess they did it through mobile or like something. And on the day after receipt, I received below email with the thank you note from my friend and it is so touching to see her handwriting.

Finally I can say that I'm a happy and satisfied customer of an online business platform in Sri Lanka. =]