Martin luther king jr Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Martin luther king jr - Research Paper Example This is also the case with his experiences in different regions of the African world, and of his successes and efforts in support of African emancipation.2 These experiences and efforts influenced King’s ideas of racial circumstances in the United States in reflective and philosophical ways, and they reveal a connection between King and the pervasive attention given to Africa and matters related to being African among blacks since the latter part of the 1960s. The thoughts and influence of King on Africans and the issue of African Diaspora is the focus of this research paper. A great deal of emphasis is given on King’s appreciation of ties and responsibilities between individuals of African lineage far and wide, and on his influences on the fight for African emancipation and self-determination. The pro-independence components in King’s ideas were conclusively shown in those areas of his oral and written works wherein he concentrated on particular issues confronte d by individuals of African lineage all over the globe.3 His emphasis on the situation of his fellow Africans in the U.S. has been widely studied and well documented. King articulated a profound concern for Africa’s fight against colonialism and racial discrimination. He proclaimed in 1956, â€Å"We could turn our eyes to Africa and notice there two hundred million black men and women under the pressing yoke of the British, the Dutch and the French. For years all of these people were dominated politically, exploited economically, segregated and humiliated†.4 King proclaimed a year afterward that â€Å"you also know that for years and for centuries Africa has been one of the most exploited continents in the history of the world†--- â€Å"the continent that has suffered all of the pain and affliction that could be mustered up by other nations†.5 King believes that the mistreatment and coercion imposed on Africa over the years were most apparent in the slave trade, which plundered West Africa’s Gold Coast. He also emphasized that the misuse and abuse of Africa by the white civilizations persisted until the 20th century, inhibiting not just the progress and expansion of West Africa, but the Union of South Africa and other areas of eastern, southern, and northern Africa.6 King’s perception of the African situation in general pushed him to believe in 1959 that â€Å"It is impossible for Angola to stand in Africa and not be affected by what is happening in Nigeria and Kenya and Rhodesia.†7 The interest of King in Africa was widely expressed in a variety of ways. In 1957, he positively responded to a private request from Prime Minister Kwane Nkrumah of Ghana to see the liberation of the Gold Coast. King’s wife, who accompanied him in the trip, portrayed the invitation of Nkrumah as â€Å"one of the most exciting things that happened to us,†8 and stressed that the prime minister â€Å"knew America well and had invited a number of outstanding American Negroes to share Ghana’s great day.†9 King also talked about the significance of the invitation of Nkrumah, arguing that it was an encouraging assertion of the Montgomery struggle and of the bonds that were forged between the Gold Coast and African Americans. The visit to Ghana, which is described in numerous documents as the â€Å"King’s first sojourn on the continent of his fathers†

Greek Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek Civilization - Essay Example It is upon this Achaean Wall that the quest for honor and justice prevails. Notably, â€Å"death in ten thousand shapes hangs ever over our heads, and no man can elude him: therefore let us go forward and either win glory for ourselves, or yield it to another† is a quote which basically means the determination of the warring armies around the legendary phenomenon to claim honor and justice for perceived past injustices as evident in Homeric Book XII. The place of timeh is the Achaean Wall. In the quest to die of honor if such a fate so reaches his army, Polydamas asks Hector to mobilize the soldiers and pass through the trench and the contested territory controlled by the Achaean army. Hector buys the idea, and all of the Trojans descend but for one senior member known as Asius (Moon, 2014). The army’s forward advance is driven by the determination to die of honor, and true to their mission, the enemy forces pin them down in the brutal confrontation. Their attempt to conquer the rampart with relative ease is thwarted. As the Trojans advance towards the enemy forces, they notice a rather important communication; above them, they come across an eagle holding a huge snake. The reptile confronts its captor fiercely, prompting the injured eagle soaked in blood to abandon the serpent. Polydamas interprets this sign to the effect that even though the Trojan army is superior to their enemy any attempt by them to storm the Achaean vessels with fire would result in their defeat. The resulting situation will force the Trojans into hasty retreats with heavy casualties. Hector disregards the sign and rebukes Polydamas saying that the army should construe the bird sign positively and seek justice for their country or retain their honor in death if they all die pursuing the noble cause (Presgonzlez, 2005). The two patriots and agents of justice move across the ramparts, mobilizing the soldiers. In the meantime, the Trojans led by Sarpedon and

What are the Main Differences Between Liberal and Radical Feminism Article

What are the Main Differences Between Liberal and Radical Feminism - Article Example According to Margaret Jackson (1995), the progress of the feminist activism and struggle started by a series of organized campaign in the British Victorian and Edwardian periods in regard to marriage, spinsterhood, and the sexual double standard. (p. 3) From then on, it has gathered steam, propelled by women activism as seen in literature, cultural and political campaigns advancing feminist engagement. However, as mentioned elsewhere in this paper, its history is fragmented, making it difficult to pinpoint its specific history or cultural tradition. All in all, the history of feminism is contingent on other political issues and social changes. As a political ideology, it has been made by women through different campaigns and moral surges, hence, its objectives and ethos varies through time. This dimension is highlighted by the fact that contemporary feminism has found expression in two principal forms: liberal feminism and radical feminism. Liberal Feminism The liberal feminism has been largely seen as positive social movement that only seeks gender equality in social political and economic roles and opportunities. It primarily seeks to bring women into the fold - fully participating in the mainstream society, exercising full privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in genuinely equal partnership with men. Since the 1700s, the liberal feminists have been important advocates vigorously campaigning for women's education and campaigning for equality of access and provision. As years passed, this advocacy extended its focus on individual rights, education, political and religious freedom, individual choice, and self-determination. Feminism has addressed gender inequalities through... This paper explores that feminism may have existed in the ancient times such as in Egypt and Greece, the concept as we of it today traces its roots from the struggle for female sexual autonomy as conceptualized in the nineteenth and early twentieth-century feminists in terms of emancipation of women from sex slavery. This essay stresses that the liberal feminism has been largely seen as positive social movement that only seeks gender equality in social political and economic roles and opportunities. It primarily seeks to bring women into the fold – fully participating in the mainstream society, exercising full privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in genuinely equal partnership with men. Since the 1700s, the liberal feminists have been important advocates vigorously campaigning for women’s education and campaigning for equality of access and provision. As years passed, this advocacy extended its focus on individual rights, education, political and religious freedom, individual choice, and self-determination. Feminism has addressed gender inequalities through their efforts and campaigns for inclusion within civil rights legislation, access to education, and equal opportunity. This feminist school’s main argument is that women are as rational as men. Liberal feminism h as, over the years, campaigned and achieved equal access to education and profession, property rights, suffrage, and all other rights enjoyed by men.

Reflections on interventions with vulnerable families Essay

Reflections on interventions with vulnerable families - Essay Example lients were teenagers suffering from mental health issues and this resulted after the clients started involving in drug abuse due to parental negligence. The best way of establishing and maintaining a professional relationship with the clients was through talking and educating them about the impact of drug abuse towards their health. The significant of family life education cannot be undervalued; however, it is vital to create good relationships with the client and their family because health relationships within the family are crucial to the well-being of children, adults and also the society as a whole. Social workers should understand that there is no family which is perfect but some families face enormous strains and trauma, without receiving any support or help and this can be detrimental to such vulnerable families (Ko, et-al, 2008). Supporting vulnerable families in the society is crucial; therefore, family support services should cover varied intervention programs. I made significant efforts of building trusting connections with the clients through understanding their needs, and addressing the environmental issues contributin g to health problems. Building trusting connections with the clients demands effective communication process; thus I learnt the significant of communicate efficiently with the clients in order to create mutual understandings. There is a form of oppressing attributed to issues of child negligence and poverty; in fact, these issues have significantly contributed to increased rate of drug abuse among the teenagers and youth. Consequently, increased cases of drug abuse have resulted to deteriorating mental health among the members of the public. In this case, this has led to a need for offering families and those who are involved, in order to empower them through various ways aimed at addressing issues that contribute to these problems. On the other hand, these problems can be solved by integrating effective strategies such as

To what extent should individusl liberties be compromised in the name Essay

To what extent should individusl liberties be compromised in the name of national security - Essay Example I will be presenting arguments in favor of individual liberties compromised in the name of national security and provide a counter argument, which I espouse. In this regard, I maintain that individual liberties should be minimally compromised, if possible not compromise at all, even in the name of national security due to the fundamental principles which serves as the country – freedom, equality and democracy. And because of the fact that United States is a country of immigrants. Generally, liberty presupposes the idea that a human person is a rational agent, capable of making decisions and has the freedom to act upon the decision that he/she has arrived. This is necessary in order for the human person to flourish and realize his/her potentialities. This presupposition is deemed inherent in all human beings as human beings. However, in reality, not everybody can do anything that he/she wants because it may cause harm to others. As such, people have decided to enter into an agreement creating the state so that they can live peacefully, continue living together and pursue the good life. In this sense, it can be impugned that the state is created by the people, for the people and through the people. In return, the state provides protection to life, liberty and properties of the people. However, 9/11 has created the condition wherein the state has to impinge on individual liberties in order to protect the lives and properties of the greater majority since after 9/11 â€Å"the home front has become the battlefront† (Wolfowitz 2002 as cited in Krikorian 461). In this sense, there are those who advocate the idea that the state in the name of national security should be given more room to infringe on individual liberties and that individual liberties should be curtailed to the extent that the protection and security of the

Contracts Business Law Essay Example for Free

Contracts Business Law Essay Contracts are often viewed as unnecessary in the eyes of the public. Most people think that they live their lives doing what they want, when they want with little regard for contractual law. In reality, contracts bind the decisions that most people make on a regular basis. By writing this article I will demonstrate the usefulness of contracts and how they relate to everyday life. I also intend to provide a reasonable idea of what would happen if we did not have contracts guiding decisions made. Because without contracts, the law would not know who to rule in favor of should the need arise, which happens on a daily basis all around the world. The basic definition of a contract is an agreement between two or more parties. This definition encompasses a great many things. If you take a look at the life of an average consumer, from the beginning of their day to the end of it, they make decisions based on factors that have been put in place by contracts. Our consumer wakes up in his home, which was bought from K. Hovnanian, a company that is well known for the designing homes and making people’s dream homes come to life. That house was built by contractors. By definition a contractor is a person or firm who contracts to build things. Electricians, carpenters, stonemasons, plumbers, home audio technicians, Sheet-rockers, painters, and floor specialists are all examples of contractors that were involved in making the consumers dream home come to life. However, K. Hovnanian does not have a contract with each of these types of contractors. Instead, they have a contract with a general contractor, who has agreed to hire each of the other types of contractors to complete the work necessary to make the house come to life. Our consumer works out a deal with K. Hovnanian for a certain price, which becomes the binding contract that K.  Hovnanian agrees to build the house for. The trademarks that K. Hovnanian uses to define who they are, is bound to them by a trademark agreement with the United States. According to the Legal Information Institute of Cornell University, A trademark is defined as â€Å"Any word, name, symbol, or design, or any combination thereof, used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from those of another and to indicate the source of the goods. † By registering this trademark our consumer is able to safely say that it is K. Hovnanian they are dealing and not someone who is pretending to be them. Once the home is completed then, the consumer would then bring in a third party, to the agreement: Bank of America. Bank of America has entered into an agreement with our consumer to pay K. Hovnanian for the home built. In turn, the consumer must pay back Bank of America over the next twenty years at a fixed interest rate the amount of money borrowed. This becomes a mortgage contract. According to the Legal information institute at Cornell University, â€Å"A mortgage contract, involves the transfer of an interest in land as security for a loan or other obligation. this is the most common method of financing real estate transactions. The mortgagor in this case K. Hovnanian is the party transferring the interest in land. The mortgagee, Bank of America, is the providing the loan given in exchange security. â€Å"Normally, a mortgage is paid in installments that include both interest and a payment on the principle amount that was borrowed. † Now that our consumer has bought his home and is moving in, a decision is made to buy items for the home that will be necessary for the consumer to live comfortably. Our consumer goes to Kmart and uses their Visa credit card to pay for a number of items such made by brand name companies such as Martha Stewart Living or Craftsman, the bill of sale, otherwise known as the receipt, is an agreement to pay the store for the amount of goods purchased. However, that is only the basics of the idea. The long process of agreements that we do not see and probably do not think about is there is a contract for every minor detail, allowing this transaction to happen. The consumer uses their Visa to purchase these goods up to a pre-determined dollar amount. Therefore, a request was made by the consumer to purchase the merchandise being sold by Kmart using Visa and, in turn an agreement was made with Visa to pay back in due time the amount for the goods purchased, plus interest of course. In turn, Kmart has agreed to honor Visa as per their contract with Visa. They worked out an agreement before hand to accept Visa, which would increase their sales and Visa would be allowed to keep a small percentage of the sale for the ability to use their services. However, to use the services provided by Visa, Kmart must have an agreement with a company that allows them to go beyond their store via electronic communications. The use of services through a company such as Verizon would be necessary. Verizon provides high speed internet as well as telephone services to companies like Kmart to allow them to access outside of the walls of the business. Therefore, Kmart enters into a binding contract with Verizon, for a pre-determined amount of time and a pre-determined amount of money allowing Kmart to use the services Verizon provides. Now that Kmart has the means to reach the outside world, they must purchase equipment, such as MagTek equipment, that would allow Kmart to use the Visa card allowing consumers to make a purchase on credit for goods that Kmart Provides. According to MagTek’s Website, â€Å"MagTek is a manufacturer of electronic devices and systems for the reliable issuance, reading, transmission and security of cards, checks, PINs and other identification documents. † Among the electronic devices, is a magnetic strip reader allowing consumers to use Visa credit cards to make purchases. Kmart also has an agreement with Omnimedia, the owning entity of the Martha Stewart living products, and Craftsman, a company that makes tools for everyday use. This type of agreement is known an exclusive dealing arrangement. According to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University, â€Å"Exclusive dealing arrangements are, essentially, requirement contracts in which a seller agrees to sell all or a substantial portion of its products or services to a particular buyer, or when a buyer similarly agrees to purchase all or a portion of its requirements of a product or service from a particular seller. This means that Kmart buys all of its tools from craftsman or all of its household items from Omnimedia. The reverse to this, is that Craftsman or Omnimedia may have an exclusive dealing arrangement in which they agree not to sell their products to competing companies or franchises. As you can see, there is much more going on in behind the curtains of a typical day, so that the consumer is able to live their life. These are only a handful of examples of what parts of our lives contracts have an impact on. There are many more out there. The opposite of having a life filled with contracts, is having one without them, which would likely be a life filled with chaos. Imagine the same scenario in the last few pages, but without contracts binding the many parties involved. Our consumer would set out to buy a home which they decide to do business with K. Hovnanian. On a handshake and a smile K. Hovnanian agrees to build the home, but changes things that the consumer specifically said he wanted to alter the price of the home. After a couple of weeks K.  Hovnanian contacts our consumer to let them know that they were able to secure the land, but the price will be higher. Reluctantly, the consumer agrees, after all this is a dream home that is being built. Another two weeks goes by, and K Hovnanian calls and says construction is right on schedule and that the house will be completed within the next couple of weeks. K Hovnanian and our consumer come to an agreement of money and the consumer has his bank give the money to K. Hovnanian as agreed. After a couple of Months of communication silence, the consumer gets agitated and goes to the lot where his house was being built. There is no house and no construction crew. He goes to the location where K. Hovnanian was only to find out they have closed their doors and left. After contacting some sources to find out the whereabouts of K. Hovnanian, the consumer finds out that the company he has been dealing with was not K. Hovnanian at all, just someone taking advantage of people using the K. Hovnanian name to get money for free. The one contract in all of this that our consumer did setup was with Bank of America for his Mortgage, which is now legally binding. The consumer cannot pay the mortgage and therefore his credit gets destroyed because of a failure to pay and a foreclosure on a home he never saw, which makes it so he never had a Visa card to pay for the purchases from Kmart. Because there was no contract, there was no crime. The company doing business as K. Hovnanian was not wrong because there is no copyright or trademark contract protecting the K. Hovnanian name. The consumer gave them money even though nothing had been in writing and no formal contract was made. In the end, this consumer was taken advantage of because contracts for the situation did not exist. The United States has placed many laws to protect the rights of companies and the trademark they possess. â€Å"Section 1127 Construction and definitions; intent of chapter,† is the chapter in US Code that defines the parameters in which a company may define or lose definition of their trademark. In turn, â€Å"The Lanham Act† protects the owner of a federally registered trademark from anyone not authorized, to use it (http://www. gpoaccess. gov/uscode/). Also under United States Code under section 1454, is the protection of consumer’s rights when making purchases of land by obtaining a mortgage. These rights are put in place to protect the Bank issuing the mortgage, as well as, the consumer. All in all, Contracts are a part of our everyday lives whether we want it to be or not. They may not always be seen nor the effects of it so obvious, but they are there, and their purpose is to protect all parties involved from entering an agreement without understanding and respecting the rights of the other parties of the contract.

Business Potential of Data Solutions

Business Potential of Data Solutions 1. AUTHORISATION The project â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market† has been done during my Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India during February to May of 2011, as a partial fulfillment of the requirement of PGPM program of IBS Kolkata. 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India was a great learning experience for me. The project was quite interesting as the telecom industry is a highly evolving industry in India with intense competition and lots of changes happening. The project would not have been a smooth run for me without the help of lots of people. I would like to mention Mr. Saugat Kumars (company guide) help at Vodafone with respect to practical exposure to the telecom industry. He had given me thorough insight into the dynamics of the telecom industry and also facilitated practical exposure through variety of activities. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Siddhartha Kars (marketing manager) guidance regarding project formulation, questionnaire designing and chalking out a plan towards effective execution of the project. Also, there were a lot of other people at Vodafone, who helped me to understand this industry and work through my project. In the academic front, I would like to mention the support of my faculty guide Prof. Bhaskar Basu and my SIP coordinator Dr. Subir Sen. They have given me constant guidance throughout my project regarding academics and SIP formalities. Most importantly, I am grateful to my family who had been always supportive and encouraging in all my endeavors. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As part of my Summer Internship Program of IBS Kolkata, I got an opportunity to do an assignment at Vodafone India. The project was â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market†. Vodafone is one of the premier telecom companies globally and getting an opportunity to work there helped me gain a lot of exposure in the corporate world. The Telecom is a high volume industry in India with lot of competition. The Telecom industry in India is divided into 23 circles and around 14 telecom service providers are presently operating in these circles. The most prominent among the service providers are Vodafone, Airtel, Reliance Communication, Tata Teleservices, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Aircel, Uninor etc. The telecom products and services can be broadly classified into voice and data. The data solutions primarily include data cards, Blackberry services, mobile internet, internet leased line and wireline broadband. Vodafones business operations are broadly classified into business and consumer divisions. My project was in the business division and was focused into the SME market of Kolkata. For Vodafone, a SME company is typically a company with annual turnover ranging from 10 to 250 crore rupees. The SME market of Kolkata is highly diversified with companies ranging from various industries, which include manufacturing, en gineering, IT/ ITES, healthcare, education, hospitality, financial services, travel tourism, logistics, real estate, trading (whole sellers/ retailers), pharmaceuticals, etc. In the initial phase of my summer internship at Vodafone, I was required to do secondary research about the telecom industry (both national and global). From the secondary research, I learnt a great deal about the major telecom companies, telecom products services, evolution of telecom technologies and the key operational issues of the telecom industry. Next I was given exposure to field operations through tele-marketing, visiting SME clients, traveling with the sales team, visiting distributors of the company and market mapping. The field exposure helped me to get a feel of the market at the basic level. This exposure later proved to be hugely beneficial when I started doing market survey. The methodology of the project was to do a market research on a sample (consisting of SME companies in the Kolkata area). For time constraints, the sample size was kept at 65. Questionnaire was designed and market survey was conducted. Analysis was done on the data collected, ranging from SME company profiles, market size of the sample with respect to different products, client perception regarding various attributes of telecom service providers, competition among service providers and future SME market implications. From the initial analysis it was found that the SME clients are highly demanding with respect to value they are getting and the price of the products. They were highly aware of their businesss end to end operations and knew very well what kind of products would add value to their business operations. Regarding data solutions, wireless data has huge potential in the coming years. The whole project helped me to learn a lot about the telecom industry and also get exposure to the sales marketing operations of a MNC company like Vodafone. 5. INTRODUCTION The Telecom Industry has evolved a great deal over the past two decades. Advancement in communication and information technology has changed the industry structure dramatically. Earlier our communication needs were restricted to landline phones. But now almost everybody has a mobile phone connection. Mobile phones have changed our lives immensely. It has given us the power of communication anytime anywhere. At present the industry is going through tremendous transformation with the convergence of telecommunication, information technology and computer technology and thus making vast resources of information available in the palm of our hands. Wireless internet is the latest trend in the industry with the advent of 3G technology and in the long term there should be information boom, with gradual advancement towards LTE (long term evolution) and 4G. Wireless internet boom has already been experienced outside India mainly in North American, European and South East Asian markets. It has e ntered India quite late with roll out of 3G and is expected to create huge impact in our social and professional lives. This project is only concerned with the business potential of data solutions. Before going deep into the project let me give a brief idea about the telecommunication industry, telecommunication technologies, major telecom players and various products services. 5.1. TELECOM INDUSTRY: MARKET SCENARIO 5.1.1. GLOBAL SCENARI By the end of 2010, there was an approximately 5.3 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, including 940 million subscriptions to 3G services. Access to mobile networks is now available to 90% of the world population and 80% of the population living in rural areas. People are moving rapidly from 2G to 3G platforms, in both developed and developing countries. In 2010, 143 countries were offering 3G services commercially, compared to 95 in 2007. Towards 4G: a number of countries have started to offer services at even higher broadband speeds, moving to next generation wireless platforms they include Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and the United States. Mobile cellular growth is slowing worldwide. In developed countries, the mobile market is reaching saturation levels with on average 116 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2010 and a marginal growth of 1.6% from 2009-2010. At the same time, the developing world is increasing its share of mobile subscriptions from 53% of total mobile subscriptions at the end of 2005 to 73% at the end of 2010. In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates was expected to reach 68% at the end of 2010 mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. India and China alone were expected to add over 300 million mobile subscriptions in 2010. In the African region, penetration rates would reach an estimated 41% at the end of 2010 (compared to 76% globally) leaving a significant potential for growth. The number of Internet users has doubled between 2005 and 2010. In 2010, the number of Internet users would surpass the two billion mark, of which 1.2 billion would be in developing countries. A number of countries, including Estonia, Finland and Spain have declared access to the Internet as a legal right for citizens. With more than 420 million Internet users, China is the largest Internet market in the world. While 71% of the population in developed countries are online, only 21% of the population in developing countries are online. By the end of 2010, Internet user penetration in Africa would reach 9.6%, far behind both the world average (30%) and the developing country average (21%). While in developing countries 72.4% of households have a TV, only 22.5% have a computer and only 15.8% have Internet access (compared to 98%, 71% and 65.6% respectively in developed countries). At the end of 2010, half a billion households worldwide (or 29.5%) would have access to the Internet. In some countries, including the Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Sweden, more than 80% of households have Internet access, almost all of them through a broadband connection. The number of people having access to the Internet at home has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. There has been strong growth in fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions, in both developed and developing countries. At the end of 2010, fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions would reach an estimated 555 million globally (or 8% penetration), up from 471 million (or 6.9% penetration) a year earlier. Despite these promising trends, penetration levels in developing countries remain low: 4.4 subscriptions per 100 people compared to 24.6 in developed countries. The developing worlds share of fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions is growing steadily. By the end of 2010, the developing world would account for an estimated 45% of global subscriptions (up from 42% five years earlier). Africa still lags behind when it comes to fixed (wired) broadband. Although subscriptions are increasing, a penetration rate of less than 1% illustrates the challenges that persist in increasing access to high-speed, high-capacity internet access in the region. With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed connections. For example, at the minimum broadband speed of 256 kbps, downloading a high-quality movie takes almost 1 ½ days compared to 5 minutes at a connection speed of 100 Mbps. With increase in GDP per capita, the propensity to consume increases and thus increases the availability of various services. In the above figure, GDP per capita and the penetration level of broadband services are mapped against each other. Countries like USA, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Canada have high per capita GDP and the broadband penetration is also high in these countries. South Korea has comparatively low per capita GDP but very high broadband penetration. On the other hand, UAE and Saudi Arabia have comparatively high per capita GDP, but their broadband penetration is low. Brazil, Russia and China have comparatively low per capita GDP and their broadband penetration is also low. India is nowhere in the picture in terms of broadband penetration. Data business is seeing a steady growth across global markets. In 2010, data revenue generated per subscriber is highest in US Canada followed by Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. According to Vodafone, the future of telecom business lies in the mobile data category with majority of the revenue share being generated from there. In 2014, an estimated $337bn revenue will be generated from mobile data business, almost $138bn increase from 2010. India and China are the two emerging economies with substantial number of mobile customers and still having average mobile penetration level at 45% and 54% respectively, thus making them highly lucrative markets for mobile phone service providers. With a high GDP growth, market customers growth and potential for SIM penetration, India is a high value market. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers Globally (by number of subscribers) (www.knowledgebase-script.com) Globally, China Mobile is in the first position (522m subscribers), followed by Vodafone (333m), Telefonica (202m), America Movil (201m) and Telenor (172m). Two Indian companies Bharti Airtel (125m) and Reliance Communication (100m) are in the top 15 list. 5.1.2. INDIAN SCENARIO The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 671.69 million in Jun-10 to 723.28 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a sequential growth of 7.68% over the previous quarter as against 8.11% during the QE Jun-10. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 42.09% over the same quarter of last year. The overall tele-density in India has reached 60.99 as on 30th September 2010. Subscription in Urban Areas grew from 452.59 million in Jun-10 to 487.07 million at the end of Sep-10, taking the Urban Tele-density from 128.20 to 137.25. Rural subscription increased from 219.09 million to 236.21 million, and the Rural Tele-density increased from 26.43 to 28.42. The share of Rural subscribers has increased slightly to 32.66% in total subscription from 32.62% in Jun-10. About 66.83% of the total net additions have been in Urban areas as compared to 63.47% in the previous quarter. Rural subscription recorded a decline in rate of growth during the quarter, from 9.18% in Jun-10 to 7.81% in Sep-10. Rate of growth for Urban subscription increased marginally from 7.61% in QE Jun-10 to 7.62% in QE Sep-10. With 52.21 million net additions during the quarter, total wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base registered a growth of 8.21% over the previous quarter and increased from 635.51 million at the end of Jun-10 to 687.71 million at the end of Sep-10. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth over the same quarter of last year is 45.79%. Wireless Tele-density reached 57.99. Wireline subscriber base further declined from 36.18 million at the end of Jun-10 to 35.57 million at the end of Sep-10, bringing down the wireline Tele-density from 3.06 in Jun-10 to 3.00 end of Sep-10. Internet subscribers increased from 16.72 million at the end of Jun-10 to 17.90 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth rate of 7.02%. Top 10 ISPs together hold 95% of the total Internet subscriber base. Number of Broadband subscribers increased from 9.47 million at the end of Jun-10 to 10.30 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth of 8.79% and Y-O-Y growth of 42.93%. The growth in the number of Broadband subscribers during the quarter and also on Y-O-Y basis is more or less similar to the growth in the overall telephone subscriber base. Share of Broadband subscription in total Internet subscription increased from 56.7% in Jun-10 to 57.6% in Sep-10. 86.89% of the Broadband subscribers are using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM-Full Mobility service declined by 10.16%, from Rs.122 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.110 in QE Sep- 10, with Y-O-Y decrease of 33.1%. ARPU for CDMA full mobility service declined by 1.34%, from Rs.74 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.73 in QE Sep-10. ARPU for CDMA has declined by 17.5% on Y-O-Y basis. GSM subscription continues to grow at a faster rate. At the end of Sep-10, GSM subscribers constituted 84.12% of the wireless market. The GSM subscribers were 578.49 million at the quarter ending Sep-10 as against 527.62 million at the end of the previous quarter, showing a growth of 9.64%. Bharti with 143.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest GSM mobile operator, followed by Vodafone (115.55 million). The CDMA subscriber base increased to 109.22 million during the quarter ending Sep-10 from 107.88 million at the end of previous quarter, thereby showing a growth rate of 1.23%. Reliance with 55.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest CDMA mobile operator. However, in terms of net additions during the quarter, Sistema added the highest number of subscribers (1.54 million), followed by Tata (1.20 million), rest of the service providers recorded decline in subscribers. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers (GSM) in India (by number of subscribers in million, 2010) (www.trai.gov.in) 5.2. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY 5.2.1. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY FRAMEWORK TRAI The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the independent regulator established in 1997 by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India. DoT The Telecom Commission and the Department of Telecommunications are responsiblefor policy formulation, licensing, wireless spectrum management, administrative monitoring of PSUs, research and development and standardization/validation of equipment etc. WPC The Wireless Planning and Co-ordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications, created in 1952, is the National Radio Regulatory Authority responsible for Frequency Spectrum Management, including licensing and caters for the needs of all wireless users (Government and Private) in the country. It exercises the statutory functions of the Central Government and issues licenses to establish, maintain and operate wireless stations. WPC is divided into major sections like Licensing and Regulation (LR), New Technology Group (NTG) and Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA). SACFA makes the recommendations on major frequency allocation issues, formulation of the frequency allocation plan, making recommendations on the various issues related to International Telecom Union (ITU), to sort out problems referred to the committee by various wireless users, etc. TDSAT TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) was set up in May 2000 by the government of India. The TDSAT was set up so that it can adjudicate over disputes that arise in the telecommunication sector. TDSAT was established with the view to protect the interest of the consumers and service providers of the telecommunication sector and also to encourage and ensure the growth of the telecommunication sector. The various functions of TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) are that it can adjudicate any disputes that arise between a group of consumers and service providers, a licensee and a licensor, and also between two or more than the service providers. 5.2.2. INDIAN TELECOM CIRCLES The Indian telecom sector is divided into 23 circles which are as follows: Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar and Jharkhand Chennai Delhi NCR Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Kolkata Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Maharashtra and Goa (except Mumbai) Mumbai North East Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Tamil Nadu (except Chennai) UP(E) UP(W) West Bengal (except Kolkata) Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata (www.vodafone.in) 6. VODAFONE Vodafone Group plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the worlds largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the worlds second-largest measured by subscribers (behind China Mobile), with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of November 2010. It operates networks in over 30 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries. It owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, the second largest mobile telecommunications company in the United States measured by subscribers. The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones. Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It had a market capitalization of approximately  £92 billion as of November 2010, making it the third largest company on the London Stock Exchange. It has a secondary listing on NASDAQ. Vodafones operations are categorized in two divisions: Consumer This division caters to the B2C market and primarily operates like a FMCG company. Business This division caters to the B2B market and operates more like a corporate services company. Vodafone Indias ‘Business division is operational in 9 circles. Vodafones Business division operates through marketing sales team and service team. The marketing sales team again operates through KAM (key account manager) They give direct and highly customized service to the corporates and government and are meant for organizations having annual turnover greater than rupees 100 crores. Channel Partner CP is responsible for giving service to small organizations having annual turnover less than rupees 100 crores. 7. VODAFONE: SWOT ANALYSIS 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT IN BRIEF We have to explore the SME market of Kolkata region and identify client needs in terms of data solutions. We also need to compare Vodafone with its competitors in terms of product offerings in the areas of business data solutions for the SME segment. Finally, we need to evaluate the business potential of the Kolkata SME segment in terms of data solutions for Vodafone, both at present and in the near future. 9. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT To find understand the requirement of data solutions in Kolkata SME base (business sector specific data solution requirements). To estimate the market size of data solutions in the Kolkata SME base. To compare the data solutions of Vodafone with its competitors. To forecast future product/ service requirements in Kolkata SME base. 10. KOLAKATA SME MARKET The Kolkata region is largely composed of SME companies rather than large MNCs. For Vodafone, a SME would typically be a company, whose annual turnover is in the range of rupees 10 to 250 crores. Vodafone (Kolkata circle) has divided Kolkata region into 6 zones CBD 1 (central business district), CBD 2, North, South, Howrah and Hoogly. The main concentration of SME business in Kolkata is in the central business district area comprising of Dalhousie, BBD Bag, Esplanade, Central Avenue, Burrabazaar, AJC Bose Road, Chowringhee, Park Street, Park Circus, Camac Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Sarat Bose Road, Minto Park, etc. A lot of SME companies in Kolkata will also fall in the IT/ ITES category, which are mainly concentrated at Sector V, Salt Lake and Rajarhat New Town. Typical features of a SME would be: Small workforce Unorganized Will look for more value for money Less buying power compared to corporates Key decision maker would be one or two individuals for all operations 11. VODAFONE: PRODUCTS SERVICES The various products and services of Vodafone that we are dealing with are as follows: Wireless Data Solutions (2G/ 3G)  § Data Cards/ USB Dongles  § Blackberry Plans  § Vodafone Mobile Connect Fixed Line  § Voice  § Data Machine to Machine Solutions  § Telemetry Solutions  § Vehicle Tracking/ People Tracking/ Asset Tracking Solutions  § Security Solutions Bulk SMS Toll Free Numbers Audio/ Video Conferencing VPN (virtual private network) GVN (global virtual number)/ Interactive SMS 3G specialized products  § Office in a Box (1 3G simcard, 1 fixed line slot, 4 slots LAN + Wi-fi)  § Wi-mi (1 3G simcard, 5 Wi-fi connections) 12. SUMMARY OF THE WORK DONE Initially, we did secondary research on global Indian telecom market, evolution of telecom technologies, SME market, latest trends in the telecom industry (3G, 4G, Machine to Machine solutions, LTE) and various telecom products services. Next, we were given field exposure in terms of tele-marketing, traveling with FOS (Fleet on Street) team, visiting SME clients, visiting company channel partners and market mapping. Next, we designed questionnaire keeping in mind the project objectives. Finally, we conducted market survey. The learning that we achieved by doing the above tasks are of tremendous value for the execution of our project. It not only gave us an insight into how we were going to approach the project but also an invaluable ground level market exposure. From the field exposure we got a clear picture about the micro level sales operations of the telecom business, the Kolkata SME market overview and most importantly the soft skills of client handling. The learning outcomes of the activities undergone are briefly described below. Activity Learning Outcomes Secondary Research Got an overview of the telecom sector (global national) Became aware of the major telecom companies Came to know about the various telecom products services Learnt about the evolution of telecom technologies Also learnt about the latest trends in the telecom industry Got an idea of the SME sector business structure Tele Marketing Learnt the art of sales pitch Learnt about telephone etiquette Got an idea of how to communicate to a business client Learnt about how to influence a potential customer and close a deal Traveling with FOS Got an idea about the basic level sales and client handling operations of a telecom company Got practical experience of face to face business negotiations Learnt about how to keep business relationship with clients Channel Partner visits Learnt about the sales distribution of a telecom company in the B2B sector Got an idea of the operations of a channel partner Learnt about how company and channel partner operations are integrated SME client visits Got a feel of the Kolkata SME companies Became aware of the client expectations from a telecom service provider Got an idea of the clients perception of Vodafone and its products services Learnt about how to professionally handle clients and responsibly execute tasks Market Mapping Exploration of the Kolkata business areas and identification of prospective clients Business Potential of Data Solutions Business Potential of Data Solutions 1. AUTHORISATION The project â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market† has been done during my Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India during February to May of 2011, as a partial fulfillment of the requirement of PGPM program of IBS Kolkata. 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Summer Internship Program at Vodafone India was a great learning experience for me. The project was quite interesting as the telecom industry is a highly evolving industry in India with intense competition and lots of changes happening. The project would not have been a smooth run for me without the help of lots of people. I would like to mention Mr. Saugat Kumars (company guide) help at Vodafone with respect to practical exposure to the telecom industry. He had given me thorough insight into the dynamics of the telecom industry and also facilitated practical exposure through variety of activities. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Siddhartha Kars (marketing manager) guidance regarding project formulation, questionnaire designing and chalking out a plan towards effective execution of the project. Also, there were a lot of other people at Vodafone, who helped me to understand this industry and work through my project. In the academic front, I would like to mention the support of my faculty guide Prof. Bhaskar Basu and my SIP coordinator Dr. Subir Sen. They have given me constant guidance throughout my project regarding academics and SIP formalities. Most importantly, I am grateful to my family who had been always supportive and encouraging in all my endeavors. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As part of my Summer Internship Program of IBS Kolkata, I got an opportunity to do an assignment at Vodafone India. The project was â€Å"Business potential of data solutions in the Kolkata SME market†. Vodafone is one of the premier telecom companies globally and getting an opportunity to work there helped me gain a lot of exposure in the corporate world. The Telecom is a high volume industry in India with lot of competition. The Telecom industry in India is divided into 23 circles and around 14 telecom service providers are presently operating in these circles. The most prominent among the service providers are Vodafone, Airtel, Reliance Communication, Tata Teleservices, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Aircel, Uninor etc. The telecom products and services can be broadly classified into voice and data. The data solutions primarily include data cards, Blackberry services, mobile internet, internet leased line and wireline broadband. Vodafones business operations are broadly classified into business and consumer divisions. My project was in the business division and was focused into the SME market of Kolkata. For Vodafone, a SME company is typically a company with annual turnover ranging from 10 to 250 crore rupees. The SME market of Kolkata is highly diversified with companies ranging from various industries, which include manufacturing, en gineering, IT/ ITES, healthcare, education, hospitality, financial services, travel tourism, logistics, real estate, trading (whole sellers/ retailers), pharmaceuticals, etc. In the initial phase of my summer internship at Vodafone, I was required to do secondary research about the telecom industry (both national and global). From the secondary research, I learnt a great deal about the major telecom companies, telecom products services, evolution of telecom technologies and the key operational issues of the telecom industry. Next I was given exposure to field operations through tele-marketing, visiting SME clients, traveling with the sales team, visiting distributors of the company and market mapping. The field exposure helped me to get a feel of the market at the basic level. This exposure later proved to be hugely beneficial when I started doing market survey. The methodology of the project was to do a market research on a sample (consisting of SME companies in the Kolkata area). For time constraints, the sample size was kept at 65. Questionnaire was designed and market survey was conducted. Analysis was done on the data collected, ranging from SME company profiles, market size of the sample with respect to different products, client perception regarding various attributes of telecom service providers, competition among service providers and future SME market implications. From the initial analysis it was found that the SME clients are highly demanding with respect to value they are getting and the price of the products. They were highly aware of their businesss end to end operations and knew very well what kind of products would add value to their business operations. Regarding data solutions, wireless data has huge potential in the coming years. The whole project helped me to learn a lot about the telecom industry and also get exposure to the sales marketing operations of a MNC company like Vodafone. 5. INTRODUCTION The Telecom Industry has evolved a great deal over the past two decades. Advancement in communication and information technology has changed the industry structure dramatically. Earlier our communication needs were restricted to landline phones. But now almost everybody has a mobile phone connection. Mobile phones have changed our lives immensely. It has given us the power of communication anytime anywhere. At present the industry is going through tremendous transformation with the convergence of telecommunication, information technology and computer technology and thus making vast resources of information available in the palm of our hands. Wireless internet is the latest trend in the industry with the advent of 3G technology and in the long term there should be information boom, with gradual advancement towards LTE (long term evolution) and 4G. Wireless internet boom has already been experienced outside India mainly in North American, European and South East Asian markets. It has e ntered India quite late with roll out of 3G and is expected to create huge impact in our social and professional lives. This project is only concerned with the business potential of data solutions. Before going deep into the project let me give a brief idea about the telecommunication industry, telecommunication technologies, major telecom players and various products services. 5.1. TELECOM INDUSTRY: MARKET SCENARIO 5.1.1. GLOBAL SCENARI By the end of 2010, there was an approximately 5.3 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, including 940 million subscriptions to 3G services. Access to mobile networks is now available to 90% of the world population and 80% of the population living in rural areas. People are moving rapidly from 2G to 3G platforms, in both developed and developing countries. In 2010, 143 countries were offering 3G services commercially, compared to 95 in 2007. Towards 4G: a number of countries have started to offer services at even higher broadband speeds, moving to next generation wireless platforms they include Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and the United States. Mobile cellular growth is slowing worldwide. In developed countries, the mobile market is reaching saturation levels with on average 116 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2010 and a marginal growth of 1.6% from 2009-2010. At the same time, the developing world is increasing its share of mobile subscriptions from 53% of total mobile subscriptions at the end of 2005 to 73% at the end of 2010. In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates was expected to reach 68% at the end of 2010 mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. India and China alone were expected to add over 300 million mobile subscriptions in 2010. In the African region, penetration rates would reach an estimated 41% at the end of 2010 (compared to 76% globally) leaving a significant potential for growth. The number of Internet users has doubled between 2005 and 2010. In 2010, the number of Internet users would surpass the two billion mark, of which 1.2 billion would be in developing countries. A number of countries, including Estonia, Finland and Spain have declared access to the Internet as a legal right for citizens. With more than 420 million Internet users, China is the largest Internet market in the world. While 71% of the population in developed countries are online, only 21% of the population in developing countries are online. By the end of 2010, Internet user penetration in Africa would reach 9.6%, far behind both the world average (30%) and the developing country average (21%). While in developing countries 72.4% of households have a TV, only 22.5% have a computer and only 15.8% have Internet access (compared to 98%, 71% and 65.6% respectively in developed countries). At the end of 2010, half a billion households worldwide (or 29.5%) would have access to the Internet. In some countries, including the Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Sweden, more than 80% of households have Internet access, almost all of them through a broadband connection. The number of people having access to the Internet at home has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. There has been strong growth in fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions, in both developed and developing countries. At the end of 2010, fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions would reach an estimated 555 million globally (or 8% penetration), up from 471 million (or 6.9% penetration) a year earlier. Despite these promising trends, penetration levels in developing countries remain low: 4.4 subscriptions per 100 people compared to 24.6 in developed countries. The developing worlds share of fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions is growing steadily. By the end of 2010, the developing world would account for an estimated 45% of global subscriptions (up from 42% five years earlier). Africa still lags behind when it comes to fixed (wired) broadband. Although subscriptions are increasing, a penetration rate of less than 1% illustrates the challenges that persist in increasing access to high-speed, high-capacity internet access in the region. With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed connections. For example, at the minimum broadband speed of 256 kbps, downloading a high-quality movie takes almost 1 ½ days compared to 5 minutes at a connection speed of 100 Mbps. With increase in GDP per capita, the propensity to consume increases and thus increases the availability of various services. In the above figure, GDP per capita and the penetration level of broadband services are mapped against each other. Countries like USA, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Canada have high per capita GDP and the broadband penetration is also high in these countries. South Korea has comparatively low per capita GDP but very high broadband penetration. On the other hand, UAE and Saudi Arabia have comparatively high per capita GDP, but their broadband penetration is low. Brazil, Russia and China have comparatively low per capita GDP and their broadband penetration is also low. India is nowhere in the picture in terms of broadband penetration. Data business is seeing a steady growth across global markets. In 2010, data revenue generated per subscriber is highest in US Canada followed by Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. According to Vodafone, the future of telecom business lies in the mobile data category with majority of the revenue share being generated from there. In 2014, an estimated $337bn revenue will be generated from mobile data business, almost $138bn increase from 2010. India and China are the two emerging economies with substantial number of mobile customers and still having average mobile penetration level at 45% and 54% respectively, thus making them highly lucrative markets for mobile phone service providers. With a high GDP growth, market customers growth and potential for SIM penetration, India is a high value market. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers Globally (by number of subscribers) (www.knowledgebase-script.com) Globally, China Mobile is in the first position (522m subscribers), followed by Vodafone (333m), Telefonica (202m), America Movil (201m) and Telenor (172m). Two Indian companies Bharti Airtel (125m) and Reliance Communication (100m) are in the top 15 list. 5.1.2. INDIAN SCENARIO The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 671.69 million in Jun-10 to 723.28 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a sequential growth of 7.68% over the previous quarter as against 8.11% during the QE Jun-10. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 42.09% over the same quarter of last year. The overall tele-density in India has reached 60.99 as on 30th September 2010. Subscription in Urban Areas grew from 452.59 million in Jun-10 to 487.07 million at the end of Sep-10, taking the Urban Tele-density from 128.20 to 137.25. Rural subscription increased from 219.09 million to 236.21 million, and the Rural Tele-density increased from 26.43 to 28.42. The share of Rural subscribers has increased slightly to 32.66% in total subscription from 32.62% in Jun-10. About 66.83% of the total net additions have been in Urban areas as compared to 63.47% in the previous quarter. Rural subscription recorded a decline in rate of growth during the quarter, from 9.18% in Jun-10 to 7.81% in Sep-10. Rate of growth for Urban subscription increased marginally from 7.61% in QE Jun-10 to 7.62% in QE Sep-10. With 52.21 million net additions during the quarter, total wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base registered a growth of 8.21% over the previous quarter and increased from 635.51 million at the end of Jun-10 to 687.71 million at the end of Sep-10. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth over the same quarter of last year is 45.79%. Wireless Tele-density reached 57.99. Wireline subscriber base further declined from 36.18 million at the end of Jun-10 to 35.57 million at the end of Sep-10, bringing down the wireline Tele-density from 3.06 in Jun-10 to 3.00 end of Sep-10. Internet subscribers increased from 16.72 million at the end of Jun-10 to 17.90 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth rate of 7.02%. Top 10 ISPs together hold 95% of the total Internet subscriber base. Number of Broadband subscribers increased from 9.47 million at the end of Jun-10 to 10.30 million at the end of Sep-10, registering a quarterly growth of 8.79% and Y-O-Y growth of 42.93%. The growth in the number of Broadband subscribers during the quarter and also on Y-O-Y basis is more or less similar to the growth in the overall telephone subscriber base. Share of Broadband subscription in total Internet subscription increased from 56.7% in Jun-10 to 57.6% in Sep-10. 86.89% of the Broadband subscribers are using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM-Full Mobility service declined by 10.16%, from Rs.122 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.110 in QE Sep- 10, with Y-O-Y decrease of 33.1%. ARPU for CDMA full mobility service declined by 1.34%, from Rs.74 in QE Jun-10 to Rs.73 in QE Sep-10. ARPU for CDMA has declined by 17.5% on Y-O-Y basis. GSM subscription continues to grow at a faster rate. At the end of Sep-10, GSM subscribers constituted 84.12% of the wireless market. The GSM subscribers were 578.49 million at the quarter ending Sep-10 as against 527.62 million at the end of the previous quarter, showing a growth of 9.64%. Bharti with 143.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest GSM mobile operator, followed by Vodafone (115.55 million). The CDMA subscriber base increased to 109.22 million during the quarter ending Sep-10 from 107.88 million at the end of previous quarter, thereby showing a growth rate of 1.23%. Reliance with 55.29 million subscribers continues to be the largest CDMA mobile operator. However, in terms of net additions during the quarter, Sistema added the highest number of subscribers (1.54 million), followed by Tata (1.20 million), rest of the service providers recorded decline in subscribers. Figure: Market Share of Telecom Service Providers (GSM) in India (by number of subscribers in million, 2010) (www.trai.gov.in) 5.2. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY 5.2.1. INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY FRAMEWORK TRAI The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the independent regulator established in 1997 by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India. DoT The Telecom Commission and the Department of Telecommunications are responsiblefor policy formulation, licensing, wireless spectrum management, administrative monitoring of PSUs, research and development and standardization/validation of equipment etc. WPC The Wireless Planning and Co-ordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications, created in 1952, is the National Radio Regulatory Authority responsible for Frequency Spectrum Management, including licensing and caters for the needs of all wireless users (Government and Private) in the country. It exercises the statutory functions of the Central Government and issues licenses to establish, maintain and operate wireless stations. WPC is divided into major sections like Licensing and Regulation (LR), New Technology Group (NTG) and Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA). SACFA makes the recommendations on major frequency allocation issues, formulation of the frequency allocation plan, making recommendations on the various issues related to International Telecom Union (ITU), to sort out problems referred to the committee by various wireless users, etc. TDSAT TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) was set up in May 2000 by the government of India. The TDSAT was set up so that it can adjudicate over disputes that arise in the telecommunication sector. TDSAT was established with the view to protect the interest of the consumers and service providers of the telecommunication sector and also to encourage and ensure the growth of the telecommunication sector. The various functions of TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal) are that it can adjudicate any disputes that arise between a group of consumers and service providers, a licensee and a licensor, and also between two or more than the service providers. 5.2.2. INDIAN TELECOM CIRCLES The Indian telecom sector is divided into 23 circles which are as follows: Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar and Jharkhand Chennai Delhi NCR Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Kolkata Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Maharashtra and Goa (except Mumbai) Mumbai North East Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Tamil Nadu (except Chennai) UP(E) UP(W) West Bengal (except Kolkata) Business Potential of Data Solutions in the Kolkata SME MarketPage 1 Soumya Santa Dwari 10BSP0611 PGPM 2010 12, IBS Kolkata (www.vodafone.in) 6. VODAFONE Vodafone Group plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the worlds largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the worlds second-largest measured by subscribers (behind China Mobile), with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of November 2010. It operates networks in over 30 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries. It owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, the second largest mobile telecommunications company in the United States measured by subscribers. The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones. Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It had a market capitalization of approximately  £92 billion as of November 2010, making it the third largest company on the London Stock Exchange. It has a secondary listing on NASDAQ. Vodafones operations are categorized in two divisions: Consumer This division caters to the B2C market and primarily operates like a FMCG company. Business This division caters to the B2B market and operates more like a corporate services company. Vodafone Indias ‘Business division is operational in 9 circles. Vodafones Business division operates through marketing sales team and service team. The marketing sales team again operates through KAM (key account manager) They give direct and highly customized service to the corporates and government and are meant for organizations having annual turnover greater than rupees 100 crores. Channel Partner CP is responsible for giving service to small organizations having annual turnover less than rupees 100 crores. 7. VODAFONE: SWOT ANALYSIS 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT IN BRIEF We have to explore the SME market of Kolkata region and identify client needs in terms of data solutions. We also need to compare Vodafone with its competitors in terms of product offerings in the areas of business data solutions for the SME segment. Finally, we need to evaluate the business potential of the Kolkata SME segment in terms of data solutions for Vodafone, both at present and in the near future. 9. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT To find understand the requirement of data solutions in Kolkata SME base (business sector specific data solution requirements). To estimate the market size of data solutions in the Kolkata SME base. To compare the data solutions of Vodafone with its competitors. To forecast future product/ service requirements in Kolkata SME base. 10. KOLAKATA SME MARKET The Kolkata region is largely composed of SME companies rather than large MNCs. For Vodafone, a SME would typically be a company, whose annual turnover is in the range of rupees 10 to 250 crores. Vodafone (Kolkata circle) has divided Kolkata region into 6 zones CBD 1 (central business district), CBD 2, North, South, Howrah and Hoogly. The main concentration of SME business in Kolkata is in the central business district area comprising of Dalhousie, BBD Bag, Esplanade, Central Avenue, Burrabazaar, AJC Bose Road, Chowringhee, Park Street, Park Circus, Camac Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Sarat Bose Road, Minto Park, etc. A lot of SME companies in Kolkata will also fall in the IT/ ITES category, which are mainly concentrated at Sector V, Salt Lake and Rajarhat New Town. Typical features of a SME would be: Small workforce Unorganized Will look for more value for money Less buying power compared to corporates Key decision maker would be one or two individuals for all operations 11. VODAFONE: PRODUCTS SERVICES The various products and services of Vodafone that we are dealing with are as follows: Wireless Data Solutions (2G/ 3G)  § Data Cards/ USB Dongles  § Blackberry Plans  § Vodafone Mobile Connect Fixed Line  § Voice  § Data Machine to Machine Solutions  § Telemetry Solutions  § Vehicle Tracking/ People Tracking/ Asset Tracking Solutions  § Security Solutions Bulk SMS Toll Free Numbers Audio/ Video Conferencing VPN (virtual private network) GVN (global virtual number)/ Interactive SMS 3G specialized products  § Office in a Box (1 3G simcard, 1 fixed line slot, 4 slots LAN + Wi-fi)  § Wi-mi (1 3G simcard, 5 Wi-fi connections) 12. SUMMARY OF THE WORK DONE Initially, we did secondary research on global Indian telecom market, evolution of telecom technologies, SME market, latest trends in the telecom industry (3G, 4G, Machine to Machine solutions, LTE) and various telecom products services. Next, we were given field exposure in terms of tele-marketing, traveling with FOS (Fleet on Street) team, visiting SME clients, visiting company channel partners and market mapping. Next, we designed questionnaire keeping in mind the project objectives. Finally, we conducted market survey. The learning that we achieved by doing the above tasks are of tremendous value for the execution of our project. It not only gave us an insight into how we were going to approach the project but also an invaluable ground level market exposure. From the field exposure we got a clear picture about the micro level sales operations of the telecom business, the Kolkata SME market overview and most importantly the soft skills of client handling. The learning outcomes of the activities undergone are briefly described below. Activity Learning Outcomes Secondary Research Got an overview of the telecom sector (global national) Became aware of the major telecom companies Came to know about the various telecom products services Learnt about the evolution of telecom technologies Also learnt about the latest trends in the telecom industry Got an idea of the SME sector business structure Tele Marketing Learnt the art of sales pitch Learnt about telephone etiquette Got an idea of how to communicate to a business client Learnt about how to influence a potential customer and close a deal Traveling with FOS Got an idea about the basic level sales and client handling operations of a telecom company Got practical experience of face to face business negotiations Learnt about how to keep business relationship with clients Channel Partner visits Learnt about the sales distribution of a telecom company in the B2B sector Got an idea of the operations of a channel partner Learnt about how company and channel partner operations are integrated SME client visits Got a feel of the Kolkata SME companies Became aware of the client expectations from a telecom service provider Got an idea of the clients perception of Vodafone and its products services Learnt about how to professionally handle clients and responsibly execute tasks Market Mapping Exploration of the Kolkata business areas and identification of prospective clients