THAI DEVELOPERS EYE SLICE OF GLOBAL PIE

The new era of computing, which is its transformation into mobile computing, especially through smart-phone applications, is opening the doors for Thai developers to find a niche in the global market in a short time.

 

There has been rapid growth in the use of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets. It is estimated that 623 million smart phones will come into the worldwide market this year, while the worldwide smart-phone market last year was 1.08 billion units. The smart-phone market in the Asia-Pacific region this year is expected to grow by 31 per cent, with 117 million units coming into the market. Meanwhile, one in five of those mobile phones are using smart phones. 

 

In Thailand last year, there were 10 million units of smart phones, a 25-per-cent increase from 2010. This year, it is expected that the smart-phone market in Thailand will grow 47 per cent from 2011.

 

This market is significant for software developers because smart phones give them boundless market reach. 

 

AIS commits on mobile app

 

Developers will directly benefit from the rapid growth of mobile-device usage as mobile technology offers the opportunity for new generations of developers to access the world market because it bypasses the network of operators while gaining higher revenue share. Therefore, operators will have to join the bandwagon and partner closely with the developers.

 

Last week, the largest local mobile operator, Advanced Info Service (AIS), launched its newest project called “AIS The Start Up” to encourage developers to be partners of AIS. 

 

AIS vice president of value-added service, Pratthana Leelapanang, said that the company’s direction is to expand the partnership with developers through three models of assistance – joint marketing, joint development, and joint venture. 

 

Currently, AIS has about 250 to 300 local content and service providers. The expansion of the smart-phone market is going very fast and the company needs to have more application partners to help it offer services to the market. 

 

“This year, we have to expand our partnership to the thousands of talented application developers,” said Pratthana. 

 

He added that in alliance with SingTel Group, AIS can not only offer more than 30 million AIS subscribers in the Thai market, but it can also offer developers the potential market of 412 million subscribers of SingTel. 

 

“The market is very huge. Only service providers and content providers cannot capture the whole market. It needs the community of developers to provide applications, which fits the market’s needs. That’s why AIS has set up “AIS The Start Up” project, which is expected to be a long-term community between AIS and developers,” said Pratthana.

 

He added that this move is a further step from late last year when AIS had kicked off “AIS Start Up Weekend 2011”. The activity was the starting point for AIS to step into this area.

 

AIS Start Up Weekend 2011 was also the starting point for some newly set-up companies who had joined the project and currently have been turning their ideas into commercial applications and services.

 

Five teams turn new entrepreneurs

 

After participating in the two-day workshop at AIS Start-Up Weekend 2011, five new software companies with potential products for the market have emerged. They are Chatterbox, ShopSpot, LikeMe, GotIt, and Flowz. Most of them are start-ups by young people who have the passion to develop mobile software to serve not only the Thai market but also reach abroad as they realise that mobile application is a boundless market and not limited to a domestic area. 

 

Chatterbox is a mobile application that bridges content providers and broadcasters with their audiences, with the purpose of creating an augmented channel for entertainment and user-engagement. The application will be launched early August. It will be launched for both iOS and Android devices. 

 

ShopSpot is a mobile application enabling consumer-to-consumer mobile commerce. It is designed to facilitate quick sales by individuals through three instant steps: snap-tag-post. The app makes buying and selling items as easy as sending a tweet. Users just download ShopSpot into their iPhone or iPad, then sign in and register as a member – a one-time procedure. Then they can create their account and immediately start selling their stuff. The company plans to launch ShopSpot on the Android platform and a version for iPad in the next couple of months. 

 

The LikeMe concept is a “get most liked privileges from the brand you love, and have fun with friends like you”, said Thanachot Wisuttismarn, chief executive officer and co-founder of LikeMe. He said LikeMe is a mobile application for iOS and Android platforms aimed at facilitating people to get privilege from brands they interact with in their daily life. Just download the LikeMe app and login with Facebook account. People will experience many brands offering privileges. 

 

The application is scheduled to be launched by the end of this month and is expected to have at least 45,000 download by the end of this year. The revenue is designed to stream from partnerships with brands who can offer their privileges through the app. The team converted itself into a company this month with Bt1 million registered capital. It aims to serve the Thai market and then in the next three years it aims to serve mobile users in the Asia region.

 

GoiIT is a mobile application developed for serving brand loyalty. Chotirot Ouratthatrakul, co-founder of GotIt, said that GoiIT partners with businesses in Thailand to facilitate people to get the loyalty program easier with their mobile phone. Just download the app and then sign on, with a new created account or with Facebook account. Then, when they use the services at any shops who are partners of GotIt, they just open the app and scan the QR code at the shop to collect the points for getting loyalty rewards. 

 

Ten brands have signed up as GotIt’s partners, and 30 brands are in negotiations. By the end of this year, it aims to have totally 60 brands and it expects to have 26,000 downloads of the app by the end of this year. 

 

Flowz is a mobile app designed to deliver new privilege experience and fun activities to users and also to enable businesses to create a public relations channel via customary royalty programme to customers targeted at ages between 18-40 using social network and smart phones.  The service will be available in June for iOS and Android.