Can Social Mobile Networks Surpass Internet Social Media in Pakistan?

For the last few years People of Pakistan have started expressing their thoughts and opinions – through Facebook, Twitter, blogging, text messages, rallies, and so on.

Now a common Pakistani is more aware of surroundings than he was ever before. The Electronic media and the internet have immensely educated the common Pakistani.

Now let’s focus on, why a mobile social network can be more feasible communication channel for a market like Pakistan? If we talk about numbers, there are 59 percent mobile phone users and 0.3 percent broadband subscribers, a mobile social network is surly a good idea for the region.

Hamari Awaz, Pringit and Chopaal are working examples. And they use SMS as channel for broadcast and not the GPRS. Meaning that if built properly, via SMS, communication with a community is not going to be expensive

Hamari Awaz

Hamari Awaz is no doubt can be of great value for a common person. However, architectural point of view it could perform even better. For instance, users can make groups at Hamari Awaz, which other mobile users join/subscribe to get updates.

This model could be better if it gives each mobile phone subscriber a unique identity or a user name just like (Facebook profile), and then if he was allowed to add his/her friends or vice versa, it could get much more demand and popularity.

Having said that, by definition, Hamari Awaz is ‘Mobile Group Broadcast’, not a ‘Mobile Social Network’

Due to its group broadcast nature and knowing that this project was backed by US Government, people avoided using it. Furthermore, Hamari Awaz is not a free service anymore, in fact you are charged for even receiving SMS – making it less popular with-in days.

Pringit

Pringit is another emerging Social Mobile Network, which can keep you posted about your friends’ twitter and Facebook updates.

Its blended nature with Facebook and twitter has overloaded Pringit experience. For instance, a user at Pringit gets updates from all of his Facebook and twitter friends, which lead to the mass-sms bombarding from Pringit and people started complaining. Eventually, they terminated their accounts or switched off SMS updates.

Pringit could have been a great place, if it had just allowed users to send/receive updates via SMS from and with-in Pringit community. Though, it is blessing for many users, but where is Pringit’s brand name in the whole process?

Chopaal

Chopaal is the pioneers in Mobile Social Networking but heavily criticized for its poor quality of service and delayed messages. In addition, their website down time is another threat for their business.

Prospects

The most crucial factor for Mobile Social Networking is message delivery time. For this purpose, cellular companies will have to come up with dedicated services to these social mobile networks, ensuring quality at feasible price.

Getting out of Twitter and Facebook is necessary, if we will have them included in our Mobile Social Networks; we are never going to achieve the glory.

Via ProPakistani.pk