Beeline Moscow: is it really "Kids" and how "first"?

Not so long ago we wrote about the open rate "Mobile pensioner." We talked, among other things, an active "hilling" of individual market segments in terms of saturation SIM-cards in the Moscow region. With all the retirees are more or less clear, indeed many interested. And the fare is not bad, for it can be and limp to the office with a pension certificate. But "Children First" in the narrow concept of market segmentation does not really fit. Although the formal attributes (name) seems to be.

Name the new tariff Beeline us something vaguely recalls. I do not "First" is one of the competitors? What is reasonable is slightly strange popolzovavshis advertising budget. Can be a whole line slowly introduce: "The first child," "The first youth" and so on. At one of the forums have joked about the upcoming launch of TA "Second Children" in support of national programs to improve fertility.

Market segment of potential consumers of such TA is not small, a quote from a press release the company:

"Today the mobile phone becomes an essential attribute in a child's life. According to a study by COMCON New pokolenie/2006, 44,7% of children aged 7-9 years are already users of mobile phones. And with age, this figure is only increasing, reaching a 13-15 mark in 84,6%. Attempts to create a special "children's" telephone with easy controls and features have been trimmed, but the demand for such models is limited: tech-savvy kids prefer to see in your phone is not next Pupsik, and a complete set of all "adult" functions. And not to brag to their peers, "child" phone - laugh at. Since the tariff is easier, the name of "Child" on the screen is not displayed. However, do not talk about the title, but the specifics of the tariff plan for the child.

Almost all of us face the same problem: the phone is given the child first and foremost for your own peace of mind, but the child strives to use it not to interact with caring parents. Downloading pictures, ring tones, SMS-voting for favorite pop idol etc. - There is a big set of ways for a couple hours to reset the balance and left without communication. Another problem - the constant parental concern on the subject "and where he / she is?". Modern technologies of mobile positioning can determine the device location to within two or three hundred meters (in town), which is not bad: at least you can understand, not sports a little child in a nearby park instead of sitting behind a desk. It was logical to hope that in the special "children's" rate, we'll see some special features and constraints. The extent to which our expectations were met? Let us try to formulate a possible additional requirements for such fare, and compare with what we received from the operator in the "first child".If you believe the press release, all parental aspirations into account and before us the perfect fare for a child.

"Tariff Plan" first child "meets all the basic parameters affecting the peace of mind of parents, as well as meets the basic requirements of child audiences, meeting the need for information, including those with additional services"

What I would like to see in the "child" Tariff	As implemented
Restriction and / or a complete ban on the rampant downloading of expensive mobile content	Discount for Wap-GPRS traffic at a rate of 34%
Ability to locate a child without the annoying phone calls with the eternal question "Where are you?" (Service LBS)	Not implemented
Restriction and / or ban the use of paid services in the SIM-menu	Not implemented
Restriction and / or prohibition to send an SMS to a short service number	Not implemented
Management of incoming calls ("White" and "black" lists at the network level)	Not implemented
The opportunity to call on the number zero and the negative balance	Auto loans of up to 30 rubles.

SIM-menu - a separate song. A curious child will be happy every hour to find out the weather forecast, at the same time the dollar take an interest. Not to mention all sorts of enticing headings such as "Games", "Melody" and "Pictures." And as to "18 +" climb like, well at least not all operators such "children's entertainment" in SIM-menu provided. Block would be 90% of all items SIM-menu to "Junior" tariff for the joy of his parents, but no. Well at least publicly favorite "Chameleon" to disable it is not forbidden.

Of course, I would like to be able to configure any additional functionality and to decide how, what and how to restrict a child. Or not to restrict at all. You can still dream about flexible consumption management of additional services (as a SMS, Wap-traffic, etc. in the week). Or at least about managing public expenditure. Say, for achieving the defined "bar" daily or weekly flow of money off all services except for voice communications.

Auto loans for 30 rubles - the good news, but the credit for this amount is given without restrictions, is downloaded to the health of the next picture. Now, if the loan after the exhaustion of the balance can be spent only for voice communication ... Ah, dreams.

Not just for kids?

With additional functionality and the corresponding rate "... all the main parameters affecting the peace of mind of parents" are more or less sorted out. Now to the question about the parameters of "Children First". Price characteristics "are packaged in a wrapper needs of the child, but we are on the wrapper until digress and look at the" first child "as a regular fare in the prepaid-line Beeline. In the end, it's not the name but to call a discount on the networks of other operators and pay less for SMS not only want kids.

More "zavlekalochka" fare - a bonus of 25 cents for each minute of incoming call. The ads will look good, but the real value of the bonus is small, since the maximum amount of bonus accruals may not exceed 1.75 rub. per day. Moreover, these 1.75 rub. accumulate during the day second. Well at least done on an ongoing basis, rather than as a temporary action as in "To put it simply."Interestingly, there is willing to tear MGTS phones with their six seconds of free threshold?

Below - a plate with the main parameters of some prepaid-fares in the market. TA "Mobile" has no validity period of payment, but included in the list because of a similar profile - a uniform price for calls to all mobile networks in its region. In comparison does not take into account a variety of options and modifiers with an additional monthly fee, including fees and available in Beeline SMS-packets.

* At present the tariff validity period of payment, ie average monthly consumption is about 250 rubles. or more.

** Inside the rate and the timing of the action, see the description of the tariff

*** Inside Rate

**** The first / next minute

Summary

Despite its promising title, "The first child" looks more balanced version of a universal fare. Well for those who do not call very often and on different phone operators. Compared with his elder brother (TA "Family"), we see the present value of calls to all mobile networks to a common denominator, it is reasonable and in the tariff line Beeline such a decision clearly not enough. Obviously, the rate of "Family" is now pushed into a narrow niche market: those who call a bit, mostly on the "Favorite Number" and other phones Beeline, additional services of little use. Slightly (to 15 cents) more expensive calls to the "favorite number", to quote a competitor's call it "price optimization to simplify perception. Lowering the cost of SMS and MMS, we are likely required action of MTS in this direction (even the same price to cents), the competition - a great thing. A number of parameters "first children" directly competes with «RED Text», and at the price of voice communication looks noticeably better. Although communicating only within the MTS network is one of the RED-options clearly preferable. When ready to spend on a link from 300 rubles. per month can be chosen more attractive options ("Mobile" MegaFon with the option "Call for the ruble," I want to say "Beeline" Free "MTS"), but as a budget fare "The first child" looks very good. But why had called him a "Child"? Is that as anti-advertisement for adults to do not try to pass him with a "Family".