Nikolai Pryanishnikov in an interview with MK
("Mobile-plus." 17.07.2003)
First Vice-President of VimpelCom (the network "Bee Line"), Nikolai Pryanishnikov named the new tariff "dumping" and "hopeless": "This pre-paid will MegaFon alone losses. They are doomed, they will not invest in the network. 'Megaphone' slept through the year, and now is trying to become more active in the market "
"Cellular war: no summer truce Gazeta.ru,
In September, when will summarize the action "be in the black", the press will be brought record numbers of connections to the Beeline, particularly in August. However, a number of connections may be more a cause for sadness in Beeline than joy. The reason lies in three concurrent factors. The existence of tariff "BI + Heath" in which members with mobile operators (and Megafon in particular) on the Beeline is free. In an ongoing campaign "to be in the black", which lowers the cost of SIM-card rate "BI + Hit" almost to zero value if you use it only for incoming calls from mobile phones. Putting a megaphone in early August, the new tariff "O'Layt" low-cost outbound to federal mobile numbers. When, in an interview with MK Nikolai Pryanishnikov expressed quoted thought, he did not suspect that it may be so true.
Before the tariff "O'Layt" cost of the call with a megaphone on the Beeline was equal to the cost of calls to fixed numbers and a billing repressed desire for the subscribers of MegaFon for a long time to communicate with subscribers of Beeline. At the rate of "O'Layt" the cost of calls to federal facilities lowered to 0.03 dollar per minute (VAT included !!!). This applies not only to on-net calls on Megaphone, but calls to the MTS, Beeline, etc. Thus, marketing Megafon has taken one of the best moves, which only can be taken in the same position in which the megaphone. The key point is that the megaphone did not follow the MTS and Beeline and not imposed tariffs from the burning time of payment. Calls are cheap, but the required monthly payment exists. And the timing of the payments less advantageous for customers than in the Beeline and MTS. Card for $ 10 is valid 20 days. Card for $ 50 - 150 days. Accordingly, to speak about any "dumping" of the Megaphone - means deliberately distort the facts.
Megaphone - the youngest of the mobile operators in the Moscow region, respectively, growing pains network it is still not resolved and therefore, in speaking of Megafon should always remember that the relationship with this operator still does not fall under the definition of truly mobile even in Moscow, not to mention the area. Megaphone until the situation is more portable fixed line operator, ie where the relationship is - you can talk, but there is no certainty that will not miss important calls while phone is transported from one area to another stable reception. Because business clients for whom it is important to choose the quality of communication: MTS, Beeline and / or Sonet, depending on their religious beliefs. The share of Megafon telephone line drops out of various retail outlets, which operate mainly in the mode of receiving calls from clients and just individuals who can tolerate the poor quality network because of free incoming calls.
Tariff line "technique" could be called a victory for marketing Megaphone, otbivshego sufficiently profitable customers (minimum $ 19 * 1.26) in competition with MTS and Beeline. In addition, recognizing the lack of development of its own network marketing Megaphone looking for a niche service offerings to customers outside their own network. While the proposal Megaphone for roaming in Europe is the most beneficial to potential subscribers (0.56 without taxes). Also successfully promoted the conquest of the market end-user access to the Internet: unlimited access to the Internet using GPRS offered at very competitive price - $ 19 per month. Adding here a subscription fee, we get quite a decent indicator of ARPU for contract customers.
Development Rate "O'Layt" - is another major marketing success Megaphone. The relative cheapness of outgoing (0.03) and total free incoming calls from cellular federal numbers perfectly complemented and balanced by relatively low rates for international IP-telephony (0.23 - at least, it can be cheaper than a call from a cellular to IP-telephony cards for some countries ). Thus, the subscriber can not only save on calls to cell phones, and spend the saved money on is useful to long-distance services by nearly competitive, but, nevertheless, too high with respect to IP-telephony market prices, which gives Megafon additional revenue - a reward for unique services.
Megaphone took a strategic blunder Beeline which was discussed above: to sell now hosting plan B + Hit free incoming with a megaphone, and continues the action "be in the black" which provides a 10-year "no burning" payment. This fact in combination with a 0.03 dollar per minute for federal facilities in the O'Layt "leads to the following consequences:
SIM card with O'Layt "may well become the second SIM-card in a fraction of the subscribers of Beeline and MTS for calls to" BI + Hit. " Calls will be done with "O'Layt" and end with the "BI + Hit." The cost of a call from "O'Layt" to "BI + Hit" more than 2 times cheaper than a call between "BI + Hit" even with the 50% discount on your favorite room. That may be enough to attract new subscribers in MegaFon.
Yet this does not mean that these subscribers will change his constant operator, just as long as reduce the amount of money given up by the subscriber primary operator due to the fact that calls to "BI + Hit" more will be accomplished with a megaphone. As a consequence, the financial stream, collected from each subscriber is redirected toward the Megaphone, for $ 10 card into a megaphone effect 20 days and cost of ownership of SIM-card with "BI + Hit" really becomes minimal. The number of subscribers will grow in both networks (Megafon and Beeline) due to the fact that use a combination of both networks is beneficial to the subscriber. True to spend the subscriber will be more in Megafon, a SIM-card "BI + Hit" will be used to free termination of incoming traffic.
The situation is asymmetric. So calls to Beeline (or MTS) on the megaphone is not beneficial to the caller, besides the likelihood that the subscriber is not in the zone of stable reception Megaphone great, because the imbalance of traffic will have a clear direction of the prevailing with a megaphone on the Beeline.
The main negative effect on the Beeline is what Megafon is actually starting to use much better Beeline network to develop their own client base.
MTS was out of shock due to a stable thought-out policy of their marketing team: a call with a megaphone at the MTS is expensive for MTS, which pays full price as a landline. Because MTS is not lost on the input "O'Layt. Considering the question of the call cost, with a megaphone to call on the MTS will not always be correct between friends and acquaintances, although the call and is cheap to the caller. As a result, the growth in traffic between MegaFon and MTS will not be as significant as that between Megafon and Beeline.
The bad news for MTS is that if between the "Jeans" and "BI + Hit" observed parity in value, it is now to be with Beeline is not that convenient, but slightly cheaper.In the end, the number of MegaFon subscribers is growing and their share in the traffic of MTS is also growing, and symbiosis "BI + Hit" and "O'Layt" can minimize the monetary costs of subscribers to cellular communication and to attract new subscribers through a megaphone. However, for neutralization of marketing initiatives Megafon, MTS will be sufficient to maintain a relatively low cost on-net calls operating under "Summer Jeans" that can match their own marketing plans of MTS (see http://www.mobile-review.com/articles/2003 / prepaid-terms.shtml)
From the Beeline, folding in the market situation requires it to close the tariff plan "BI + Hit." With the abolition of "BI + Hit", a revolution which is much talked Pryanishnikov, can be considered complete. But until that happens, "retirees, students and teachers" as well as other social stereotypes, tear the care of which is devoted to PR-interview with the MC, can purchase a 10-year-old "BI + Hit" complete with "O'Layt and help Beeline set the record for the connections in August.
Speaking about the marketing success of Megaphone can not stop at the fact that the right marketing idea thrown on the market still raw, tariffs continue to be adjusted and communicated after their announcement, service charge unbalanced and cause complaints for many days (!) After the tariff in the light . One gets the impression that the correctness of billing test set rules for users, not employees of MegaFon. For this reason, it makes sense to refrain from purchasing products Megaphone, at least until the majority of "bugs" and "pitfalls" will not be revealed pioneers and will not be remedied services Megaphone. Buying a product Megafon to be more prepared for any surprises, than the acquisition of rate plans Beeline or MTS.
And finally, as a lyrical digression, I want to dwell on the fact that "BI + Hit," with its 10-year balance of the burning and free incoming from mobile phones are well suited for use in the gateway. Available on the market choose the vast majority of devices, it seems, is the development of Kiev firm RCS. In Russia, its products are distributed by NICO