Samsung Egypt mobile sales up 62pc

Cairo: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 http://www.tradearabia.com/news/ret_183851.html

Samsung Electronics Company said its mobile phone division witnessed a qantity growth rate of 62 per cent in Egypt during 2009, when compared to the year before. Announcing the H1 growth figures, Duke Park, general manager, Samsung Cairo Office, said Egypt is an important market for Samsung. Weve undertaken in-depth market research in order to identify the best products for the unique requirements of Egyptian consumers and have consistently introduced innovative technology to the market. According to him, Samsung anticipates even better results in 2010 with growth projected at above 70 per cent. 'This is in line with the Korean-based companys goal of doubling its market share in Egypt by the end of 2010,' he said. Park was speaking at the Samsung Mobile Workshop, which witnessed the launch of its latest mobile phone offerings to Egypt including the Samsung Wave (model: S8500) and Samsung Champ (model: GT-C3300K). 'Samsung has continued to invest in the Egyptian market despite the global economic downturn, by regularly launching new products across all divisions and comprehensive dealer incentive programs,' the official remarked. 'In addition, the company has expanded its retail activities including category launches for dual-sim mobiles and messaging phones, discount promotions, holiday promotions, mobile replacement campaigns and leveraging Samsungs sponsorship of the Africa Cup of Nations.' 'The Champ is Samsungs most affordable touch screen phone designed for mobile users in developing regions who want an immersive experience with value-added features at a great price.' 'The Samsung Wave is the first mobile handset to be released on Samsungs new, open mobile platform, Samsung bada, and is the cornerstone of the companys commitment to provide a smartphone for every lifestyle.' As a leading mobile phone provider, our goal is to provide consumers in every market with the opportunity to purchase high-quality, durable

mobile phones that meet their needs. Samsung has developed a smart market strategy that focuses on all segments as a means to showcase the companys diverse, affordable mobile phone offerings. It will seek greater penetration across Upper Egypt and Delta as a means to help increase market share, while promoting its most durable, feature-packed mobile phones. In addition, Samsung will continue to provide even more advanced Samsung mobiles in the Egyptian market, including rich features, enhanced connectivity, and more cutting-edge innovations. Its clear that the Egyptian market offers diverse segmentation opportunities for our dynamic products, said Mostafa Aboul Fotouh, Head of Mobile Division, Samsung Cairo Office. Weve developed a market strategy that allows us to cater to each and every consumer in Egypt, whether theyre looking for a basic handset with core features or the most technologically-advanced mobile in the market; Samsung offers options to all consumers throughout the entire country, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Avoid Shanzai http://www.chinatechnews.com/2010/06/28/12261egypt-will-ban-chinese-shanzai-mobile-phones Following India's recent block of Chinese-made shanzai mobile phones without an International Mobile Equipment Identity number in 2009, the Egyptian government has recently announced similar measures against these mobile phones. The National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Egypt has approved a ban, stating that it will block anonymous users and Chinese-made mobile phones with the same IMEIs. The word "shanzhai" or "shanzai", literally meaning "remote village" in Cantonese, has become a popular name for Chinese fakes and the slang now refers to anything that steals ideas or styles from already well-known products, personalities or

concepts. The authority said that the reason for making this decision is because Chinese shanzai mobile phones have affected the healthy development of the Egyptian mobile phone market. Many Chinese-made shanzai mobile phones have the same IMEIs as well-known international brand mobile phones and it is hard to track these shanzai mobile phones. Starting six years ago, many Chinese-made shanzai mobile phones swarmed into the Egyptian market and there are currently over two million Chinese-made shanzai mobile phones in the country. In late 2009, India stared to ban the sales of shanzai mobile phones with an IMEI. Commenting on the moves of these countries, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer said that it is good news to legally-run mobile phone manufacturers in China. International markets, especially some underdeveloped countries, prefer Chinese-made mobile phones, because of their low prices and powerful functions. However, a large part of these markets were occupied by shanzai mobile phones. The block of shanzai mobile phones will leave market space to Chinese mobile phone makers like Huawei, ZTE, and K-Touch who do produce legitimate phones with real IMEI numbers.

Research and Markets: Egypt Consumer Electronics Report Q4 2010 Mobile Handset Sales Accounted For

Around 64% of Egyptian Consumer Electronics Spending In 2009.

DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b2cee1/egypt_consumer_e le) has announced the addition of the "Egypt Consumer Electronics Report Q4 2010" report to their offering. Business Monitor International's Egypt Consumer Electronics Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, electronics associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Egypt's consumer electronics industry Egypt's consumer electronics devices market, defined as the addressable market for computing devices, mobile handsets and video, audio and gaming products, is projected at nearly US$3.2bn in 2010. This is expected to increase to around US$4.9bn by 2014, driven by the growing affordability and popularity of digital lifestyle products. Key factors behind the forecast growth in Egypt's consumer electronics sales include the emergence of a more affluent middle class and the growing acceptance of modern retail concepts. The market also benefits from youthful demographics, while government initiatives such as PC for Every Home will also support growth. spending on consumer electronics is expected to accelerate in 2010-2011, in line with falling consumer price inflation, improved credit availability, and population growth. Egypt is expected to be one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the region over the next few years, although a number of constraints, including low disposable incomes, economic disparities, low computer literacy and channel inefficiencies, could prevent the market from fulfilling its potential. Computers Computer hardware accounted for around 26% of Egypt's consumer electronics spending in 2009. BMI projects Egypt's domestic market computer sales (including notebooks and accessories) of US$809mn in 2010, boosted by government information and communication technology (ICT) programmes like Computer for Every Student and PC for Every Home. Computer hardware compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the

2010-2014 period is forecast at 12%, as PC penetration rises from 7% to around 19% by 2014. [Prod: add RHS to second row of key] AV AV devices accounted for around 10% of Egyptian consumer electronics spending in 2009. Egypt's domestic AV device market is projected at US$319mn in 2010. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% between 2010-2014 to a value of US$452mn in 2014. Mobile Handsets Mobile handset sales accounted for around 64% of Egyptian consumer electronics spending in 2009. Egyptian market handset sales are expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% to nearly US$3.2bn in 2014, as mobile subscriber penetration reaches 132%. The market will be dominated by low-spending prepaid subscribers, but in February 2010 the Egyptian government placed a temporary ban on sales of low-cost Chinese handsets.
Xxxxxx http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b2cee1/egypt_consum er_ele Business Monitor International's Egypt Consumer Electronics Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, electronics associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Egypt's consumer electronics industry Egypts consumer electronics devices market, defined as the addressable market for computing devices, mobile handsets and video, audio and gaming products, is projected at nearly US$3.2bn in 2010. This is expected to increase to around US$4.9bn by 2014, driven by the growing affordability and popularity of digital lifestyle products. Key factors behind the forecast growth in Egypts consumer electronics sales include the emergence of a more affluent middle class and the growing acceptance of modern retail concepts. The market also benefits from youthful demographics, while government initiatives such as PC for Every Home will also support growth. Spending on consumer electronics is expected to accelerate in 2010-

2011, in line with falling consumer price inflation, improved credit availability, and population growth. Egypt is expected to be one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the region over the next few years, although a number of constraints, including low disposable incomes, economic disparities, low computer literacy and channel inefficiencies, could prevent the market from fulfilling its potential. Computers Computer hardware accounted for around 26% of Egypts consumer electronics spending in 2009. BMI projects Egypts domestic market computer sales (including notebooks and accessories) of US$809mn in 2010, boosted by government information and communication technology (ICT) programmes like Computer for Every Student and PC for Every Home. Computer hardware compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the 2010-2014 period is forecast at 12%, as PC penetration rises from 7% to around 19% by 2014. [Prod: add RHS to second row of key] AV AV devices accounted for around 10% of Egyptian consumer electronics spending in 2009. Egypts domestic AV device market is projected at US$319mn in 2010. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% between 2010-2014 to a value of US$452mn in 2014. Mobile Handsets Mobile handset sales accounted for around 64% of Egyptian consumer electronics spending in 2009. Egyptian market handset sales are expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% to nearly US$3.2bn in 2014, as mobile subscriber penetration reaches 132%. The market will be dominated by low-spending prepaid subscribers, but in February 2010 the Egyptian government placed a temporary ban on sales of low-cost Chinese handsets.

xxxxxxx Oman Consumer Electronics Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, electronics associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Oman's consumer electronics industry. Omans consumer electronics devices market, defined as the addressable market for computing devices, mobile handsets and

video, audio and gaming products, is forecast at US$480.0mn in 2010. This is expected to increase to US$593.2mn by 2014, driven by new technologies and the growing popularity of digital lifestyle products such as LCD TV sets, feature-rich notebook computers and digital cameras, as well as other key product groups. Spending is expected to pick up again after 2010, as new technologies and features such as higher capability netbooks, light emitting diode (LED) TV sets and feature-rich smartphones and the rollout of 3G services act as demand drivers. However, growth is forecast to remain below pre-credit crunch levels in 2010-2014, as consumers feel the effect of the regional property slump and credit tightening. An evolving retail landscape will help to stimulate sales, with a growing population attracting more large electronics retailers to the market. Computers Computer hardware accounted for around 36% of Omani consumer electronics spending in 2009. BMI forecasts Omans domestic market computer hardware sales (including notebooks and accessories) of US$170.9mn in 2010, up from US$162.7mn in 2009. Computer hardware compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the 2010- 2014 period is forecast at about 7%, with growth drivers including the governments Towards Digital Oman strategy. Wireless capabilities will boost demand for PCs, stimulated by new infrastructure investment. AV Devices Audio and video (AV) devices accounted for about 30% of Omani consumer electronics spending in 2009. Omans addressable AV device market is estimated at US$144mn in 2010. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4% between 2010 and 2014, with growth drivers including LED TV sets and Blu-ray disc players. Mobile Handsets Mobile handset sales accounted for around 34% of Omani consumer electronics spending in 2009. Omans market handset

sales are expected to grow to US$199mn by 2014 as mobile subscriber penetration reaches177%. There will be growing demand for 3G handsets, which could account for about 10% of Omans handset sales in 2010. Oman is in the regional vanguard of the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) trend, following the launch of a third virtual operator, which could lead to a more segmented handset market. Xxxxxx

Egyptian Mobile Market All Set for Growth

May 05, 2010 http://www.rncos.com/Blog/2010/05/Egyptian-Mobile-Market-All-Set-for-Growth.html The flourishing mobile market in Egypt owes the credit to its cost saving consumers and t stored among various other factors pushing it to unprecedented heights.

As per the data from the communications ministry, the mobile phone subscriptions in Egypt in th increased by 642,000 to 56.49 Million. In January, the number of mobile phone subscriptions was 5 news published by Reuters.

Moreover, even though these figures add up to around 72% penetration rate, industry analysts nearly 20-25% of the Egyptian market is comprised of second phones.

The Egypt mobile phone market is showing an upward growth trend as it holds ample growth penetration rates in Saudi Arabia and the UAE exceed 100% as compared to the Egypts market pe

Besides, call rates even from pre-paid phones is remarkably low in Egypt. As a result, people in lo use mobile phones. Egypt is not an affluent nation where the consumption is conspicuous, or wh Middle class Egyptians are big savers. This makes the cost factor among most crucial factors for th

Furthermore, the competitiveness factor amongst mobile service providers too has an optimistic attempt to strengthen the coverage of the 2G/3G services offered by them to remote Egyptian area spending huge amounts.

As the telecom infrastructure of the country is developing at a rapid pace, the Egypt mobile m reduction in the tariff and will enjoy the launch of more pioneering service packages like free Int service, thereby encouraging more and more Egyptians to subscribe for mobile telephony services.

According to a market research report titled Booming Egypt Telecom Market by RNCOS, the nu expected to touch 90 Million by the end of 2012, with the penetration exceeding 100%.

A vast subscriber base will drive the demand for associated consumer products like the mobile han

According to a Research Analyst at RNCOS, To accomplish the growth target, the operators ne completely rule over the minds of critical population to gain competitive advantage. As far as gro concerned, mobile operators need to expand and broaden the horizons of their business to includ utilities far beyond the routine services.

3 G DEMAND IN Egypt http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=7087

Countdown to 011
Does Etisalat have what it takes to distinguish itself from the competition?
By Rania Al Malky

IF ITS JUST LOWER PRICES and cheaper package deals consumers are waiting to see when United Arab Emirates telecom giant Etisalat launches Code 011 in February, theyll be sadly disappointed.

As in any market, the third operator will disturb the duopoly, especially at a time when the market is witnessing a peak in terms of subscriber-growth, says Wael Ziada, a telecom analyst at EFG-Hermes, a leading regional investment bank and number 26 on the bt100 top companies on the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges. The Watch
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Egyptian entrepreneurs shine at MIT Arab Business Plan Compe... While Etisalat, which bought the license to operate Egypts third telecom operator for a whopping LE 16.7 billion earlier this fall, may not influence consumer choice in a broad sense, Ziada is sure its presence will push the introduction of new packages, ultimately helping price-sensitive consumers compare notes and get the best value for their money. Richard Daly, chief commercial officer of Vodafone Egypt (bt 100 number 5) doesnt think that the price per minute will necessarily change or that Etisalat will spark a price war. As he points out, the big price move has already happened: Pre-paid rates, for instance, went down in June 2005 from LE 1.5 to 39pt per minute. It cant go down from 39pt to minus something, he jokes. Vodafones CCO does foresee that Etisalat will come in with strong offers to get customers to switch operators. While the new companys entry into the market will mean the operators will have to differentiate themselves more, he is quick to add that the introduction of more value-added services has nothing particularly to do with Etisalat coming, but more with the natural evolution of technology in the market. The most talked-about of these value-added services is the introduction of 3G, for which Etisalat has secured a license. They are in the process of building a 3G and a slightly faster HSPDA (High-Speed Data Access) network. According to Daly, Vodafone is currently talking to the government about how to make the non-negotiable LE 3.4 billion 3G license affordable. Assuming we do get it, Im talking here about a matter of months, not years, says Daly. The most important aspect of 3G is that it allows us to improve both our voice capacity and our voice quality, especially that the spectrum currently used on GSM is full. 3G removes that constraint. Mobinil bt100 number 6 and the nations largest network by subscriber number and Vodafone Egypts archrival has also said it is considering the introduction of 3G services. In fact, the National Telecommunications Resulatory Authority (NTRA) claims it already has done so, declaring Mobinils Blackberry EDGE service was in fact 3G when it ordered the service shut down earlier this fall. Despite repeated requests, Mobinil failed to make a company official or spokesperson available for this story. 3G short for third generation technology will make possible services such as mobile TV, fast music downloads and synchronizing of music between a PC and mobile devices. In the business market, the biggest advantage is speed: 3G would allow business leaders to access internet, email and office functions on their mobiles without waiting all day for pages

to download. 3Gs greater speeds will be comparable to broadband. Etisalat will build it, but will people buy in? Ziada believes that there is a latent demand for 3G, not a real demand. In the UAE, for example, he says, only two percent of subscribers opted for 3G. In Egypt, the operators may well succeed in creating a demand, but I dont think it will be immediately relevant to the mass market. An official at NTRA disagrees, predicting that 3G will have mass appeal, not because of its importance as a service, but because of societys consumeristic nature. Its the same concept of how mobile phones spread in Egypt. Who would have imagined it? It seems to defy logic, but this technology will catch on, especially among university students. The NTRA official, who agreed to be interviewed on the condition that he not be named, notes the price of 3G will depend on each operator. If its too challenging people wont buy it. It also depends on technological progress, and the price of technology is constantly going down just as mobile phone airtime used to be expensive but is much cheaper now. Daly believes that when talking about demand for 3G, theres a need to segment the market into three chunks. In the business community, theres an absolute need in Egypt for it to be competitive internationally, to be able to mobilize your office at fast speeds. This is a clear segment of the market that represents a lot of the revenue. The technology allows business to function more effectively. Many small and medium enterprises havent yet put in fixed broadband connections, so I absolutely envisage they will jump fixed broadband internet altogether and go straight to having a 3G data card. When it comes to the consumer segment, he continues, theres a further need to differentiate. For the top-end consumer in Egypt, money is not a particular barrier, and services like mobile TV, music, internet and messaging are not needed but are very much wanted, Daly says. In Europe, not all elements of 3G services available in the market have worked brilliantly because its brand new and were learning like all the operators around the world. What we do see is that [mobile TV, music, internet and messaging] are getting significant customer pull. In a Western market that might be 50 percent of the market, in Egypt it might be five percent, but for the operator, this percentage and their close families represent a very substantial proportion of the total revenue of the customer base. As for the mass-market consumers, Daly does not project that they will use these services in the foreseeable future. They wont even have devices that are good enough to do that. For them what Vodafone will be providing is a big network, lots of coverage, capacity and quality. And with more operators, the immediate result is that prices will go down, asserts the NTRA official. The Ministry of Communications and IT, he adds, has created a playing field where the third operator can come in and have some protection.

Through national roaming, he says, Etisalat will use the existing networks until their own is complete so that it can attract subscribers from day one. Mobile number portability [a clients ability to retain a phone number while changing network and/or service provider] will also give operators the incentive to improve services, quality and price, creating more competition, which is ultimately in favor of the consumer. Number portability frees the consumer. If the operator is not offering a good service, customers will look elsewhere. A new international trend is convergence, where consumers have the same mobile phone and landline number through which you can access the Internet. With one simple communication solution, customers will get the best value for their money if they opt for one supplier. The future of communications is partnering rather than trying to do it all by yourself, says Daly, referring to his companys recent agreement with Telecom Egypt, which now owns 49 percent of Vodafone Egypt shares. The new breed of bundled services is expected to enhance the competitive profile of both operators, according to Ziada, noting that with the arrival of Etisalat, and the liberalization of the international voice market, competition is expected to intensify over the coming period in both fixed-line and mobile markets. It may not happen soon, though. Vodafones entry into 3G hinges on its negotiations with the government, while some analysts doubt that Etisalat can be ready in time for a February rollout. Regardless, the countdown to 011 is on and only time will tell if it will launch a new era in mobile services et

Mobile Branding: Culture as Technology By Madanmohan Rao In an industry of furiously-paced innovation and high customer churn, the battle for market share in the mobile world is also translating into the battle of brands to create the most customer loyalty. Creating a positive customer experience across the years and from one model to the next as well as promoting the right kind of buzz and ownership association via catchy ad campaigns are becoming key elements of mobile branding success.

You can tell what a culture values by what it has in its bags and pockets, according to John Agar, author of Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone. By historical comparison, the pocketwatch was a rarity in the 17th century, but become an expensive status symbol of business activity for industrial professionals in the 18th century and is now owned by the majority of the population in the 21st century. Pocket watches provide the closest historical parallel to the remarkable rise of the mobile cellular phone in our own times, observes Agar. Like pocketwatches, cellphones too started off as expensive status symbols and cost as much as a car, but are now owned by over a billion people worldwide. While one aspect of the wireless environment has been mobility, another important aspect is the material culture. Successive generations of mobile phones display superior design, elegance, style and branding, and are fast becoming fashion carriers. Cellphones have also been featured regularly in media products like films (eg. Wall Street, The Matrix, and James Bond movies). According to a report released in September 2004 by the firm Research and Markets, Asian mobile phone manufacturers like Samsung and Panasonic are overtaking established leaders Nokia and Ericsson in customer experience measurement (CEM) studies. Samsung is ranked as the No. 1 mobile brand in Asia in the survey conducted by Research and Markets, and Samsung users have rated the Samsung website as having the most value-add. Nokia, however, leads in

ease of use of interface. Motorola users, once the most loyal, are finding it hard to stick with the brand, according to the survey, which also revealed that the typical Asian mobile subscriber now owns a wireless phone model for 14 months, compared to 18 months in 2001. CEM studies conducted by brand analysts and research firms typically use a varied weighting scheme for parameters like performance, features, coolness and overall look and feel of the handphone. Leading mobile manufacturers face stiff competition from not just one another but potentially from commodity manufacturers of non-branded phones sold via mobile operators (eg. Audiovox phones sold by Vodafone). Currently, the continuous pace of innovation in add-on features like music and photography are postponing the emergence of mass-market commodity players in the high end of the market, but they are emerging in the lower end of the market (as with other categories like basic DVD players). The experience of Motorola is an interesting case study in this regard. Motorola, eager to bounce back to the early lead position it held in the era of the analog cellular market, is aggressively rebranding its products with a catchy advertising campaign featuring Moto Photo, Surround Moto, Gossip Moto, Metal Moto and Roto Moto posters and billboards. It posted a 10.2 percent margin in Q2 2004, regarded as its best margin in nearly a decade.

Motorola's newer models -- the E398 with 3D stereo surround sound, the E680 with RealPlayer software and MPEG 4 video playback, and the model C650 camera phone with the embedded MotoMixer and MP3 ringtones are trying to anticipate and tap into consumers' evolving music needs. Technology is increasingly becoming a part of culture, observes Geoffrey Frost, Chief Brand Officer at Motorola, the first major corporation to formally create such an important marketing post in 2003. We see ourselves as an experience design company, said Frost, during a presentation called MotoGenesis at the recent Global Brand Forum in Singapore. The name Motorola itself comes from a combination of the words motor car and victrola, reflecting the companys early offerings in the car radio market. We are creating an entire tag language, not just tag lines, said Frost. The company now heavily uses the byline Intelligence everywhere, and is creating a consistent brand voice, consumer language and product imagery. The three key disruptive technologies of our times are digitisation, broadband and embeddedness, observes Frost. Motorolas strategy is to pitch the mobile phone as a wireless entertainment portal. Motorola recently struck a major deal with MTV International, which agreed to create new wireless content exclusively for Motorola. I asked the head of MTV: how would you like to be on five times as many screens? And it is not just about the number of screens,

but the more personal nature of interaction involved, recalls Frost. The company has also struck a deal with Apple to create the mini i-Pod, for people who want the convenience of music on the go with their cellphone. To its credit, Motorola certainly has been a pioneer in a number of innovative fronts. Motorola developed the Handie-Talkie and Walkie-Talkie during World War II. It was also an early mover in the clamshell design of cellphones, an area overlooked until very recently by other market leaders like Nokia. It has also evolved specific branding campaigns for industry verticals like the police forces (Moto Prepared) and fire/emergency crews (Moto Response). Motorola has received an array of creative awards, including an Effie award in 2000 for advertising effectiveness. But while it is taking rapid strides in the digital GSM and 3-G worlds, Motorola must also face the fact that there are other areas where it needs to guard against new innovators. Why did Motorala not invent the Blackberry? asked brand guru Al Ries provocatively to Frost during a panel discussion at the Global Brand Forum. >>>>>> http://www.techsparks.com/Mobile-brandingculture-as-technology.html