The Mobile Internet in Emerging Markets

At the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, there was a discussion on the development of the mobile internet in emerging markets around Asia. Here are some selected highlights.

Participants:

• Daniel Morton, CFO, Skunkworks (Vietnam)
• Abhay Singhai, Co-Founder & Head, Global Ad Sales, InMobi (India)
• Rama Mamuaya, DailySocial.net (Indonesia)
• Steven Goh, CEO, Mig33, (SE Asia and developing world)
• David Vachadze, CEO, Mobile Media Group (Russia)
• Pankaj Choudhury, Managing Director, iFree (India)
• Moderator: Barrett Parkman, Partner Great Wall Club

#1655

Stephen: The NA market is defined by iPhone, US market is more peculiar than you think. For a while there have been about a billion people online. Just now a next wave of internet is hitting us, from emerging markets. … The internet to these people means something very different… It’s unlocking a lot of new experiences. .. For the next few billion people coming online it’s completely open [inaudible]. It’s a very exciting time.

Abhay: Almost all the smart people who left before to go to the US, but now we’re seeing a lot of them come back. Many of the senior [people] have all spent time in the US and Silicon Valley. .. The people make the company, and if those people are available in the markets, the those markets get better.

Rama: Most of the emerging markets have lots of problems, and where there are problems there are opportunities.

Steven: Being in Asia there are so many types of social media. We’ve been able to build the strongest team we’ve ever had by leaving California, which as you [Abhay] said, it’s reverse brain drain.

#1702: On the OS landscape

Pankaj: India has 800M subscribers and is growing at 20M per month… As for platforms, 50% market share is Nokia.

Abhay: All the new telcos or manufacturers are all gaining shares more quickly than ever before… One other trend is that Android is growing through the roof.

David: Nokia is the leader in Russia, but by the end of this year everyone expects Android will [displace] Nokia. Apple is not so popular… Internet is interesting, because there are many strong local players.

Steven: The number one phone in the world is not the iPhone. It’s the Nokia N70