Google is reaching out, offline, to millions of Indians and Indian businesses.
As google expands into newer emerging markets, with lower internet penetration, and lesser computer literacy, the concept of small companies also seeking to advertise on the net is lower. And google's survival and growth depend on advertising revenue, after all. So they are now reaching out. And they are reaching out through snail mail, offering vouchers to companies to sign in.
Till now, Adwords provided all the revenue to google. And it is driven by a vast majority of small firms that provide advertisements to google, that are thrown up with search results.
Google realised that India has an estimated 80 million internet users, while it has at least half a billion mobile users. So, obviously, there is a different currency that has more reach that what google trades in. And google is attempting to convert these many millions.
According to research firm Access Market International Partners Inc., India has around four million small and medium enterprises, or firms with a workforce between 10 and 1,000. They are expected to spend $18.6 billion (Rs85,000 crore) in 2010 to buy computers, build websites and connect to the Internet.
Google has built most of its business online, indexing information on the Internet so it can be searched easily. Only now has it digressed from this model to go offline, and to build products, including a mobile phone named Nexus One.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Montessori method
Esmeralda Davis runs a Montessori school in east Bangalore. Montessori method is where a child is allowed to develop according to his or her natural inner directives, through self-directed learning. The school allows students to choose their activities, make discoveries about language, art, mathematics, music and culture in non-graded classes of mixed ages. As I read more about this method, I am impelled to explore this and see if I can become a practitioner.
I'm reading about this on the back of 3 Idiots taking the entire country by storm. Even if the movie manages to change a few lives, it would have been a great service. After watching the movie a couple of times, I have a noticed a certain gap that the movie leaves unaddressed. While it is recommended that we do what we love, it doesn't address the point that our system does not allow a student to find what he loves to do. That would be possible only with a system of counselling and discovery that spans over many years, depending on how much time an average student would take to find his or her true calling.
The Montessori system seems to provide the solution. We need to do what we love, no doubt. But the education system needs an overhaul to ensure that we know what we love. Otherwise the current education system is capable of ruining our natural instincts and direction. I'm reminded of a t-shirt quote 'I was intelligent, but education ruined me'. How true!
I'm off to understand and discover more!
I'm reading about this on the back of 3 Idiots taking the entire country by storm. Even if the movie manages to change a few lives, it would have been a great service. After watching the movie a couple of times, I have a noticed a certain gap that the movie leaves unaddressed. While it is recommended that we do what we love, it doesn't address the point that our system does not allow a student to find what he loves to do. That would be possible only with a system of counselling and discovery that spans over many years, depending on how much time an average student would take to find his or her true calling.
The Montessori system seems to provide the solution. We need to do what we love, no doubt. But the education system needs an overhaul to ensure that we know what we love. Otherwise the current education system is capable of ruining our natural instincts and direction. I'm reminded of a t-shirt quote 'I was intelligent, but education ruined me'. How true!
I'm off to understand and discover more!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Google tribute to Newton
The google home page today is creative brilliance. On the event of Newton's birth anniversary, they have come up with a fitting tribute. One of the O's of google is replaced by an apple, which drops when you open the page. I log in to google at least once every day. Of all the concepts they've used over the years, I think this is one of the best.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Reclaim my life
The new year is here. And we go through the usual motions of resolutions and promises to lead a better life. No different this time around. I made a few motherhood statements, decided on a theme for the years to come. For the first time in many years, I was becoming seriously aware of the fact that I had more productive years behind me, than ahead of me. Thats in terms of count! And the only way I could make my future count more than my past is to ensure that I live the same life more!
A few incidents have been encouraging in the past week. The run up to any new year is always good. You decide to start a new life and plan to do all the right things once the new year begins. And all that you experience in the last week before the new year appears encouraging. I had enough experience from the past of resolutions not making it any beyond January. So this time around I decided to just move quick and sure in the direction of a better life.
I looked back at 2009 and found that I had very few real achievements that made the list. So I refrained from writing a long laundry list of ideal things that seem so daunting that they sure will tire one.
I just decided on a theme 'Reclaim My Life' inspired by an automobile ad. Someone then told me you had to have measurable goals, but I didn't want to fall into the trap of aiming too wide and high and not reaching anywhere. So I'd decide on a few goals every month, review them at the end of the month, and add to the list as I go by, with some success, I hope and wish.
A few incidents have been encouraging in the past week. The run up to any new year is always good. You decide to start a new life and plan to do all the right things once the new year begins. And all that you experience in the last week before the new year appears encouraging. I had enough experience from the past of resolutions not making it any beyond January. So this time around I decided to just move quick and sure in the direction of a better life.
I looked back at 2009 and found that I had very few real achievements that made the list. So I refrained from writing a long laundry list of ideal things that seem so daunting that they sure will tire one.
I just decided on a theme 'Reclaim My Life' inspired by an automobile ad. Someone then told me you had to have measurable goals, but I didn't want to fall into the trap of aiming too wide and high and not reaching anywhere. So I'd decide on a few goals every month, review them at the end of the month, and add to the list as I go by, with some success, I hope and wish.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)