{"articles":{"-LazvvFuVrQ4tC9BPAky":{"alias":"what-is-the-future-of-digital-content-in-the-mobile-industry","content":"

Mobile usage is skyrocketing.

We are shifting to a mobile-first era and the mobile industry is slowly becoming the future of digital content.

Consider the following statistics:

- About 72 percent of the global internet base or what is the same, 3.7 billion people will access the internet via mobile-only by 2025.
- It emerges clearly that the next generation of internet users will be mobile-only users.
- Mobile-first should start from the user experience level. Digital content should be primarily created and geared towards a mobile view and additional features for display on other screens should be adopted.
- In such a scenario, digital content will also have to be tailored for the mobile experience.
- People spend lots of time-consuming digital content on their mobile devices.

Despite all the proof that mobile industry is here to stay and grow, many marketers have still not adopted mobiles as an effective way of providing an engaging user experience. So, what does the future hold for the digital content in the mobile industry? Mobile represents massive opportunities for content marketers who want to connect with their target customers.

Location-based searches with mobiles

The geo-targeting capabilities of mobiles have given rise to location-based searches. Now, offline businesses or retail shops have very high chances of being found through location-based searches. Digital content for these types of local businesses should focus on long-tail and local search terms. The local searches generally happen through mobiles. These have increased manifold and this type of content helps them to be found easily.

Personalization of the digital content through geo-targeting

The digital content should be aimed at engaging the audience. Geo-targeting has given rise to personalization of the digital content and this trend holds promise for the future.

For example, local stores can show location-based advertisements for precise targeting of the people who are in the vicinity of these stores. It integrates mobile advertising with location-based services. More than a third of all mobile searches are related to location. Brands need to invest in location-based advertisements and ensure they appear clearly on the location map.

Mobile-optimized digital content

Creating digital content needs a strategic shift in perspective. We know that content appears differently on different screen sizes so, your content appears clunky on a mobile screen, then it will drive people away.

Digital content will have to be ready for all screens for consumers to have a seamless experience. We are considering mobile-first digital marketing and for that, all the digital content including emails, social content and paid advertising campaigns should be optimized for the mobile experience. Make your website mobile responsive to display content properly on mobile devices.

Rise of vertical video content

The mobile platform is a visual medium and screen-centric. People love consuming videos on mobiles. According to Cisco, by 2021, about 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic will be video traffic. Out of this, live internet video will be 12 percent.

Clearly, video content is going to assume far greater importance in the mobile industry. People spend a lot of their time on social media apps on their smartphones. These are mainly Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. There is a move from horizontal to vertical video formats. YouTube has adopted this vertical video full-screen format since 2015. As per Snapchat, vertical video ads on its platform had nine times more viewership than horizontal videos. Brands will have to invest the time and resources in shooting vertical video content to increase mobile viewership.

Growth of live video content on social media

People generally view social media on their mobile devices and they love consuming videos on social platforms. Live streaming on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube have already caught up and this will grow massively in the future.

So, digital content for social media platforms should be more focused on creating engaging live videos. As per Livestream, as many as 80% of audiences for brands prefer watching videos and nearly 82% of them enjoy watching live videos on social media rather than reading posts. Paying for on-demand video content is also on the rise with 45% of the audience willing to do so.

AMP carousel for mobiles

What marketers should do is convert digital content for mobiles into Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). These load very quickly on mobile devices. Moreover, mobile searches show up the AMP carousel ahead of all the organic search results. This gives content a much higher visibility and also because of searchers’ love for visual content, the AMP content gets more clicks.

Re-align digital content considering UX for Mobile

Users’ browsing intent on mobiles is different from that on the desktops. Because of the smaller screen size, mobile browsing is generally done for getting specific information quickly or performing a specific action.

The UX for mobiles differs greatly from that of desktops.

Here you need short paragraphs and taut headlines. The landing pages should not be filled with too much information. The call-to-action buttons should be highlighted. Any online forms should be realigned for mobiles and should be easy to fill using thumbs and fingers.

AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) content

The rise of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is being fueled by the mobile industry. The AR and VR apps for mobiles have many applications in education, gaming, healthcare, retail and entertainment.

Mobile applications in AR are expected to generate a revenue of 6218.23 million by 2020. Even now, there are more than 300 million monthly users who generate content with the AR mobile apps. Since this content finds so many uses, it holds a promising future.

Concluding Thoughts

The future of digital content for mobiles cannot be created in silos. Instead, the endeavour should be to create a content strategy that provides a seamless user experience by integrating it to offline.

The mobile digital content should not be treated as just another distribution channel. Rather, it is an opportunity to personalize experiences and help in achieving your business goals.

","creatorId":"j4cvDXzvNDUNuTWs1t4B5sdURiq1","date":"2019-06-10T15:14:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/24423basebone-future-of-digital-content.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F24423basebone-future-of-digital-content.jpg?alt=media&token=f0d0633c-cf7f-4932-a250-d0286c7ecfcf"},"imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F-LazvvFuVrQ4tC9BPAky..jpg?alt=media&token=e6bfc360-0fc9-4e12-9ccb-55aa52b9c593","title":"What is the Future of Digital Content in the Mobile Industry?"},"-LbNE8n0LPawAjrCi-20":{"alias":"our-team-our-best-asset-maite-campos","content":"
Our leadership skills with Maite Campos,  Advertising Department Manager 

We believe that effective teamwork is what makes organizations succeed.

Maite Campos, our Advertising Department Manager, is very committed to her work. Respect, collaboration, boldness and playfulness lead the growth of our team under a common spirit of “only forward”. We are aiming to show that our people are our best assets, people that have the “can do” attitude.

Short Introductions about yourself
I am Maite Campos, Head of Advertising at Basebone. I have spent the past 7 years with Basebone, and have 14 years total experience across the online marketing space. During this time I have worked across many areas, such as SEO, SEM, copywriting, strategic planning, Affiliation, and now Managing and leading a department.

My career in Basebone has evolved enormously and I am very grateful that the company has trusted in me to progress my career in this way.  I started working as Jr account manager knowing nothing about Account managing and the VAS sector. I have occupied the position of Key Account Manager, Head of Affiliation and now, Head of Advertising, managing three departments: Managed Accounts, the old Affiliation team, Media Buying and Creative.

 
The role of Head of Advertising in Basebone
In theory or if we were in an ideal world, the Head of the Departments main task would be to align the leadership/company goals within the department for each member to know what is expected from them and help them to reach their goals by enabling the necessary tools, unlocking problems, etc.

In reality, the role encompasses many different elements, and agility is key, allowing us to change direction quickly, ensuring that we can react and adapt quickly to achieve goals.

 
Describe the main skills you have developed at Basebone so far
As a manager, I think you need to listen to what your team says, also why and how they say it, where the comment is coming from to understand the situation and help them to think and find the solution or the cause of it to solve it and learn from it.

By applying this method,  if it is a mistake or an issue that happens often, they will be able to solve it by themselves the next time.

 
Tell us about your biggest challenge at Basebone
Training people. Basebone was growing so quickly that we needed to hire people really fast, so we committed to hiring non-experienced people and training them. It was people from different cultures, different knowledge and experience, with the challenge being the ability to adapt the training and explanations to each person when at the same time they all shared the same goal.

 
Main skills that a manager needs
Ability to listen, but active listening not just hearing.
Being flexible with the team, so the team will be flexible in return.
Create a trusted team.
Delegate and recognise areas where you are weak and surround yourself with people that are good in that area to create a strong team.
Enable a secure environment where people are allowed to fail, so they can learn from their mistakes.
Forecast possible scenarios to ensure a quick reaction if the plan A fails.

https://www.basebone.com/careers
","creatorId":"j4cvDXzvNDUNuTWs1t4B5sdURiq1","date":"2019-05-20T09:28:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/17301basebone-news-maite.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F17301basebone-news-maite.jpg?alt=media&token=21db00ec-f1ab-474d-b974-7bcbba67f8e7"},"title":"Our team, our best asset: Maite Campos"},"-LbNNBxegadQxHSvswrS":{"alias":"the-rise-of-edutainment","content":"
Advanced technology has changed the world in many ways. In every industry, technology is changing every field of life. Technology has also affected the field of education. There has been an introduction of new learning approaches like edutainment. Edutainment entails education which is fostered with the help of entertainment. This new learning approach continues to rise with the increase in the demand for more enjoyable ways for students to learn. For sure, entertainment values have dominated many aspects of life, but an interesting trend is on the rise in the education sector. We can call it the academization of leisure. As the term suggests, edutainment combines all the aspects of education and entertainment into products and experiences that we seek for improving learning. The aim is not to make education painless but gratifying. This kind of education is mostly pursued on an elective basis without credit or certifications at stake.

Many factors underline the rise in edutainment. One is a population that has leisure time and money to spend. Another factor is a digital distribution which has allowed content creators to focus on small audiences with more specialized interests thus giving users access to the edutainment products anywhere and anytime.


Is edutainment a new trend?
No, not exactly. For sure education and entertainment have frequently been meeting but on overlapping paths. You can remember back when you were in kindergarten, the class was ornamented with paintings and handcraft. That’s edutainment. You might have also played games like “Age of Empires” which taught you about the famous warfare and also the advancements of technology. Again, you have already enjoyed edutainment.

What about the alphabet learning videos that you have to see when you are fed up? That is edutainment as well! There is no denial that entertainment in education has benefited most of us if not all of us but the big question that remains unanswered is whether or not edutainment can appeal to the older generation. That is where the debate of edutainment comes into play — a question of whether edutainment can be used to teach a wider variety of students. Looking at statistics, a survey of people aged 16 to 65 in the United States indicated that participation of education fell with age. The results indicated that the numbers were as high as 73% in the age bracket 6-15 years and later fell to 55% in the latter years. This shows the need for a new module of learning.

Edutainment has not only benefited children but also their parents too. Take for instance the many education video channels on YouTube right now. Most of the channels like Ted-Ed have over 10 million subscribers. They produce short videos that enlighten people with some new information each day. Many will ask why they have so many followers. It is simple, with a rise of scientific advancement in the society, many are curious to understand the inner workings of the human mind and mysteries of the world. Combining this curiosity with visually appealing graphics will give you the perfect blend.


The Use of Short Videos in Edutainment
What is most notable with the current edutainment boom is its use of different formats and techniques. Edutainment has witnessed the explosion of short videos as an integral part. The percentage of short videos format in edutainment is expected to rise by more than 70% in 2020, highlighting the importance of this format in edutainment. There are many benefits of using short videos in edutainment including that they are credible and versatile. Short videos enhance the effectiveness of edutainment. Short videos have been shown to enhance memory in edutainment.

In conclusion, edutainment is already on the rise. Digital classrooms and seminars are on the rise with the aim to tutor learners on various subjects. Also, students are nowadays actively taking part in educational games aimed towards making the viewers learn something.

At Baseplay we understand that Edutainment should be given in a format that is not mind control but rather a format that relaxes the mind. Edutainment has made learning a lot of fun since it brings the entertainment side to it while at the same time teaching the educational values.

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-05-06T09:45:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/98810Edutaintment-basebone.jpeg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F98810Edutaintment-basebone.jpeg?alt=media&token=28ca3ad6-5027-4150-8c9e-64a2a50b05e1"},"title":"The Rise of Edutainment"},"-LbNQoIwVVe16Yw6RVm1":{"alias":"basebone-sponsor-of-2019-St-Patrick’s-Day-Pro-Am","content":"

Basebone was a proud sponsor of the 2019 St Patrick's Day Pro-Am, held at the Metropolitan Golf Club, Cape Town.

The event, now in its 18th year, was created to support The Hurdy Gurdy House.

The Hurdy Gurdy House, an NGO, was the first home in South Africa set up to specifically cater for the needs of adults with Autism.


Autism is a complex neurobehavioral condition that includes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills combined with rigid, repetitive behaviours. Because of the range of symptoms, this condition is now called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It covers a large spectrum of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment. ASD ranges in severity from a handicap that somewhat limits an otherwise normal life to a devastating disability that may require institutional care.


Proceeds raised from this golf Pro-Am day, are used to support the NGO in ensuring that they can continue to provide care and residential facilities to those adults that suffer from Autism.


To date, the St Patrick's Day Pro-Am has raised in excess of ZAR1.5m for this charity.

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-03-26T11:10:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/91733basebone-news-golf.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F91733basebone-news-golf.jpg?alt=media&token=7e23cb1e-b445-49bd-8280-e4cc4dfedc39"},"title":"Basebone sponsor of 2019 St Patrick’s Day Pro-Am"},"-LbNT7_ogjWoHPzrX31Z":{"alias":"the-unstoppable-streaming-video-in-south-africa","content":"
Video streaming is a massive industry not just in South Africa but worldwide. For instance, YouTube, the leading video sharing platform enjoys a whopping 300 hours of video content uploaded to their site every minute! That is about 5 billion video views every day!

What is more interesting is the fact that video streaming is poised to be unstoppable. The below shows some of the reasons and trends as to why video streaming will become unstoppable in South Africa


1) Increasing Internet access

In 2000, less than 5% of the South African population had access to the internet. By 2015 the number had increased to around 50% and by 2019, according to stats released by Social and Hootsuite, more than 60% of South Africans have access to the internet. 
In January 2018, internet penetration was at a whopping 54% which represents 30.8 Million South Africans! 
Yes, it is true that over half of the world’s population is now accessing the internet. However, South Africa is one of the African countries that have seen the fastest growth rate with the number of internet users increasing by 20% each year.

Moreover, South Africa sees a rise in internet speeds. In 1993, people would connect to the World Wide Web through dial-up which speed averaged 56-kilobit per second connection. You can’t compare that to the gigabit internet offered by AT&T, Google, and Cox which many South Africans are accessing right now. The connection speed has increased drastically, something unimaginable some years ago.


2) Many users prefer video content

South Africa, just like many countries in the world, is seeing a trend where people are shifting from sending texts and photos to streaming videos. Many are viewing a large number of videos not only in their computers but also their mobile phones. According to a 2018 study by the digital world, 58% of people watched videos online every day. This number is expected to be higher today. 
A 2017 report found that Facebook served more than 8 billion video views per day and more than 85% were videos watched without any sound. Considering the rise in smartphones with sharp displays, video streaming is increasingly becoming the preferred method.


3) Cost of accessing Video content is reducing

Fifteen years ago, platforms like YouTube and Facebook did not exist. Today there is a rise of video streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and our own, Baseplay Stream. Most of these services are classed as Streaming Video on Demand (SVOD) and generally accessed through monthly subscriptions which is more cost-effective than subscribing to traditional satellite TV services. The consumer is also able to choose the services they want to join based on their viewing preferences. 


4) A rise of video adoption in Business and enterprises

Businesses, as well as enterprises, are rapidly adopting video streaming in the workplace. Statistics from Markets and Markets shows that the video market is expected to grow from an estimation of $16.34 billion in 2017 to about $40 billion in 2022. The reason cited for this rise is that video streaming is becoming a common communication tool. 
Teams and departments are increasingly using videos to communicate across companies. Also, customer support departments of many companies are supplementing Frequently Asked Questions with videos while Human Resource Departments use video streams to train employees.


In conclusion, with fast internet speed, high-resolution screens and better methods of video distribution, video streaming will continue to rise. If you are in South Africa and want to keep up with the new trend, remember to visit Baseplay and join the platform for unstoppable streaming of videos!
","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-04-22T10:32:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/19726mobile-computer-work-basebone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F19726mobile-computer-work-basebone.jpg?alt=media&token=fe287ce5-a59d-4c82-b631-6b32d34d53f3"},"title":"The Unstoppable Streaming Video in South Africa"},"-LbNVZCA-0zRaXeMQ5YW":{"alias":"our-team-our-best-asset-media-buying","content":"
We believe that effective teamwork is what makes organizations succeed.

Rocio and Jorge, members of our media buying team, are committed to their work not only as individuals but also as a team in order for them to succeed as one. Respect, collaboration, boldness and playfulness lead the growth of our team under a common spirit of “only forward”. We are aiming to show that our people are our best assets, people that have the “can do” attitude.


Short Introductions about yourself
Rocío: People find me to be a self-motivated team player. For the last 5 years, I have been a Media Buyer in the Mobile Industry. My work experience includes Mobile display networks, platforms, Dsps and programmatic buying platforms, including real-time bidding.
Extremely data-driven and detail-oriented are my main skills.

Jorge: I’m a physicist driven into the mobile marketing world, who’s been trying to apply some science to a chaotic scenario for almost five years. I always try to find ways to help my teammates, either creating some useful tools, supporting them during the workflow if necessary or simply making a joke to lift the mood.
I firmly believe that the common achievements will get us further than any personal goal, and that’s something I feel in the core of Basebones beliefs.


The role of Media Buyer in Basebone
Rocío: To be part of the Media Buying team at Basebone, it is essential to be able to adapt and be flexible in order to achieve goals on daily basis. The role consists of:
Planning and execution of digital marketing actions;
Set up, optimize and report digital mobile advertising campaigns to ensure the highest performance;
Monitor daily results and improve KPIs performance;
Have strong organizational, analytical and communications skills.

Jorge: Coming from an Ad Network to an Advertiser that manages everything of their own product opens a lot of possibilities when at the same time, closes others. Analysis to the finest detail comes to be a must while getting information on the status first hand and being able to influence the product itself creates a better understanding of the whole system.


Describe the main skills you have developed at Basebone so far
Rocío: It's difficult to point out a few because in the year that I’ve been working at Basebone, I have developed so many skills. Maybe I would highlight the ability to assimilate large amounts of information. I find myself to be a curious person who is always asking questions like \"why\" and \"how\" constantly generating a thirst of knowledge. On the other hand,  I have learnt to see my past working experience in a \"new light\", with a different perspective from direct Advertiser side, and apply this knowledge to my current position.

Jorge: More than a skill, what I value more is that now I understand better how the product, billing, and users work, from the users using their phones to the call center helping subscribers.
On top of that, the close communication with other departments is something that I have reinforced, becoming super important when working from so many different locations.


Tell us about your biggest challenge at Basebone
Rocío: My biggest challenge was when I first started at Basebone. My main goal was to build and develop a solid Network/DSPs structure. After one year we can say that now a DSPs Department exists and is reaching an interesting volume of market each month, with more than 20 Networks/Platform/Dsps integrated aligned with the overall company strategy.

Jorge: I agree with Rocio that creating the structure has been something that has taken a lot of effort. Not only on our workflow but working on ways to communicate with the other departments fluently and being able to request/provide information or assets quickly.


Few words from their manager Maite Campos; The best achievement from this team is the creation of our DSP/Network area for the MB department from zero. The team has worked closely together to deliver the platforms, tools & solutions.
","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-04-08T10:36:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/81536group-of-young-designers-working-Basebone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F81536group-of-young-designers-working-Basebone.jpg?alt=media&token=1d6d70e1-1a17-4933-90c9-acedadda7f48"},"title":"Our team, our best asset: Media Buying"},"-LbNYx5Ovuf2VMpk5-Fe":{"alias":"benefits-of-cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace","content":"
Cultural Diversity in the workplace can be defined as the existence of a variety of cultural groups or ethnic groups within the workplace. Basebone is an example of this with 12 different nationalities working together in the same workplace


1)    Improved Skill Base

The diversity of employees in the workplace increases the range of skills and knowledge the organization has. Multilingual and multicultural employees can communicate and conduct business on behalf of the company around the globe. This opens up new opportunities as far as suppliers and customers are concerned. Having diverse employees makes it easier for organizations to service a greater market more effectively. A workforce which is culturally diverse in today’s society ensures has a great understanding of the markets and will succeed where other companies have failed.

2)    Attracts the Best Employees

Employees are crucial for the future of any business. Employees are also crucial to the success of the organization. To attract the best employees for a job, a company ought to provide good working conditions and workplace policies to encourage unity and understanding among its employees. Of course, all the employees want to work in an environment they are welcomed and accepted. The success of the company also relies on good teamwork. It is crucial to have strategies in place for helping the employees to communicate with each other and with the company. When the company has a reputation for being a good employer, it will attract a wide range of skilled applicants in future recruitment.

3)    Improved Productivity

When the workforce has high morale, they work harder and become more productive. When the company invests in managing cultural diversity in the workplace the productivity of the company will improve.

4)    Happy Customers

A culturally diversified workforce increases the market which your business can appeal to. Besides, it enables the organization to provide a more tailored service to a wide variety of individuals. Employees of different cultural backgrounds enable the company to draw on their knowledge and experience thus resulting in the company providing the right solution to the range of markets.

5)    Staying on the right side of the law

When a company welcomes and implements cultural diversity policies, it is less likely to be accused of discrimination by the employees. Regular assessment of cultural diversity in the workplace enables the company to come up with necessary policies which suit each employee. Cultural diversity policies are common in successful organizations considering they recognize the need to embrace a changing society.

For success in any company, it is more important than ever to have a culturally diverse workforce. Basebone has one! However, the success of the company is highly dependent on the ability to manage diversity well. With the right policies and facilities, a company can take advantage of its diversity and become a success. For sure the world is changing which needs companies to change their thinking. Our current world embraces a diverse company.

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-03-18T11:55:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/26457basebone-diversity.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F26457basebone-diversity.jpg?alt=media&token=850f9ee1-fd3e-4dfb-93c7-b36aa4e28608"},"title":"Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace"},"-LbN_JFcYWSz6c7WX1iN":{"alias":"esports-the-meteoric-rise","content":"
What are e-sports? Basically, e-sports is the abbreviation of electronic sports. Basketball players play basketball on a court, e-sports players play one another from the comfort of their home. 
However, these days, e-sports is not just played from our front room between friends and family. Nowadays, huge tournaments take place all around the world in big arenas. 
E-sports players can play games individually or in teams. 

People have been playing computer games against each other for over 30 years thanks to the internet becoming cheaper and faster. 
On the other hand, thanks to the internet, it made it easier for users from around the world to come together and play against each other. However, some prefered just to connect and watch others play. 
Back in the '70s and ’80s, the world’s top gamers were competing for high scores in classic arcade games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. 
Slowly, this gaming hobby has evolved and players have become more skilled and therefore became competitive and professional. 

In recent years, the most popular games are League of Legends (LoL), Call of Duty (CoD), Defense of the Legends 2 (DOTA 2), Overwatch and the all time classic, Starcraft. These are just some names of featured games used also in competitions. 

It’s clear that e-sports is on the rise. In 2016 e-sports was given an official organisation called the World e-sports Association which was in charge of the sport although not everyone agrees that e-sports should be considered a sport being that they believe that a sport has to involve being physically active. 

Due to the popularity of e-sports, many companies have realised that there is a lot of money to be made and are taking advantage of this by bringing out games aimed directly a e-sports players.
On the other hand, tournaments are held which allow e-sports players to go home with large cash prizes. 
In 2015, for example, the biggest event that was held was the League of Legends World Championship which attracted over 35 million viewers. 

E-sports can be watched online from computers, tablets, mobile devices and even smart TVs. 
There are currently two main platforms for streaming e-sports which are Twitch.com and YouTube.com. These platforms offer many tournaments, archives, and any content related to the game and even the players. 
E-sports is also making its way into mainstream TV. Networks such as ESPN and TBS broadcast e-sports tournaments due to the popularity being that it continues to grow. 

Generally, the most popular games played are online battle arena multiplayer games and first-person shooter games. However, you can also find sports games such as FIFA or fighters such as Street Fighter. 
Those who are serious players, for example, those who are from part-time players to professionals will only focus on one game ensuring they fully master it. 
Only those that are the absolute best players will compete at the highest level. Anyone can aim at accessing these levels but only those that are serious and committed to the game can make a career out of it. 

For some, e-sports is more than just a game, it’s a job. Players will train for up to 12 hours a day to ensure they have quick reactions and reflexes. 
Players can make up to 300 actions per minute, hence the amount of hours invested in practice. 
They need to ensure to pay close attention to any new possible updates so they can master the changes in time for the tournaments and not be caught off guard. 

There are many leagues around the world and each of them dedicated to a specific game. These include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive League, the League of Legends Championship Series and the biggest third-party leagues are the Electronic Sports League (ESL) and Major League Gaming. 

As in football and basketball, e-sports also have seasons. Many leagues will have the regular seasons followed by playoffs. For example, the Overwatch league’s season is from January through to June which also includes a postseason taking place for mid-June through to late July. 
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the question of should e-sports be in the Olympics? Fans and players truly believe that the answer to this question should be ‘Yes’ however many others fail to believe e-sports should be considered an Olympic game. 

If you are looking at becoming an e-sport player, remember to choose the games that you will enjoy. A good starting point would be taking a look at https://baseplay.co/Info/ being that the portal has many games to offer and gives you the chance to find that game which you can truly master and maybe even lead you to becoming a true e-sport player

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-03-05T12:04:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/84096Esports article .jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F84096Esports%20article%20.jpg?alt=media&token=8ae87263-c566-4d17-a3f6-138c0990fcf3"},"title":"Esports: The Meteoric Rise"},"-LbNaKB_PRzYv34G7dKt":{"alias":"basebone-partners-with-omega-1-entertainment","content":"
Basebone partners with Omega 1 Entertainment to give Subscribers access to Unique African Film Production Services

London, July 2018. Basebone, this week, announced it has teamed up with Omega 1 Entertainment, a leader in the Cameroon film industry, to offer its Baseplay mobile entertainment service subscribers a unique filmmaking experience.  

Omega 1 helps aspiring filmmakers take their screenplays through the film production process - seamlessly. It’s recently produced original TV series, SAMBA, which won multiple Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards and award nominations, which has helped put the Cameroon film industry in the international spotlight.

“Our evolving vision at Omega 1 is to produce attractive, original, African entertainment content for viewing that reflects the AFRICA of NOW,” said Elung Brenda CEO.  “Our experienced and devoted team is looking forward to sharing their passion for filmmaking with Baseplay’s m-learning subscribers to be sure their filmmaking experience is rewarding and effortless.”

“With more than 3 million subscriptions in South Africa alone, it is paramount to Baseplay that we offer exclusive and entertaining “glocal” mobile experiences that reflect the cultures of our valued clientele,” said Benito Alvarez. Basebone’s Chief Marketing Officer “It’s an added plus that we are also supporting the African film industry with the introduction of this unique educational course opportunity.”

Baseplay, Basebone's flagship, is a full suite of entertainment & educational products developed for mobile users but accessible from any web-enabled device. It includes five great verticals packed with content including movies, series, music, mobile games, health & fitness, education, and even content for kids.

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-02-18T12:09:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/26274basebone-news-omega1.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F26274basebone-news-omega1.jpg?alt=media&token=75e63063-280b-4fe4-bd8d-77e3585a4757"},"title":"Basebone Partners with Omega 1 Entertainment"},"-LbNcAC60zskXFnu0pT2":{"alias":"partnership-between-basebone-and-zoomin","content":"
Basebone and Zoomin Work Together to Give GenZ Consumers Access to the Thought-Provoking News and Feature Video-Stories they are Demanding

When it comes to the Gen Z audience, traditional news sources just aren’t cutting it. That’s what Basebone believes is behind the notable growth in Gen Z subscriber interest in the unique news and feature stories offered by its partner, Zoomin.TV.

Basebone, through its flagship content portal Baseplay, provides a full suite of entertainment & educational products developed for mobile users but accessible from any web-enabled device. It includes five great verticals packed with content including movies, series, music, mobile games, health & fitness, education, and even content for kids.

Zoomin, makes original stories with a daily production of 10 high-end short form videos. In serial and factual form stories like GenZ make the local, global. Follow Local Heroes as they change things for the better, look out for social trends, inspiring activists, entertainers, thought leaders and much more.

The Gen Z audience is considered the largest and most influential single population segment.

The partnership signed between both companies in 2017, allowed for access to the large catalogue of videos which Zoomin has available to be provided to Basebone’s English-speaking users across 2 continents.

“The public is looking for access to the thought-provoking content that traditional media is simply not giving them,” said Benito Alvarez, Chief Marketing Executive at Basebone. “That is especially true among those born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The unique stories that Zoomin is offering our discerning subscribers in this age bracket is leading to conversations on serious issues as well as striking an emotional cord.”

“Our stories are meant to inspire Gen Z. Our partnership with Basebone has expanded our ability to bring this audience the compelling and authentic online video-storytelling they are craving,” said Roger Lodewick, CEO, Zoomin  “Only good storytelling hooks the audience and reaches the unreachable. The jump in viewers shows that we are giving them what they want.”

“We are very much about purposeful performance so the relationship with Zoomin is an ideal fit for our like missions. Entertainment plays an important role in individual and social development and creates enjoyment, connections and growth that has been extended by the mobile ecosystem,” said Alvarez. “We strive to be part of this change by delivering mobile entertainment experiences worldwide. And it is essential to us that we provide shared value to not only our subscribers but also to win-win partnerships like that with Zoomin”

Statistics and research by the Pew Institute and an Inc. magazine confirm that Zoomin business model is on target with this audience. According to statistics and research, four of the qualities that define the Gen Z age group are: their preference for on-demand learning as compared to formal education; the high priority they put on digital communications since they are the first generation of “digital natives”; their view of themselves as “global citizens”; and their “do-it-yourself” mentality.

“Our goal at Basebone is to continually make available to our valued subscribers the very best in information and digital content. Strong partnerships such as the one we enjoy with Zoomin ensures that we can do that,” said Benito Alvarez.

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-01-21T12:12:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/35947basebone-news-zoomin.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F35947basebone-news-zoomin.jpg?alt=media&token=5ae262e7-16d5-49f5-9d06-82df80106c2e"},"title":"Partnership between Basebone and Zoomin"},"-LbNcun8oSgBYlfT6Myg":{"alias":"top-10-tips-and-facts-on-direct-carrier-billing","content":"
Our Group Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director Africa, James McNab shares his top 10 tips and facts on direct carrier billing.

Basebone continues to expand its reach into the African Market through Direct Carrier Billing, DCB for short. DCB is an online payment method that allows users to make purchases by charging payments to their mobile phone bill.

To demonstrate just how important this billing feature can be for your mobile traffic monetisation, we have put together 10 useful carrier billing tips and facts.

1)  Mobile Network Operators need DCB

DCB delivers badly needed growth to MNO’s and will overtake SMS billing revenues within 6 years. Combined carrier-billed games, music and video will be the initial key areas for growth initially, but DCB roll out across emerging markets will allow consumers to buy other products and services that weren’t readily available to them.

2)  The market is growing

According to Ovum, the global carrier billing market was worth around $14.5 billion in 2014 and it is predicted to rise to around $24.7 billion by the end of 2019. Which is why…

3)  It’s not just about Google Play

People think that the App stores are DCB’s main market. This is not the case. Premium rated services, such as subscription-based content models, charity donations, TV voting and competitions are all key segments to the continued growth of carrier billing

4)  Emerging Markets are the biggest opportunity for DCB

The need for carrier billing is great. It is the most frictionless of payment mechanisms available to mobile users. Emerging Markets represent over 40% of the global carrier billing market according to Ovum.

5)  Is a convenient substitute

Carrier Billing works alongside traditional payment methods. Barriers to entry are being lowered as the ability to bring a product to market that traditionally used Credit Card payments is removed, all because the ability of being able to charge a product or service to your mobile phone bill is easier.

6)  It’s as easy as ABC for a user to make a payment

Carrier billing is achieved through a direct connection into the billing system of the mobile operator, allowing a charge to be placed on the phone bill. With this billing type, there is no need for a user to insert Credit Card details etc, as Carrier Billing is as easy as ABC for the consumer.  The payment process varies by operator, but in some cases the billing process can be as simple as making a payment in 1 click.

7)  Margins are improving

Although carrier billing has to date been commonly used for transactions in developed markets, the key players such as Google, have been driving the operators down on price in order to fit in with app store business strategies. One of the key reasons as to why carrier billing is key in emerging markets.

8)  Price is key…

We all want impulse buyers. Pricing used in the carrier billing arena is generally cheaper than the pricing used in traditional premium rated billing arena. Users want something that doesn’t cost a lot, and preferably with a free period.

9)  …as is product

Because people buy on impulse, having the right product/service with added extras is a key factor in growing your customer base. This is exactly what Candy Crush Saga did with their in-app purchases and they generate $3.7 million a day!

10)  Increase revenues

With easier to use payment methods, data has shown that when you introduce carrier billing to your product/service, end-user spending increases.
","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-02-04T12:20:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/28500paying-his-bills-online-baseonbe.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F28500paying-his-bills-online-baseonbe.jpg?alt=media&token=8d8d90fe-40de-4ca3-892c-cc557d7929bf"},"title":"Top 10 Tips and Facts on Direct Carrier Billing"},"-LbNm3-2alI4d6fqVdlg":{"alias":"10-facts-and-stats-that-outline-the-mobile-content","content":"
Our contribution from James MacNab, Chief Commercial Officer & Managing Director of Africa with MEF Minute, an award-winning blog that provides a cross-ecosystem and international perspectives on all things mobile.


In many ways, the growth of mobile, content and services in Sub-Saharan Africa has set the standard for other mobile-only markets around the world.  Yet the trajectory of that growth is far from straightforward.  Whereas established economies can plot growth against smartphone penetration and the roll-out of faster mobile networks, in Africa it’s very different.  There are widely differing network capabilities ranging from 2G up to 4G for example.

At the same time, a significant proportion on the African user base is un-banked, making the retail of mobile content and services more complex than linking an app store to a bank account.  There are also complexities at the regulatory level – after all, Africa isn’t one singular country with a universal regulatory authority.

Rather, reaching consumers with mobile content and services means paying attention to many differing details like content delivery, content types and so on, so that consumers are able to access relevant content according to handset type and pay for it in a way that suits them.

One such company that has been built its business on providing mobile entertainment and value-added services, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, is MEF member Basebone.  Its focus is on paid subscription portals that offer diverse mobile content portfolios Bringing together apps, games, media, m-learning and social connections as well as localised content and services.

The Basebone model works. In South Africa alone the company has over 30 million paid subscriptions achieved since market entry 10 years ago. Below, MEF Board Director, James McNab, (Chief Liaison Officer, Basebone Group and Managing Director for Basebone Connects) outlines 10 more market stats and facts that explore the growth of the mobile ecosystem in the African continent.

Mobile devices

Content and services
","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-01-07T12:50:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/40095James-basebone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F40095James-basebone.jpg?alt=media&token=d257f791-c241-4897-b250-40512491e8b0"},"title":"10 Facts and stats that outline the mobile content"},"-LiJSImCIcTUjL2q0XJj":{"alias":"Netsport-Media-enters-into-a-strategic-partnership-with-Basebone","content":"
Leading digital content media-services provider, Basebone, partners with Netsport Media, a prominent Content Provider of short format video to enhance service delivery

It is the collaboration of two giants and the possible beginning of a new dawn in the digital content industry as Netsport Media and Mobile partners with Basebone. Each of the companies has made a name in their respective spheres, carving a niche for themselves and becoming a force to reckon with, thanks to their excellent service delivery and drive for innovation and creativity.

Basebone has been a leading digital content media services provider since 2007. The company has grown to become one of the most sought-after services providers in the content media services industry with its flagship product, Baseplay ranking it amongst the heavyweights in the industry. The suite of entertainment and educational OTT media delivery services is directed at mobile-first emerging markets like Kenya and South Africa, allowing customers access a plethora of premium mobile content. The company currently offers its diverse range of custom branded products and services across 4 continents.
Netsport Media and Mobile, on the other hand, has become one of the most prominent Content Providers of short format video into the mobile networks in Africa, the Middle East and beyond. The company produces its own content as well as partners with international content owners for exclusive distribution rights on a wide range of categories such as kids, health, education, devotion, sport, entertainment, and e-gaming. The services currently offered by the company include mobile content for mobile value-added services (VAS), world swimsuit, and the development of visual campaigns for print and television audiences.

The partnership between the two companies is not the first time Netsport Media and Mobile is collaborating with another innovative success-driven organization as it recently partnered with Emerge Gaming, striking a distribution deal with the company to effectively address the needs of its clients including Gamers, sponsors, and advertisers.

The recent partnership between Netsport Media and Mobile and Basebone is a giant stride and the world can only await the fruits of the union.
More information about the partnership and other amazing projects from Netsport Media and Mobile can be found on their website. Information about Basebone and the solutions offered can also be found on their website.

About Netsport Media and Mobile
Netsport Media is a leading provider of rich media content to mobile value-added services (VAS) markets in Africa and the Middle East. The company rose to prominence in South Africa’s publishing sector as a producer of world-class, circulation-boosting magazine supplements.

About Basebone
Basebone is a digital content business focused on the mobile phone user. We are the creators and owners of Baseplay streaming services, where users can enjoy a wide range of games, music and video content from their phone. The freemium model offers access to limited content for free or to subscribe for unlimited entertainment, without ads. Baseplay is available on www.baseplay.co and the Google Play Store.







","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-06-26T15:39:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/87808basebone-news-netsport.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F87808basebone-news-netsport.jpg?alt=media&token=1eaef4b0-0ce1-49c4-815e-3a943d097eb6"},"title":"Netsport Media enters into a strategic partnership with Basebone"},"-Ljtu2XPx4ZAW-86b9QG":{"alias":"A-mobile-data-report-for 2024-congestion-ahead","content":"
Mobile data is the fuel that powers our gaming, watching and listening habits. Demand is constantly rising. Can supply keep up? A new report contains the answers...


If you asked the average person to describe their monthly mobile data allowance in two words they would probably reply:

“Not enough”!

Ever since the arrival of 3G networks, people have shown an unquenchable desire to browse, stream and download. As a result, the pressure on mobile operators to provide faster (and cheaper) data across has been relentless.

And yet mobile subscribers always want more.

How much more? Well, the answer comes in the latest edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report. 

It says that, in 2018, the world's smartphone users consumed around 30 exabytes of mobile data a month. By 2024, they will use 131 exabytes.  

To phrase it in a more familiar way: 131 billion gigabytes.

So the question is: what will mobile subscribers 'spend' this ocean of data on? 

Top of the list is – unsurprisingly – video. Everyone recognises the unique power of video to entertain and inform. It explains the rise of YouTube, Facebook Live, Netflix, Snapchat Stories and almost every online advert you currently see.

According to Ericsson, mobile video traffic comprises about 60 per cent of total traffic now. But it will hit 74 per cent by 2024. Nothing else comes close. The next biggest application is social media at eight per cent.

Interestingly, the world's hungriest users of mobile data are in India. Every month, the typical Indian smartphone user consumes 9.8GB. This is because of fast-growing 4G coverage, attractive data plans and an army of mobile-addicted young people.

However, by 2014, the highest average consumption per user will be in the US, where the total will rise to 39GB per user per month.

That said, every geography is set to ratchet up its demand for data. The Middle East and Africa region will experience the most dramatic increase of all. Its total consumption will rise 8x from 1.8 exabytes a month to 15 exabytes in five years' time.

Of course, the key reason that this extra data will be available at all is 5G. Over-congested 4G networks alone can simply not to support the rising demand.

Fortunately, 5G promises far more than an incremental upgrade on LTE, HSPA+ and the other flavours of 4G. It is not just a bit faster. In fact, 5G should run at speeds of between 10Gbps to 50Gbps. It has even reached 1 terabit per second in a test environment. That's 65,000 times faster than 4G. 

However, there's more to 5G than speed. There's capacity too. On average, 4G supports around 2,000 connected devices per 0.38 square miles. If you've tried to connect at a concert or sports event, you'll know what problems this can cause.

5G can support up to 1 million connected devices in the same space. It should banish the idea of overloaded networks.

In 2019, we are witnessing the start of the 5G revolution, with the first commercial roll-outs. Obviously, only the most affluent early adopters will use 5G this year. That should mean around 10 million subscriptions says the Ericsson report. But by 2024, the number will skyrocket to 1.9 billion worldwide (accounting for 35 percent of all mobile data traffic).

The other fascinating side effect of the 5G networks revolution will be on the Internet of Things. Yes, it seems that machines, not people, will be using a good chunk of the newly available network capacity. Ericsson expects more than 4 billion 'things' to be connected by 2024.

Obviously, it's very important for the world's mobile operators to boost the number of machines that use its networks. Why? Because they are running out of new people to connect.

The fact is, virtually everyone in the world has a phone now.

The Ericsson report says the number of mobile subscriptions grew at just two percent year-on-year in 2018, and currently totals around 7.9 billion. In 2018, China added the most new subscribers (+30 million), followed by Nigeria (+5 million) and the Philippines (+4 million). 
 
That said, many subscribers do have more than one SIM, so there are actually more connections than people. In fact, there are around 5.7 billion subscribers in the world, which means global mobile subscription penetration is now at 104 per cent. 





","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-07-16T08:11:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/68880Mobile-data-report-basebone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F68880Mobile-data-report-basebone.jpg?alt=media&token=130883be-d7d9-4c05-824a-65137692c676"},"title":"A mobile data report for 2024: congestion ahead"},"-LmhxIvOJrTt9aAIgX-C":{"alias":"MCP-Insight-enters-into-a-strategic-partnership-with-Basebone","content":"
Pioneering digital content media-services provider, Basebone, partners with leading compliance and fraud monitoring specialists, MCP Insight, to enhance safety and security for consumers purchasing digital content.

This collaboration of two pioneering companies will bring together their existing formidable strengths to deliver continued and sustainable growth and an enhanced, safer end-user experience. Basebone’s highly successful OTT media services provision will combine with MCP’s deep understanding of brand and consumer protection, regulatory compliance and fraud monitoring in this strategic collaboration. 

MCP and Basebone have strong synergies, including their mutual focus on a smooth and safe customer experience and the collaboration is certain to boost their market presence and strength. This exciting partnership aligns with Basebone's growth strategy and with its total commitment to giving its customers a smooth and secure user experience', says Thomas Schmidt, Chief Operations Officer at Basebone.

The growing demand for digital content and OTT services, together with the growth of increasingly sophisticated hacking and cyber-attacks on consumers and providers alike, means the collaboration comes at a very opportune time. ‘We are delighted to work with Basebone in pursuing our mutual aim of providing a safe environment for consumers to purchase digital content’, comments Declan Pettit, MCP Commercial Director. 

Basebone has been a digital content OTT media-services provider since 2007, operating across Europe and Africa, and focusing its service provision on emerging markets. Basebone’s industry leading flagship product, Baseplay, offers a wide range of content under a unified brand including TV, Movies, Music, Games, Health and Fitness and E-Learning. Also, as end-to-end infrastructure providers, Basebone can offer Baseplay as a custom branded solution to enterprises such as MNOs and Handset Manufacturers.
 
MCP Insight is a compliance and fraud monitoring company specialising in mobile gateway traffic, serving Network Operators, Regulators, Payment Processors and Merchants across over thirty countries. MCP delivers its impressive range of services using various products, SCANNER (compliance), SHIELD (fraud detection), TRENDS (market trends & competitor benchmarking) and VERIFY (payment verification.) MCPs various monitoring systems and products help the industry wide trend for the growth of Direct Carrier Billing, by monitoring and identifying unsafe or fraudulent traffic. 


About Basebone
Basebone is a Digital Content Company that provides OTT Media Services across Africa & Europe. Basebone are the creators and owners of Baseplay streaming services. Users enjoy a wide range of games, music and video content on their phone. Further information about Basebone can be found at www.basebone.com  

About MCP Insight 
MCP Insight are a market intelligence and compliance/fraud monitoring company, specialising in mobile gateway traffic, with operations in over thirty countries across Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Clients include: Network Operators, Regulators, Payment Processors and Merchants. Further information about MCP Insight can be found at www.mcpinsight.com

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-08-20T07:32:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/55567african-american-entrepreneur-basebone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F55567african-american-entrepreneur-basebone.jpg?alt=media&token=3d2bd915-c642-4d57-89ae-34d60ec960d7"},"title":"MCP Insight enters into a strategic partnership with Basebone"},"-Lo0qwDXqTRh35ZhAQjY":{"alias":"can_rcs_kickstart_a_new_era_of_mobile_commerce","content":"
A new report from MEF explores how the telco's rich messaging channel RCS might support payments. It contains a lot of 'ifs', but it also showcases a convenient new way for customers to buy from brands...


Would you pay for your car parking space using a chat app?

Here's how it might go. First, you would send a message to the mobile number of the car park. Immediately after, you would get a rich message back. The message 'bot' would ask you for your car registration and how long you wanted to stay for. 

It might show a map so you could find your way back easily. Then it would display various payment options – pay by bill, pay by credit card, Google Pay etc. 

You would click on the one you want, authenticate the payment with a PIN or fingerprint, and you're done.

The entire conversation would take place in a single message session and in conversational language.

Sounds good, right? Especially when you think about the alternatives. Do you really want to download and install the car park's app just for this one occasion?

Do you really want to send a series of 15 SMS messages back and forth?

Arguments like this could be heard frequently around three years ago.

Why then? Because, in April 2016, Mark Zuckerberg announced that developers could build bots inside Facebook Messenger. This created a lot of
speculation about what this meant for the app economy.

All of a sudden there were articles everywhere saying: bots are the new apps.

Industry experts observed that, although people like apps, they only regularly use 10 a day. So, for most brands, it's impossible to convince consumers to install theirs.

And yet, people do value the ability to 'talk' to enterprises. In particular, they like conversational interfaces – like those live chat buttons you see on websites.

So when Zuckerberg revealed his bot plans, it seemed like everything fell into place. 

Let's take a hypothetical example – say Easy Jet. Consumers would just go to Facebook Messenger, find the contact for EasyJet, add it to contacts, and then start talking to the airline as if it were a friend. 

The Easy Jet bot would chat in natural language – and because it would recognise the user (from his or her phone number), it would automatically know all the relevant details. 

Bingo. A really easy way to find and talk to brands in one place and in natural human speech.

Who needs apps?

Well, it hasn't quite worked out that way. Bots have made some progress, but they haven't displaced apps.

One of the problems is Facebook Messenger itself. The truth is, not everyone uses it. Also, users see FM as a channel for talking to friends, not enterprises.

At present, SMS is the only channel that consumers use regularly to stay in touch with brands. In fact, Juniper Research says that revenues from business text messaging will reach $62 billion by 2023, up from an $43 billion in 2019. 

If only there was a channel that was universal (like SMS) but rich (like Facebook Messenger).

Well, there is (kind of): RCS. 

RCS is the next-gen messaging system supported by the world's telcos. 

It is a default channel like SMS. And yet it offers rich functions like those of Facebook Messenger, iMessage, WeChat and others. It makes the messaging experience feel like an app experience. 

So why 'kind of'?

Well, the telcos might support RCS but there are still relatively few live services. The GSMA says 76 operators have launched RCS. It forecasts an additional 59 operator launches over the next 12 months.

Because of this, user numbers are also modest. Mobilesquared says, as of the end of 2018, there were 203 million. That's just 0.3% of all smartphone users. 

There's another issue too. Though Google is helping to drive RCS forward, Apple has yet to commit to the platform. So even if your operator offers RCS, you won't see it on your iPhone.

But if we're optimistic and assume RCS will be SMS v2, then brands should be very excited about it. Especially when it comes to commerce and payments.

This week, the trade body MEF (of which Basebone is a member) published a report exploring the potential of RCS-based conversational commerce.

It revealed that both KDDI and Vodafone have already launched live services that support RCS payment. 

In Vodafone's case the brand is a Spanish live gig promoter called Wegal. Its service invites concert goers to scan a barcode to start an RCS conversation with the Wegal chatbot. The bot then asks them a series of questions about their taste in music, their location and the dates they are interested in. Finally it gives them the chance to pay by phone bill.

Carrier billing seems like the best way to deliver RCS payments for the moment. Why? Because the telco already knows who the user is. It can therefore make the payment flow in RCS fast and safe.

Processing a card payment is trickier. Because RCS is so new, the industry has yet to agree universal APIs that link the channel to a payments processor. If and when these specifications are agreed, users will be able to touch a 'pay' button and complete a transaction immediately and safely – without leaving the message session.

Without any agreed spec, users who want to pay by card will be migrated to a new payments screen and asked to enter all their details. History shows that consumers don't like these extra steps.

But, to repeat, if all these wrinkles can be ironed out, in-message shopping could be huge. Brands could use the rich elements of RCS (bots, videos, maps, payments etc) to start long term relationships with customers. This is far harder to achieve in a series of ‘plain’ texts. 

Take charity campaigns. With SMS, it’s difficult for charities to keep people engaged. In most cases, givers tend to send a one-off donation and then move on. But when the interaction takes place on an RCS rich card, charities can use video and photos to keep donors up to date and involved. Add in a pay-by-bill option and this extra engagement can turn into more donations.

Though it's impossible to predict the future with certainty, it seems inevitable that business messaging will follow consumer messaging and 'go rich'. We might still use SMS for simple alerts and authentications, but most B2C messages will surely contain videos, maps and pics. 

Add in payment and we're into a whole new way of shopping. Will RCS be the default for this? We'll find out soon.



","creatorId":"j4cvDXzvNDUNuTWs1t4B5sdURiq1","date":"2019-09-05T14:34:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/92466man-using-mobile-app-basebone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F92466man-using-mobile-app-basebone.jpg?alt=media&token=2a90def4-c4e1-4fcc-830e-3ee1413ecceb"},"title":"Can RCS kickstart a new era of mobile commerce?"},"-LpCiI2CFNFTOpMJN1NM":{"alias":"Huawei’s-big-fat-Android-dilemma","content":"

Huawei's next phone will not have Google apps. Why? And what does this mean for Huawei users and for the company itself?


All over the world, eager customers are unboxing the new Huawei Mate 30. They'll love the phone's curved edges and quad-lens camera. But they will also find something important is missing.


Google.


Yes, the Mate 30 is the first big device to fall foul of the US government's row with China – a row that's led to Google pulling its support for Huawei.


That means the Mate 30 runs the stock version of Android only with no Google’s apps and services on board.


And it probably won't be the only one. It looks likely that all future Huawei devices will exist outside the official Google universe. 


What will Huawei do next? And how did this happen? 


To answer these questions, we have to go back to May when the US placed Huawei on the so-called Entity List. 


This is a kind of corporate naughty step, which essentially stops American companies from selling their products to Huawei without permission from the US government.


Why did Washington do this? Well, it believes Huawei is an extension of the Chinese government – and it alleges that the Chinese state could be stealing tech secrets from American companies.


As a result of the move, Google suspended all business with Huawei “that requires the transfer of hardware, software and technical services except those publicly available via open source licensing”.


In other words, it was cutting Huawei out of the Android ecosystem.


What does this mean in practice? Three things.


1. Huawei will only be able to use the public version of Android 

2. Huawei will not be able to get access to proprietary apps and services from Google

3. Huawei will lose access to Android updates 


To understand the implications of this, it's worth reviewing the history of Android. 


Google launched the OS in 2007 shortly after the iPhone launched. Back then, Google had no real presence in mobile. So it made Android open source. It gave the OS away for free to any handset maker – mainly as a trojan horse to get Google services established on mobile. 


Of course, it worked brilliantly. Today, Android has 80 per cent of the smartphone market.


But as the OS grew, Google took steps to control it. Its main weapon was its family of Google-branded apps such as Maps, YouTube, Pay, Search, Photos and – of course – the Google Play Store itself.


So while it's still possible for a third party to launch the open source version of Android (Android Open Source Project – or AOSP) without any help from Google, few do.


There are exceptions. The best known is Fire OS, which runs on Amazon tablets.


But Amazon is a special case. Its Fire devices are really just end points that let customers watch Amazon videos, play Amazon games and order from the Amazon store.


Phone makers are different. They need Google. This is why previous attempts to launch a 'forked' Android OS – Cyanogen for example – have failed miserably.


So where does this leave Huawei?


Well, first off, existing Huawei phones should be relatively unaffected. Google said: \"While we are complying with all US government requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.”


Huawei even launched a dedicated website to answer concerned users' questions.


Now there's the question of what happens with future devices. 


One option for Huawei is to carry on with 'stock Android' AOSP. Obviously, this means phones will launch without Google's support. That means no Mail, YouTube, Search, no official Play store, no system updates and so on.


This could bring security risks. Users will still want these flagship Google apps, and they could end up downloading malicious versions from non-approved sources.


Against this, there are rumours that Huawei is building its own versions of key Android apps such as Maps and also constructing its own App Gallery through which customers can safely download them.


Even more ambitious, Huawei is working on its own OS: HongmengOS (English name: HarmonyOS).


Can it succeed? Huawei certainly has the funds to make it work. And it should have little trouble establishing HarmonyOS in its own country, where Google services are banned anyway. 


There’s also the possibility that the US will think again and end hostilities with China. Should that happen, there's little doubt that Huawei would bring Google services back. 


Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s consumer division, said: “We have prepared our own operating system. That’s our plan B. But of course, we prefer to work with the ecosystem of Google.”


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-09-20T08:04:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/82635Huawei-basebone (1).jpeg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F82635Huawei-basebone%20(1).jpeg?alt=media&token=195ad747-50e2-40a5-bee5-138cf48c431f"},"title":"Huawei’s big fat Android dilemma"},"-LqkuHAg7aMLd74rQPFB":{"alias":"happy-birthday-baseplay","content":"
International OTT digital content and entertainment provider Basebone Group celebrates the 2nd anniversary of its baseplay content service. 

Launched in 2017, baseplay started as an e-learning portal through baseplay Mastery. Offering bite-sized, anywhere, anytime, casual courses, documentaries and quizzes. With the success of Mastery and in line with Basebone’s expansion strategy, baseplay moved on to integrate a full suite of additional product offerings; Stream with unlimited access to Movies, TV-series and Music; baseplay Games with 600+ casual games and a vibrant gamers community; baseplay Pulse with a plethora of training videos and tools to help the user towards a balanced and healthy lifestyle. 

One can begin to understand this growth when viewed in the context of Basebone’s global strategy. At the same time Basebone keeps the local community right at the heart of this global strategy and the local communities clearly like this, as evidenced from great customer feedback and increasing uptake. As Basebone’s Chief Marketing Officer, Benito Alvarez, comments, \"Our increase in user engagement is based on our global content strategy plan, to support local game developers and filmmakers and give them a platform to share their great work. We also made the decision to focus on casual content instead of the typical blockbuster stuff e.g. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Hulu etc. Most of our customers consume their content from their mobile device, often facing data restrictions. This is not the same customer that will sit down and play a strategy game for several hours on a Friday evening or watch full length movies. Our customers want something quick that they can use when waiting for the bus, or queuing in the supermarket and that is not going to deplete all their data. For this reason, our content offerings are mostly based on short videos and easy gameplay.\"

Quality content and a positive user experience is central to the baseplay offering and its growing success. For example, Health and Fitness professionals develop and deliver tailored content uniquely for baseplay Pulse. Anything from fitness programmes and videos to meal plans and personalised guided meditation. Subject matter experts develop unique content for baseplay Mastery and the hallmark of this content is always that it is entertaining, challenging and quick.

Another reason for the successful growth of baseplay is Basebone’s strong customer commitment that is brought to bear at every level, including a multi-lingual, 24-hour response time for all enquiries. Baseplay offers a competitively priced subscription model on up to four screens simultaneously. The payment method is simplicity itself, with customers being billed directly by the mobile network provider. Baseplay is accessed via www.baseplay.co or downloaded from Google Play Store.

Looking beyond the birthday celebrations, Basebone will continue to work on the design and development of the progressive Web App (PWA) to improve user experience. It continuously looks for ways to develop and grow the baseplay community and to recognize and reward customer loyalty. “We engage directly with our 3,6 million subscribers through newsletters and notifications and continue to develop product functionality so that the user has a unique and tailored experience,'' says Ilaria Bucci, Senior Product Manager at Basebone.

We can certainly look forward to many more birthday celebrations for baseplay.

Happy Birthday - baseplay! 

","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-09-22T14:22:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/91831basebone-news-birthday.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F91831basebone-news-birthday.jpg?alt=media&token=ac7ac351-baa6-4e22-a2a8-418dd4f85a60"},"title":"Happy Birthday - Baseplay!"},"-Lsw4gnzPo_3799ndEFO":{"alias":"Will-folding-phones-take-off","content":"

Is it a phone? Is it a tablet? Actually, it's both. It's a folding phone – and it's this year's big handset trend. Samsung's Galaxy Fold, Huawei's Mate X and Motorola's re-booted Razr are setting the pace. Will they succeed? 

 

 

On November 13, Motorola will host a launch party in LA for a new phone. It says the event will unveil a product that is 'an original unlike any other'.

 

Really? If the inside gossip is to be believed, the new phone will be the Razr. 

 

https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/motorola-razr-2019-price-release-date-specs-3646133

 

Not exactly 'original'. Moto launched its first Razr 15 years ago.

 

So why bring it back now? 

 

Well, there's a simple answer. After years of stagnant innovation in handset design, something different has emerged: the folding phone. 

 

Samsung, Huawei and others are all experimenting with the new form factor, which promises to double the size of the phone screen and bring in many new types of user interface.  

 

Folding phones might be the next big thing. Or they might not. But if they do take off, there is no bigger 'bendy' brand than the Razr. 

 

Clearly, Motorola can't afford to miss this party. Hence the re-boot.

 

By now, younger readers might be confused. After all, the Razr was launched in 2004, when Mark Zuckerberg was still preparing to launch Facebook from his college bedroom, and Billie Eilish was about to celebrate her third birthday.

 

But older readers will remember that, in its time, there was no phone to match the Razr. 

 

The handset was released before smartphones changed the market forever. In 2004, people used their devices for talking and texting and taking lo-res photos. There were no apps and there was hardly any mobile internet. 

 

So there was more focus on how phones looked than what they did. And Razr looked great. It was one of the thinnest phones of the time and it had a cool precision-cut keypad in gunmetal grey.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsRxJaa4ZpM

 

The Razr arrived at a moment of 'peak clamshell'. It had a hinge at the top, so it opened up like a clam, and snapped shut with a satisfying click. The top phones of the era all had this 'flip' form factor. 

 

And Razr was the champion. In four years, it sold more than 130 million units.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Razr

 

Now, 15 years later, the flip design is back. Only this time it's called the folding phone. 

 

Already, there are plenty of Razr mock-ups and concept designs viewable on YouTube. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=151&v=xxfI6-ZltWk

 

The handset geeks seem pretty excited about it. The big question for Moto is whether anyone else is. 

 

Let's track back and review how the folding phone went from rumour to reality. 

 

Throughout 2018, there were whispers that the big handset makers were working on folding prototypes. They needed to do something radical to reignite the market. Since the first iPhone dropped in 2007, all handsets had begun to look the same: black rectangles with a touchscreen UI. There was nothing else.

 

This lack of innovation – and the improving quality of mid-tier phones – slowed down sales. Today, people are keeping their devices for longer rather than buying upgrades.

 

https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45115119

 

Can the folding phone get people excited again? 

 

The concept does have some obvious advantages. It doubles the size of the average phone screen, which is great for gaming or watching videos. 

 

It also promises to make users more productive. The new devices all offer a 'multi-active window' feature. It is therefore possible to have many apps open at the same time, and to multi-task between them on one large display.

 

At the industry's big expo, Mobile World Congress, the folding phone rumours proved true. Samsung and Huawei unveiled their own models. The Samsung Galaxy Fold opened like a book with the screen on the inside, while the Huawei Mate X featured the display on the outside.

 

Reviewers were not kind. They criticised the visible crease where the phones opened out, and complained about particles and dust getting stuck under the displays. 

 

Inevitably, both Samsung and Huawei pushed back their launch dates. The Galaxy Fold was supposed to ship on April 25 at $2,000. Instead, it launched in early October.

 

https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/galaxy-fold/

 

Meanwhile, the Huawei Mate X (at time of writing) is still not available – though it should be out soon.

 

https://consumer.huawei.com/en/phones/mate-x/

 

Recently, other phone makers have joined the party. 

 

Just weeks ago, Microsoft surprised everyone with a preview of the Surface Duo, an Android smartphone featuring a pair of 5.6-inch displays that can rotate 360 degrees. It should be available in 2020. 

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/surface-duo

 

Xiaomi, Oppo, ZTE and others are all rumoured to be working on their own designs too.

 

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/foldable-phones-release-date,news-28705.html

 

It's also significant that Google is taking the folding phone pretty seriously. It issued guidelines for developers on how to incorporate the concept into their apps as part of its Android 10 specifications. 

 

https://developer.android.com/preview/features/foldables

 

Google said it wants to help Android developers \"to take advantage of this new form factor with as little work as necessary.” 

 

That's great news – but only if the folding phone concept takes off. This is far from certain. Previous attempts to innovate on smartphone design – think of curved screens, 3D and modular – have all failed.

 

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/lg-g-flex

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_3d_p920-3759.php

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-lg-lenovo-modular-phones/

 

Will the folding phone join these experiments in the ‘where are they now’ category? In 2020, we will find out if the future is bendy.


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-11-05T15:00:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/21315foldable-phone-basebone.jpeg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F21315foldable-phone-basebone.jpeg?alt=media&token=0ce4f125-8447-4443-a56d-b41336772ffa"},"title":"Will folding phones take off?"},"-LswDHcB4aptsse5hMXN":{"alias":"Privacy-the-new-web-battleground","content":"

Everywhere you go on the web, an army of companies are tracking you. Now the browser companies are starting to block them. Is this the birth of a new private web? Or will it just make the trackers even sneakier?


Over the years, the browser companies competed over which product was faster or had the best features.


Now they're all pretty amazing. Whichever you pick – Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, Firefox – you can be sure the experience will be great. 


So is there anything left to differentiate them?


Yes, there is: privacy.


Recently, the battle to be the most private browser has stepped up. Now all the big browser firms are restricting (to varying degrees) the ways that ad companies track you round the web.


The move towards making web browsing more private started with the Mozilla Foundation which, together with the Mozilla Corporation, developed the Mozilla Firefox browser. 

Mozilla is a not-for-profit foundation so it doesn't have the same commercial drivers as the others. For this reason, it has always positioned Firefox as the ethical choice.


In 2018, it upped the stakes by launching a project to allow blocking cookies from known third parties. It called this feature Enhanced Tracking Protection.


Why? Well, let's take a step back and dig into what cookies are for.


At the dawn of the web, cookies were all about convenience. Websites would send small pieces of data which were stored on the users device while the user was browsing the internet. This would allow for the user to have a better user experience the next time as the browser would remember what items the user may have added to the shopping cart or basic login information.


But then advertisers (and the vast number of intermediaries that assist them) realised that they could use cookies to follow you on other sites. 


The cookie would identify you and keep track of your web habits. The tracking companies could use this insight to serve you personalised ads. So that's why you might see ads for, say, gardening products even if you are on a site about cycling.


But over the years, people have become concerned about this. It's creepy. And sometimes it leads to scandals. In one famous example, a US supermarket used tracking data to work out that a customer was pregnant. The pole identified 25 products that when purchased together indicated that a woman was most likely pregnant. It started sending maternity coupons to a teen girl who hadn’t told her parents she was expecting.


These kinds of abuses have put privacy on the agenda.


So, after Mozilla's move, the other browser companies also acted to block cookies. 


In fact, Apple went even further. It turned privacy into a selling point. This year, it started running ads with the headline: Privacy matters. 


Of course, it is easy for Apple to take the high moral ground. Apple makes hundreds of dollars from every iPhone it sells. It doesn't depend on advertising.


The question is a lot trickier for Google. It's become one of the richest companies in the world by tracking people and serving them targeted ads.


So, which are considered the best web browsers for 2019?. The answer is easy, Chrome is the market leader with a whopping 55% of the market share. Other companies such as Safari come second with only a 13% and Internet Explorer together with Edge come in third place with 9% of the market share. Chrome has increased its lead gradually over the years thanks to the changes they introduced in relation to the Coalition for Better Ads standards... 


How would it tweak Chrome to address the rising worry about privacy? 


In August we found out – and the answer was complicated.


Google said it would change how cookies work in Chrome to make them more private and secure by default. It would also give people more control over their privacy settings (both in Android and on the desktop)


Ben Galbraith, director of Chrome product management, and Justin Schuh, director of Chrome engineering, said in a blog post: \"This change will enable browsers to provide clear information about which sites are setting these cookies, so users can make informed choices about how their data is used.\"


But Google also stressed that blocking cookies completely isn’t the solution. 


Its argument is that if tracking companies can't use cookies, they will switch to another technique called fingerprinting. 


This method harvests multiple data points about a person – browser version, fonts installed, extensions active, screen size etc – to generate a 'fingerprint' that identifies a particular device.


Google believes fingerprinting is bad for privacy. It says that users can at least clear their cookies. They have no control over fingerprinting.


Predictably, many people have criticised Google's approach. They have two main objections.


1. Google is making the user do the work


Google says it wants to give users the power to change their privacy settings. Critics say most people won't understand these tools – or won't bother to use them.


2. Google will benefit from less competition


Google wants to restrict 'third-party' cookies (installed by ad tracking companies) much more than 'first party' cookies (installed by the owner of the site being visited). This sounds fair. But experts say Google will gain from this. Why? Because Google is a powerful first-party itself – on services like Gmail. Critics argue a third party ban would strengthen Google’s own ad business at the expense of third parties. 


Ultimately, of course, this debate is all about money – and what kind of advertising works best.


After all, the only reason for having all these tracking tools is that they work, right?


But do they?


Google says yes. It published a study suggesting publishers' ad revenues declined in value by 52 percent when they don't use cookies.


Others disagree. They say ads don't need to track people to work. They point to examples such as that of the New York Times. Last year, it switched its international edition web site from tracking-based ads to contextual ones. 


In other words, it just served ads that are related to the subject matter and location of the site. It took no account of the individual user's behaviour or demographics.  


It said there was no drop in ad revenues as a result.


For the next few years, privacy looks set to remain a big talking point. It might change the way the web works completely. Or it could remain a niche concern that most people ignore. We will see.


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-10-30T15:39:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/867502.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F867502.jpg?alt=media&token=e685426c-f3c9-48d3-a492-fce948e965f2"},"title":"Privacy – the new web battleground?"},"-LtdjA3gFDJ2jLx6KI68":{"alias":"Basebone-enters-into-partnership-with-A-Kabelo-Manaka-Film ","content":"
Boutique production house, A Kabelo Manaka Film, partners with leading mobile entertainment content provider, Basebone.

The partnership of Basebone and A Kabelo Manaka Film, brings together two companies that are both focused on original content and catering for users who are ‘on the move’ and for whom short duration, bite sized, high quality content is very important. Both companies are also keen on continued market growth. 

A Kabelo Manaka Film, is a young (2019) and vibrant company, specialising in short format content and offering end-to-end capability including scriptwriting, filming, editing, animation and live streaming services. Among its current production successes is an online mobile pop culture show, ‘Urban Kulture’, catering for South Africans in the nineteen to thirty-five age group. The company focuses on ‘untold content’ and brand opportunities collaboration with pop culture influencers such as Khuli Chana and AKA and thereby appealing to the broader pop consumers.

Basebone, with its highly successful Baseplay streaming service offering games, movies, fitness, education and e-.learning courses, will expand their catalogue with the original content of, A Kabelo Manaka Film, directed at their common South African market place, and most likely from the broader pop culture consumer market, targeted by A Kabelo Manaka Film. A Kabelo Manaka Film, will in turn benefit from the market reach of the Basebone platform and its end-to-end infrastructure and customer service capabilities. ‘Basebone is delighted to be working with, A Kabelo Manaka Film, because of their original content, their energy and our shared market growth aspirations’, says Ilaria Bucci, Senior Product Manager at Basebone.

The short format HD content that, A Kabelo Manaka Film, produces, typically of four minutes duration, is intended to be easily enjoyed by commuters or those waiting for buses, taxis and trains. This short format is highly shareable, which in turn increases the reach of the content. Before they publish a particular piece of content, the film company breaks it up into ‘moments’ that are used as ‘teasers’, on social media. ‘The Social media teaser content works to reassure the audience that the content is valuable and won’t disappoint’, says Kabelo Manaka, Executive Producer and Creator of, A Kabelo Manaka Film.


About Basebone

Basebone is a Digital Content Company that provides OTT Media Services across Africa & Europe. Basebone are the creators and owners of Baseplay streaming services. Users enjoy a wide range of games, music and video content on their phone. Further information about Basebone can be found at www.basebone.com  


Twitter https://twitter.com/BaseboneGroup

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/basebone_group/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BaseboneGroup/


About A Kabelo Manaka Film

A Kabelo Manaka Film, is a group of young and vibrant creators from Pretoria, specialising in short format content (commercials, online video productions, music video, documentaries & short films). A Kabelo Manaka Film produces the finest urban content that resonates with today's culture.\" 

Further information can be found at:

www.Kabelo Manakamanaka.wixsite.com/urbankulture

Twitter  https://www.twitter.com/UrbanKultureZA

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/urbankultureza/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/urbankultureza/


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-11-14T11:44:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/693221.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F693221.jpg?alt=media&token=77f81a8d-a0d1-41d0-96c3-3eb313ff503f"},"title":"Basebone enters into partnership with A Kabelo Manaka Film "},"-LvPlQ7-Ew8D0o5Ib-jK":{"alias":"Is-the-app-market-saturated","content":"

After 11 years, have we had enough of apps? Probably not. Analysts say the app 'economy' could deliver over $6 trillion in 2021...

 

Every so often, the experts predict the end of the app era. They said people would switch over to the mobile web, when mobile sites got a little easier to use. Some did. But this didn't kill apps.

 

https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/3/14497570/google-chrome-add-to-home-screen-web-apps-android-improvements

 

They said that big brands would stop building expensive apps to 'talk' to customers and use intelligent 'bots' on Facebook Messenger instead. Again, they did – a bit. But it made no difference to the app market. 

 

https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/12/agents-on-messenger/

 

So here we are, 11 years after the app was first 'invented' (not strictly true – there were app stores before, it's just that Google and Apple did it better), and the concept is stronger than ever.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store_(iOS)

 

Recent studies prove it. App market watcher, App Annie, says downloads across iOS and Google Play hit 113 billion in 2018. That's up 10 percent on 2017. 

 

https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/a-year-in-review-mobile-highlights-of-2018/

 

It says the average smartphone user has more than 80 apps on his/her phone and uses close to 40 of them every month.

 

https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/apps-used-2017/

 

Now, as we move towards the end of 2019, it's pretty clear that nothing has changed. The app market is still on the up.

 

According to market analyst Sensor Tower, consumers spent $21.9 billion on in-app purchases, subscriptions, and premium apps across the App Store and Google Play in Q3 2019.

 

A year ago, people spent $17.9 billion. 

 

This is all pretty remarkable. After all, the wider mobile market is in a bit of a slump. Handset sales are falling. There are not many new users to recruit because everyone who can afford a smartphone has one. And these consumers are holding on to their existing handsets for longer.

 

This is why Gartner says worldwide sales of smartphones will fall by 2.5 per cent this year.

 

https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-08-01-gartner-says-worldwide-smartphone-sales-will-decline-

 

You'd think that app spending might have peaked in the same way. The market data shows it hasn't.

 

So what is happening with apps? What's selling best? On which formats? 

 

Let's dive into the numbers a little.

 

Which platform? Google vs iOS

 

In the past, Apple users have spent more money than those using Android. This is still the case. 

 

Sensor Tower says App Store sales made up 65 percent of total spending, with Google Play at for 35 percent. iPhone owners spent $14.2 billion in Q3 2019. Google Play users generated $7.7 billion. In both cases the spend was up around a quarter.

 

https://sensortower.com/blog/app-revenue-and-downloads-q3-2019

 

Of course, when it comes to download totals, Google Play dominates. It's obvious why: there are many more Android users out there. So in Q3 2019, Google Play generated 21.6 billion installs, up 11.3 percent on last year.

 

That's nearly three-times more than the 8 billion downloads on Apple. 

 

 

Which category? Gaming rules

 

Ever since Snake slithered onto old Nokia phones, people have loved to play mobile games. They still do. In fact, gaming utterly dominates app store spending.

 

In the Q3 2019 quarter, games represented 74 percent of all in-app spending. People spent $16.3 billion on games, up 20 percent year on year. 

 

iOS users forked out $9.8 billion in Q3 2019, while Google Play customers spent $5.4 billion.

 

The highest earners were mostly big brands from big studios: Tencent, Sony Niantic, King and Bandai. Indeed, Tencent’s PUBG Mobile grossed $496 million in the quarter. But when it comes to downloads, rather than revenue, the picture is a little more democratic. 

 

Altogether, app users downloaded 11.1 billion games in Q3 2019. Smaller studios such as SayGames, Kiloo and Outfit 7 all feature in the top 10. The most downloaded title was Good Job Games’s Fun Race 3D, which generated 123 million installs.

 

 

Which titles? The rise of TikTok and the Chinese factor

 

Though there are millions of apps available on the two stores, the same titles always dominate the top 10s. Over the years Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and various Google apps have blasted everything else out of the way.

 

However, there are still some interesting changes happening.

 

Perhaps the most fascinating one is the rise of TikTok. ByteDance's short form video app was the second most downloaded app in Q3 2019.  It generated nearly 177 million downloads. Only WhatsApp did more. What must Mark Zuckerburg be thinking?

 

In the revenue chart, Tinder stayed at the top of the worldwide by making $233 million from user spend. Netflix came second. But what is notable is that five of the top ten apps came from China. The most successful of them is Baidu's QIYI video streaming app at number four. 

 

 

The future: What's possible?

 

Clearly, the app market is in a very strong place now. People show little sign of being bored with apps or transferring to over to other platforms such as mobile web or message bots. How much longer can this love affair last?

 

Well, the market analysts are extremely positive. They argue that more and more time is being spent on digital channels, and that – increasingly – digital means mobile. eMarketer says the average US adult will spend 2 hours, 55 minutes on a smartphone in 2019. And it stressed that 90 percent of this smartphone will be in apps. 

 

https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-time-spent-with-mobile-2019

 

As we move into the future, it's hard to see any reduction in this 'time spent'. Smartphones will keep getting better. Also, 5G is coming, which will make the mobile experience richer and faster. 

 

Because of this, App Annie makes one incredible prediction. It estimates that app publishers could generate an incredible $6.3 trillion in 2021. 

 

To be clear, this figure reflects all the money in the app economy. It factors in the spending on mobile commerce. In other words, the products and services that people buy while using apps such as eBay or Amazon.

 

https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/app-economy-forecast-6-trillion-market-making/

 

Still, it's a huge number. Not bad for a market that didn't even exist in 2007. 


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-12-02T10:15:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/38281basebone-news-app-market.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F38281basebone-news-app-market.jpg?alt=media&token=619cba2f-38c3-468b-b767-245f93140a0b"},"images":[{"imagePath":"articles/85895women-discussing-new-mobile-app-M42YUJ6.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F85895women-discussing-new-mobile-app-M42YUJ6.jpg?alt=media&token=4223b9c4-0bf2-49e7-b7db-7ce56ff33763"}],"title":"Is the app market saturated?"},"-LvPnDHdwjMyWRK3n-wx":{"alias":"Where-next-for-wearables","content":"

Google seemed to be ignoring the wearables market. Then, all of a sudden, it bought Fitbit. Could this be the start of a new era for smartwatches and trackers?

 

 

What time is it? Time for something interesting to happen in the smartwatch market. 

 

Yes, just a few days ago Google bought the smartwatch and fitness tracker maker, Fitbit. This was very unexpected news. Why? Because most people thought Google had given up on the wearables market. The company's operating system – Wear OS – had been a flop. Google hardly ever talked about the platform any more. 

 

But here it was, spending a huge $2.1 billion on the world's second biggest wearables company. 

 

https://blog.google/products/hardware/agreement-with-fitbit

 

What's going on? 

 

Before we dig into that, let's recap how the wearables market got started.

 

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when this happened. But there was one landmark moment in 2012. That was when a small company called Allerta launched a Kickstarter campaign was for a smartwatch called Pebble. There was such demand that Allerta raised more than $10m.

 

https://www.theverge.com/2012/4/17/2954187/kickstarter-record-3-3-million-pebble-smartwatch

 

The success of the campaign suggested the public was finally ready for wearables. Why 'finally'? Because the concept was not new. In fact, Microsoft tried to introduce it nearly a decade earlier. In 2004, it launched a project called SPOT, or Smart Personal Object Technology. It charged a yearly subscription to get info sent over the air to small connected devices, including smartwatches.

 

https://gigaom.com/2013/09/03/what-microsoft-got-right-with-its-smartwatch-nearly-a-decade-ago-more-than-you-think/

 

Microsoft was too early. But by 2012, things were different. iPhone and Android had been around for four or five years. 3G was well-established. People were getting used to portable, connected devices. 

 

Pebble was a big success – for a while. It wasn't the only one. Jawbone and Fitbit and Withings and more all grew fast. Meanwhile, 'conventional' watchmakers such as Tag and Fossil also experimented with smart tech. 

 

Then, in 2014, came another big change. This was when Apple entered the market with its Watch. Apple had big plans for its first wearable. It wanted the Watch to be more than something that pinged whenever you got an email. It wanted it to be more like an 'iPhone for the wrist'. 

 

At launch, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said: “Apple Watch begins a new chapter in the way we relate to technology...We can’t wait for people to start wearing Apple Watch to easily access information that matters, to interact with the world, and to live a better day.”

 

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2015/03/09Apple-Watch-Available-in-Nine-Countries-on-April-24/

 

At around the same time, Google unveiled Android Wear (later re-named Wear OS). It believed it could repeat the Android model for phones in the wearables space. In other words, make free software that other companies could use to quickly build watches.

 

Neither Apple Watch or Android Wear went as planned. 

 

Wear OS was the bigger failure. The watches weren't very good. They didn't sell well. And Google seemed to lose interest in the platform. By 2017, it had stopped talking about Wear OS at its annual developer events. Meanwhile, companies such as Samsung abandoned Wear OS in favour of their own platforms.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanbaptiste/2018/03/17/google-renames-android-wear-as-wear-os-in-desperate-move-to-revive-dying-smartwatch-platform/#48c3b4c56bb6

 

As for Apple, people simply didn't use the Watch as some kind of 'remote control' for life. They used it as a fitness tracker like all the other wearables on the market. As a consequence, in 2017, Apple quietly changed its strategy and began promoting the Watch as a sports and fitness aid.

 

https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2017/06/watchos-4-brings-more-intelligence-and-fitness-features-to-apple-watch/

 

Even though Apple backtracked, and certainly didn't sell as many Watches as it hoped, it still dominated the opposition. 

 

According to Strategy Analytics, Apple shipped 22.5 million Apple Watch units during 2018. That was around half of all the smartwatches sold (Fitbit sold 5.5 million units, Samsung sold 5.3 million and Garmin 3.2 million).

 

https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/27/apple-watch-sales-2018/

 

Apple's dominance put pressure on competitors. So did cheap Chinese alternatives. Xiaomi’s Mi Band, launched in 2014, cost just $15. As a result, Jawbone closed in 2017 while Pebble shut down in 2018. 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/24/16928792/fitbit-smartwatch-pebble-end-support-date-june

https://www.inc.com/emily-canal/jawbone-going-out-of-business.html

 

By the time 2019 rolled by, the smartwatch market was looking pretty uninteresting. Then came that Google/Fitbit deal.

 

https://www.cnet.com/news/googles-40m-purchase-of-fossil-tech-was-for-hybrid-smartwatches-report-says/

 

So, to get back to the main point. What is Google planning?

 

The obvious answer is to make its own watch. Google has established Pixel as a successful phone and laptop brand. But until now, no wearable. Surely a Pixel watch is next.

 

Then there's data. Google is hardly a search engine any more. It's a machine learning company. Its systems analyse data to enhance various Google services: to make better maps, speed up language translations and improve ad targeting. With access to Fitbit's 28 million users – and millions of more future users – Google will have access to petabytes of bodily data too. 

 

This might raise privacy concerns. But if Google can overcome them, this is powerful data with which to develop new healthcare expertise/products.

 

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/24/alphabets-healthcare-subsidiary-verily-is-expanding-its-startup-investment-program/

 

The last reason is to prepare for the future. Some experts think that the successor to the smartphone will not be one product. It will be a family of products working together – a watch, bluetooth earphones, maybe eyewear – all controlled by speech.

 

If this happens – and it's a big if – Google needs to be ready. If not, well Fitbit only cost $2.1 billion. Google can easily afford that.


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-12-06T10:36:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/62111basebone-news-wareables.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F62111basebone-news-wareables.jpg?alt=media&token=ef1f99d7-ad57-4b8a-bbdf-1e6529068bc2"},"title":"Where next for wearables?"},"-LwEa1nVjxrNAJESbcu4":{"alias":"We-have-reached-peak-smartphone-So-what-comes-next","content":"

It's 12 years since the smartphone landed. Now five billion people own one. Let's look ahead to what might replace it...


In 2014, Apple quietly discontinued the iPod classic. 


https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/9/4715274/ipod-classic-discontinued-a-visual-history


The company issued a short press release, and that was it. Over 13 years the iPod had changed the world. Suddenly it was gone.


How long before Apple confirms calls time on the iPhone?


It's almost impossible to imagine today. Apple sells more than 200 million iPhones a year. The mobile industry as a whole sells around 1.5 billion smartphones every 12 months.


https://www.statista.com/statistics/263437/global-smartphone-sales-to-end-users-since-2007/


The smartphone is so dominant, and the industry is so huge, that we think it will be here forever. 


But it won't. If tech history teaches us one thing it's this: everything gets replaced.


So what will come after the smartphone? It's probably no exaggeration to say this is a trillion dollar question.


Think about the smartphone 'ecosystem'. Yes, it supports many huge manufacturing companies (Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Oppo etc), but it also supports Uber and Instagram and Spotify. And then there's Beats. And TikTok. And Asos. And thousands more. 


Including Basebone.


The smartphone fuels a vast economy and every stakeholder will be affected when customers move to a new form factor.


To be fair, there is little sign of a change in the short term. Yes, smartphone sales are flat in 2019. Gartner the market will decline by 2.5 percent in 2019. However, this is not because consumers are losing interest in smartphones. More likely, it's because the products are so good that people don't feel the need to replace them.


https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-08-27-gartner-says-global-smartphone-sales-continued-to-dec


But to repeat, this won't last. 


Why? Because it's the behaviour that counts, not the device. People don't buy smartphones because they like smartphones. They buy smartphones so they can take selfies, read the news, follow maps, watch videos, message friends. 


Today, the smartphone does these things best. When a better way comes along, they will replace it. 


So, what with?


The most popular theory is that the post-smartphone product won't be one product at all. It will be many of them: a watch, eyewear, body sensors, earphones – all working together to form a 'Personal Area Network' (PAN).


This theory is based on the idea that processing power will keep improving, batteries will get better and 5G will bring super-fast connectivity everywhere. We will be permanently connected to a vast world of ambient computing intelligence. Your family of devices will help you make the most of it.


Consider this example. Imagine you are on holiday overseas. You see an interesting building. In 2019, you pull out your smartphone and type things into Google in the hope of finding out what it is.


Post-smartphone, you look at the building through your glasses. Your PAN knows where you are and what you are looking at. You ask out loud 'what is that?'. Your voice-recognition enabled headphones hear the question and give you the answer. Through your smart glasses, you see overlaid graphics and video.


Are the seeds of this future being planted now?


Some analysts think so. They argue that Apple is building towards it with Siri, AirPods and Apple Watch. And there are constant rumours about Apple building augmented reality glasses to add the last piece of the jigsaw. 


https://mashable.com/article/apple-ar-glasses/?europe=true


Of course, it's not just Apple. SnapChat has had two attempts at launching its smart Spectacles, while Facebook is still trying to work out what to do with its Oculus VR headsets.


Then there's Magic Leap. This Silicon Valley startup has raised a staggering $2.4 billion in funding to design smart glasses that send 3D images straight into your eyes. It wants to combine its headsets with what it calls 'spatial computing' to deliver new ways of interacting with the world.


Rony Abovitz, CEO of Magic Leap, says: \"2025 to 2030 will become the beginning of the golden era of spatial computing. 2030 and beyond will be a world that will feel many decades away from 2019.\"


https://www.magicleap.com/news/news/magic-leap-launch-one-year-anniversary


Maybe. Maybe not. There are so many potential barriers to all these post-smartphone ideas. Batteries, for example. Will they be small enough and powerful enough to do the job? No one wants to charge half a dozen devices every day.


There's the social factor. Do people want to walk around with a heavy headset on? How can we know what headset-wearers are looking at (or recording) when we are talking to them? This awkwardness was one of the main reasons why Google failed with Glass.


https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/google-glass-is-still-around-in-2019.html


There's also data. If our watches, wristbands, earphones and glasses are connected to the cloud, they are connected to a cloud provider. We might well ask: what is that company doing with our data? 


None of these issues have been anywhere near resolved yet. That's why we can assume many more years of smartphones. The cameras will get better. The bezels will disappear. But they will still be smartphones. And you will still panic when you can't find yours.


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-12-16T16:41:00.000Z","featuredImage":0,"image":{"imagePath":"articles/43182basebone-news-peak-smartphone.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F43182basebone-news-peak-smartphone.jpg?alt=media&token=8dd1ee17-5c90-44d4-8c05-8e450b463022"},"title":"We have reached peak smartphone. So what comes next?"},"-LwXUUpNmk077EJHeOSF":{"alias":"is-there-any-alternative-to-iOS-and-Android","content":"

You have to look very hard to find a phone OS that is not one of the ‘big two’. But there are options out there for the brave few who want something different…

If we look at the smartphone OS market share numbers,we can see that up there at the top is Android on 75.82 per cent. Next is iOS on 22.9 per cent. And after that, on 0.7 per cent, is... well, it's a bit of a wild guess.. 

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/worldwide

The best guess is some combination of Samsung Tizen, Windows, KaiOS and legacy Nokia.

 

However, It wasn't always this way. 

In the days before the iPhone, every handset company made feature phones that ran their own proprietary operating systems. So there were different platforms for all the dominant companies of the day: Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sharp etc. 

This was OK. Most phones weren't online back then. There were no mobile apps. There was no streaming or photo sharing. So as long as the phones could call and text each other, no more 'interoperability' was needed.

Still, these companies did see the future coming. Nokia offered a single OS for smartphones called Symbian, which it tried to get other handset makers to use. 

Sadly, Symbian was rubbish. And so were the devices it ran on. The Nokia N95 was the biggest smartphone of 2007. It was a hit. But within a year the iPhone and the first Android device (the HTC G1/Dream) showed what a smartphone should look like. Symbian died soon after.

https://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/from-birth-to-death-why-nokia-s-symbian-was-the-future-of-mobile-tech-1127653

 

The success of Apple and Google (and the app model) handed power to publishers and developers. Yes, phone users would choose devices with great screens and cameras, but ultimately they wanted to buy phones with the best apps.

Meanwhile, publishers and developers chose the platforms with the most users.

It was a virtuous circle.

And it made things very difficult for the small number of challengers to the Android/iOS duopoly. It's why Windows Phone failed. It's why Blackberry now makes Android handsets.

Having said all that, we haven’t yet answered the question, is there any alternative to Android and iOS? 

Well, there are still companies – and users – who would like an alternative to the big two. And they do exist. Let's take a look at them.

 

1. Custom Android ROMs 

Strictly speaking Google does not 'own' Android. The OS is open source. However, in practice, Google controls the platform by offering phone makers an official flavour. This version limits what the partners can do with Android, but in return it features all the Google-branded apps that consumers want: Maps, YouTube, Pay, Search, Photos and the Google Play Store.

 

Still, some users don't want Google's stock OS. They want to set up Android their way. They can do this by 'rooting' the phone and installing an 'Android ROM'.

https://www.xda-developers.com/what-is-custom-rom-android/

 

There are quite a few to choose from. The best known is probably LineageOS, which is said to run on 190 Android models. LineageOS grew out of a successfull (but ultimately doomed) ROM called CyanogenMod. Other options include Paranoid Android and HavocOS.

 

2. Harmony OS 

Earlier this year Google stopped working with Huawei because of political issues between the US and China. That led Huawei to launch a new OS called Harmony OS. However, to date it has not launched any phones running Harmony. Instead, it uses a stripped down Android. It now looks like Huawei will keep Harmony for next gen devices like cars and wearables. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/12/11/is-huawei-about-to-get-google-back/

 

3. KaiOS

KaiOS was designed specially for low cost 'smart feature phones' like the Alcatel GoFlip and Nokia 8110. The company says it is now on 100 million devices from more than 10 different partners.

https://www.kaiostech.com/meet-the-devices-that-are-powered-by-kaios/

 

4. Tizen OS

This is an open source OS based on Linux and part-controlled by Samsung. It runs on Samsung's low end phones and next gen devices such as Gear wearables. 

https://www.tizen.org/

 

5. FireOS

This is Amazon's forked version of Android, which runs on Fire tablets. Obviously, Amazon wants its Fire tablets to make it easier for users to watch Amazon content and buy from its store. It uses a version of Android that services this purpose. In 2014, Amazon launched a phone running Fire. It discontinued it a year later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_OS

 

6. Sailfish OS

In 2012, a bunch of optimistic Finns created a firm called Jolla to ship their own phone OS. It was based on Nokia's short-lived Meet OS. They even financed their own phone to run it. Sadly, that didn't work out. But today, Sailfish is still around. It is available for users of the Sony Xperia X.

https://jolla.com/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ll-soon-able-run-jolla-190329578.html

 

7. SirinOS

This is the inevitable blockchain phone – whatever that means. Well, better security and smoother interaction with your blockchain wallet. Yes, this is very specialised stuff.

https://sirinlabs.com/sirin-os/

 

8. Ubuntu Touch

Still struggling by after many years. Ubuntu was conceived as an OS that would be perfectly at home on mobile or desktop. It has a loyal but small user based and is supported by donations.

https://ubuntu-touch.io/


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-12-20T08:46:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/32748basebone-news-mobile-os.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F32748basebone-news-mobile-os.jpg?alt=media&token=2e3c9628-1870-4d8c-9c0f-2cc3b79e5544"},"title":"Is there any alternative to iOS and Android?"},"-LxKvWd5yXnySYlsBG4x":{"alias":"Goodbye-SIM-cards","content":"

Motorola's new folding Razr phone does not feature a SIM tray. Instead it connects via a 'programmable' eSIM. What does this mean for the business – and for you?

 

There's a popular phrase in tech circles: software is eating the world.

 

https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/

 

It describes the fact that so many things that used to be physical have been turned into bits and bytes.

 

Such as? Well, just look on your phone menu. Various items that used to fill up your rucksack are now apps: your camera, your MP3 player, your alarm clock, your newspaper. The list goes on.

 

Over the last 20 years, it seems that anything that could turn into software did turn into software.

 

With one interesting exception: the SIM card.

 

Yes, the 'subscriber identity module'  has changed a bit over the years. It has gone from credit card sized to fingernail sized. But for most of us the SIM is still as fiddly and difficult to insert/remove as it has always been.

 

In 2016, an Indian teenager even swallowed a SIM after attempting to remove it with her teeth. 

 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Thrissur-girl-accidentally-swallows-SIM-card/articleshow/52414376.cms

 

The 'fiddliness' of the SIM is not an accident. When the mobile operators were growing their customers bases in the 1990s and 2000s, they did not want people to switch easily to their competitors. 

 

By making the SIM card inaccessible, they ensured that most customers would stick with their network for years. 

 

There were workarounds. Some handset companies made phones with dual SIM slots. Customers would switch between operators depending on which had the cheapest tariff at a particular time of day.

 

https://www.androidauthority.com/best-dual-sim-android-phones-529470/

 

The obvious question – given the desire of many consumers to switch like this – was: shouldn't the SIM just turn into software? 

 

Well actually, the programmable 'eSIM’ is already here.

 

The mobile trade association, the GSMA, announced its official eSIM specification in 2016.   Strictly speaking, the eSIM is not entirely software. It is physical, but it is embedded (hence 'e') into place, and it is programmable.

 

https://www.gsma.com/esim/

 

So why did the GSMA create the eSIM? It's because the world's operators saw the potential to connect a vast new family of devices: watches, fitness trackers, smart meters, cars etc. Obviously, you can't put a standard removable SIM card in a watch. 

 

But for phones, the transition to eSIMs has been slow. For example, while some Google Pixel models and some iPhones support software-based SIMs, they still retain a physical setup.

 

So three was a very big moment when Motorola announced its Razr foldable phone in November.  The phone doesn't have a SIM tray at all. It connects only with an eSIM.

 

https://www.slashgear.com/new-motorola-razr-is-esim-only-heres-what-that-means-15599729/

 

What does this mean for you, the phone user? Well, instead of inserting that fiddly card, you will (usually) scan a QR code sent to you by your chosen network. One 'snap' and you will be connected.

 

And in theory, you can do this as often as you like. So, if you find a cheaper data option you can just scan another barcode and, boom, you've switched. Same goes for when you are on holiday. Or if your phone is lost or stolen. 

 

This is all great news, and very convenient. But there are still drawbacks. For the moment, a modest number of operators support the eSIM. So your switching options are limited – especially outside of Western Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. 

 

A programmable SIM also gives your network the ability to lock down your connection. So you may find that, even if you want to switch, you can't until a specified period is over.

 

While the Razr setup is clearly a big deal, most experts believe Motorola will eventually ship a version with a physical SIM slot. If it doesn’t, it won't sell any in China, where (currently) none of the networks support the eSIM spec.

 

And in the longer term? It's hard to say. To repeat, the eSIM is physical though programmable. It is possible that an entirely software-based SIM could take hold.

 

If it does, it would change the balance of power in the industry. The handset companies – Apple, Samsung, Google etc – would be able to reduce their reliance on the telcos. They wouldn't need to get their phones in shops. They could sell them online and customers would connect to the phone networks as easily as they currently connect to wifi. 


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2019-12-30T08:28:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/71951basebone-news-no-sim.jpg","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F71951basebone-news-no-sim.jpg?alt=media&token=f04a4b41-91b6-48e1-a355-699a15e85f27"},"title":"Goodbye SIM cards? "},"-LzggXMzM8QavJ80PKUr":{"alias":"productivity-talent-retention-and-ecological-footprint-a-few-reasons-why-employers-are-embracing-remote-working-policies","content":"

At one time everyone worked from home. That time was 200 years ago when virtually all of us had the same job. We were farmers. We lived where we worked.

 

But then came the industrial revolution. Suddenly, there were factories and desks. There was commuting and gossip and office politics. And we got used to it. Until about 10 years ago, when the next big change came: remote working.

 

Technology made it possible. The emergence of hi-def video conferencing, broadband, 4G and portable devices changed everything. We didn't need expensive kit to stay in touch with HQ any more. A cheap laptop and wifi was enough.

 

We could do our jobs anywhere. 

 

This is why, today, more people than ever work remotely and the vast majority love it. They appreciate the freedom and flexibility that remote working brings. They can avoid the daily commute, have greater choice over where they live, and see more of their loved ones.

 

A 2018 survey of 18,000 employees in 96 companies by International Workplace Group found 11 percent work away from the office, while more than two thirds do so at least one day a week. 

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-end-of-the-traditional-9-5-iwg-new-study-finds-70-per-cent-of-us-skip-the-office-to-work-elsewhere-684048561.html

 

But of course, remote working has to deliver for employers too. The IWG study showed that it does. It reported that 82 per cent of employers said flexible working drove productivity, while 80 percent said it helped them attract and retain top talent.


At Basebone, we fully support flexible working in all our locations, Spain, UK and South Africa – for those who request it, but we do have certain criteria that needs to be accepted. It mainly depends on where they are based from, their role and function and whether the role will be able to support the business effectively being remote. Therefore, as much as we are all for remote working especially in this day and age, sadly, we cannot approve all requests.  


Currently of our 50 employees, 13 are remote workers. We kit them out with high quality devices (laptop, headphones, mic etc) and we make sure everyone is fluent in Wrike, Slack and other communication tools so they can stay connected to their colleagues.

 

The Basebone employees who chose remote working do so because it makes them less likely to be stressed and experience burnouts. And for Basebone, it’s great because it widens the talent pool.

 

Sunita Jethwa, Director of Human Resources for Basebone, says: “We are advocates of a better work-life balance. We also have a duty of care to all our employees and if we can help by allowing employees to spend more quality time with their loved ones, take care of their personal needs when required, avoid unnecessary commuter stress, maintain a healthy diet and remain physically active then as HR we have performed our role perfectly. 

Allowing remote working means employees are unlikely to be stressed and experience burnouts. So far, for the size of the company we are, we believe we have a good ratio of employees working remotely and will continue to embrace remote working”.


Basebone is not alone of course. Today, some of the world's biggest employers - Mastercard, Microsoft, Oracle and Uber – support a flexible workspace approach.

 

https://www.flexjobs.com/jobs/telecommuting-jobs-at-microsoft

 

They are doing so because their employees are demanding it and there's another good reason: profit. The evidence is compelling that – on balance – remote working makes people more productive. 

 

How much more productive? In 2017, Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom decided to find out. 


He did an experiment with Ctrip, China's largest travel agency. Ctrip is based in Shanghai, where rent is extremely expensive and the long commutes mean staff turnaround is high. Could Ctrip save money while making staff happier?


https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/why-working-home-future-looking-technology

 

Bloom, on the other hand, ran an A/B test. It chose a group of willing staff volunteers and divided them into two groups. Over nearly two years, one continued working at HQ while the other worked remotely. 


The results were emphatic. Remote workers were 13 per cent more productive. The number of employees leaving fell by 50 per cent. 


The impact was even greater as Ctrip refined the experiment. The truth is, remote working is not for everyone. So when Ctrip let staff choose between office and home, productivity went up by 24 per cent. 

 

And the financial benefit? The company saved almost $2,000 per employee on rent by reducing its HQ office space.

 

Staff well-being and company profits are great reasons to believe in flexible working. But there’s one more compelling pay-off. It might also help the planet. 

 

Obviously, fewer commutes mean fewer carbon emissions. The potential reductions are pretty remarkable. In its 2017 State of Telecommuting Report, Global Workplace Analytics did some calculations. It said that, if US employees (with compatible jobs) did half-time telework, this would save 281 million barrels of oil. That would reduce carbon emissions by 51 million metric tons a year – the equivalent of taking all of New York’s commuters off the road.

 

https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/pros-cons

 

At Basebone, we believe this environmental benefit is another good reason to offer flexible working for those who want it. But don't just take our word for it. 

 

Jason Saayman is a full-stack developer in our South Africa team. He jumped at the chance to work on his terms. \"The ability to work remotely for Basebone has been great,:\" he says. \"It has enabled me to have more flexibility in my schedule while eliminating wasted time travelling to and from the office each day. I have been able to concentrate more on fitness and my wellbeing by using the hours saved from not travelling.”

 

There is no hard and fast rule and there will always be pros and cons for remote working but at the end of the day it comes down to each individual company whether its right for their type of business, if they have the relevant tools and more importantly do they trust their employees enough before they can adopt the remote working approach.  


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Success is great. Everyone wants more money. More stuff. More recognition.


But success is a double-edged sword. It changes people. Friends might start to say to the successful person:


\"I don't know who you are any more.\"


This is true not just for people, but for businesses too. 


As a company grows, it introduces new products and services. It might open new divisions. Or even make acquisitions.


And when it does, things get complicated. Suddenly, the company will offer a mix of new and legacy brands. These properties might look very different from each other. They might have incompatible names. And, in the case of acquired brands, they might come with conflicting values.


This can be baffling for the customer. Loyal customers might become confused when faced with new products, services, names and logos. They might even stop buying.


Chaos is never a good business strategy. There's only one way for a company to clear up the confusion. It has to work on its brand architecture.


Brand architecture describes how a company thinks about its many different properties, how it organises them and connects them to each other. 


The first thinker to really explore this idea was Professor David Aaker of the University of California. In his landmark, 1991 book Managing Brand Equity, be asked: \"The brands in a portfolio have a relationship with each other. What is the logic of that structure?”


He called the most popular logic 'Branded House'.


In a Branded House architecture, a company chooses to name and brand its properties with the parent identity. 


This approach works because it is efficient. There is just one brand code to cover every offering. It avoids confusion, and it helps with experimentation. Brands can launch new properties knowing that consumers are more willing to accept new ideas from companies they already trust.


Aaker advised marketers to consider the following factors when building their brand strategies:


Brand as Product – What is the product made of? What does it do? How much does it cost?


Brand as Organization – What are the company values? What defines its culture?


Brand as Person – Personality is essential to build a strong emotional relationship with an audience. Companies should ask: if the brand was a person, who would it be?


Brand as Symbol – These are the logos, images, mascots or visual symbols that represent the brand.  A picture is a fast and effective way to relay key messages.



Today, the Branded House model is especially popular with tech companies. Some of the world’s most valuable ‘unicorns’ choose it.


Take Google. It started as a search engine. But as its success grew, it had the chance to create a family of original independent brands in related tech areas. It chose not to. Instead it launched them all under the Google umbrella. It’s why, today, we check Google Mail, we edit Google Docs and we study Google Analytics.


In fact, Google has acquired many well-known established brands only to retire them in order to maintain this consistent approach. Thus, Picasa became Google Photos, Nest became Google Nest and Android Market was re-booted as Google Play.


The signs are that Uber is committed to the Branded House model too. The multi-billion dollar company has begun to expand beyond its original ride-sharing activity. It has launched many new properties, and it has given them all parent-branded names: Uber Eats, Uber Bikes and so on.


Then there’s Apple. In the last five years, the world’s most valuable company has diversified into many adjacent areas – such as payments and wearables. Like Google it could have created iconic new brands to serve these new markets. Instead, it launched Apple Music, Apple Card, Apple Watch and Apple TV. 


Basebone is another company to pursue the Branded House approach. We developed the Baseplay brand as an umbrella for all of our product line.


Baseplay. Games

Baseplay. Mastery

Baseplay. Family

Baseplay. Stream

Baseplay. Pulse


We did this because we know that consumers do not want more messages, more stories, more content, more brand promises and more choices. In the mobile content space, they have come to recognise Baseplay. That means we can add to the family as we expand into new market areas.


Of course Branded House is not the only ‘architecture’ option. At the other end of the spectrum is 'House of Brands'. Here, the parent company gives its sub-brands their own distinct names and identities. Companies choose this approach when they have many diverse products – some of which might even compete with one another. 


P&G is arguably the primary example, It owns some of the world's best known brands: Ariel, Pampers, Head & Shoulders – the list goes on. But the P&G brand stays in the background. Most consumers have never heard of it. That’s why there is no such thing as P&G Washing Powder or P&G Shampoo.


Whatever the brand architecture, it’s important to remember that values and principles are just as important as names and logos. That’s why the smartest marketers like to say: the brand goes in before the brand goes on.



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Let’s have a look at some of the indicators confirming this growth and then go on to explore where the trends are leading us.  


Video is now the largest contributor to mobile data traffic volumes, across all mobile device types and the mobile video channel has now surpassed TV in growth, becoming the preferred video delivery medium. Video data traffic has increased from 50% in 2016: and is projected to reach 75% in 2025, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report, 2019. 


The trend by consumers to increasingly watch online video on mobile devices, facilitated mainly by increased access to broadband and fourth generation (4G / LTE) mobile, is set to increase further with the roll out of the next generation of mobile networks (5G.) This growth is driven mainly by the increased use of embedded video in online applications, the growth of video-on-demand (VoD) streaming services, and the evolution toward higher screen resolutions on smart devices of all types. Online video is moving so fast, in fact, that the OTT streaming platform industry is set to continue growing as a multi-billion-dollar industry.


In emerging markets, served by the likes of streaming and entertainment provider, Basebone, mobile devices continue to be the go-to option for watching online video streaming, with 53% of global video views beginning on a mobile device, according to Brightcove. In the Middle East & Africa, the smartphone share of video streaming services is 57% and increasing.


So, we have growth all around, but behind these figures lies a market that is forever changing, highly competitive and fragmenting. While there are around a handful of very big streaming providers including, Amazon, HBO Now, iTunes, Netflix, YouTube and Disney+, there are also an increasing number of moderate and small sized, Over-The-Top (OTT) providers serving the market. OTT subscriber numbers are growing and, in the USA alone, there are over 182 million subscribers, according to FinancesOnline.

All of these providers, both large and not so large, need to meet a number of key factors relating to their service provision if they want to attract new customers and retain existing ones. These factors can best be discussed under the headings of content, quality of experience and video delivery performance.

Compelling and original content is the main area over which battles for market dominance and market share are increasingly taking place, with providers spending vast amounts on content productions. Netflix, for example, spent $15 billion on digital content production in 2019 and is forecast to spend over $17 billion in 2020, according to Variety. These content battles are likely to lead to content fragmentation as there are signs that original content owners may be more inclined to offer their own streaming service with their original content rather than grant licence rights to others.

Spending huge sums on content is not however the only approach in town. There are also fresh trends and different content and target market strategies being adopted in the OTT marketplace. Basebone, for example, has a strategy of working closely with local film-makers and artists and has influencers and subject specialists who customise videos, for its flagship service, Baseplay, launched in 2017. Baseplay offers documentaries and very useful short form courses on anything from fitness programmes to meal plans and personalised guided meditation. This strategy gives content that is original, unique to Baseplay, local and very popular among Baseplay customers. As Basebone’s chief marketing officer, Benito Alvarez, comments, 

\"Our increase in user engagement is based on a global content strategy plan to support local developers and filmmakers and give them a platform 

to share their great work.\" 


Instragram TV is another OTT service that entered into the YouTube dominated market of user-generated content (UGC.)  Launched in 2018, it differentiates itself from Instagram by having both short and long videos of up to an hour. It streams ‘trending’ videos once the application is launched and has a super friendly search and recommendation engine.  

 

Facebook Watch is Facebook's VoD service that combines aspects of its video-sharing functionality with premium content. Launched in 2018, it allows uploading of UGC such as short and long form videos, but also includes original comedy, drama, and news programmes. It has similarities with YouTube Premium, but it is free, requiring only a Facebook account.  


An interesting side note about the fresh new trends in online video is that an increasing number of YouTubers, with both large and small numbers of followers, choose to pull their premium content off YouTube and set up their own SVoD platform.


So much for content, what about quality? The quality of subscriber experience is a key factor for customer retention. In addition to great content and helpful and tailored content search and discovery engines, it depends to a great extent on the quality of the video performance and delivery. Video performance factors include the re-buffer ratio, time to start the video, the average bit rate and the ability to meet variable peak demands on the streaming. 


Video duration is also an important aspect of subscriber experience. Baseplay, as an example, focuses on short format videos only, of around two minutes duration. In general, short duration videos are best and have the highest viewing retention rate. Analysis by Visible Measures shows that within the first 30 seconds of a video, there is a 33% loss of viewers, rising to a 60% loss at two minutes.

In short, regardless of how an OTT provider delivers a service, whether using their own network, outsourcing or partnering with mobile telcos (Basebone’s approach), the video delivery performance must be flawless or the subscriber experience will be negatively impacted and subscriber retention will suffer.

In a fast moving and competitive market, another important differentiator among OTT service providers will be the attention paid to engaging with customers and the quality of the customer service. Baseplay customers, can avail of different premium plans for access to a wide library of Apps, Videos and Music. The Baseplay SVoD offers a competitively priced, no advertisements, no interruptions service for all the users’ devices, on up to four screens simultaneously. The payment method is simplicity itself, with customers billed directly by the mobile service provider and Baseplay is easily downloaded, including via Google Play Store. Furthermore, even though the billing is direct via the carrier, Basebone offers its own in-house customer care service. This service offers a multi-lingual, 24-hour response time support for all enquiries. The Freemium model also lets users try the service before they buy.

So, bringing all of this together, we see an online video industry that is growing at a very fast pace. Video is dominating mobile data traffic, spurred on by technical developments of mobile networks and user devices and also by the increasing customer uptake and demand for more immersive experiences. This growth will bring a degree of fragmentation to the marketplace, but this fragmentation itself will offer opportunities for OTT service providers with original strategies to succeed and grow. These original strategies include new ways of engaging closely with customers and we have discussed Basebone as offering a good example in this area.

The future is looking strong and bright for online video in the years ahead and you don’t have to be big to survive and thrive.


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The robots are coming and AI is already here. Both of these technology developments will dramatically impact the already frenetic pace of technological development and among other things, will reduce the time from product conception to launch. In a nutshell, everything will happen faster and this will have a dramatic impact in the workplace. New ways of looking at career paths and new skills will be needed both to survive and more importantly, to thrive in what we can reasonably call, ‘the brave new world’.


So, what exactly is needed in 2020 and beyond if someone wants to excel in the workplace. We only know one direction at Basebone, forward. We only know one way of getting there, together. In fact, our motto is, ‘only forward, together.’  These three words sum up what we are all about and interestingly, they also determine what skills we need in our employees.


The first and most important thing to say about the needed skills is that there is not one particular skill that is more important than all the others – there are a range of important skills. 


Basebone deals with complex problems on a daily basis – it is simply a natural consequence of working in a fast moving, dynamic, technological environment.


Complex problem solving is, therefore, a key skill needed to find solutions to these problems so that we can move forward and deliver the best product and service for our customers. Included in this skill is what we can call, mental elasticity, or the ability to twist and stretch the way you think about problems in order to handle problems you have never seen before.     

 

Critical thinking, is all about evaluating problems with a logical, analytical, ‘what if’ approach, that is, most importantly, open and without preconceived assumptions. We throw around ‘what if’ scenarios all the time at Basebone – not only is it a great way of thinking critically around problems, but it also helps to build a great sense of working together and having some fun along the way.


Creativity will be a needed skill that has many faces. There is the creativity of coming up with brand new ideas, or new ways of doing things, or original ways of using the plethora of new products and technologies pouring onto the marketplace at an ever-faster pace. At Basebone,we like it that our employees are proactively creative in many different areas. Creativity at Basebone is not just a great skill to have, it is an essential one.


Other important skills include the ability to make timely decisions, to manage, to delegate, to be comfortable working in a team or alone as circumstances require, to show emotional intelligence and a constant focus on exactly what is needed to serve customers and to meet the needs of the marketplace.


In return for dedication and hard work, Basebone offers a platform where one can grow and excel, where entrepreneurship and boldness are the norm. When you come up with a great idea, you own it and run with it and once you have demonstrated yourself, you will progress quickly up the career path. And if you love your weekends and want to enjoy them to the fullest, at Basebone we have ‘short Fridays’, so your weekend always starts early!


Although all of the skills mentioned above are important, they can only be fully nurtured and developed in the right environment. At Basebone, you will find an environment that embraces diversity, encourages collaboration and personal development and truly believes in empowerment and respect. 


If you would like to view the current vacancies at Basebone, please have a look here:

https://www.basebone.com/careers


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2020-02-27T13:08:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/14717skills_2020_440x220.png","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F14717skills_2020_440x220.png?alt=media&token=cf2572a0-7c7d-4fd8-bf19-7610663a21bf"},"title":"The top skills to master in 2020 and beyond if you want to excel"},"-M2D4Yl5uS4VQNU43CNz":{"alias":"Do-you-want-to-see-the-latest-in-gaming-Basebone-announces-their-very-own-Hyper-casual-game","content":"

Basebone is delighted to announce the release of its great new game for all age groups, Shirk Ball, available free, worldwide, on both iOS and Android platforms. 

The aim of the game is for players to dodge incoming objects to earn points. The levels of difficulty increase throughout each of the 100 levels, with the incoming helix shaped object transforming into different objects at higher levels, ranging from balls and boxes to a combination of circles and boxes. And to make things more exciting and challenging, in some levels the player can break the helix through a ‘Shirk-Ball’ shout! The speed of play increases with each level and a leaderboard shows the player’s ranking by points gained.

The great thing about the game is that it challenges the player’s speed, reflexes and concentration without requiring any special skills and can be played anywhere at any level for any length of time.  

Shirk Ball, has a fresh, un-cluttered look and feel to it, with changing colours and shapes keeping it visually interesting as well as mentally challenging. It can be used as a quick refreshing break from work with awards issued instantly at game end, as an entertainment ‘snack’ or as a personal challenge to ‘reach for the stars’ and get to that level100!  The game challenges without being stressful or frustrating so the player feels like playing it again and again! 

Shirk Ball is a ‘hyper-casual’ game, meaning that it is lightweight and instantly playable. It is this short, easy to play, anywhere, anytime aspect of the game that makes it such a perfect Basebone game. Basebone is all about delivering entertainment, learning and fun in super practical short snack-sized bites for people on the move.     

About Basebone

Basebone is a Digital Content Company that provides OTT Media Services across Africa & Europe. To find out more about Basebone, please visit www.basebone.com


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2020-03-12T09:24:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/96408shirkball_440x220.png","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F96408shirkball_440x220.png?alt=media&token=5e008398-fca1-42d7-b129-4e6eecf41d7b"},"title":"Do you want to see the latest in gaming? Basebone announces their very own Hyper-casual game"},"-M37HeEcc4YvnQZs1PP9":{"alias":"Digital-Content-Company-Basebone-Shows-True-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-by-Offering-Users-Free-Courses-During-Crisis","content":"

The coronavirus pandemic has entire countries in virtual lockdown. OTT media company Basebone is stepping up to assist those staying at home to help stop the virus by offering two of their most popular digital courses for free.

 

March 23, 2020

 

It is not a secret and agreed on from one end-of-the-world to another that one of the most effective ways to slow or stop the spread of COVID 19 coronavirus is to stay inside as much as possible and extremely limit social contact. Of course this can cause many issues like depression, anxiety, and worry. Fortunately, some companies are stepping up to help. A shining example of this is Basebone. Basebone is a Digital Content Company that provides OTT Media Services across Africa & Europe, focusing on emerging markets. Demonstrating remarkable corporate social responsibility, the company recently announced that due to the coronavirus outbreak, they are giving free access to two of the most popular courses that they usually offer to users through their Baseplay Mastery product. They intend to run this offer through the hard times to help brighten some lives, if even in a small way.

 

Accessing the free courses is simple and quick. Those interested can find them on the baseplay website at www.baseplay.co/keep-on-learning.

 

Basebone has been a digital content media-service company since 2007. The company,  specialized in a number of different areas like mobile billing, advertising, and especially content management, is the creator and owner of baseplay,  Baseplay is a full suite of entertainment & educational products developed for mobile users but accessible from any web-enabled device. It includes five great verticals packed with content including movies, series, music, mobile games, health & fitness, education, and even content for kids.


Further information about Basebone can be found at www.basebone.com  


Twitter https://twitter.com/BaseboneGroup

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/basebone_group/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BaseboneGroup/


","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2020-03-23T16:43:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/46916440x220.png","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F46916440x220.png?alt=media&token=dbb677f6-8ebf-4767-abd4-7c38179add89"},"title":"Digital Content Company Basebone Shows True Corporate Social Responsibility by Offering Users Free Courses During Crisis"},"-M9XGtqwVMJjpl7OzDOI":{"alias":" Over-the-top-content-is-now-firmly-on-top-Can-it-stay-there","content":"


Around ten years ago, the mobile industry became very excited about TV. Handsets were getting better, and media execs started to ask a question: what if we put a TV aerial inside a phone?


Suddenly, there were a bunch of competing technologies – DVB-T, MediaFlo, ISDB-T. They all promised the same thing. They would make it possible for people to tune into their favourite TV shows on their mobile.


They all failed.


Why? Because it quickly became obvious that data was the best channel to carry video signals. Mobile data included. Why have a TV aerial inside the phone, when you could stream it instead?


And, of course, streaming opened up all sorts of extras that were not possible with traditional broadcast TV. You could pause and rewind. You could programme short, snackable content. You could add links and other graphical enhancements.


All it took for digital video to get going was for mobile data to become cheaper and 'bigger'. 


When 4G arrived, streaming really took off. This led to the birth of a new wave of video specialists. Because they bypassed the old-school broadcasters, they became known as OTT (over the top) providers.


Today, the OTT market is exploding. According to PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2019–2023 report, global OTT revenue hit $38.2bn in 2018 and is forecast to almost double by 2023.


These are huge numbers, but there is loads of growth left. After all, OTT revenues are still just a fraction of cable and satellite spending. 


Clearly, the OTT market is being powered by services like Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Apple. 


But there is demand for a vast range of options. OTT players can satisfy the need for niche content types, and for localised programming. 


This is especially the case on mobile, where the advent of 5G connectivity should lead to the creation of many new kinds of bundles. MNOs already sell packages that bundle data with subscriptions to OTT services. These packages have been great for winning new customers and reducing churn among existing subscribers.


As the MNOs move to 5G, PwC expects this process to accelerate.


“5G’s impact will be felt across the entire technology, media and telecommunications value chain for the next decade,” says Wilson Chow, Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Leader and Partner, PwC China.


\"It will hasten existing trends towards personalisation, making it easier, more convenient, and cheaper to access more media on phones and other mobile devices.\"


So hi-spec smartphones and super-fast connectivity will certainly boost demand for OTT services. This is a fantastic opportunity for OTT providers and their partners (brands, MNOs, publishers etc). 


However, they will face many challenges if they want to build services that are compelling and sticky. According to white paper by digital delivery specialist Limelight, OTTs need to consider seven key factors. 


Content


Obvious. Only compelling content will keep subscribers happy. 


Content Discovery


Viewers must be able to find content that interests them easily.


Reach


Digital content does not have the same geographical limitations as broadcast content. OTTs need to ensure their services are ready for a worldwide audience.


Scale


A video can go viral in a heartbeat, so OTTs must be prepared to deal with sudden scale.


Multi-device


Viewers are no longer viewing on the living room TV alone. OTTs need to cater for a range of devices instantly and at any time.


Quality of Experience


Content alone cannot keep customers engaged? The best OTTs enhance the experience by adding enhancements to the user interface.


Subscriber attrition


Consumers have so much choice. Churn is an ever-present threat. OTTs need to constantly devise ideas that protect the subscriber base.


Basebone is keenly aware of the above challenges. 


For over a decade, we've been offering a custom-branded suite of OTT video products that help our partners monetize their traffic, drive engagement and increase their ARPUs.


Our services are tailored specially for markets where mobile is the primary entertainment device, but where the barriers to entry can be high.


That's why we source and create content that satisfies local preferences. And it's why we have built pricing options that embrace both freemium (ad-based) and premium (via carrier billing and/or credit card).


Today, Basebone has over 30 million subscriptions in South Africa alone and is the only OTT provider of multiple verticals: movies, TV, music, games, fitness and e-learning.




","creatorId":"SrknG8PgjJZVBzoI2MTCEJzWLU83","date":"2020-06-11T07:24:00.000Z","image":{"imagePath":"articles/22559OTT_440x220_blue.png","imageURL":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/basebone-bfb66.appspot.com/o/articles%2F22559OTT_440x220_blue.png?alt=media&token=7a8b2022-ecbc-441a-bc9e-7cd9dc129c19"},"title":" ‘Over the top’ content is now firmly on top. Can it stay there?"},"-MBDQJYHm8kBZxUohprW":{"alias":"Smart-education-and-education-on-demand","content":"

Possibly the biggest change that is impacting education has been the growth of online learning platforms, with report after report confirming the continued growth in the uptake of online courses. These courses delivered in several ways– from online universities and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) including the likes of Udemy, Coursera and FutureLearn, to micro-learning platforms and applications that can be used for personal education and learning of new skills, such as Basebone’s learning platform, Baseplay Mastery.

There are several reasons for the growth in online courses. Many universities offer online courses in order to remain financially viable, attract new enrolments, and maintain ‘brand’ presence and visibility in an increasingly competitive marketplace of attracting new students. There is also the push from students themselves, whose profile has dramatically changed over the past few decades. Today’s students can belong to almost any age group and are increasingly working part-time or full-time while learning, are generally time pressed and need flexibility as to where and when to learn. Online learning can and is meeting the needs of this changing learner profile by delivering educational courses where and when they are required. 


Another aspect of online education is its ability to deliver education to those who cannot access traditional institutions. Students in India, for example, can take robotics classes at Harvard through EdX while children and adults alike in South Africa can grow their knowledge on mobile phones with bite-size learning modules and documentaries on Baseplay Mastery. What these examples have in common is their delivery of educational content to the student where and when they want it and in a way that engages and stimulates the learner. The idea of offering educational content as and when it is needed, is something that Benito Alvarez, Chief of Marketing at  Basebone, is passionate about:

We live in an age when many things in our lives, such as entertainment, transport and food are available on demand. Research suggests that 50% of downloaded apps are educational. Our m-learning service, Baseplay Mastery is utilized by 140K of Baseplay subscribers and offers users to learn two times faster across 68 subjects with specific courses such as SEO and Social Media Marketing, documentaries and infographics, with the focus on ensuring we deliver bite-sized chunks of content that allow our users to be more productive.

The micro-learning offered by Baseplay mastery is an example of the type of learning platform that people are increasingly willing to pay for. According to recent research by Euromonitor International, “more consumers are willing to buy products and services that optimize the use of their time.”   This is an important trend that impacts the online learning market. 

Microlearning is also particularly useful to corporations who want to keep employees skilled up and engaged without weighing them down with time consuming and sometimes uninspiring training. This type of employee training is also usually very cost-effective for the employer.

One notable change connected with education is how people will need to look upon learning as a continuous lifelong exercise. The very technology that enables smart or on-demand learning is itself part of an increasingly technologized society where everything happens faster. This increased pace is set to increase further as AI processes and platforms become embedded and commonplace in the workplace and in the workings of our society. People will, therefore, need to develop new skills and tools to deal proactively with these seismic changes. 

Interestingly, AI itself will help people to develop new skills through adaptive learning, which refers to the use of algorithms to determine what is the most appropriate education or training modules for a learner.  The aim of adaptive learning is to deliver a highly personalized learning experience and meet specific learner needs.  Based on their performance, learners get only material that they need to learn. 

The rapidly growing sophistication of both online learning technology and artificial intelligence advances, together with the real benefits that adaptive learning provides to learners, means that adaptive learning is set to dominate the online learning market going forward.

So, looking ahead, we see an increased use of online courses and micro-learning education delivered increasingly to mobile devices, on-demand, and with increased use of adaptive learning. But we also see around us an increasingly fast moving and sometimes frenetic pace of life both inside and outside the workplace. The new more flexible online education also offers tools and techniques to survive and thrive in this new world.

 


Education and learning have changed forever. The impact of this change is being felt right across educational institutions, corporations, the workplace and by individuals. Learning for life is now both a reality and an increasing necessity and this includes learning for personal health and wellbeing, in an increasingly fast-moving world.   



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