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Jack Zhong's Column: How Can People Get Stable Instant-Messaging Software?

Recent upsets have reveal that instant-messaging software has become a viable, widely used business tool, but a tool that is subject to upsets from computer viruses and other problems.

In October a virus targeted Microsoft Networks (MSN) Messenger service in China and threatened serious damage to any computers affected by it. On October 11, most Internet users found they could not log on to MSN at all. The incident caused great inconvenience for Internet users, especially business people who use Messenger as a communication tool throughout their workdays. Some users thought a virus was causing the logging-on problem, but it system maintenance in the US was later cited as the culprit. Regardless of the reason for the upsets, the incidents raised doubts about the stability of the Messenger service.

At the same time MSN Messenger was experiencing problems, the most popular Chinese instant-messaging (IM) software, Tencent Messager -- nicknamed QQ - was having similar trouble. Home-users could not log on to QQ for a long time. Tencent Corporation found itself strongly criticised, because a large number of fee-based members could not use the service. Sources said a virus infection caused the problem.

So it is clear that running an instant-messaging software service is no longer as easy as it used to be in China.

The Internet is now closely integrated with people's lives. A lot of Internet users are also using Internet-chat services. With the development of the Internet, IM products are expected to become even more popular; IM service providers can ill-afford any mistakes.

IM products are now a very convenient and productive tool for team communication, file transfers, and other corporate communications, not just idle chatter.

With the further development of IM products, customers are demanding more fee-based IM services. Users who pay for these IM services are not likely to simply complain - as they do now -- if faulty products or services disrupt their business activities. They will likely expect compensation for business losses. Therefore IM software providers should seriously consider their responsibilities, liabilities and culpabilities and explore ways to make IM software more stable and secure.

First Wholly Foreign-funded Enterprise Joint 3G

Italy's STMicroelectronics in October became the first foreign firm to join China's TD-SCDMA (time division synchronous code division multiple access) Alliance. This event marked the third phase of drawing partners into the alliance, an industry group formed in October 2002 to promote the TD-SCDMA mobile telephony standard.

TD-SCDMA is one of three international mainstream 3G standards (the others are WCDMA and CDMA2000). It is expected take a big share of China's future 3G market which will be worth hundreds of billions of US dollars.

The TD-SCDMA Alliance was founded by DTT, Soutec, Wahlee, Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, CEIEC and China PUTIAN. The second phase of membership included Hisense, HAITIAN, Commit, CYIT, Spreadtrum who joined the alliance in December2003, thereby enhancing the development of mobile phone terminals.

From the above, we can see that the first phase of members included domestic enterprises, the second joint ventures and foreign-funded members will be sought in the third phase.

More than ten foreign-funded enterprises have applied to join the alliance, all leaders in the field of telecommunications. Prospects for the TD-SCDMA industrial process are good.

However, it is not easy to join the Alliance; standards for membership are very high. Members must:

Be involved in the industry's development;

Have a production plan;

Abide by the rules of the alliance;

Pay membership fees.

The third point is, perhaps, the most important. It requires all alliance members to share their development achievements. 

We can expect to hear a lot more about 3G mobile phone technologies and products in the future, but we can already see that the new mobile 3G sets will be able to do almost everything a computer can do. There is no doubting that this will be a huge market in China, and we can expect to see a lot of technological and financial competition as a result.

Comment on this article via: jack.zhong@btmbeijing.com