Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is the technology that allows user to navigate the internet wireless. It is a telecommunication technology that can carry data to long distances either by point to point links or full mobile access. The key feature of this technology is that it operates on the same Broadband Wireless Access Standard of IEEE 802.16, which was set up in 1999. WiMAX also has the ability to extend local Wi-Fi networks over larger expanse of coverage area by up to 50 kilometers and its backed by Intel, world’s largest semiconductor company.

Similarly, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) too boasts of superior technology akin to that of WiMAX. In a nutshell, it is a collection of mobile telephony protocols that provide better performance over existing radio bandwidth. Equipped with state of the art 3.5G technology, it can touch amazing download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. HSPA should be proud to get the support from leading equipment vendors including Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Alcatel and Lucent. Its proven ability to perform extremely well in any condition and download speeds has helped the technology to be absorbed across several countries in a short span of time.

Unfortunately, WiMAX was not without its own problems, in Australia, first WiMAX operator had to shut down its operation due to poor reach to long distances, contrary to its claim. On the other hand, HSPA service was able to produce the desire result in over 50 countries and 150 networks. For example, in some places subscribers could already watch streaming High Definition movies at 1Mbps. HSPA has also got a cost advantage over the other, per month charges as of now is in the realm of $30, whereas one has to shell out $10 more to get the same service from WiMAX.

Since majority of the people spend time outside their workplaces, e-mobility has become an inevitable tool in communication and business. Whether the winner is WiMAX or HSPA, wider expanse of area under internet connectivity through wireless services will enhance people to do day to day business, being anywhere in the world. High speed internet access through wireless technology will propel growth in all areas including business, education and healthcare.

Global internet wireless connectivity will also give an advantage for an entrepreneur who is away from the main markets to get reasonable remuneration for one’s products or services. Real time e-mobility effects coupled with long distance internet coverage for one’s communication suggests, E-Commerce will be the biggest gainer and is likely to increase its share in the world of business.

Toboc

1. As a rule of thumb, it is inevitable that one should become a free member of any B2B portal and should understand the features as well as the functionalities of these portals, before upgrading one’s membership.

2. B2Bs basically are based on ‘Trade Leads’. Trade Lead is an explanation of one’s product or service, perhaps with an image, extended to the market with an intention of buying or selling. Therefore, it is recommended to assure the relevant Trade Lead is available in the database of the portal, which one is desirous to be a premium member.

3. While signing up as a free member, one’s company profile should be with below details:

a) The criterion one selects should be correct. For example, if one is an exporter and selects an importer criterion, one’s profile will be in the importer section and therefore, when an importer searches for a related exporter, one’s profile cannot be seen by the importer since it is in not in the appropriate list. Hence, one cannot be contacted to do business.
b) Make sure that contact information provided is accurate.
c) The company description should be condensed and should have all the details pertaining to one’s business interest.
d) One should choose the appropriate sector/s painstakingly, to insure one’s company and Trade Lead to be listed in the relevant sector/s. Further same accuracy should be shown, if the portal has provided with sub-sectors.
e) Authenticity of the firm is enhanced by providing all the details including awards received, rating certification, etc.

4. It is ideal to ascertain the presence of related businesses in the database of the portal of your interest, to avoid any disappointment in generating business inquiries or even to make a contact. Suppose one wants to proceed even after not able to find related businesses, one should verify the business prospects by directly contacting the portal personnel.

5. Another important factor is one should make sure the portal is user-friendly. If it is not user-friendly, it is most unlikely to produce favorable results.

6. Insure the authenticity of contact address of the portal to avoid any fraud. Secured payment modes should be emphasized while making payments.

7. Top B2Bs will have interactive tools including Live Chat, Toll Free numbers, etc.; try to interact with these tools to guarantee that these functions are not mere decorations.

8. Check whether all the features are up to date.

9. Besides, the list of Trade Leads, Exporters, Importers; it would be ideal to go for a B2B which has lists of Transporters and International Services as well. Such a compilation can further minimize one’s endeavor in obtaining business.

10. It will be an added advantage if one looks for B2Bs which have collaborations with famous international organizations too.

In addition, it is highly recommended to utilize all the available features of the B2Bs to get best results.

Toboc

Even after the cognizance of the success of one’s competitor, still indecisively sitting on the fence and thinking whether one should induct the services of B2Bs in one’s business, would be suicidal for oneself or any trader. Traders’ outdated methods of depending on their own old networks will not only wipe out existing market share, perhaps even one’s company from the international markets.

Statistics show that business from B2Bs has seen significant growth in the past five years. Apart from the fact that e-commerce has changed the way international business is done, interest in online services also increased dramatically owing to ease of doing business.

Usually, a new user has a tendency to avoid adapting to new methods of doing things and more so to a thing which is related to technology that initially appears to be complicated, time consuming and expensive. This is just a misconception of the small businessman, but in reality, online based businesses reduce one’s cost and time considerably. Although large international traders are using B2B services effectively, these portals in totality have helped small and medium enterprises to a great extent.

If the reluctance to B2Bs is just related to its usage, it is suggested that it would not take more than two hours to learn the functions and utilities of any leading B2Bs even to a novice of internet. Still a trader finds it difficult to imbibe the concept by oneself; it is recommended to employ a relevant staffer who has basic knowledge of computers and internet.

A staffer with relevant qualification would not cost much either. Either one’s staffer or oneself can create a profile in leading B2Bs and get going with business, either as a free member or a premium one. In the premium membership, one can avail of all the fascinating features including description of one’s company, products and/or services, a mini website (sub-domain), etc. Such a company profile in any leading B2Bs can become a multi-pronged marketing tool of one’s business in no time.

If one is worried about the authenticity of the business from B2Bs, it is suggested that with proper planning and research into these portals, before joining any premium membership, could avoid any future disappointments. Though it is cost effective and fast in enhancing one’s business, it goes without saying that one has to employ all the parameters which one uses in one’s usual business to avoid any fraud.

Every business pattern will have its own merits and demerits, though B2Bs are with lower risks, it is highly recommended to take the services of the right portal to generate trade inquiries and thereafter profits through this process. To conclude, a trader would be familiar with other traders’ claims of doing business and instant success through B2Bs, but if it is not happening for oneself, one should be patient and should try to be active with one’s profile.

Toboc Trade News

Cost effectiveness of the concept was immediately felt by the traders who inducted B2B services to their businesses. Widely used products and services found buyers and sellers instantaneously while unique ones had to wait patiently to get noticed. As more and more traders began to use B2Bs, even these concerns of, ‘had to wait’ was also aptly answered.

A decade ago, B2Bs had to struggle in order to make the traders understand the concept and encourage them to radically depart from the conventional business model they were involved until then. It was even difficult for businesses to shift from traditional business practices to cyberspace. Everything seems to be impractical in the eyes of the trader, when one initially started using B2B. That is because the trader neither sees the client nor is personally able to be involved in negotiations, unless one tries to do so by spending time and money.

Managing one’s business thoroughly in electronic terms is understandably tedious for those who are accustomed to a more mechanical business models. But in the present business environment, if one keeps away from B2Bs, to match the prices offered by one’s B2B-friendly competitors in the same market will be an uphill task.

However, until a trader make use of the premium membership of any B2B portal, whatever business one gets is a bonus to one’s enterprise. If one has chanced upon such a bonus and the decision to go for premium membership is solely based on that, it would be a disappointment. The best way to decide is by checking the portals standing and visibility in e-commerce space to derive sustained business. To ensure business through these portals, one has to learn the functionalities of each portal and should use it as an interactive business tool rather than a one-sided informative tool. Top B2B portals have proven track record of giving valuable inputs to their premium members to increase business.

Still there are many traders who are averse to computer-based business applications; it is a natural tendency towards ‘change’. It is a fear about adopting the unknown. Such fearful traders can look at the modern day kids; they learn computers without even explaining them the nuances of it. Therefore, learning computers and related applications is a child’s play, once one shows interest in them.

The apprehensions on this aspect are nothing compare to one’s own fears which one had before starting one’s business. As a matter of fact, the business model provided by B2B portals have proved that, any single trader with an enterprise along with B2B setting, can easily do international business hitherto was only possible by huge business houses. Thousands of small and medium businesses around the world have benefited through B2Bs, and not to mention, several huge international players. Those who have not yet used the services should do so quickly to expedite one’s business opportunities.

Toboc

Globalization in its early years, in-fact, brought different cultures to converge at one point, but at the same time, disintegrated small communities due to greater opportunities away from their homes as well as their own communities. Unfortunately, though the opportunities gave them more material comforts, they were literally isolated from their loved ones in the name of better opportunities. The emergence of SNS gave these people a platform to share their feelings instantly. In no time, these sites became a major hang out for the young, and today even it is appealing to the older generation.

As it is common to any business to target those areas where people meet for fun and entertainment, the SNS too became a virtual battle ground for businesses to enhance their customer base. Especially, small and medium businesses extensively used this platform not only to increase the traffic to their sites but also as a cost-effective tool to market their products or services. The speed in which these SNS thrived gave birth to the fast emerging concept Business Networking Sites (BNS). And these sites have caught the imagination of most companies to utilize the services as part of their social media marketing.

Besides being a database of corporate contacts, BNS have served as essential tools for making a company known to the world with their workforce’s contacts. Nevertheless, most businesses have not so far directly included these media as part of their marketing strategy. Most companies have even denied access to SNS by their staff; the reason cited for this is, job allotted to them was largely neglected owing to increased straying into these areas. But some companies have tentatively allocated some stipulated time to access these sites for propagating their companies’ products or services.

There are plenty of websites mushrooming across World Wide Web besides BNS and SNS including Book-Marking Sites. Each one is vying with one another to integrate the popular features of each concept. And coming years will decide the future course of many popular such sites as to what entity they exist in the e-arena. In future, even terms to segregate these sites may become irrelevant. Industry observers as well as service providers believe, once winners among these sites are well defined, businesses would start extensively using this medium as the primary tool of their marketing strategy.

Instead of spending a large sum of money for advertising through other media, companies are bound to seek the services of Universal Networking Sites (UNS) with or without extra cost. Experts believe that these sites can deliver goods in minimum time with higher productivity. The UNS with comprehensive features of SNS, BNS, etc., will be the next big thing which would attract people from all walks of lives including students, home-makers, businessmen, etc.

Since online public is growing faster as expected, the sites with combined solutions such as socializing, book-marking, job-searching, etc. will soon become an advertising center for all businesses across the world. The UNS is likely to become a cost-effective tool for marketing one’s company’s products or/and services.

UNS also promise good revenue for the service providers through advertisements as compared to the independent services provided by them. Hence, online world could expect popular as well as new service providers to compete one another in adding mind-boggling features to their forthcoming UNS version of their respective service sites.

Toboc

Top trade shows still attract many companies to showcase their products and services, but a majority of small and medium enterprises (SME) have totally resorted to do the same through B2Bs. And this in fact, has reduced unnecessary movement of people and commodities to several such shows resulting in lowering cost of marketing as well as energy to every business entity involved.

Besides, instead of traveling to meet a new client to a foreign land, traders found this new rendezvous in the form of B2B portal. In business development process, after making initial interactions through emails, they sometimes even confirm their business facilities through video-conferencing before inking the deals, and this too is made possible through B2Bs.

According to studies, more than 60% of SME utilize the services of B2Bs directly or indirectly. Though there is a flurry and mushrooming of several B2Bs with claims of providing complete business solutions, leading B2Bs are still largely sought after in the e-commerce arena.

B2Bs are environmentally appealing mainly because of the non-involvement of any kind global warming material being used in the business development process.

. The complete business process except product delivery involves just electronic interaction and transaction.

. Products or services are presented to the client/clients by redirecting them to their respective websites from their B2B profile or through the same profile itself depending upon the B2B package their have opted for.

. Avoids physical presence in all stages of business, and in abstract services even delivery is made electronically.

B2Bs generated huge revenues as compared to other business models engaged in global trade without emitting any harmful green house gases or cutting trees which was otherwise used extensively in paper-based business processes of the past. Perhaps serious concern for the deteriorating health of the environment due to climate change and other related issues have prompted businesses to take a paradigm shift to opt for B2Bs.

Most B2Bs expect bringing in such awareness among traders will also help these portals to grow besides other positive aspects. In addition, these portals hope environmentally conscious traders to market B2B concept to non-users through word of mouth or other means to adopt it as part of ‘save the planet slogan’. Some of the B2Bs provide even international services including transport, go-between and other services, besides the regulars, import and export to put their use into good effect.

Apart from the eco-friendly aspects of these portals there are other attractive reasons for traders to adopt this model such as, negligible cost involved in marketing operations of any given company, user-friendliness and not to mention the speed in delivering goods. Though there are any scales to measure the amount or number of benefits to the environment after the arrival of B2B portals is available, looking into the features as well as the time presence, one is made to believe, they have made a huge positive impact in the eco front. The eco-conscious traders, if they have not started utilizing these services, will certainly adopt this business tool as a medium for their global and even for their domestic trading needs very soon.

Toboc