The Hindu Business Line : Phone that stirs dust of nationalism

"Nokia 1100," he says. "Those ads!" he fumes angrily, because the new product is made specially `for India' and the visual, he informs me, is a shot in dust stirred up by camels.

"Two messages," he summarises for my benefit. "One, there is dust everywhere, but the set can withstand the pollution; and two, power supply is erratic, so they have provided a torchlight in their model."

If only they had provided a button on the cell-phone that spews water, what a steal it would be! Something that stirs up dust, shall we say?

Gary LaFever, responds to an earlier discussion in these columns on outsourcing and insourcing. I learn from his communiqué about FTEN Software Solutions Pvt Ltd, the Chennai-based development arm of FTEN, Inc, the US-based provider of technology and services to securities firms worldwide.

The firm has announced the signing of a strategic joint development agreement with Helm Solutions Group, Inc, a California-based computer systems developer that provides "subject matter experts with `SWAT teams' of talented developers to assist in capitalising on time sensitive market opportunities."

Good job.

"An obvious point getting overlooked by so many brands is that while everybody claims to be taking a holistic approach to brands. I have often wondered why Onyx should ply their trucks dirty or why distributor vans of some beverages brands (particularly meant for children) look filthy," writes Mr Sitaraman, reacting to an earlier E&OE piece on brand behaviour.

"To add another dimension to this, one should take up the case of the coach ride from the aircraft to the terminal or the other way, at our airports. It is inconceivable that these airlines not only claim, but sometimes are actually serious about providing a `smooth as silk' experience, while they are airborne, but the coach zigzags on the tarmac, applies sudden brakes to leave not only the old and infirm, but also other passengers with luggage, to fall over one another without a firm handle to hang on to. Do they actually think that their brand promise or experience is confined to actual flight only?"

A point that needs immediate attention.

Mr Rajagopalan of Bangalore has a grievance about banking service. "I wish to narrate my three-year-long struggle, without success, with HDFC bank."

What's that? "HDFC bank is the only bank which does not include payees' name in the account statement/ pass sheets. It only mentions the cheque number. Hence the pass sheets cannot be used as proof of payment."

Why? "They have been repeatedly saying that they do not enter the names as it is time consuming and their volumes are large. But if the recipient demands proof of payment, they won't be able to issue a certificate of payment. It becomes difficult to show government agencies to whom we have made payment that indeed the payment has been credited to their account. Will an appeal to RBI ensure that HDFC provides the name of the payees in its pass sheets?"

That's for the Guv to look into.

E&OE@thehindu.co.in

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