DIALOG TRADENET
Description :
Tradenet’s design philosophy is based on the 4A’s ethos (i.e in order for a mobile solution to fully realize its enabling potential it needs to be applicable, available, affordable and create affinity across all segments of society). Tradenet fulfills this vision by creating a powerful tool capable of empowering people with access to information related to goods and services using their mobile phones. Tradenet is therefore a Trade Information Exchange that generates user driven content pertaining to goods and services that are legally traded using the mobile phone. In addition to the trading feature, tradenet also supports a reference price provision mechanism for agriculture produce by collecting, aggregating and disseminating agri commodity prices from three major economic centers in the country. Trade Information Exchange: People from across the economic pyramid, constituting buyers and sellers of products and/or services are able to post/ display their intent to sell or buy goods and services through their mobile phones. Trades can be posted by individuals as well as organisations and trade bodies. Demand or supply‐uploads/ posts to the Dialog tradenet system can be done using web, WAP, call centre and IVR, SMS and USSD access technologies. The unique feature of the Dialog tradenet system hinges on its ability to dynamically ‘match’ the buyer (demand) with seller (supply). Once the match is established the system pushes sends a SMS ‘matching alert’ to both buyer and seller with their respective contact details. Fulfillment of the transactions occur offline after negotiation and due diligence is done by both parties. Dialog tradenet therefore ends its service at this point and allows the buyer and seller to negotiate and proceed with the transaction. The trade information exchange therefore acts as a virtual meeting place and has the power to connect/ bridge traditional urban – rural digital divides and to thereby leapfrog information asymmetry challenges particularly among low income group segments, who have limited access to information and markets. Spot market rates: Dialog tradenet also provides spot market rates to farmers and other interested parties, as a reference price mainly to aid the farmers using the tradenet trade information exchange to sell their agricultural produce. Current spot market rates are obtained from an organisation by the name of Govi Gnana Seva that collects real‐time market prices using WAP enabled mobile handsets from the Dambulla, Meegoda and Narahenpita dedicated economic centers/ fruit and vegetable wholesale markets. Dambulla is the largest wholesale market for vegetables and fruit in Sri Lanka. The spot market rates are made available for 178 different vegetables and fruits with new categories added frequently. Farmers and agri businesses can obtain spot market rates for agricultural produce by subscribing to Dialog tradenet alerts (daily, hourly, etc.). Messages can be delivered through SMS using English, Singlish and picture messages for phones that don’t support unicode. For phones that do support unicode, short messages can be delivered in their native language preference (i.e. Sinhalese or Tamil). The product is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and is thereby a very unique engine, especially due to its ability to match buyers and sellers dynamically based on their profile match preferences.
What we deliver?
Primary Service Offering – Trade Information Exchange • Buyers and sellers of any (legal and ethical) product or service (not limited to agriculture, industry and services) can locate corresponding demand and supply through mobile and web. The Dialog tradenet engine is capable of matching relevant buyers and sellers dynamically, based on predefined settings and personal preferences. Once the match has been established the exchange automatically informs the two parties through an SMS. Since Dialog cannot terminate SMS to other networks (based on current regulatory rulings) all matching alerts are currently available exclusively to Dialogs 6 Million plus subscribers. Secondary Service Offering – Price Information • Agricultural commodity prices from three Dedicated Economic Centers (Dambulla, Meegoda and Narahenpita whole sale markets) in Sri Lanka can be obtained a subscribed service through SMS depending on the frequency required (up to a maximum of 25 alerts a day). This reference information can also be accessed using the 977 call center.
Why is the project unique?
Yes, this is a unique project. Tradenet has a unique dynamic‐matching feature unlike conventional classifieds portals and m‐classifieds portals. Once information is fed to the system and a subscription preference has been selected alerts will be pushed to the subscriber seeking notification of a matching post on the system. Tradenet is also unique due to its ability to transcend all levels of the economic pyramid. Very few products are inclusive across the paradigms of applicability, affordability, and availability. Tradenet checks all these boxes with its multi layered access technologies, multi lingual language capability and ability to offer all these features on basic phone models. In summary: • Dialog tradenet provides automated matching alerts, so there is no need of going back to the system to get updates. • No language barrier – it is available in all three languages • Available through five technologies, hence end user can select the most convenient/cost effective channel to receive information • No technical barriers – you do not need any new software installations, high end handsets, etc.
Contact
Dialog Telekom PLC
Michael de Soyza
Colombo Sri Lanka
URL/Website – www.dialog.lk
