G-Webcall: Globe's Doomed(?) Voip-to-Cellphone Service

I just received my monthly Globe bill (I didn't bother to use their toll-free call-in service this time to avoid their annoying ads) and with the bill is a brochure for their new service called G-Webcall.

In theory, G-WebCall is an economical way for people abroad to get in touch with Globe Telecoms subscribers. Apparently the target of this product are the millions of migrant Filipino workers abroad.  At around Php 7.50 per minute, calls made through G-WebCall doesn't have much difference from regular cellphone calls but if this is used overseas, then there will indeed be savings.

However, unless Globe changes something in their system, this service is doomed to fail.  Why?  There may be millions of potential customers for this service but I don't think most of them are a "postpaid" plan holder of Globe.  Since the service requires a user to be a regular Globe subscriber, it already alienates 99% of their target market.  Calls made through the service is just a few centavos cheaper than a regular cellphone-to-cellphone call.  What would then be the incentive of local residents (who BTW would probably be a regular Globe subscriber) to use the service?

This service has a big potential to become a hit but the implementation, in my opinion, is poorly planned and this may doom this service from the start.

Oh, and did I mention that their website only accomodates Internet Explorer?  That in itself may be an indication that this product is indeed doomed right from the start.

technorati tags:Globe-Telecoms, Cellphones, VOIP, G-WebCalls

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