[General] Zain Mobile Backup

[majedb at gmail.com]

Thanks for mentioning the caveats Burhan.

I don't think such ideas work for Kuwait, since no telecom is able to
provide decent bandwidth for Internet and video (whether TV or just to
talk), and IF they did, they'd charge ridiculous amounts of money.

And moreover, it would be more convenient if people were able to do it
over the Internet directly, unfortunately the Internet is also
expensive in Kuwait.

Perhaps if telecoms made a deal with ISPs to increase the bandwidth to
connect to the ISP pipe but keep the subscribed Internet cap, and host
the storage in an ISP's datacenter, would reduce the cost?

You could subscribe to 512Kbps DSL, and get 1Mbps link to your ISP
(symmetric), while your Internet link would be 512Kbps/256Kbps
(Downstream/Upstream).

On 5/26/08, Burhan Khalid <burhan at kuwaitnet.net> wrote:
> The smart move from Zain would be to activate HSDPA for the handset,
> create a new APN that is restricted to the backup servers and offer this
> as part of the subscription.
>
> Otherwise -- fugghetaboutit.
>
> This is not a new service, Zain (like Saudi Telecom) is using the same
> backend provider for the service ( http://www.mobilekeeper.com/ ) -- the
> URL mkweb gave it away for me as this was one of my pet projects. You
> can go there and check the complete device compatibility chart.
>
> Things they also forgot to mention -- not all devices support the
> complete backup. Only the latest devices with S60 will support the
> backup of anything beyond contacts and SMS.
>
> Even then, there are some caveats --
>
> "Known Issues
>    Application may freeze occasionally while transfering large amounts
> of data."
>
> This is for the N95 8GB.
>
> What about rights protected content?
>
> Google Android is not supported because there aren't any commercial
> devices with it.  The reason they put J2ME is because there is a J2ME
> client available from the upstream provider.
>
> I doubt Zain has the storage capacity; nor do they have the network
> capacity.
>
> Regards,
> Burhan Khalid
>
> Majed B. wrote:
>> Over WAP? This will take AGES! Especially now that everyone has songs,
>> images and even videos on their mobiles!!!
>>
>> So, they'll charge for that service only, or will they charge for
>> every kilobyte you upload as well? (Warning: Major money blackhole)
>>
>> When they say J2ME, can we assume Google Android will be supported in
>> the future, or is that just a marketing stunt, to stuff acronyms &
>> specification names into the mix?
>>
>> What if someone changed their mobile number (line/subscription) and
>> forgot the old one?
>>
>> Assume all the questions above don't matter, and assume the service
>> picks up, phone now hold a minimum of 128MB + SD/MMC cards of 256MB
>> (minimum). That's 384MB. Let's say 3000 people subscribed, that's
>> 1125GB (1.1TB). Do you think Zain has the storage capacity to match
>> the demand? I very much doubt they would, if there's a big demand.
>> Upgrading the hardware infrastructure isn't easy and if it was, you
>> still have to wait at least 2 weeks for hardware delivery.
>>
>> Secure, you say? We'll see about that...
>>
>>
>> On Mon, May 26, 2008 at 3:55 AM, Bashar Al-Abdulhadi
>> <bashar at kuwaitnet.net> wrote:
>>> FYI
>>> although no prices listed on www.kw.zain.com nor
>>> https://mobilebackup.kw.zain.com/mkweb/Faq.po?tsid=1211763047158
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Zain Mobile Backup
>>>
>>> Introducing Zain Mobile Backup, because we understand how valuable the
>>> information on your mobile is.
>>> Zain Mobile Backup saves your mobile phone?s address book, SMS, MMS,
>>> photos,
>>> videos, ring tones, tasks, notes, calendar, wallpapers, games and
>>> applications on a secure server that can only be accessed by you -
>>> because
>>> you never know when your phone will be damaged, stolen, or lost.
>>> This service even works when you change your mobile phone.
>>>
>>> Zain Mobile Backup is currently available for the following device
>>> platforms:
>>> ? Symbian S60 (1st, 2nd and 3rd edition)
>>> ? Symbian S80 (2nd edition)
>>> ? Symbian UIQ (2nd edition)
>>> ? Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 (Smartphone and Pocket PC editions)
>>> ? Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 & 6.0 (Smartphone and
>>> Pocket PC editions)
>>> ? J2ME (MIDP 2.0 with the JSR-75 extension)
>>>
>>> *You can find the complete list of supported devices on our website
>>> http://mobilebackup.kw.zain.com
>>>
>>> Zain Mobile Backup copies your data to a secure server and lets you
>>> retrieve
>>> it when you replace or upgrade your mobile phone.
>>> Your data will be stored securely on your own personal server space and
>>> can
>>> be easily viewed online or restored to a new phone at anytime.
>>>
>>> Zain Mobile Backup allows you to:
>>> ? Easily backup all your mobile data, periodically or per event
>>> ? View and manage your data through the secure website
>>> ? Easily move all your backed up data to a new phone
>>> ? Prevent unauthorized use of your phone and its contents
>>>
>>> How can I subscribe to Zain Mobile Backup?
>>> 1. Send ?BACKUP? to 99509
>>> 2. You will receive a settings message & a service message (WAP Push)
>>> 3. You will then receive a username & password for web login to manage
>>> your
>>> profile through the Zain portal
>>> 4. Click on the service WAP link to download the application over WAP
>>> 5. Once you?ve downloaded the application, click to install as per the
>>> instructions
>>> 6. You can customize your application settings by going to Options>
>>> Settings
>>> to schedule the auto backup; daily or weekly or monthly
>>>
>>> *Always use your mobile number as the ?User Name? in the Zain Mobile
>>> Backup
>>> Application.
>>>
>>> Note: For Corporate Customers, please contact your Zain Key Account
>>> Manager
>>> to activate the service.
>>>
>>> Forgot your password?
>>> ? To get a new password, send "password" to 99509
>>> ? To expand your storage memory size by 100MB, send ?storage? to 99509
>>> ? To unsubscribe and delete your account and all the stored information,
>>> send ?delete? to 99509
>>>
>>> Did you change your mobile phone?
>>> ? Send ?settings? to 99509
>>> ? You will receive a settings message, please save it
>>> ? Send ?client? to 99509 to install the new application using the ?WAP?
>>> push
>>> link
>>>
>>> Service Fees
>>> ? Please call 107 or visit any Zain branch
>>> ? For Corporate Customers, please contact your Zain Key Account Manager
>>> for
>>> more details about the service
>>>
>>> Support
>>> In case you face difficulties configuring the settings or have
>>> connectivity
>>> problems, kindly call 107 for assistance or visit any Zain Branch.
>>> For Corporate Customers, please contact your Zain Key Account Manager in
>>> Zain Corporate Sales Department.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> General mailing list
>>> General at oskw.org
>>> http://mail.oskw.org/mailman/listinfo/general_oskw.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>


-- 
       Majed B.