Why don't Indians buy software?
-
John, I'd like to reassure what Nish and Ravi said. At times, I've wondered at the kind of work some people do in service based software companies. People just outsource everything from development, research, QA, design, all the way up to localisation. It could very well be that guys here are just doing the research and posting their findings to their contractors somewhere in the US or UK. I live here, and I know the trend here. When I say it, take my word for it - this *is* a strong possibility. Another possibility could be that your product is being researched by engineers in India, and that's being done for a competitor (the competitor has outsourced researching on all their competition). In any case, if it's a software that helps carpenters and building contractors to get their daily work done, I'll be shocked if you sold something like 50 licenses in 5 years. It works in a completely different way here. It isn't like every carpenter is at worker class - you can get any of your work done, from low class all the way up to world class. And the higher class, professional ones would almost always like to go with local vendors (inclusive of software) so that they could customise it, and get support as and when they need. You don't know it until you've seen it. :)
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
Well Said Rajesh, Exactly what is happening in India. My 5 too.
Regards, Koushik. Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.
-
That is probably a good way to do it in India :-)
Regards, Nish
Latest article: Code Project Posts Analyzer for Windows Phone 7 My technology blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
That's actually not a bad business model, if you can avoid copyright problems by changing the GUI bits. It worked for Microsoft way back when. :-D
Will Rogers never met me.
-
We were going over our analytics the other day and a question came up: "Why don't Indians buy software?". We sell a small to medium sized business application online and we have regular sales in over 70 countries. In our web analytics we see India quite high on the list of countries where people download our software, very high, like fifth out of all countries, as well Indians regularly request a full trial license from us to fully test our software so we know they are engaged and interested. The mystery is that in over a decade in business we still have zero sales to India, not one single one. This despite thousands of downloads by Indians. The countries below India in downloads, even *way* below India still account for a large amount of sales. It's not piracy, we monitor that regularly. We've contacted the Indian people who requested a license as we do everyone and we always get an answer like "We thoroughly checked it out and decided to go with another package". Is there some kind of cultural thing we're not getting? Is it that they will always try to find a local equivalent if they can? Does anyone have a theory as to this mystifying behaviour?
There is no failure only feedback
Probably because the payment system is more complicated and intrusive than a visit to crackthemutha.com.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
-
Kinda funny, but less than 1% of software used in India is localized. Everyone uses English language applications. (you won't think that from the grammar used by Indians in forums these days)
Regards, Nish
Latest article: Code Project Posts Analyzer for Windows Phone 7 My technology blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
Nishant Sivakumar wrote:
(you won't think that from the grammar used by Indians in forums these days)
There's quite a difference in understanding written English and producing correct English text yourself - even in a country like India where English has been a part of the culture for so long...
1f y0u c4n r34d 7h15 y0u r3411y n33d 70 g37 14!d Gotta run; I've got people to do and things to see... Don't tell my folks I'm a computer programmer - They think I'm a piano player in a cat house... Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo!
-
Nishant Sivakumar wrote:
As to the guy who told you they went with another product, well I don't know about that.
As if you know the other 999,999,998 :)
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. I also do Android Programming as I find it a refreshing break from the MS. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost
Well, he must - don't all Indians know each other? :laugh:
1f y0u c4n r34d 7h15 y0u r3411y n33d 70 g37 14!d Gotta run; I've got people to do and things to see... Don't tell my folks I'm a computer programmer - They think I'm a piano player in a cat house... Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo!
-
We were going over our analytics the other day and a question came up: "Why don't Indians buy software?". We sell a small to medium sized business application online and we have regular sales in over 70 countries. In our web analytics we see India quite high on the list of countries where people download our software, very high, like fifth out of all countries, as well Indians regularly request a full trial license from us to fully test our software so we know they are engaged and interested. The mystery is that in over a decade in business we still have zero sales to India, not one single one. This despite thousands of downloads by Indians. The countries below India in downloads, even *way* below India still account for a large amount of sales. It's not piracy, we monitor that regularly. We've contacted the Indian people who requested a license as we do everyone and we always get an answer like "We thoroughly checked it out and decided to go with another package". Is there some kind of cultural thing we're not getting? Is it that they will always try to find a local equivalent if they can? Does anyone have a theory as to this mystifying behaviour?
There is no failure only feedback
Seems like someone didn't like your question. I on the other hand found it very interesting, and the ensuing thread is an interesting read as well. I'll give you a 5 to compensate for the unitossers one-vote... [EDIT] Whohoa - you pissed off some real authority there - my 5 didn't go very far in compensation, I'm afraid... [/EDIT]
1f y0u c4n r34d 7h15 y0u r3411y n33d 70 g37 14!d Gotta run; I've got people to do and things to see... Don't tell my folks I'm a computer programmer - They think I'm a piano player in a cat house... Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo!
-
Well, he must - don't all Indians know each other? :laugh:
1f y0u c4n r34d 7h15 y0u r3411y n33d 70 g37 14!d Gotta run; I've got people to do and things to see... Don't tell my folks I'm a computer programmer - They think I'm a piano player in a cat house... Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo!
Johnny J. wrote:
Well, he must - don't all Indians know each other?
Yeah, and we all look the same. It's like living with a billion clones. :-D
Regards, Nish
Latest article: Code Project Posts Analyzer for Windows Phone 7 My technology blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
-
Johnny J. wrote:
Well, he must - don't all Indians know each other?
Yeah, and we all look the same. It's like living with a billion clones. :-D
Regards, Nish
Latest article: Code Project Posts Analyzer for Windows Phone 7 My technology blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
You said so! I THOUGHT about writing that, but I could visualize the flames I would receive after that, so I omitted it. :laugh: You're a good guy Nish!
1f y0u c4n r34d 7h15 y0u r3411y n33d 70 g37 14!d Gotta run; I've got people to do and things to see... Don't tell my folks I'm a computer programmer - They think I'm a piano player in a cat house... Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo!
-
We were going over our analytics the other day and a question came up: "Why don't Indians buy software?". We sell a small to medium sized business application online and we have regular sales in over 70 countries. In our web analytics we see India quite high on the list of countries where people download our software, very high, like fifth out of all countries, as well Indians regularly request a full trial license from us to fully test our software so we know they are engaged and interested. The mystery is that in over a decade in business we still have zero sales to India, not one single one. This despite thousands of downloads by Indians. The countries below India in downloads, even *way* below India still account for a large amount of sales. It's not piracy, we monitor that regularly. We've contacted the Indian people who requested a license as we do everyone and we always get an answer like "We thoroughly checked it out and decided to go with another package". Is there some kind of cultural thing we're not getting? Is it that they will always try to find a local equivalent if they can? Does anyone have a theory as to this mystifying behaviour?
There is no failure only feedback
-
Whups sorry, I meant to tell you that I was going to univote you for your redundant and unwelcome postings but I forgot. It wasn't very mature but it gave me great satisfaction.
There is no failure only feedback
John C wrote:
It wasn't very mature but it gave me great satisfaction
Simple minds, simple pleasures. :doh:
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
Think inside the box! ProActive Secure Systems
I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes -
Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:
Who the hell in India uses software in Hindi? Nobody, and I mean nobody I know uses software in any language other than English.
That is why India is fairing better than Thailand. In Thailand (Myanmar, Kampuchea, and Laos) products written in Sanskrit are used more than products written in English. Maybe not commercial applications, but in general Sanskrit is used much more than English.
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
Think inside the box! ProActive Secure Systems
I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopesWait, Sanskrit? :confused: Are you by any chance using 'Sanskrit' to mean the local languages - Khmer, Thai, etc? I know Thai names are influenced by Sanskrit (Bhumibol, Suvarnabhoomi, etc.) but they are just proper nouns. What do they use Sanskrit for otherwise? :~
Cheers, विक्रम (Have gone past my troika - 4 CCCs!) "We have already been through this, I am not going to repeat myself." - fat_boy, in a global warming thread :doh:
-
Wait, Sanskrit? :confused: Are you by any chance using 'Sanskrit' to mean the local languages - Khmer, Thai, etc? I know Thai names are influenced by Sanskrit (Bhumibol, Suvarnabhoomi, etc.) but they are just proper nouns. What do they use Sanskrit for otherwise? :~
Cheers, विक्रम (Have gone past my troika - 4 CCCs!) "We have already been through this, I am not going to repeat myself." - fat_boy, in a global warming thread :doh:
Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:
I know Thai names are influenced by Sanskrit (Bhumibol, Suvarnabhoomi, etc.) but they are just proper nouns. What do they use Sanskrit for otherwise?
They use Sanskrit for everything. Street signs, road signage, business names, newspapers, magazines, books, etc. Up in the tribal area (Buriram) I can find one English language newspaper, The Bangkok Post (in a town 15 Km from home), but no books or magazines. I have to go to Nakhon Ratchasima (2 1/2 hours drive) or Bangkok (5 hours drive) to find any English language books, technical or otherwise. In large cities you will see English signage but in the country side there is very little, if any. It took me a few years to learn to read the local road signs but eventually I could pick out neighboring towns, but in areas where I am not familiar I really have a hard time. Sometimes I go riding on my motorcycle to other areas and when I come to a road sign at an intersection giving distance to different places I stop and try to sound out the town names. I don't know how it is in India but in Thai and Khmer they run the words together in one long string with no spaces between the words. If I have a map in English I can usually figure it out but it does take a while. Using English is one of the big reasons that India is making out a lot better as an outsourcing hub than Thailand.
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
Think inside the box! ProActive Secure Systems
I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes