VietNamNet Bridge – “Vietnamese mobile service providers have fallen into the trap set by the ‘bitten apple’” is the conclusion which has become a hot topic on information and communication technology (ICT) forum.

The club of ICT journalists yesterday, December 23 announced the 10 most important ITC events in 2010 selected by local press agencies. And the most sensational news was that Vietnamese journalists believe that two Vietnamese mobile service providers have sprung the trap set up by Apple in distributing iPhones.

With 321 scores, the comment “Vietnamese mobile service providers have fallen into the trap set by the ‘bitten apple’” has been listed among the top 10 ICT events in 2010 selected by the club of ICT journalists.

On March 24, 2010, VinaPhone and Viettel announced the sale prices of iPhones with service packages. However, the fact that the two Vietnamese mobile service providers list their in Apple’s iPhone distribution network, according to journalists, should be seen as a failure for the service providers. The journalists believe that for the first time in their operation history, the service providers have to share profit with Apple by subsidizing iPhone prices.

Meanwhile, Apple has been providing iPhone in dribs and drabs.. Local newspapers have reported that customers have to queue up for iPhones, which resembles what was seen in the subsidization period many years ago.

Journalists believe that the unattractiveness of iPhone distribution in Vietnam was the main reason that explains why MobiFone, also a big mobile service provider, finally decided against selling iPhones. journalists believe that the telecom company had predicted the problems and accepted to pay fines to Apple.

The conclusion by ICT journalists has made VinaFone and Viettel dissatisfied.  VinaPhone has denied the opinion that it has suffered from iPhone distribution, saying that the distribution of iPhone products has brought many business opportunities to the company (subscribers, turnover, branding and profit). VinaPhone has affirmed that the decision to become the official distributor of Apple in Vietnam was a “right and strategic decision”

VinaPhone said it is proud of bringing to Vietnam’s market high-tech products which have high quality, reasonable prices, preferential service packages and good maintenance services. Besides iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, VinaPhone has the right to distribute other iPhone series in the future, and it is considering distributing other well known products of Apple.

VinaPhone said that the supply shortage is not only occurring in Vietnam, but all over the world. VinaPhone is negotiating with Apple to import more products in the time to come. More than 2000 products have been imported over the last week. The number of imports per month will be increasing in the time to come in accordance with Apple’s commitments.

Viettel, also an iPhone official distributor, has also affirmed that the distribution can bring real profit to the company.

“Before deciding to become the official distributor, we had to thoroughly consider the policies set by Apple. No one can say that we have fallen into the trap of Apple when distributing iPhones,” representative from Viettel said.

The ICT journalists’ club yesterday selected the 10 most importatn events in 2010. These include many other events, including the tightening of the promotion campaigns launched by mobile service providers, the new policies applied in telecom sector, and the withdrawal of SK Telecom from S-Fone network. Especially, the affair of FPT purchasing EVN Telecom’s stakes was also cited as one of the most important events.

Source: VnMedia