My Boss
Jenima Kiss is a lady that has a tech blog over at The Guardian. It’s pretty good actually.
Anyhow, I just got a Google Alert (triggered by the phrase “Rebtel”) and when I checked it out it turned out to be a pretty interesting interview with my boss from work, Hjalmar Winbladh.
In the interview Hjalmar mentions that Rebtels’ biggest competitor and challenge alike is the average persons inertia. Over the years, the big mobile carriers around the world have done a good job with having us grow accustomed to their ludicrous rates on international calls.
Actually, now that I think of it, I have been brought up and taught that calling abroad costs a fortune and if you do it you might have to file for personal bankruptcy.
Slightly exaggerated?
Yes, but I think I got the point across.
The substitute awareness affect among customers of the telecommunications giants around the world is definitely there. Although, I think people (often wrongly) automatically assume that new technology must come at a high switching cost. Maybe not necessarily monetary, but the learning curve is perceived as too steep to climb. This might be the case, sure, but if the reward is much greater than the effort, it’s well worth it.
Personally, I think it’s just a matter of time before people truly realize that their carrier is ripping them off in broad daylight and having a good laugh on their way to the bank. In due time, when people experience that epiphany, I will be standing there with open arms welcoming them all to the world smartness: the world of Rebtel.
You can find the interview here.