Thursday, January 16, 2014
Monday, December 10, 2012
Our Network Follows You
Meenakshi of Hutch Mumbai, may her tribe increase.
It was a very crucial meeting with a high power team from an influential stock brooking firm in Mumbai. I had flown in that morning from Chennai to give a "live" demo of a WAP application on a mobile phone. An application that was ahead of its times - in 2001 ! Something that could complete an end to end stock brooking transaction, live from a phone handset. Mind you, I am speaking of 2001, much before the era of apps and smart phones where you would experience 3G only if in a space ship.
My phone service provider was Airtel and armed with a WAP enabled handset and the WAP service activated, I arrived close to the meeting location an hour in advance. In preparation for the meeting, I tested out the application only to realise that it was not working at all. A call to the office confirmed that all was well and there are no reasons for the failure. When I called Airtel I was told that WAP services are localised and not offered to roaming customers. In short, I was doomed.
I saw a store with a huge Hutch sign over it and met with a customer service officer, Meenakshi. She gave me a patient hearing - why was I in Mumbai, the demo, the WAP application and my failure to get WAP working in Mumbai.
There was only one solution, procure a Mumbai SIM and activate WAP and rush back to the demo. Possible but the WAP activation would take 24 hours. I asked Meenakshi what were the best options in response she said that the only option was for me to take her personal SIM card for the demo. I had a need but was embarrassed to ask her as to what the charges would be. She put me to further shame by answering without my asking that employees don't have to pay for WAP so I can feel free to use it for the demo and return it back once I was done.
I offered her my driving license, my Chennai Sim card, my credit card or anything she wanted as collateral for the SIM. She was not to be bothered about all this and asked me to just rush for my demo and wished me good luck.
The demo was perfect and I returned back to the store with a small token of appreciation from a music store, Rhythm Corner if I recollect. I also met with her supervisor, a gentlemen named Zubin Dubash and told him as to how he had a gem in Meenakshi. For her it was all in a days work.
I still feel that I did not thank her enough, if only I were given a chance to do so now, I will it all over again.
It was a very crucial meeting with a high power team from an influential stock brooking firm in Mumbai. I had flown in that morning from Chennai to give a "live" demo of a WAP application on a mobile phone. An application that was ahead of its times - in 2001 ! Something that could complete an end to end stock brooking transaction, live from a phone handset. Mind you, I am speaking of 2001, much before the era of apps and smart phones where you would experience 3G only if in a space ship.
My phone service provider was Airtel and armed with a WAP enabled handset and the WAP service activated, I arrived close to the meeting location an hour in advance. In preparation for the meeting, I tested out the application only to realise that it was not working at all. A call to the office confirmed that all was well and there are no reasons for the failure. When I called Airtel I was told that WAP services are localised and not offered to roaming customers. In short, I was doomed.
I saw a store with a huge Hutch sign over it and met with a customer service officer, Meenakshi. She gave me a patient hearing - why was I in Mumbai, the demo, the WAP application and my failure to get WAP working in Mumbai.
There was only one solution, procure a Mumbai SIM and activate WAP and rush back to the demo. Possible but the WAP activation would take 24 hours. I asked Meenakshi what were the best options in response she said that the only option was for me to take her personal SIM card for the demo. I had a need but was embarrassed to ask her as to what the charges would be. She put me to further shame by answering without my asking that employees don't have to pay for WAP so I can feel free to use it for the demo and return it back once I was done.
I offered her my driving license, my Chennai Sim card, my credit card or anything she wanted as collateral for the SIM. She was not to be bothered about all this and asked me to just rush for my demo and wished me good luck.
The demo was perfect and I returned back to the store with a small token of appreciation from a music store, Rhythm Corner if I recollect. I also met with her supervisor, a gentlemen named Zubin Dubash and told him as to how he had a gem in Meenakshi. For her it was all in a days work.
I still feel that I did not thank her enough, if only I were given a chance to do so now, I will it all over again.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Lest we forget...
It is the month of spreading joy and cheer, the month where malls across constantly blast Let it snow and Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer to make you feel good in the 34 degree heat.
I saw my first christmas tree last evening, a tall, ornament decked and a well lit tree outside a shopping mall. Tourists flocked around it to pose for a Facebook moment. Clearly celebration was in the air. It reminded me of 8 days in the December of 1999 that changed the life and destiny of 178 passengers who were returning from a holiday in Kathmandu.
What was to be a return back home from a holiday in the mountains became a source of grief. Five heavily armed hijackers took control of an Indian Airlines Airbus A300; IC 814 (VT-EDW) on route from Kathmandu to New Delhi.
The plane was forced to fly to Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai and finally landed in Kandahar. It exposed various chinks in our armour; the poor preparedness of the Crisis Management Group, the total absence of decision making from various government agencies and a wait and watch attitude that only resulted in a high tempers for the hostage families.
The commander of the flight, Capt. Devi Sharan was an epitome of grace and calm. landing in unknown airports and that too with a gun pointed at his head. Even when Lahore airport switched off their runway lights making it impossible for him to land, he attempted to make a visual approach on what he thought to be a runway only to discover that it was a road in the city. He had to threaten the Lahore airport authorities of crash landing and only then were the runway lights turned on. A few years ago, I was traveling from Chennai to Delhi and had the honour of being flown by this brave pilot. I noticed that the inflight announcements discreetly mentioned his name as "Capt D Sharan". I reconfirmed if he indeed was the same hero of IC 814 and had a chance to shake hands with him.
13 years have passed and we now prepare to welcome another Christmas and a New Year, but not a single December has gone by without me remembering this incident.
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Recessional by Rudyard Kipling
The commander of the flight, Capt. Devi Sharan was an epitome of grace and calm. landing in unknown airports and that too with a gun pointed at his head. Even when Lahore airport switched off their runway lights making it impossible for him to land, he attempted to make a visual approach on what he thought to be a runway only to discover that it was a road in the city. He had to threaten the Lahore airport authorities of crash landing and only then were the runway lights turned on. A few years ago, I was traveling from Chennai to Delhi and had the honour of being flown by this brave pilot. I noticed that the inflight announcements discreetly mentioned his name as "Capt D Sharan". I reconfirmed if he indeed was the same hero of IC 814 and had a chance to shake hands with him.
13 years have passed and we now prepare to welcome another Christmas and a New Year, but not a single December has gone by without me remembering this incident.
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Recessional by Rudyard Kipling
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