IAMAI: Cyber cafes draw 36 % online traffic in India

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Mumbai
With 36 per cent of online traffic in India generated by users who browse the Internet through 3,00,000 or so computers installed at cyber cafes, the time is perhaps ripe to figure out how to tap into this pool by the potential advertisers.

According to the ongoing I-Cube 2008 survey conducted jointly by IMRB International and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), access from cyber cafes recorded an increase of 1 per cent over last year. However, it was far below the peak of 52 per cent in 2003.

Dr Subho Ray, president, IAMAI, says, "Since 2000 cyber cafes have been the most important source of internet cafes, but there have been no recognition and absolutely no encouragement of this access point. It is time that the important of shared access through cyber cafes is recognized by the stakeholders."

The survey also reveled that for the first time access through office had overtaken access from homes. In fact access from home declined to 26 per cent compared to 30 per cent last year. Another aspect revealed was that access from schools had increased this year following a secular trend in increase since 2003.

Mohan Krishnan, senior vice-president, BIRD, a specialized unit of IMRB International, said "Customers will plump for access modes that are convenient, affordable or free; Cyber cafes, offices and schools/colleges fit these description and hence are helping grow internet user base."

As a platform to display promotional communications, Ideacts Innovations, a Mumbai-based Internet media firm, capitalises on the vast base of white-labeled cyber cafes to use their computer screens.

Ideacts' Clinck Internet media platform offers about 80 per cent of the space on each computer screen to three or four advertisers who pay the company according to the number of times a server hits the homepage. It already has clients like Big TV, Colgate, Dell, eBay.in, Fastrack, Ibibo.com, ICICI, Idea Cellular, Lenovo, Nokia, Star Cricket, Yamaha and Zapak.com.

Ideacts Innovations only targets non-branded cyber cafes with at least seven computers. It has not targeted cyber cafe chains run by biggies such as Sify and Reliance Communications as large cyber cafe chains usually have their own versions of desktops or may have existing long-term deals with a few brands.