What they Offer
Like any other service provider, Zapak.com has also geared up to offer fresh experiences to customers and has launched a new game called Book Cricket. Despite a low computer penetration in several parts of the country, Zapak.com is adding customers in places like Ludhiana, Trichy, Kochi, and Shillong, among other cities. And this gaming portal is not meant exclusively for kids as the number of customers the portal is attracting includes all age groups.

Predicta (Predict&Win!) offers participants a chance to predict the winners for various categories and win fabulous prizes. Open to Idea and Reliance subscribers

Content providers do not want to miss the opportunity and they are cashing in on the opportunities. For instance, Indya.com is the official website for World Cup cricket. Indya.com's foray into the playing fields of cricket started last year when it powered the official website for the ICC Champions Trophy 2006. Moving ahead Indya.com has recently launched the official website providing an online experience of World Cup to cricket enthusiasts. It includes live audio and video feed, special columns and commentary by celebrated warriors of the game, expert analysis of each match and online scorecard with additional interactive element on the game. Hill Road Media is developing the content for the website.

Cellebrum is offering services in the form of contests and subscription pack. Cricket ka Chausar is one of the contests incorporating the mythological epic Mahabharata into cricket. Contestants are asked cricket related questions and, if answered correctly, they get a chance to win fabulous prizes like AC, home theatre, gold necklace and bike. This contest is meant for Airtel subscribers.

Predicta (Predict&Win!) offers participants a chance to predict the winners for various categories, eg World Cup winner/daily match winner/highest wicket taker/man of the tournament etc. If the prediction of the user matches on-field happenings, they get entry into the lucky draw and a chance to win fabulous prizes. All Idea and Reliance subscribers can participate in this contest.

Webaroo, a developer and provider of webpacks, has announced the launch of its two new cricket related webpacks. The packs, World Cup cricket and cricket news which are freely available for download to mobiles and PCs, will provide users the opportunity to get latest information about the tournament.

Chirag Jain, VP, India Operations, Webaroo, says, "Cricket is a religion in this country and realizing the importance of the game, Webaroo has launched this exclusive webpack which includes the history around the World Cup as well as the latest updates on scores and ratings for cricket fans who are on the move." A webpack is a collection of web pages on a particular topic and these packs are compiled and cached on the Webaroo server. Users can search and browse a webpack and get the required information as they would search and browse online.

Google India has unveiled its cricket World Cup campaign, offering cricket fans an interactive experience through the Internet. The campaign will help users write, share, debate about and enjoy the cricket World Cup through an integrated platform of Google products like Google Desktop, personalized homepage, Blogger and Orkut through a special landing page. The platform aims to be a one-stop shop for all information related to the World Cup, allowing visitors to access regular updates, post individual comments and analysis of the game.

What's on TV?
Television is still the major medium for cricket fans to view all the action. Since the current World Cup matches are aired during night hours, distribution companies have special plans for their customers. A special World Cup promotional pack from Dish tv comes at Rs 3,990, all-inclusive with six months subscription. This also includes Dish tv's sports active services free for the same six months period.

Tata Sky announced a special promotional offer across India for cricket buffs. Consumers, who purchase Tata Sky by April 15, 2007 will get three months of free subscription on up to four televisions at their homes. In addition, 50 subscribers with their families will get a chance to watch the final with superstar Hrithik Roshan. Apart from this, Tata Sky offers viewers the option of listening to the commentary in a language of their choice and the convenience of extracting player statistics and ball trajectory at the press of a button.

Google India has unveiled its cricket World Cup campaign, offering cricket fans an interactive experience through the Internet. The platform aims to be a one-stop shop for all information related to the World Cup

Connecting at the Cost of Productivity?
Finally, India and other nations are spending valuable time on cricket, the 22-yard game that can make you loose control. Cricket fans are gearing up for 51 games of international cricket that will be played over 39 days. With expanded live coverage of the games on the Internet, fans will find it easier to watch more hours than ever before, a cause for concern for employers. Staff productivity is set to nosedive during the next eight weeks of the cricket World Cup, according to email and Internet management firm Marshal.

If one in 10 of Australia's 10 mn employed people (according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics) with an average salary of $27.30 per hour, spend 30 minutes a day catching up on the World Cup for the 27 working days, during which the tournament is played, the results will be more than 13.5 mn hours of lost productivity. This will also cost Australian businesses up to $371 mn in lost productivity. Indian telecom houses are not in a position to reveal the impact in India, as they are busy preparing their gaming plans for the World Cup.

When the next World Cup action unfolds in 2011, India will be proud to talk about a user-base of more than 500 mn, and the games that the telecom companies play will be on a different turf.

Baburajan K & Sandeep Budki
baburajank@cybermedia.co.in & sandeepb@cybermedia.co.in