A typical use-case for this app may include sending birthday and seasonal cards to loved ones within a similar geographic location.  More likely though, this app will also be popular with vacationers in distant countries who want to share holiday highlights.  In these instances, subscribers need to be mindful that they may incur additional hefty data roaming charges and may experience bill shock upon return. 

For example, a sample low resolution photo taken from a regular smart phone, with a relatively low resolution produces a file with 300 kilobytes (kB) of data.  If one uses a sample data rate of $0.03 per kB, the actual cost for uploading the file is $9 – three times the cost of the actual “Cards” postcard service, if delivered in the US. Imagine now the upload of a higher resolution photo of 2MB – the cost would be upwards of $60!   

Some Smartphone Operating Systems and specific apps have mechanisms to prevent data from being transferred over mobile while roaming, in order to prevent those types of problems from happening.  Vacationers could also reduce this cost by lowering the resolution setting on their cameras. Ultimately, mobile users need the freedom to consume data anywhere and make the most of innovations such as the “Cards” app.

A better way to deal with this potential bill shock can originate with the Internet Service Provider wherein a real time communication mechanism is used in order to alert the subscriber.  This could even be combined with data plan packaging options to provide price certainty.  Both are practices of good customer experience management that help foster awareness of data consumption.

For instance, Sandvine has helped a number of service providers in Europe adhere to roaming bill shock legislation, with its Usage Management product.  When subscribers roam into foreign networks, they are notified of additional charges and rates from the new host carrier, and offered special roaming price packages.   The solution puts users in charge of their spending limits and provides real time notification in order to ensure transparency and raise awareness.

In this same manner, before sending larger picture files, subscribers can be notified with information of additional costs from their own carrier or their visited host carrier.  This way, subscribers can enjoy sharing life’s captured experiences, without being left with a sour taste in their mouth.