ABSTRAK
Dalam perkembangan teknologi komunikasi ditemukan teknologi telepon selular, yang diawali dengan adanya operator GSM (global system
for mobile communication). Namun sekarang ini muncul teknologi
komunikasi yang baru, yaitu CDMA (code division multiple access), dimana teknologi ini mendapat sambutan yang sangat baik dari masyarakat luas. Dengan adanya dua teknologi tersebut maka para produsen telepon selular mulai bersaing dalam membuat produk dari teknologi GSM dan CDMA.
Dalam membuat sebuah produk, variabel-variabel dari produk tersebut sangat perlu untuk diperhatikan, karena tanpa memperhatikan variabel produk maka sebuah produk tidak akan dapat dihasilkan dengan baik. Ada empat variabel yang perlu diperhatikan dalam membuat produk telepon selular yaitu, macam-macam produk, kualitas, desain, dan fitur. Sebuah produk juga akan sukses dipasaran bila memperhatikan keinginan dari masyarakat. Maka persepsi masyarakat sangat diperlukan dalam hal ini. Berdasarkan keterangan tersebut, maka yang menjadi tujuan pertama dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mencari tahu bagaimanakah persepsi konsumen terhadap telepon selular berbasis GSM dan CDMA berdasarkan variabel produk. Tujuan kedua adalah untuk mencari tahu telepon selular berbasis apakah yang dianggap lebih baik oleh para konsumen. Penelitian ini diharapkan dapat berguna untuk para pembaca supaya mendapatkan referensi sebelum memutuskan untuk membeli telepon selular berbasis GSM maupun berbasis CDMA.
Dari hasil kuesioner mengenai perbandingan antara telepon selular berbasis GSM dan telepon selular berbasis CDMA yang telah disebarkan di Universitas Kristen Maranatha khususnya pada mahasiswa jurusan Sastra Inggris, dapat disimpulkan bahwa kebanyakan dari konsumen beranggapan bahwa telepon selular berbasis GSM lebih unggul dibandingkan dengan telepon selular berbasis CDMA karena telepon selular berbasis GSM mempunyai lebih banyak variasi pada produk, kualitas yang baik, design yang menarik, dan fitur yang lengkap.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Today, many people know and use cellular phones or handphones (HP). A cellular phone is used as a practical tool to get accurate information and to communicate anytime and anywhere. Without the limitation of space and the length of phone cable, we can say that nowadays a cellular phone is one of the important tools which every “mobile” person needs to carry. Beside that, the price of a cellular phone is quite reasonable for most part of society.
A cellular phone is not only a practical tool, it also has several functions which are more and more developed along with the time. The functions depend on the model of cellular phone which has been developed. A cellular phone can be used to save information, make a job list, calculate simple calculations, send and receive e-mail, find information using Internet access, and it also serves as a reminder system.
The presence of bluetooth system and infrared in a mobile phone can help us to barter information with another cellular phone user. The cellular phone also has other features like a camera, a video, and many others.
This is all because the functions of a cellular phone can be more developed along with the development of technology.
One sample of the development of technology in telecommunication is CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). ‘This technology is developing rapidly and becomes competitor of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication). GSM has been used longer than CDMA in Indonesia but CDMA is more advanced than GSM’ (Mulyanta, 2005: 15& 17). There is a lot more you can do with CDMA, for example, you can watch television with CDMA. I am interested to analyze CDMA which is the rival of GSM because today it has become a phenomenon that people prefer CDMA to GSM or use both kinds of cellular phone (GSM and CDMA).
1.2. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM
In the identification of the problem, there is always an object, which will be identified, and it is related to the fulfillment of the purpose of the research. In this research, the objects are the students of the Faculty of Letters, English Department, Maranatha Christian University who use cellular phones (GSM and CDMA).
variables which will be used in this research are product variety, quality, design, and features. I have decided to observe GSM and CDMA cellular phone from the product variables, because by observing the product variables, we can find out the customers’ perception on GSM and CDMA cellular phone.
1.3. OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS OF THE STUDY 1.3.1. Objectives of the study:
1. Find out the customers’ perception of GSM cellular phone’s product variables.
2. Find out the customers’ perception of CDMA cellular phone’s product variables.
3. Find out the customers’ preference for cellular phone.
1.3.2. Benefits of the study:
1. The readers and the researcher can get information about the customers' perception on GSM and CDMA cellular phone.
2. The reader can make use of this thesis as a reference if they want to buy a cellular phone, so they can make the right decision whether to buy a GSM or CDMA cellular phone.
3. It can help telecommunication service suppliers to develop their service and cellular phone producers to develop their product.
1.4. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
In this thesis I will analyze and do a research to compare GSM and CDMA cellular phone by observing the product variables based on from Kotler's and Armstrong's theory.
1.5. DATA GATHERING PROCESS
To gather the relevant information I use primary data and secondary data:
- The primary data is questionnaire.
- The secondary data is from the internet, newspapers, magazines and textbooks.
Qualcomm. In 1993, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) adopted this technology.
The difference between GSM and CDMA in general is that GSM uses satellite transmitter to deliver the signals while CDMA uses radio spectrum.
Based on an article from http://www.ebizzasia.com/ 12-10-2006, in the past people in Indonesia regarded wireless system to be good enough. But after some time, the functions of wireless system were considered worse because it could not be developed. After that, people began to use GSM. After China and Korea had succeeded in applying CDMA in their country, PT. Telkom and PT. Indosat started to promote CDMA because they realized that CDMA had good functions and the quality of voice was better than GSM.
1.7. LAYOUT OF THE PAPER
I will divide this thesis into four chapters. The first chapter consists of the background of the study, identification of the problem, the objectives and the benefits of the study, the limitations of the study, the data gathering process, the concise history of the organization, and the layout of the paper.
In the second chapter, I will analyze theoretical framework which becomes the background of the research. This chapter includes the features discussed and additional comments.
In the third chapter I will compare the features of each product by relating the theories to the real-life situations.
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
4.1. CONCLUSION 4.1.1. Product Variables
In making a product, it is important to pay attention to the product variables, because product variables can determine every element of the product. For example, in making a cellular phone (a product) it is necessary to pay attention to the quality, the design, the product variety, and the features (product variables).
4.1.2 Customers’ Perception of GSM Cellular Phone’s Product Variables
Based on the research, most respondents mentioned that GSM cellular phone’s product variables are good. From product variety, most respondents agree that GSM cellular phones have a good product variety because new types of GSM cellular phones are produced intensively and some variations are available at present.
From the quality, most respondents agree that GSM cellular phones have good level of signal acceptance and software reliability, and also good battery durability, keypad, casing, and LCD.
From the designs, most respondents agree that GSM cellular phones have good designs because they have various colours, shapes and dimentions and also the designs follow the booming of trends.
For the features, most respondents mention that the features of GSM cellular phones are good because GSM cellular phones have various features and follow the progress of technology. That opinion is supported by a report which says that ‘GSM cellular phone company produces many kinds cellular phone with interesting features. For example, Sony Ericson K810i and K550i offer cellular phone with a high quality automatic focus camera. Nokia N93i offer cellular phone which can make a video clip’ (translated from //http informasi seputar ponsel.com/info/ 25th May 2007).
4.1.3 Customers’ Perception of CDMA Cellular Phone’s Product Variables
From the result of the research, it can be seen that most of the products of GSM cellular phone are superior than CDMA. From product variety, most respondents feel that GSM cellular phones are better than CDMA cellular phones because CDMA cellular phones do not have many variations like GSM cellular phones. Harian Kompas wrote that ‘the types
and brands of GSM are better than CDMA because CDMA is a new comer in cellular phone business so the products are fewer’ (translated from http//www.hariankompas.com/ 25th May 2007).
have good level of signal acceptance and software reliability, and do not have good battery durability, keypad, casing, and LCD as GSM cellular phone.
From the design, most respondents have the opinion that the design of GSM cellular phones is better than CDMA cellular phone because the colours, shapes, and dimentions of CDMA cellular phones do not have as many variations as GSM cellular phones. Harian Kompas also wrote that ‘the development of GSM cellular phone is faster than CDMA cellular phone because, in general, CDMA cellular phones have rigid design’ (translated from http//www.harian kompas.com/ 25th May 2007).
From the features, most respondents agree that GSM cellular phones are better than CDMA cellular phones because CDMA cellular phones do not have as many features as GSM cellular phones.
4.1.4. Preference
From the information above, we can see that most respondents agree that the products of GSM cellular phone are better than the products of CDMA cellular phones seen from all variables. And at present the number of GSM cellular phone users is larger than CDMA cellular phone users.
4.2 SUGGESTION
I have some suggestions for GSM cellular phone and CDMA cellular phone producers. For GSM cellular phone, I suggest that GSM cellular phone producers can maintain and make more innovative products so that
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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www.ebizzasia.com/ 12-10-2006. http://iws.ccccd.edu/write/ 19-10-2006. http://www.hariankompas.com/ 25-05-2007.
http://informasi seputar ponsel.com/info/ 25-05-2007.
