Wireless Federation

UK based bank, launches new mobile money service for its Polish customers with Welcome Accounts enablink them to send money home to Poland. The commission-free, international mobile phone payments transfer service allows customers to transfer money from their current accounts in the UK to their PKO BP accounts in Poland. It becomes the first UK bank to launch an international money transfer service via mobile phone. Roy Vella, Group Director of Mobile for NatWest, said the company’s research shows that the UK Polish community sends home GBP 1 billion each year. The service is provided in co-operation with mobile banking company Monilink, a JV between Monitise and VocaLink.

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Vodafone Group launches its mobile money transfer pilot scheme transacted between UK and Kenya, focusing onto increasing its vitality in the growing industry and among its potential customers. The UK based group, is in a deal with the Kenyan biggie Safaricom tagged with Western Union money transfer services.
The service is in based on the success story of M-PESA, Vodafone’s Kenyan mobile transfer service. Vodafone reportedly said that the service will enable the subscribers to send remittances from Western Union stores directly to Safaricom mobile subscribers in Kenya, often in minutes. Those users can then either withdraw the money from one of 4,000 M-PESA agents in Kenya, or forward it on to another mobile phone. The pilot scheme will be instigated in Reading, UK.
“The successful take-up of M-PESA in Kenya has clearly demonstrated the demand for easily accessible, secure cash payment services in emerging markets,” said Nick Hughes, Vodafone’s head of international mobile payments.
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Smart Communications & Rural Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (RBAP) are in an agreement, aiming to liberalize access to the Smart Money Platform, allowing financial transactions at the speed of a text message. This enables rural bank depositors and borrowers to use their Smart SIM cards for payments and loan disbursement, among others. Smart head for services hub Reynante Banico, said, “By sealing this partnership, RBAP member rural banks now join the ranks of our esteemed Smart Money partners, allowing them to reach over 34 million Smart subscribers; to connect to the country’s more than 7,000 automated teller machines; and to access more than 100 Smart Wireless Centers and thousands of MasterCard and Smart Money fulfilment partners across the country and all over the world.” RBAP-member banks all over the country will be accredited as Smart Money Centers, allowing them to convert electronic cash from their Smart Money wallet into physical cash, or the other way round.
“By liberalizing access to Smart’s tried and tested mobile commerce innovations and solutions, we are optimistic that our partnership will enable us to reach out to more unbanked and underbanked Filipinos in the countryside, and even around the world,” Smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando Vea said.
“The RBAP welcomes this partnership with Smart as it will provide RBAP and our member rural banks with more and better opportunities to enhance our services to our clientele. Smart’s advanced mobile commerce technology combined with RBAP’s strong countryside network, will provide our customers with a fast, secure, and efficient way of transmitting funds anytime, anywhere,” RBAP President Tomas Gomez IV said.

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International mobile payments specialist, Dialogue Communications, launches its mobile billing services in Norway and Sweden to allow consumers to buy products and services over the mobile internet. Norway and Sweden are two of the most highly saturated mobile markets in the world and represent a significant opportunity for Dialogue and mobile internet shops.

Dialogue is expanding its global reach and offering cross network mobile payment services to all vendors selling products and services over the mobile web in Norway and Sweden. This WAP billing solution is currently available for one-off purchases, and set to extend to subscription services in Quarter 1 2009.

To aid this growing market, streamlined mobile payment solutions are needed to allow mobile content sellers to successfully target this increasing customer base. Norway and Sweden have a combined population of 14m and mobile penetration is predicted to reach an estimated 122.5% by 2010.

Guiom Peersman, managing director at Dialogue Communications explains: “Sweden and Norway both have thriving mobile markets at present and many of our customers have expressed a desire to move into the Scandinavian region, where large numbers of mobile users are embracing the mobile internet, just as the UK market has. We are delighted to be able to provide our customers with an easy to use billing solution, to allow them to capitalise on this multi-million pound market.”
“We are always looking to expand our international capabilities and by launching our services in parts of Scandinavia, it will enable us to reach a new market and grow the business further.”

Dialogue has designed its mobile payment framework, which can be integrated into its Mobile Site Builder tool, in both Swedish and Norwegian. The framework allows customers to design their own mobile internet sites and charge customers directly to their mobile phone bill.

The company currently provides mobile payment services in the UK, where it is at the forefront of payment initiative Payforit developments, as well as in Spain, one of the largest mobile markets in Europe, and in Australia where mobile payment solutions are rapidly developing. Dialogue is also looking to launch its billing solutions in other regions around the globe in the coming months.

About Dialogue Communication

Dialogue being a tier 1 mobile services aggregator provides premium SMS facilities in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In addition we offer Bulk SMS to a global market. We also provide an extensive additional range of aggregation services such as location based services, MMS, shortcodes and virtual mobile numbers. Dialogue Communications was established in 1994 and is a world leading provider in mobile messaging, mobile electronic payments processing and specialises in the development and operation of value added mobile solutions for an international market. Dialogue has its headquarters in Sheffield UK and offices in London and Sydney, Australia.

About Wireless Federation

Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.

For more information please visit www.wirelessfederation.com

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Citi and Firethorn Holdings, a Qualcomm company, introduced Citi Mobile for Cards, an advanced mobile solution that allows Citi credit card customers to securely access real-time credit card account information on their mobile phones.
Citi Mobile for Cards is now available to AT&T subscribers as part of AT&T Mobile Banking, and to Verizon Wireless customers who download and use the free mobile banking application on Get It Now, the company said.
“Citi’s goal is to be everywhere our customers need us to be and interact with them however they choose - in person, online, while in transit or on their mobile phone. Citi Mobile for Cards is a testament to how Citi is innovating with mobile phone-based financial services to provide new experiences for customers,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing officer, Citi Global Cards. “By collaborating with best in class technology provider Firethorn, Citi Mobile for Cards is uniquely positioned to meet our cardmembers’ demands for fast, secure, on-the-go account management through their mobile phones.”
Eric Bruno, senior vice president for consumer products at Verizon, said, “In these trying economic times, many customers want immediate access to their account information. By enabling Citi Cards within mobile banking, consumers get another useful tool in taking control over their financial lives. This is a big step forward for our shared customers.”
“This addition to our mobile banking solution gives shared AT&T and Citi customers simplicity and convenience in getting real-time information about their credit card accounts–and right as the holiday shopping season swings into gear,” said Mark Collins, vice president of Voice and Data Services for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.
Firethorn chief executive officer, Tripp Rackley adds, “We are very pleased to be working with Citi, AT&T and Verizon Wireless to offer their customers a cutting-edge mobile solution. Firethorn’s commitment to the future of mobile commerce will extend the convenience and simplicity of the mobile device to Citi cardmembers nationwide.”

About Wireless Federation

Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.

For more information please log on to www.wirelessfederation.com

As a special service for Haj pilgrims, du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider is offering the facility of free unlimited incoming calls to all its mobile postpaid and prepaid subscribers roaming in Saudi Arabia between 27 November -20 December 2008.

Congratulating the Haj pilgrims, Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “du constantly strives to provide convenience of special services to customers on important occasions. Haj pilgrimage is a special moment in the life of all Muslims and the free incoming call facility is a small gesture from us that will enable our customers to stay in touch with their loved ones during this important journey of a lifetime.”

All du mobile customers (Monthly Plan, Pay as you Go and Visitor Mobile Line subscribers) will benefit from this promotion by default while roaming with any service operator in Saudi Arabia. To make the process convenient, there is no registration or subscription involved.

While the du subscriber roaming in Saudi Arabia will not be charged for receiving calls (i.e. no international charges), the caller from outside Saudi Arabia will be charged with the regular national rates in his residence country.

du Monthly Plan subscribers can continue enjoying regular services with the regular rates to make calls, send and receive SMS and MMS, access high speed mobile internet, use BlackBerry® services and video calling while roaming in Saudi Arabia. du Pay as You Go ® and Visitor Mobile Line subscribers can make voice calls and send and receive SMS while roaming with any operator in Saudi Arabia.

Roaming du subscribers will also be able to access their Voice Mail service by calling +971 55 5678161 or du Customer Care by calling +971 55 5678155. For more information about du international roaming, du customers can go to the ‘Traveling Abroad’ page at www.du.ae

About du
du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February
2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du’s nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second
billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and
preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 24 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent
by Emirates Communications & Technology Company LLC and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

About Wireless Federation

Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.

For more information please log on to www.wirelessfederation.com

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Cellular South today announced that it will provide mobile banking services to customers who bank with Regions Bank , one of the nation’s largest providers of consumer and commercial banking services. The new mobile service will bring the convenience, flexibility and security of online banking to Regions’ customers’ wireless phones.

Cellular South, the nation’s largest privately owned wireless carrier, now offers the free wireless mobile banking application to customers who bank with Regions and eight other Mid-South financial institutions, including BancorpSouth, SunTrust, USAA, Wachovia, Trust One, Coastal Bank and Trust, Vanguard and Bank of Pensacola in the Mid-South region.

The mobile banking application is available on both cell phones and BlackBerry devices, including the Curve, the Pearl and the World Edition. The service allows individuals who are customers of both Cellular South and participating banks to view account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their mobile handsets through a secure, PIN-protected gateway.

“More and more of our wireless customers are demanding mobile banking services, and we are pleased that we can now offer the application to our customers who bank with Regions,” said Cellular South President Hu Meena. “Across the industry, people are realizing that mobile banking gives them the flexibility to pay bills, transfer funds and make financial decisions, anywhere, anytime.”

A recent Harris Interactive study revealed that consumer demand for mobile banking among wireless customers is continuing to grow, as 16 percent of U.S. adults say they already use the services, and another 35 percent report that they are open to checking bank account balances and transferring funds via their mobile phones, smart phones or PDAs.

To use Cellular South’s mobile banking feature, customers must have an account with a participating bank, such as Regions, and must enable online access to their account, a free feature at most banks. Users who sign up for Cellular South’s mobile banking receive a secure initialization code and can access and monitor multiple bank accounts from the same application and PIN.

“We’re pleased to work with wireless carriers like Cellular South to bring mobile banking to our customers,” said David Rupp, Regions senior executive vice president for consumer services. “Managing bank accounts from a wireless device fits the busy lifestyle that many of us share and it will make banking more convenient for Regions and Cellular South customers.”

Cellular South has been a leader in wireless communications for 20 years. Offering exceptional service and a suite of mobile commerce applications to customers across the Southeast, Cellular South continues to make the wireless lifestyle easily accessible. Mobile banking will provide yet another innovative mobile commerce solution for Cellular South customers.

For more information on Cellular South mobile banking, visit http://www.cellularsouth.com/mobilebanking. For a list of mobile devices that support Regions mobile banking, visit http://www.regions.com/mobilebanking.

About Cellular South

Cellular South is a privately-owned diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The company accomplishes this goal by providing the most reliable and advanced 3G nationwide wireless voice and data network, offering industry-leading unlimited flat rate plans, and through its online and in-store Discover Centers, which give customers easy, simple and convenient tools, tips, advice and information on how to get the most out of their mobile phone. For more information, visit http://www.cellularsouth.com.

About Wireless Federation

Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.

For more information please log on to www.wirelessfederation.com

ClairMail, Inc., the leader in 2-way mobile phone-based customer interaction, today announced that PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) expanded its mobile banking services by integrating ClairMail’s comprehensive mobile banking solution. The breakthrough ClairMail System leverages any mobile phone’s existing text messaging (SMS — short message service) software and capabilities; no new mobile phone software is required. As a result of the ClairMail System’s modular design and complete mobile banking services, PNC now enables its customers to conveniently access their accounts using virtually any mobile communications device — regardless of manufacturer, model, operating system or wireless carrier.
The ClairMail System also provides the application intelligence and delivery mechanism for sending numerous security-related alerts to PNC customers, including alerts for when a user ID, password, security question or contact information (e.g. address, telephone, number or e-mail address) is changed. Additional alerts will be available to PNC customers in the future, including alerts when an overdraft occurs or when a balance falls below a customer-defined amount.
The ClairMail System incorporates a powerful Event Engine that can easily handle the potential transaction volumes from banks of any size and deliver alerts in real-time. ClairMail will collaborate with PNC to augment PNC’s offering with more alerts and other mobile banking functionality over time.
“A mobile banking solution should be available to all bank customers and provide both account information and security alerts,” said Thomas S. Kunz, senior vice president, director of e-Business for PNC. “By leveraging the existing text messaging on all mobile phones and delivering security alerts via the ClairMail solution, PNC is providing convenient, secure and on-demand mobile banking services to our customers.”
“ClairMail is privileged to partner with PNC to give their customers secure, 24/7 account access and dynamic, real-time security alerts,” said Joseph Salesky, CEO of ClairMail. “PNC customers will benefit from our complete mobile banking services on any mobile phone, using the text messaging functionality they are already familiar with.”
ClairMail was recently recognized as a leader in the mobile banking and payments industry by TowerGroup, a financial services research firm. ClairMail was positioned as having the highest strategic extensibility of any vendor and one of the best market execution ratings given its recently announced partnerships with Fidelity National Information Services and WAUSAU and agreements reached with major customers in the United States.

About ClairMail

ClairMail is the only comprehensive 2-way mobile platform for banking, payments and card services. Deployed either on-premise or as a managed service, ClairMail optimizes any mobile phone for 2-way customer interaction. Only the ClairMail System offers 2-way mobile banking, payments and card applications that utilize any phone’s existing messaging and mobile web software and extend the capabilities of third-party client applications. On one platform with a single implementation, ClairMail empowers financial institutions to generate and deliver 2-way Actionable Alerts to their customers and provide easy and immediate account management, secure transactions and no-hold customer service. Unlike other 1-way, proprietary and inflexible point solutions which lack the application intelligence to generate 2-way alerts, the ClairMail 2-way System is a turnkey, standards-based 2-way offering that seamlessly and securely integrates with existing systems, delivers the fastest time to value and provides an alternative to more costly channels like call centers and IVR. Founded
in 2004, ClairMail is headquartered in Novato, Calif. The company is privately held and funded by Norwest Venture Partners, Outlook Ventures and JAFCO Ventures. For more information visit www.clairmail.com.
About Wireless Federation

Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.

For more information please log on to www.wirelessfederation.com

The GSMA has asked handset manufacturers to incorporate NFC functionality into mobile handsets so that consumers can get the benefit of mobile payment services as soon as possible. Chief Marketing Officer, Michael O’Hara, suggested that handset manufacturers must make such phones available in the market by the middle of next year. “This will require device manufacturers to make sure that the vast majority of commercially available handsets incorporate the Single Wire Protocol (SWP) and Near Field Communications (NFC) features as standard,” said GSMA’s CEO Rob Conway.

A number of operator pilots have demonstrated that consumers can safely use the technology. Across eight countries trials have been run involving nine mobile operators. Further pilots are planned across 14 countries by 15 mobile operators. According to a report, it is forecasted that mobile money transfer and NFC transactions may account for 50 percent of the global mobile payment market by 2013. The GSMA has also advised phone makers  to adopt the Single Wire Protocol standard, which involves a direct connection between an embedded NFC chipset and a SIM card. In Japan, making payments through mobile is very popular, where carrier NTT DoCoMo dominates the market.

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The cost of transferring money is swiftly dropping in Kenya as service providers jostle for the millions of shillings in the pockets of people without bank accounts. The race to offer financial services to the unbanked  is taking up shape on two fronts. There is the battle for control of the huge volumes of remittances that migrant workers send to their unbanked dependants and there is the race to use the mobile phone technology to hook Kenya to the global money transfer network. Over the past two years, the mobile phone has become the top channel for money transfers in Kenya, giving a slow global financial services business a new lease of life  expected to remain the driving force in the next decade. But as the business of money transfer goes electronic, local mobile phone firms are keenly monitoring global financial service providers’ moves in the market.

To Learn more on Best Practices of Mobile Money - Banking, Remittances, Transfers, Commerce and Payments for African Operators, Write to Christina@WirelessFederation.com

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