VeriSign is launching a new service that will allow carriers to offer customers with prepaid accounts access to the same value-added services as postpaid customers.In many cases, prepaid wireless customers are limited to basic services such as voice calls and SMS messages.

Services such as special ring tones, Internet access or multimedia messages are usually not available because billing hasn’t been available.

VeriSign’s PrePayIN, a suite of commerce applications for the wireless industry, would solve that.

“This allows the carrier to have prepaid accounts that will allow them to deplete funds from the customer’s account to pay for those services,” said Todd Fenley, director of product management for VeriSign.

Fenley said that the prepaid market has moved beyond just people who can’t establish credit.

“Growing segments of the prepaid market are youth, attuned to doing real-time payments,” he said.

He added that those customers are used to technology, and expect to pay for features in a prepaid environment.

“There’s also the cost control group such as businesses that want to offer services to their employees, but don’t want employees to add to their risk,” Fenley said.

Fenley noted that the new PrePayIN suite is designed to simplify things for carriers, which in turn means it’s more likely that they’ll offer the new services to their customers.

“This allows the carrier to have efficiencies that will help their bottom line,” he said.

Source- http://www.eweek.com