Australia-based telecommunications provider TransACT has been appointed to the Australian Government Information Management Office’s (AGIMO)  panel.

The Telecommunications Commodities, Carriage and Associated Services Panel were first established by AGIMO in January to provide mobile phones, broadband and related services to government agencies.

AGIMO in a document stated that the aim of the panel is to save the government money on equipment and service purchasing for agencies through standardization of purchasing.

TransACT now joins fellow telco companies Telstra, Optus and Teledesign on the panel providing mobile services and equipment.

According to TransACT Chief Ivan Slavich, as the company already services over 50 government agencies, it was well-suited for the panel position. Their appointment to the panel demonstrates the confidence that the Federal Government has in TransACT to provide a wide range of reliable mobile phone solutions.

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobile remittance services have been launched by Bangladeshi mobile operator Banglalink along with two banks, Eastern Bank and Dhake Bank. The three companies will together provide mobile wallet service.

Initially, nineteen Banglalink outlets in Dhaka will offer the mobile remittance service and in the later stage, will be expanded to 100 outlets after about a month.

It is expected that in three months, the service will be available through 2,222 Banglalink ‘cash points’. BDT 150 per transaction will be paid by the banks to Banglalink but it is also expected that the service will boost remittance cash flow.

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www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The subscribers of Vodafone Ghana will now be able to buy air time and top up their credit, with a simple click on the phone. This innovatively new service will be rolled out by the telecom operator in partnership with Afric Xpress.

Airtime for transactions such as pay utility bills at SMS charges could also be used by the subscribers through this service by registering at a txtnpay centre dotted across the country.

According to Chief Executive of Afric Xpress Mr Nvalaye Kourouma, the service offers a secured platform that brings innovation in customer service and the first of series of innovations that would be introduced onto the market.

A New York based electronic payment solution provider Afric Xpress focuses on mobile payments and it is currently looking at fostering electronic based markets in Africa by turning mobile phones into commercial platform, empowering customers with security, speed and convenience.

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Nokia Money due to launch soon

Nokia is attempting to create a multi-bank, multi-operator and multi-device collaboration on mobile banking.
Nokia’s mobile banking and payment service is expected to be commercially available in its first market in Q1 2010, though no location details have been revealed yet.
According to Teppo Paavola, vice president, GM mobile financial services, Nokia cannot reveal any details until a banking partner is confirmed. It is learnt that the service requires a banking license before it can be launched.
Nokia said its target is to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011; the number is expected to be 80 million by the end of 2009.
Paavola said the service will enable un-banked people in emerging markets to transfer money, top up prepaid mobile services, pay bills, carry out online transactions, and pay merchants.
Global mobile payments market is expected to be worth €18 billion by 2014 – €12 billion from emerging markets and €6 billion from developed markets.
Approaches to mobile banking so far have lacked scale and have not worked across operators and across banks.
Nokia therefore plans to drive the collaboration on an open financial ecosystem, with Nokia Money at its core. Paavola added that it has taken a long time to get all the players together, from banks through to mobile operators.
The Nokia Money application will not only be pre-loaded but could be sideloaded, or downloaded later.
Nokia will also be able to provide the physical distribution channel that is critical for the service to work. For example, Nokia handset sellers can be turned into Nokia Money agents, providing the devices, the application, and the ability to handle cash.

Nokia is attempting to create a multi-bank, multi-operator and multi-device collaboration on mobile banking, a service dubbed Nokia Money.

Nokia’s mobile banking and payment service is expected to be commercially available in its first market in Q1 2010, though no location details have been revealed yet.

According to Teppo Paavola, vice president, GM mobile financial services, Nokia cannot reveal any details until a banking partner is confirmed. It is learnt that the service requires a banking license before it can be launched.

Nokia said its target is to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011.

Paavola said the service will enable un-banked people in emerging markets to transfer money, top up prepaid mobile services, pay bills, carry out online transactions, and pay merchants.

Global mobile payments market is expected to be worth €18 billion by 2014 – €12 billion from emerging markets and €6 billion from developed markets.

Approaches to mobile banking so far have lacked scale and have not worked across operators and across banks.  Nokia therefore plans to drive the collaboration on an open financial ecosystem, with Nokia Money at its core.

The Nokia Money application will not only be pre-loaded but could be sideloaded, or downloaded later.

Nokia will also be able to provide the physical distribution channel that is critical for the service to work. For example, Nokia handset sellers can be turned into Nokia Money agents, providing the devices, the application, and the ability to handle cash.

M-Pesa launches in UK (Kenya)

Vodafone’s group company, Safarikom has launched m-pesa, it’s mobile money transfer and payment service at selected outlets in the UK.

Kenyans in the UK  can now send money to their friends and family in Kenya through M-pesa UK, direct to their mobile phone wallets.

Western Union, Provident Capital Transfers and KenTv were involved in a small pilot before the commercial launch of this service.  A total of 19 outlets with high local kenyan population were selected to trial this service.

To send money using M-PESA, the sender in UK will be required to identify themselves and furnish the agent with the recipient’s name, Kenyan mobile number and the amount being sent in Sterling Pounds. This will be converted at current rates and sent in Kenyan Shillings.  Neither party is charged a registration fee.

A transaction fee ranging from £4 to £6.90 will be charged though.

Following authorisation by the Central Bank of Kenya, Safaricom shall be increasing the locations in the UK from which money can be sent to M-pesa customers as well as launching services across other popular remittance corridors

Currently, the maximum amount that can be sent internationally per transaction through M-pesa is £250 while the total allowable per month from a single sender in the UK is £1,000.

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. Our partnership with Western Union allows M-PESA subscribers to receive international remittances and builds on the demand we have already seen domestically in Kenya.”

This program aligns a global leader in money-transfer services, the world’s largest mobile operator group, and arguably one of the most impressive success stories in mobile money,” said Matt Dill, Senior Vice President, Western Union Digital Ventures.  In offering M-PESA users the opportunity to receive funds from abroad for the first time, these three companies are changing the way money moves around the
globe.”

Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said: We wish to invite Kenyans living in the UK to take advantage of this service, which presents a real innovation on our M-pesa menu. Through strategic partnerships with Western Union, Provident Capital and KenTV we are giving them an opportunity to convert across two currencies into M-pesa and send money affordably without any hidden costs directly to the mobile phone of the recipient.”

Qualcomm to acquire Qualphone for $18 million

US based mobile telecom company Qualcomm has said that they are acquiring privately held wireless technology developer Qualphone Inc for $18 million.

The deal would be conducted in a cash only transaction and would help Qualcomm in this market.

The company is basically involved in development of mobile phone technologies and licenses their technologies to mobile phone makers and service providers around the world.

This deal would help Qualcomm to enable integrated features such as photography and video for phones that have high-speed wireless links to the Internet.

Qualcomm added that they expect this deal to be closed by the end of the month

Source- http://business.techwhack.com/`

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