What’s the news from the MEF community? Here’s your weekly round up of all the latest announcements from MEF members including product launches, partnerships, research insights and more…
Idea Cellular and Mahindra Comviva launch women-only recharge service
Female mobile users in India now have an option to recharge their prepay credit at any retail outlet without revealing their mobile number.
The service, Private Recharge, has been created by telco Idea and billing specialist Mahindra Comviva. It addresses women’s security concerns and frees them from dependence on family members.
Users generate a ‘Private Code’ by texting a shortcode. The code is then shared with the retailer rather than the mobile number. It is powered by Mahindra Comviva’s PreTUPS™ recharge solution.
“We are happy to partner with Idea in their efforts towards supporting women’s right to privacy and security. We are confident that this product will help Idea to boost the confidence of their female customers and thus empowering them,” said Srinivas Nidugondi, Senior VP and Head of Mobile Financial Solutions at Mahindra Comviva.
Read more…
Infobip unveils OMNI omni-channel messaging platform
Enterprises can access SMS, email, chat apps, voice, and push notifications from one place with Infobip’s new omnichannel solution.
The move is intended to build on Infobip’s recent growth in A2P. The company says it is now processing over 7 billion transactions a month.
OMNI is designed to work with the CRMs of enterprises to ensure the right message is delivered at the right time via the right channel.
It includes automation options, rich workflow and campaign builders, reporting and analytics, and is available over APIs, web portal or in an on-premise, hybrid cloud installation.
Read more…
DOCOMO Digital joins European accelerator programme
M-commerce specialist DOCOMO Digital is taking part in the IMPACT GROWTH accelerator, and hoping to spot the next big start-up.
IMPACT GROWTH was formed by leading technology companies in Europe. It backs 28 start-ups with €100,000. DOCOMO Digital will lead the mobile content vertical.
Since its launch, two years ago, IMPACT has invested 6.4 million euros, receiving applications from more than 2,600 start-ups in 42 countries.
“Working with IMPACT GROWTH provides DOCOMO Digital with an opportunity to be a part of the development of some of the highest potential mobile and smart content start-ups in Europe,” explained Simona Torre, director of b-ventures – the investment arm of DOCOMO Digital.
Read more…
PubMatic adds four new hires to global marketing team
PubMatic has ramped up its APAC and EMEA operations with a quartet of major new appointments.
Philip Buxton is the new EMEA vice president of international marketing. He recently served as CMO at the news site, The Drum.
He is joined by Nigel Kwan, director of marketing for APAC, Osbaldo Franco, director of marketing research, and Imelda Suriato, creative services director.
MTS launches MTS Money Wallet
Subscribers to Russian telco MTS can get easy access to multiple payment and loyalty options via the operator’s new wallet.
Once signed up to the app or web site, users can add payment cards in order to make purchases online and transfer funds without having to re-enter their bank details each time.
And users are automatically enrolled onto the MTS Bonus program, which offers loyalty points and access to offers and discounts.
Later this year, MTS will add new features such as: contactless payments; one-click online purchases; banking functions.
Read more…
Francisco Partners takes minority share in iconectiv
Investment group Francisco Partners will pay $200 million for 16.7 per cent in iconectiv, the telco infrastructure specialist.
iconectiv is part of Ericsson’s media division. Its interconnect systems are used by over 1,200 service providers, regulators, enterprises, and content providers.
The company was built out of Telcordia, which Ericsson bought in 2012.
Read more…
Smaato launches ‘Discovery’ tool for demand-side customers
Demand users can use new filters on the Smaato platform to avoid ad spend on mobile inventory that may not meet campaign objectives.
The new Inventory feature enables features like QPS, Time, Geography, Ad Format, and Operating System to be applied to any traffic query. This means buyers can see only available inventory relevant to their needs. With two clicks, they can start receiving targeted bid requests immediately.
The system builds on the Smaato Demand Platform (SDX), which gave demand partners the ability to specify the type of mobile inventory they would like to receive.
Read more…
ZTE and Turkcell to explore 5G together
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ZTE and Turkcell will seek to explore the potential of next gen 5G network tech.
The partners will focus on gigabit-capable passive optical networks (GPON), dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and side-edged 5G.
Kaan Terzioğlu, CEO of Turkcell, said: “We believe that, with ZTE, we will be able to offer advanced technologies and an enhanced experience to our customers.”
Read more…
