MEF Programme & Marketing Coordinator Carol Benites shares an overview of the recent MEF CONNECTS LATAM event in Sao Paulo, where Members and guests gathered in person, and online, to discuss the huge potential of the LatAm markets. Presentations are available for Members, and the videos from the conference are available to watch here.
The Mobile Ecosystem Forum presented the 2nd edition of MEF CONNECTS LATAM on the 24th of August 2022. The success of our online conference in 2021 stirred the enthusiasm of our Latin America members: they asked for a face-to-face event. And so MEF did create a networking conference for more than 100 members at the Unibes Centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The conference had an English morning (for the wider Latin America markets) Â and a Portuguese afternoon (with a closer look on the Brazilian market).
We started the English language session with an important topic for the South America continent: the roll out of 5G services. Markets were slow in launching 5G networks but there is significant development thanks to Omdia’s Ari Lopes.
Kaio Marin – Google
There is a new approach to person to business communication in mobile: Kaio Marin from Google explained what Google Business Messaging is and how it represents an alternative /partly complementary to RCS in these largely Android-driven device markets.
Brazil and Mexico are seen as key success markets for the RCS Business Messaging, so we took the pulse of the total SMS market in the region with a discussion including Vivian Jones from Infobip, Leonardo Kenji from VIVO, and Rafael Pelon from MEF.
Flash Calling is emerging in multiple countries as an alternative to SMS One Time Passwords. Markus Balasus from Deutsche Telkom and Juan Felipe Santos Segura from VOX Solutions analysed the strategy for reacting to this innovation.
Our last regional update discussed what is happening to the numbering, and how numbering intelligence is now becoming an instrument for not just routing but validation of data, fraud management and quality/differentiation.
We took time to go deeper in the Brazilian market, with sessions in Portuguese:
The Brazil session opened with a look at the future of payments – with experts from banks, payments and DCB providers. In particular, Â the local success story of PIX was discussed along its next steps and its challenges .
Brazil is a key success market for RCS, and a specific use case was shared with the audience. QueroQuitar and TGS shared the stage explaining the success of the campaign that was launched in Brazil.
Google and the Mobile Operators discussed the potential of RCS Business Messaging market in the country.
It’s known that Brazil boast a strong content and game industry. It was time to catch up with what is happening on mobile games with AWG that shared the next launch a new experience for mobile gamers: 5G Cloud Gaming, in partnership with TIM.
The Campaign Registry presented, in numbers, the opportunity for antifraud tools in Brazil.
Infobip covered Mobile Identity for Operators – increasingly a big opportunity for mobile operators that can create new revenue sources.
You can check the participation at the Unibes here in our photo reportage of the event.
Watch MEF CONNECTS LATAM in Full
The whole of the event is available to watch now – enjoy the entire show as it was live streamed. Each of the presentations is available for members, and the videos from the conference are available here.
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