O2 Ireland has signed a deal with a Canadian software player to deploy m-commerce software that will allow customers make mobile payments for i-mode subscriptions, content and media using their mobile handsets.
The move effectively makes O2 the first operator in Ireland to enable subscribers to make mobile payments with the ability to manage and control expenditures.
The deal follows news in recent days of Ulster Bank’s launch of a service on i-mode that allows its customers access ATM/branch locators, personal loan and mortgage calculators, product information and a product enquiry form. It is understood Ulster Bank plans to investigate expanding the service to include transactional information later this year.
O2 has signed a deal with Toronto-based Redknee to deploy the company’s M-commerce Gateway (MCG), which provides a secure interface for managing multiple content partnerships, accepting debit and credit cards, pre- and post-paid accounts, using authentication methods for both the subscriber and merchant, and allows both the operator and the subscriber to define monthly maximum limits for mobile retail spending.
It is understood the MCG is now in live operation, handling payments for the i-mode service which was launched last October.
“The intersection of mobility and retailing creates a significant opportunity for carriers to generate new sources of revenue while providing subscribers convenient purchasing services for today’s fast-paced world,” said Lucas Skoczkowski, CEO of Redknee.
“O2 is the latest of our customers who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the success of mobile commerce and we are pleased they chose Redknee to provide the necessary critical software infrastructure.”
Redknee has already deployed its transaction infrastructure technology to some 26 of the world’s leading mobile operators who use the technology to deploy value-added services and content to 207 million subscribers worldwide.
By John Kennedy
