Valista (www.valista.com), the leading provider of payments and merchandizing solutions enabling the purchase of premium digital services, today announced that mBlox, the world’s largest mobile transaction network, is deploying Valista’s end-to-end transaction engine — PaymentsPlus. mBlox selected the payment platform after a close comparison of the world’s leading vendors and will use it to support its next generation mobile billing services, including WAP billing.
Andrew Bud, Executive Chairman of mBlox, said, “The evolution of premium SMS, an industry we lead, into the next generation of mobile content billing is a huge opportunity for us. We will be able to offer a wider range of innovative and effective payment services for our customers. The mobile content industry will be able to deliver and bill content including mobile TV, video clips, gaming and music downloads. We chose Valista’s technology because it is proven to be the best in the industry, and are pleased to be working with a company with a similar customer-focused ethos to ourselves.”
Valista’s PaymentsPlus solution enables mobile transaction network providers and telecommunications operators to adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of the global payments market by offering more flexible payment choices such as direct to mobile bill charging and WAP billing.
The technology from Valista, whose clients include Vodafone, Orange, AOL and NTT DoCoMo, processes and routes direct billing transactions to the correct operator which charges consumers on their monthly phone bill. The technology also enables payments to be settled with the correct content provider across a wide variety of payment channels and transport protocols. mBlox is currently the largest processor of premium SMS transactions in the world, clearing and settling transactions with a retail value of $400m in 2005. Valista’s payment engine will enable mBlox additionally to process millions of mobile internet transactions every day and provide content providers with new solutions to quickly and easily monetize their mobile content revenues.
The introduction of direct billing services represents a shift in mobile payment methods, whereby a subscriber can download data-rich content, for instance a music track downloaded from the mobile internet, and charge the payment to their mobile phone bill without ever having to send or receive a premium text message. Valista’s technology enables mBlox to deliver a more transparent purchasing experience to consumers and greater price flexibility to content providers, opening the door to higher value transactions as well as non-mobile goods and services.
Raomal Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Valista, said, “This partnership with mBlox represents the next generation of mobile billing. Valista’s payments solution delivers unparalleled flexibility, enabling retailers to offer multiple payment options to their customers. Using the mBlox global mobile transaction network, content providers can sell dynamic content via WAP billing to any mobile user, across multiple networks, through a single reliable technical and business solutions provider.”
About Valista
Valista is a global leader in the provision of multi-channel payments and merchandizing solutions, accelerating digital content and premium services adoption for on-portal and more open ecosystems (off-portal). Available as licensed software or as a managed service, Valista’s solutions enable telcos and cable operators, ISPs and portals to create new relationships with customers by facilitating a wider choice of purchase and payment options. The company’s products support the entire commerce ecosystem and include micro and macro-payments; advanced settlement; multi-merchant bundling; discounting; promotions and loyalty programs. Valista’s technology has been proven in real-world implementations with leading innovators such as: AOL; Vodafone; NTT DoCoMo; France Telecom’s w-HA, Wanadoo, Tiscali, T-Online; NTT DoCoMo; Orange; 3; Hutch Sri Lanka; GTECH; and Hong Kong CSL. For further information, visit www.valista.com
About mBlox, Inc.
mBlox is the world’s largest mobile transaction network. Specialising in the commercial and technical complexities of mobile payment and message transmission, mBlox is in the business of connecting companies with customers. The result of this dedicated attention to messaging services is that mBlox delivers comprehensive and dependable SMS transport and financial settlement services. With an international network of offices, mature operator relationships and carrier-grade infrastructure, mBlox powers mobile business. mBlox is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with EMEA headquarters in London and offices around the world. For further information visit www.mblox.com
Valista(R) and ‘accelerating commerce(TM)’ and ‘new ways to purchase with multiple ways to pay(TM)’ ‘payments software enabling the purchase of premium services(TM)’ ‘PaymentsPlus’, ‘OffersPlus’, ‘RSE’ are registered trademarks and trademarks of Valista Limited. All other trademarks and registered trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners.