Monday February 20, 2012

Microsoft Extends Successful Direct Operator Billing Agreement with MACH

MACH integrates with new Microsoft Commerce Platform

MACH’s Direct Billing Gateway to deliver direct operator billing to Windows Phone users on TELUS Canada’s network

MACH, the world leader in direct operator billing, today announced that Microsoft has extended its successful direct operator billing agreement with the company. The extended agreement sees MACH integrate with Microsoft’s new Commerce Platform, opening the way for operators to quickly and easily connect to the Microsoft Marketplace through its Direct Billing Gateway. The agreement also sees MACH deliver direct operating billing services to Windows Phone users on TELUS’s network in the strategic Canadian market, enabling frictionless apps payments with the charge for the app being placed on the subscriber’s phone bill.

By connecting to Microsoft’s new Commerce Platform through MACH, operators will benefit from a much quicker and easier integration process and access to the Microsoft Marketplace, securing them a faster time to market and enabling them to benefit from ongoing revenue shares sooner. While the frictionless billing experience for users that MACH’s Direct Billing Gateway provides, will enable increased sales conversions on Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace, stimulating the apps economy for both the software provider and operators, while allowing developers and merchants to maximise revenues.

“Direct operator billing is a popular feature among Windows Phone customers because it makes purchasing the latest apps and games quick and easy,” said Todd Brix, Senior Director, Windows Phone Marketplace. “MACH’s solution is now integrated with our new Commerce Platform bringing simple direct billing to TELUS subscribers in Canada.”

Charles Damen, Vice President Mobile Billing and Payments, MACH, commented: “Direct operator billing is the future of payments for apps and digital goods. It provides online merchants and content providers with a range of potential features, including frictionless purchase, real-time charging, flexible pricing points as well as direct refund capabilities. Not only does it make the user experience better, but it makes great business sense too, delivering a high conversion rate to apps stores and maximising revenues for apps developers and merchants.”

MACH’s Direct Billing Gateway was launched in response to the need for a more effective billing mechanism for apps commerce. Offering a much more sophisticated and direct billing method than credit cards, PSMS or WAP billing, MACH’s Direct Billing Gateway creates a simple to use frictionless buy process, making it easier than ever for mobile subscribers to purchase apps and digital content, so maximising the revenue for app stores and content providers.

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About MACH’s Direct Billing Gateway

MACH’s Direct Billing Gateway provides a direct operator billing service for global application stores and developers to generate revenues from in-application billing with a frictionless buy user experience. Unlike traditional operator billing methods, such as PSMS or WAP billing, the Direct Billing Gateway offers a comprehensive real-time, frictionless, cross-platform direct billing service for application providers, app stores and websites. The Direct Billing Gateway is supported by a global network of direct billing integrations to mobile operators. It is directly integrated to the billing systems of the major mobile network operators in Germany and delivers real-time authentication and authorisation within the application, minimising the risk of revenue leakage or abandoned transactions.

About MACH

MACH connects and monetizes the telecom world with its comprehensive and growing portfolio of cloud-based communication services. It provides its 650 operator customers with solutions to monetize mobile data, simplify interoperability between networks, optimize wholesale processes and protect revenues. MACH is the largest provider of data and financial clearing solutions for wireless roaming and operates the globe’s largest and fastest growing open connectivity roaming hub, Link2One. It inserts the operator in the content and application value chain and serves the reseller and wholesaler community with its A2P messaging solutions. Headquartered in Luxembourg, MACH has offices in 12 countries. Its customers include Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Telus, Verizon Wireless and Microsoft, as well as enterprise messaging customers like KLM. For more information, visit www.mach.com.

Enquiries

MACH

Eileen Preston, Global PR Manager
[email protected], +44 7860 456193

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article/press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the approved policy or position of the GSMA or its subsidiaries.