Gemalto, a provider in digital security, announced it has been selected by MTN Uganda for its nationwide mobile payment program. Service rollout started in March 2009 and to date, around 180,000 m-payment transactions have already been performed.
Gemalto, a provider in digital security, announced it has been selected by MTN Uganda for its nationwide mobile payment program. Service rollout started in March 2009 and to date, around 180,000 m-payment transactions have already been performed.
MTN Uganda is part of the MTN Group, a multinational telecommunications group operating in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East and serving over 100 million subscribers, including 4.2 million in Uganda. Gemalto provided MTN Uganda with a comprehensive solution that includes the server for interconnecting the operator with its banking service provider, and the SIM cards storing and executing the m-payment application. The company also supplied server integration services and acts as technological partner of MTN Uganda.
The Gemalto solution provides a secure, convenient and affordable means for MTN Uganda subscribers to carry out peer-to-peer fund transfer using their mobile phone, whether or not they have a bank account. It also makes m-payment accessible to users who do not have an Internet access. An easy-to-navigate menu enables consumers to send and receive money, buy airtime, withdraw cash from a local retailer, with the security provided by the SIM card. Since the SIM card is the only application platform working with 100 percent of handsets, subscribers can perform m-payment transactions using any type of mobile phone, which means the service is immediately available to all.
"We selected Gemalto for its sound experience in deploying m-payment services in Africa," commented Isaac Nsereko, CMO of MTN Uganda. "In addition, Gemalto has been a preferred supplier to the MTN Group for many years and we have established a trustful business relationship with the company."
"Gemalto is proud to offer all MTN Uganda subscribers the freedom to transfer money when and where they want," added Philippe Vallée, Executive VP of the Telecommunications Business Unit at Gemalto. "Because our solution is so easy to use and available to anyone who owns a handset, we believe in the rapid adoption of m-payment in Uganda as we make the service accessible to the great majority, banked or unbanked."