Vodafone and T-Mobile hope that other operators will join the
system to make it interoperable among networks. Vodafone is the
world's largest mobile operator with over 100 million customers in
28 countries. T-Mobile, another leader in the GSM market, is owned
by Deutsche Telekom and recently acquired US players VoiceStream
and Powertel.
The new payment scheme aims to deliver a secure and easy-to-use
payment solution for the purchase of goods and services via a
mobile device. Wireless customers simply store their personal
details and preferred payment options in a virtual wallet, and then
choose which payment instrument they wish to use when making
payments via their mobile phone, similar to undertaking a
transaction from a conventional wallet.
Multiple payment options will be available including traditional
credit and debit cards, making transactions possible with any
participating merchant of the scheme. It is also possible, as part
of this scheme, that smaller purchases will be billed direct either
to the customer's bill, by pre-paid top-up card or using other
micro payment mechanisms. The aim of the scheme is to provide an
end-to-end experience that is convenient, secure, user-friendly and
trustworthy.
Thomas Geitner, Chief Executive, Global Products and Services,
Vodafone, said:
"An open, interoperable platform for mobile
payments will be a significant enabler of m-commerce, enhancing the
array of content, services and commerce options available to
customers. Our goal is to bring additional value to customers by
turning their mobile phones into convenient wallets. We believe
mobile customers should be able to use their devices as a payment
tool, much as they use their credit or debit cards or cash
today."
Nikesh Arora of T-Mobile added:
"We see a global vision to make the mobile
device multifunctional, a phone 'too' approach - consumers using
their devices for phone calls, as a games console, a messaging
terminal or a virtual wallet."
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