SBI and airtel join hands to usher in a new era of financial inclusion for unbanked India

SBI and airtel join hands to usher in a new era of financial inclusion for unbanked India

State Bank of India, the country’s largest commercial bank, and bharti airtel, India’s largest telecommunications company, today announced that they have entered into a joint Venture (JV) agreement to make available banking services to India’s unbanked millions. The newly formed entity, will harness the power of state bank's strengths and airtel’s mobile telephony to add value to the banking and financial services sector and empower millions of financially excluded in the country to enhance their livelihood and quality of life. The Joint Venture will become the Business Correspondent of SBI and offer banking products and services at affordable cost to the citizens in unbanked and other areas.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti airtel said, "This historic collaboration between SBI and airtel brings together two sectors that have made the most impact in addressing inclusive growth. The services offered by the JV will enable financial inclusion and economic empowerment for people across India. This will be a complete game changer, leveraging SBI’s expertise in the banking sector along with airtel’s 150 million strong customer base and ecosystem of over 1.5 million retailers and distributors across India. Together, we will create a scalable operation that will address the banking requirements of millions of Indians through the mobile platform."

Digicel Fiji launches mobile money

Digicel Fiji launches mobile money

Digicel today announced that its Digicel Mobile Money customers will be able to pay their Unwired internet bills using their Mobile Wallet

Digicel Mobile Money allows customers to top-up, send top up, transfer money and pay bills anytime and anyplace.

Customers can deposit and withdraw money to their mobile phone at Digicel stores, select Post Fiji outlets, all Westpac and BSP branches throughout Fiji. The service is available in English, Fijian and Hindustani.

Unwired customers in the Suva, Lami and Nausori area can now pay their bill or Top Up their prepaid internet accounts from the convenience of their home. Unwired is Fiji’s only 4G network and they working to build the largest public wireless network in Fiji. This means that you will have the freedom to enjoy your internet connection wherever you go within the Unwired coverage area.

Axiata partners with Motricity to enhance mobile data service in the region

Axiata, one of the largest Asian telecommunication companies, has entered into an agreement with leading mobile data solutions provider Motricity to launch a new mobile data service by enhancing users’ mobile internet experience. The agreement stipulates mobile data service to Axiata subsidiaries in the region including Robi in Bangladesh. The other subsidiaries are Celcom in Malaysia, Dialog in Sri Lanka, and Hello in Cambodia.

The service will be enabled by Motricity’s platform, the first single group wide system to provide a greater internet experience via mobile phones, and at the same time enhance the internet functionality for mobile phone users. The platform will provide the ability for users to customise content, enable new service plans for 3rd party web-based content, and provide group-wide common application and store front.

In partnership with Motricity, Axiata will aim to extend its strength in mobile broadband leadership to become a leader in small screen or phone-based mobile internet usage. This marks a milestone in Axiata’s vision of becoming an industry leader in the region as being the first to launch a common platform across the Group, utilising Motricity’s offerings immediately deployed throughout the region.

Axiata Group President and Chief Executive Officer Dato' Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim said, "Axiata had decided on our mobile data service strategy in early 2010 and this collaboration is the realisation of our strategy. We are pleased to partner with Motricity to leverage on their expertise and deliver a full range of highly customised mobile data services to millions of our subscribers whose primary access to the Internet is through their mobile devices, whether it is GPRS or 3G enabled. Until now, the service experience in accessing web services has been inconsistent, as it is highly phone-dependant. With this platform in place, we aim to provide a consistent high-quality experience when accessing the internet. As part of the agreement, Motricity will also extend its expertise in marketing and technical support in mobile data."

This collaboration builds upon the successful deployment of Motricity’s mCore Platform and its end-to-end Mobile-as-a-Service offering at XL Axiata, in Indonesia.

Axiata Strengthens Mobile Data Services Offerings in Partnership with Motricity

Axiata Strengthens Mobile Data Services Offerings in Partnership with Motricity

Axiata today entered into an agreement with Motricity to launch a new mobile data service by enhancing users’ mobile internet experience across all its subsidiaries. The service will be enabled by Motricity’s platform, the first single groupwide system to provide a greater internet experience via mobile phones, and at the same time enhance the internet functionality for mobile phone users. The platform will provide the ability for users to customise content, enable new service plans for 3rd party web-based content, and provide group-wide common application and store front. In partnership with Motricity Axiata will aim to extend its strength in mobile broadband leadership to become a leader in small screen or phone-based mobile internet usage. Furthermore, this marks a milestone in Axiata’s vision of becoming an industry leader in the region as being the first to launch a common platform across the Group, utilising Motricity’s offerings immediately deployed throughout the region.

SingTel Innov8 makes its first investment

SingTel Innov8 makes its first investment

SingTel Innov8 Pte. Ltd. (Innov8) today announced that it has led a Series-A financing in 2359 Media Pte. Ltd. (2359 Media), a Singapore-based company, making this Innov8’s first investment since its launch in September 2010.

Innov8, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SingTel Group, has invested approximately S$800,000 in the company. 2359 Media was founded in 2009, and is supported by NUS Enterprise Incubator.

The Series-A financing will help 2359 Media accelerate the development of MobDis, its mobile advertisement creation platform that allows marketers and designers to rapidly create engaging mobile advertisements. 2359 Media plans to expand its distribution into the US market within the next quarter.

Innov8 was set up to help the SingTel Group gain early access to new technologies and stay relevant to customers’ needs. In turn, developers and innovators can leverage the scale and reach of the SingTel Group to access 368 million1 mobile customers across Asia and Africa.

Mrs Yvonne Kwek, CEO of Innov8, said: “We are excited to support the local ecosystem of developers and innovators. We have also been encouraged by the level of interest and promising ideas we have received so far, not only from Singapore, but from around the world including China and the US.”