M-Pay Africa Expo Accra, Ghana May 2010

[M-Pay Africa M-Pay Africa]

M-Pay Africa Expo  | ISSUE 03, 09 MARCH 2010 |

Sponsorship Opportunities E-mail us at in...@emaginationsng.com     M-PAY AFRICA EXPO - ISSUE 03, 09 MARCH 2010 M-GOVT: BANGLADESH THINKS MOBILE PHONE KEY MEDIUM E-SERVICE DELIVERY IN a resource-starved country like Bangladesh, where almost forty percent of the population earns less than a dollar a day, providing access via desktop solutions is untenable. On the other hand, the growth in mobile industry in the past decade and the reach of mobile phones in the rural areas have turned cell phones into the most accessible and affordable form of technology for the masses and an obvious choice of service delivery channel for public agencies. As part of its agenda to build a Digital Bangladesh, the government has identified the mobile phone as a key medium of electronic service delivery to citizens. Although, mobile phones and their many technology options are already being utilised by several agencies of the government, to truly utilise its true potential, an effective and long-term partnership with the private sector is essential. Over 33 percent of the population in this country currently has a mobile phone. With a government that is eager to give service to the neediest, and with private telecommunication firms that are eager to expand their businesses in rural Bangladesh, an effective national strategy for mobile governance and service expansion can unlock a win-win solution for both parties. Not only will it give people access to the information they truly need and save time and money in the process, by adding additional services like mobile money transaction and mobile commerce, it can also be used as a tool for economic growth. Concurrently, it can unlock a major new avenue for market expansion for mobile companies... UK GOVERNMENT PROVIDES CGAP WITH £8M FOR M-BANKING The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has committed £8 million to a technology programme run by microfinance group CGAP designed to increase access to financial services for the poor. http://finextra.com/News/Fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=21178  MOBILE MONEY TRANSFERS SAVE MONEY, LIVES IN SOMALIA Hormuud Telecom, the mobile operator in Somalia, has launched a mobile money transfer service based on best practices learned from the most popular money transfer service in Africa - Safaricom's M-PESA with 8 million subscribers. About a year ago, Muqtar Ali's brother was shot dead by gunmen in the busy Bakara market of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, and his $200 in cash was stolen. http://mobile-financial.com/node/5146/Mobile-money-transfers-save-money-and-lives-in-Somalia  E-RETAIL SOLUTION GENERATES N450M FOR INSURANCE INDUSTRY  Barely one year after the launch of its value-added e-Retail application for the insurance companies in Nigeria, Product Development Director, Botcomm System, Mr. Bunmi Okunowo, said some companies have realised over N450 million in revenue. http://www.proshareng.com/news/singleNews3.php?id=9708                  This email has been sent by financialtechnology events, the event arm of financialtechnology magazine , founders and hosts of the M-PAY Africa Conference and Expo. The M-PAY Africa Newsletter is an email bulletin dedicated to bringing you the latest news from the M-Payment industry in Africa. The newsletter features selected highlights sourced from news on M-Insurance, M-Government, M-Banking, M-Pensions and M-Stocks. If you do not wish to receive the M-Pay Newsletter, please use the link below to unsubscribe.  I would like to be taken off this list Registered office: House 20, Akinremi Street, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria   Copyright © mpayafrica.com 2010. All rights reserved.

[M-Pay Africa M-Pay Africa]

M-Pay Africa Expo  | ISSUE 05, 21 MARCH 2010 |

Sponsorship Opportunities E-mail us at in...@emaginationsng.com

M-PAY AFRICA EXPO - ISSUE 05, 21 MARCH 2010 M-GOVT, M-BROKERAGE TAKE CENTER STAGE Last week, Arkansas became the first state in the United State of America to offer M-Payment  services for its citizens. PFGBest is also introducing mobile trading applications powered  by Market Simplified for iPhones, Blackberries and other devices. Zain also took its award  winning Zap Mobile Commerce system to Ghana, making it the third mobile-payment operator in the former Gold Coast. Arkansa Becomes First State to Offer Mobile Phone Payments Making government payments while on the go just got easier, thanks to a new mobile Web site  for Arkansas.gov. With today's launch of http://arkansas.gov/m, Arkansas is the first state  to provide secure payment processing specifically for smartphone users. http://finextra.com/News/Announcement.aspx?pressreleaseid=32879 M-Brokerage: PFGBEST Unveils Mobile Trading Apps PFGBest is introducing mobile trading applications powered by Market Simplified for iPhones,  Blackberries and other devices. Russ Wasendorf, Jr., president and chief operating officer  of PFGBEST, said, "PFGBEST recognizes the demand for traders and investors to initiate,  execute, keep track of and otherwise manage trades in futures and foreign exchange markets through mobile devices. http://finextra.com/News/Announcement.aspx?pressreleaseid=32783  Security for Shillings - Insuring Crops with a Mobile Phone An innovative Mobile Microinsurance program has been established in Kenya to protect farmers  against crop failure. The program uses a combination of Safaricom's M-Pesa mobile payment  service and automated weather stations to provide insurance. Weather stations are used to  monitor weather and to predict when crops will no longer be viable. For failed crops, the  insurance provider, UAP, will disburse payouts to farmers directly against their M-Pesa  mobile wallets. http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15663856  M-Payment: Zain Ghana Introduces Zap Mobile Money Service  Zain Ghana, a mobile telecommunication provider in Middle East and Africa, has introduced  Zap service to enable subscribers and corporate institutions to send and receive money nation-wide. http://www.ftr-africa.com/MPAYMENT_ZAIN_GHANA_INTRODUCES.htm    Mobile Phone Users Now Top 17 Million in Tanzania  There are now over 17 million mobile phone users in Tanzania, compared to less than 300,000  a decade ago, signifying the phenomenal growth of the communications subsector. Latest  statistics by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) show that the number  of mobile subscribers increased from about 16.2 million to nearly 17.5 million between  September and December, last year. The industry’s strong growth levels in the third and  fourth quarters of last year follow poor performance during the first six months of 2009. http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/business/13-local-business/791-mobile-phone-users-now-top-17-million

This email has been sent by financialtechnology events, the event arm of financialtechnology magazine , founders and hosts of the M-PAY Africa Conference and Expo. The M-PAY Africa Newsletter is an email bulletin dedicated to bringing you the latest news from the M-Payment industry in Africa. The newsletter features selected highlights sourced from news on M-Insurance, M-Government, M-Banking, M-Pensions and M-Stocks. If you do not wish to receive the M-Pay Newsletter, please use the link below to unsubscribe.  I would like to be taken off this list Registered office: House 20, Akinremi Street, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria   Copyright © mpayafrica.com 2010. All rights reserved.