Tag Archives: Telecom

Vodafone enters Brazil market with Datora Telecom partnership

Telecoms, , ,

Vodafone has launched Vodafone Brazil with Datora Telecom and plans to develop and offer machine-to-machine (M2M) products to business customers in the region. Under the Vodafone Partner Market agreement, Vodafone’s non-equity partner Datora Telecom will re-brand its mobile arm to Vodafone Brazil, effective immediately.

Datora Telecom will also work with Vodafone Group Enterprise to develop and offer machine-to-machine (M2M) products and services to business customers, with unified voice and data mobile communications services and advanced enterprise roaming propositions to follow in 2014.

Vodafone says its new Vodafone Brasil partner market relationship with Datora Telecom will help support the growing number of multinational companies looking to expand in Brazil. Around half of Vodafone’s 1,700 multinational customers already have employees based in the country, and the trend is expected to continue. In 2012, Datora Telecom set up a dedicated M2M unit and has now installed more than 230,000 M2M connections for corporate customers

Mobile Banking Predicted to Grow 65% Annually in Latin America

Finance, Telecoms, , , ,

According to a recent report by Deloitte re-released by the Latin American Federation of Banks (Felaban), banking by mobile devices is predicted to grow up to 65% annually over the next two years. They also predict that by 2015, the total mobile banking platform will reach up to 140 million people on the continent. These are huge numbers, and if they’re correct, will help bolt Latin America to the forefront of mobile banking user adaption, and usage.

 

This isn’t the first study to make such a claim, with many believing that mobile money will have a major impact, transforming Latin America in the coming years. The region still has high numbers of both unbanked, and underbanked people, and access to mobile money devices has the potential to change how people in the region do business, especially in rural areas.  According to Guillermo Moreano, VP of Operations and Technology at the International Bank of Ecuador, this has “a great business potential for Latin American banks,” citing that traditional forms of banking, such as checks and large cash transactions will become a thing of the past.

 

Last year (2012) the penetration rate of mobile banking in the US was at 24.3%, with the age range of the likely user between 19-23. While this number puts them in the lead for now, it won’t be long until one of Latin America’s big mobile countries surpasses them. Brazil currently has the largest amount of mobile users on the continent at 200 million, followed closely by Mexico and Argentina, with 91 and 52 million respectively, according to Deloitte. With high cellular usage rates, and fast-growing smartphone adaption, converting mobile users into mobile bankers may happen sooner than later.

America Movil Ponders Merging Cable TV, Telecom Operations in Brazil

Telecoms, , ,

Things are heating up in Brazil over broadband as America Movil has publically announced studying the possibility of streamlining its Brazilian operations by merging its cable TV operations with its fixed and mobile carriers. According to America Movil the move could be the best way to gain ground in the hotly competitive Brazilian communications market.

While nothing is set in stone, the plan would structurally integrate Embratel Participacoes, the country’s 3rd-largest wire-line telecom, with mobile operator Telecom Americas, and cable TV operator Net Servicos de Comunicacao. Before the merger is taken to the next phase, however, the companies must carefully look at their options, and no deal has been made yet.

Last year, Mexico’s America Movil blew away the pay-TV competition in Latin America by merging all of its regional operators (Net Servicos, Telmex, Telmex International) to create one solid entity. In doing so, they have swallowed up the competition, holding 22 percent of the regions 51 million subscribers, making it the leader on the continent.

A similar move was made successfully last year by Telefonica, who merged their mobile and fixed-line divisions in Brazil into one single unit.

Many suspect that this may have been inspired by America Movil’s 2012 4th quarter revenue dip. Which was a bit less than previous gains, holding at USD $ 16.2 million. With this new announcement, America Movil plans on kick-starting their Brazilian revenue stream by reorganizing its sources, and making the overall market value more efficient.

For more on America Movil, and how to get the latest telecom info, and inside access, check out Latin Target’s Telecom Plus.

Brazilian Prepaid Mobile Accounts Get Top-Ups, Thanks to PayPal

Consumer Goods, , ,

Mobile MoneyBrazilian network operator Vivo will be making life easier for prepaid mobile account holders in the near future, as they announce a new top-up option, thanks to PayPal and Giesecke & Devrient (G&D). G&D will now provide the company with a mobile payment solution that will allow their prepaid account customers to top up their credit directly on their cellphone using PayPal.

G&D is also unrolling its SmartTrust Mobile Transaction Gateway, providing the necessary payment solution, which will ensure that all transactions are executed securely, alleviating concerns from the end user.

This new service will give mobile customers direct access to phone credit without the need to buy a card to recharge. This will help alleviate travel time, and make credit accessible from home, saving mobile users the hassle of only purchasing it during normal store business hours. The solution is compatible with any type of cellphone, as it’s based on USSD technology and will not require the end user to download any other type of application.

Mobile users will now be able to set up a PayPal account for these services directly on their mobile phone, taking hard currency and even bank accounts out of the equation. The new account details can also be modified to add or remove linked credit-card information whenever the user wants.

G&D will manage and host the backend servers for this new mobile payment solution in a secure data-processing center. The Mobile Transaction Gateway (MTG) via which all top-up and other mobile transactions are processed is based on the SmartTrust DP framework.

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