Mobile communications and commerce enabler Netsize today announced that Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of video games on mobile phones and consoles, will be implementing its mPayment mobile payment solution. This pan-European agreement enables Gameloft customers to purchase games directly via premium SMS or from the Gameloft WAP shop.

In choosing Netsize, Gameloft is taking advantage of the company’s pan-European coverage in WAP billing wherever the offer is available at operators. In the UK, Netsize is an accredited payment intermediary and has implemented the latest proposed Payforit features in its mPayment solution

Netsize mPayment for Payforit lets mobile phone users buy goods and services using their mobile phones and charge the amount directly to their phone bill or deduct it from their pre-pay credit. Gameloft customers will benefit from greater pricing flexibility and more transparent billing. Netsize makes it easier for publishers to integrate mobile payment into their games because of a single integration API. This provides access to all available operator WAP and Premium SMS billing methods, as well as alternative payment methods.

“Mobile payment is critical to our business and our decision to work with Netsize is based on how their platform enables us to give our customers the best buying experience,” says Eve Arakelian, B2C Director, Gameloft. “Netsize provides a solid platform solution that does just that while at the same time being able to handle very large transaction volumes in the most efficient way.”

The new agreement builds on a long and close working relationship between the two companies. Gameloft has grown its European business using Netsize mobile solutions including Premium SMS, Standard Bulk SMS and WAP Billing since 2003.

Ludovic Maupain, VP Marketing and Operator Partnerships, Netsize added: “We’re delighted to be deepening our relationship with Gameloft. Gaming is a key growth segment in mobile value added services globally and Netsize has supported Gameloft in its successful deployment across Europe based on the breadth of our offering in bidirectional messaging, SMS billing and WAP Billing”.

The Gameloft agreement highlights the even wider global opportunities for Netsize in supporting mobile game operators and services. Informa Telecoms and Media estimates that the number of mobile game users worldwide will exceed 100 million in 2009 and is growing by 15% annually. Total mobile game revenues are estimated to reach US$ 4.8 billion globally in 2009 (Source: Informa)

Netsize recently announced that its online payment solution is now fully Payforit 2.0 compliant, making Netsize one of the few accredited payment intermediaries across all UK operators. Payforit is an online payment service that provides a common framework for charging consumers for content and services through the mobile internet and is supported by mobile operators including Vodafone, Orange, O2, 3 and T-Mobile.

About Gameloft
Gameloft (EPA:GFT) is a leading international publisher and developer of video games for mobile phones and consoles. Established in 1999, it has emerged as one of the top innovators in its field. The company creates games for mobile handsets equipped with Java, Brew or Symbian technology. The total number of games-enabled handsets is anticipated to exceed four billion units by 2012. Gameloft games are also available to players on WiiWare and DS, Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Arcade, Apple’s iPod, iTouch and iPhones, and PCs.

Through agreements with major telephone wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, specialized distributors and its online shop, Gameloft has a distribution network in over 80 plus countries.

Netsize, a leading mobile communications and commerce enabler, today announced the expansion of its global mPayment mobile transaction and billing service with the coverage of all 25 nationwide and regional mobile network operators in Russia. Using Netsize mPayment, international content providers can now reach and bill more than 165 million subscribers in Russia.

Russia is the biggest single extension of the Netsize premium messaging network to date. “Russia is one of the largest and fastest growing mobile markets in the world and it has a mobile penetration of over 100%. The country will be one of the drivers of continued growth of the company,” said Stanislas Chesnais, Chairman and CEO, Netsize. He continued, “The addition of full coverage of Russia to our portfolio testifies to our position as leading global provider of mobile messaging and billing services.”

The Netsize mPayment Russia offer enables content providers to securely and reliably offer and bill mobile multimedia content and services such as gaming, and applications that target community services and user generated content. End user support is provided in local language, in full compliance with Russian operator regulations. Using Netsize mPayment content providers will benefit from a fast time-to-market and professional support of launching services in Russia.

The mPayment coverage of Russia comprises the mobile networks of MTS, VimpelCom (Beeline) and MegaFon, together representing approximately 84% of market share, and the networks of over 20 regional mobile operators with each up to 5% of market share, giving a total mobile subscriber reach of 100%. With the addition of Russia, Netsize customers can now reach and bill 1.3 billion subscribers globally through a single platform solution.

Register to attend the online seminar “Launching Mobile Services in Russia using Netsize mPayment”

It is the first survey in the world to compare mobile data prices across this many countries. It covers over 500 package variations, for postpaid and prepaid payment models. The objective of the survey is to provide a quantitative snapshot of mobile data download charges for end-users when downloading mobile content to their handsets.

“This survey especially benefits companies that are selling mobile content with heavy data charges,” observed Ludovic Maupain, VP Marketing & Operators Partnerships, Netsize. He added “with download sizes increasing, it is important that mobile content providers have an idea on how much data charge might influence the perceived total cost of their products to end users.” The Netsize study reveals that mobile data pricing varies considerably across these countries, and also within operator groups.

“Many end users do not have a flat rate data subscription yet, which can cause large downloads to become very costly,” Ludovic Maupain added. “Awareness of data charges across Europe will help local and international content providers to tune their mobile content services for an optimal end user experience.”

According to the survey end users without a data package subscription, known as the pay-as-you-go model, pay the highest rates in Italy, between €40 and €60 per 1 MB, whereas end users in other countries pay between €1 and €2. For a 100 MB data subscription the average charges range from €8 (1,995 HUF) in Hungary to €33 (249 DKK) in Denmark. The current average cost per MB for the smallest data subscription is €1, going down to as little as €0.01 on very large subscription packages of 1 GB and over.

The 45-page report includes detailed information on more than 500 mobile data packages that are available in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Australia. Details provided include operator name, package name, subscription type, type of coverage (GPRS, WAP, internet), fee structure, and time and size-based fees. The data was collected in the second quarter of 2008.

“International Mobile Data Charges: A pan-European report on the retail price plans for mobile internet and broadband services” is currently available to Netsize clients and can also be purchased directly at www.netsize.com, for the price of €995 ex. VAT.

Netsize will showcase its full range of mobile marketing solutions at the Ad:tech 2008 event in London on the 24th-25th September. The solutions that will be presented range from SMS and mobile internet to Bluetooth, and include applications such as image recognition and mobile couponing. Marketers that use the Netsize solutions benefit from a turn-key service delivery and detailed campaign reporting.

“Market estimates for the global mobile advertising market are between $10 billion and $19 billion by 2011. In Europe the use of mobile marketing and advertising has been growing steadily. France, Italy and Spain are leading the adoption of mobile marketing and advertising, with measured response rates of up to 8 percent,” observed François Pierucci, Merchant Solutions Director, Netsize. He added, “Through our international reach and expertise we enable UK-based companies to execute mobile campaigns quickly and efficiently, also abroad.”

In the Ad:tech Educational Seminar, Netsize will present a workshop on Mobile Marketing titled “Integrating mobile into your direct marketing mix to enhance campaign results”, on 25 September, from 1:50 PM to 2:30 PM. The session pays particular attention to topics such as data collection, message, design, campaign frequency and results analysis.

“Based on hundreds of successful campaigns for leading brands, we will share our experience and the DOs and the DON’Ts of this growing opportunity,” said François Pierucci. He continued, “We will show examples from many different sectors including retail, financials, utilities, public administration, and healthcare”.

Visitors of the Netsize booth at the Ad:tech event can participate in a mobile game to win a free mobile marketing campaign worth £5000.

The Ad:tech event will take place in National Hall, Olympia, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX. Netsize can be found at booth 430, situated at the ground floor, next to the Mobile forum.

Netsize, a leading mobile commerce and communications enabler, has introduced its market-leading WAP billing solution, Netsize Online Payment, to Finland, paving the way for content providers and merchants to address an additional 5 million subscribers across the mobile networks operated by Sonera, Saunalahti, Elisa, and DNA. Launched just four years ago, Netsize Online Payment lays the groundwork for an efficient global commerce ecosystem, enabling content providers and merchants to sell goods and services to users worldwide regardless of their make or model of mobile device.

“Finland is an important addition and complements our footprint, which now covers key markets across Europe. Some 320 million subscribers across 33 networks and 11 countries are now part of the addressable market for content providers, brands, and merchants who can charge for their goods and services from a mobile Internet site or an on-device portal through our Netsize Online Payment solution,” observed Ludovic Maupain, VP Marketing & Operators Partnerships, Netsize.

The Netsize Online Payment solution allows content providers, merchants and brands to sell goods and services via mobile Internet sites, as well on-device applications. They can charge consumers for transactions on a pay-per-use basis or as a subscription package.

Netsize provides a single billing interface and manages the payment process with each payment provider, whether they are mobile operators using methods such as online Premium WAP or Premium SMS, or alternative payment providers that charge credit cards. In all cases, the Netsize Online Payment solution offers end-user authentication, payment page design and hosting, and end-to-end payment processing from charging through to settlement with the payment service providers

“The fragmentation of the mobile Internet – and the proliferation of payment methods and schemes – makes it difficult for content providers and merchants to sell their goods and services to a global customer base,” Maupain explained. “The Netsize Online Payment solution removes this complexity by providing content providers and merchants a single connection to the payment platforms in place across mobile operator networks, as well as other providers.”

To further streamline identification and payment processes and improve the end-user experience, Netsize removes the usability barrier to buying goods and services using a mobile phone. To this end, Netsize relies on the mobile operator’s authentication solution to retrieve the MSISDN (Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network Number) – the number to the SIM card that uniquely identifies the subscription to the network.

Having verified this information, and so determined the identity of the individual subscriber, the Netsize solution does not require the user to log in or input additional information using the phone keypad to the complete the transaction. Put simply, the automated approach to end-user authentication offers an unmatched “one-click” purchasing process for both pay-per-use and subscription services.

Beyond making mobile commerce a no-brainer for consumers, the Netsize Online Payment solution enables consumers to purchase goods at Netsize Online Payment Finland offers at price points ranging from 0,35€ up to as much as 20€.

About Netsize solutions

Netsize now offers mobile merchants a full m-commerce solution including mobile store access with SMS & MMS direct marketing solutions (mGateway), mobile store builder with content and service management platform (mSuites), and mobile payment based on WAP, P-SMS or credit card billing (mPayment). The Netsize Online Payment solution is currently live in the U.K. (Payforit), Germany, France (Gallery), Spain, Italy, Portugal (Dimo), Belgium (PlazZza), Sweden, Norway, Australia, and Finland. Netsize connects to mobile operators’ billing systems and recently added the capability to charge via credit and debit cards worldwide, allowing content providers, brands, and merchants to reach a global base of mobile users.

Le livre « Vu à la télé (et vu sur mobiles) : 40 publicités télévisées 2007 », édité par le SNPTV, propose de redécouvrir 40 spots publicitaires TV diffusés en 2006, en version « à la demande ». Il permet de prolonger pour la première fois l’écrit et l’image par le son et l’animation. Il est donc possible de feuilleter et visionner les spots TV sur son téléphone mobile, au moyen d’une technologie innovante de reconnaissance d’images, Dig iT !, une technologie développée par Olympus et au travers du site mobile du SNPTV : snptv.mobi.

Les spots TV présentés dans ce livre interactif sont donc disponibles en téléchargement sur mobile, et tous les visuels du livre sont reconnaissables via Dig iT !

Pour consulter les vidéos publicitaires, il suffit de prendre en photo les images du livre avec son mobile, puis de les envoyer par MMS au numéro 31000, afin de recevoir un SMS qui contiendra le lien URL vers le spot choisi.

Cette grande première mondiale sera présentée sur le stand C30, Hall 4, de la société Netsize, pendant le salon MD Expo.

A propos de Dig iT !

PR_MDexpo_Digit

Dig iT ! permet de prendre en photo une affiche, un logo, ou n’importe quel visuel, pour accéder facilement à un site Internet mobile. Il est compatible avec les mobiles équipés d’un capteur d’image et de la fonction MMS, soit plus de 70% des terminaux mobiles en France, et ne nécessite aucun téléchargement d’application préalable.

Le service Dig iT est développé et proposé par la société Jap’Presse / InnovAsia Research (www.innovasia-research.com), agence de conseil spécialiste des transferts de technologie entre l’Europe et le Japon, titulaire d’une licence exclusive sur l’Europe avec la société Olympus, qui a développé la technologie de reconnaissance d’images PBR (Point Based Recognition).

Plus d’info sur : www.just-digit.com
Contact : Philippe Le Fessant, plefessant@jap-presse.com ; tel : 01 42 02 04 40

A propos du SNPTV

Le Syndicat National de la Publicité Télévisée regroupe les 6 régies publicitaires TV : TF1 Publicité, M6 Publicité, Canal + Régie, Lagardère Publicité, MTV Publicité et TMC Régie, commercialisant les grandes chaînes nationales, les chaînes numériques ADSL/Câble/Satellite/TNT, les chaînes locales, des services interactifs et des offres cross-media. Le SNPTV a pour missions principales : la promotion du support publicitaire audiovisuel et télévisuel, l’étude de la publicité TV et de la permanence de son efficacité pour ses annonceurs, agences conseils en achats médias et de communication, la veille des innovations autour de l’écosystème de la publicité TV, notamment dans le monde, la représentation de ses membres auprès des institutions et le dialogue avec les instances représentatives des acteurs de la publicité.