Press Releases

Dialogue kick starts new season with local football team sponsorship

2008-09-23T16:45:00.002+01:00

Sheffield-based mobile solutions specialist Dialogue Communications renews its support to local football team, Millhouses Junior FC by sponsoring the team for a further two years. Dialogue’s logo will appear on both the under 15’s home and away kits and also the kit worn by the under 13’s team.

Millhouses Junior FC, based at Abbeydale School on Carterknowle Road, play in division A in the Sheffield and District Junior Sunday league, and have worked their way up from division C in 2003/04 to division A in 2006/07.

Guiom Peersman, managing director of Dialogue said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring Millhouses Junior FC for another two years. The team has done remarkably well in the last few seasons and we look forward to supporting them in the future. They have got a tough season ahead of them in League A, but we are confident they will do well.”

Dialogue Receives Vodafone Innovation Award for Web Payforit

2008-09-18T12:10:00.002+01:00

The “Griff Innovation Award”, presented at the Vodafone Aggregator Forum in London last week, has been won by mobile specialists Dialogue Communications. The award, which is named in recognition of Dialogue’s late managing director Paul Griffiths, recognised the company’s achievement in introducing the very first Payforit solution for the World Wide Web.

Dialogue has provided the Online Payforit service to a number of companies including AEI Mobile, allowing consumers to buy event tickets online, and to charities in conjunction with BT agilemedia to facilitate the payment of online donations. Both these solutions were demonstrated at the Vodafone Aggregator Forum, showing how Online Payforit can you be used for specific applications.

Guiom Peersman, Dialogue’s UK managing director commented, “Dialogue has been a leader in the development of Payforit from the very beginning and taking the initiative online is another significant step, which we are very happy Vodafone has recognised.
“We are also extremely honoured to be receiving the Griff Innovation Award in particular, recognising our continued work to build on Paul’s significant legacy and the work he began here at Dialogue,” concluded Guiom.

Dialogue was the first company to take Payforit live in January 2007, when it was used predominantly by mobile content providers to sell content via the mobile internet. Now, 18 months later, the Payforit system has been further developed and with the recent increase of the maximum single transaction to £10, it looks set to become a popular payment mechanism both online and via mobile.

Dialogue Brings Single Click Payments to Payforit

2008-07-10T14:22:00.001+01:00

Significant usability development for Payforit users

Mobile payments specialist Dialogue Communications is spearheading yet more Payforit developments this month with the launch of Payforit single click payments. Dialogue has been at the forefront of the mobile payment initiative’s growth over the past two years and this latest feature will significantly improve Payforit’s usability and revenue generating potential.

The Payforit payment mechanism allows consumers to pay for content, goods or services purchased on the mobile internet or web via their mobile phone, currently up to the value of £10. Although the Payforit system has been well received, mobile users have complained that going through the full payment cycle for every purchase is monotonous. As a result of this feedback, Dialogue looked to create Payforit single click and made a proposal to the operators in March 2008. The new single click feature is yet another evolution of the initiative, which will allow customers to buy from an internet page with one easy click, without having to additionally click-thru the standard Payforit pages on every occasion.

Guiom Peersman, Dialogue’s MD, introduced the idea of integrating single click purchases into the Payforit framework to mobile operators earlier this year, and he believes it will further enhance the payment mechanism: “Single click purchases are widely available on the web, on sites such as Amazon and iTunes, so there is no reason why mobile internet services should be any different and I think it is something mobile users are also starting to demand. The single click option will not only improve the user’s experience of Payforit but it will also encourage repeat purchases and give users the power to tailor their buying preferences.

“Dialogue is proud to be driving Payforit innovation forward and that its single click proposal has been approved to be included in the next version of the Payforit framework.”

The single click function works from the Payforit pages once the user has selected the item they wish to buy. Initially users will be required to go through the normal payment flow for their first purchase but once they are comfortable with Payforit, they will be given the opportunity to use the single click version of Payforit in the future.

Dialogue Communications is a leading force in Payforit developments. After being the first Accredited Payment Intermediary (API) to go live with the initiative on mobile, it was the first last month to take Payforit online with its content providers. Payforit online will be used by mobile content providers for sales on their online sites, but is also a perfect mechanism to pay for items such as CDs, DVDs, flowers and books, along with paying for services such as concert or cinema tickets or subscriptions.

Dialogue is also looking into opportunities to launch similar mobile billing initiatives around the globe, in particular in Australasia and Africa where a solution similar to Payforit has already sparked interest in the market.

Sony Selects Dialogue's Mobile Solutions for Rambo DVD Launch

2008-07-02T09:25:00.002+01:00

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has today launched its first mobile campaign in Australia with the help of international mobile specialist, Dialogue Communications. SMS campaigns and a mobile internet site designed by Dialogue have been added to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s existing marketing channels to support the Australian DVD launch of Rambo on July 9.

Dialogue created the mobile internet site using its new Mobile Site Builder (MSB) tool. At the same time, a mobile campaign response back was devised to drive traffic to the site, to promote the film further and engage fans.

The mobile shortcode 199 00 991 will be advertised across all traditional media in Australia and by texting a keyword to the number shown; consumers receive the Rambo mobile site link in reply where they can interact with the site, regardless of where they may be located.

Commenting on the launch of the site, Alexia Johnstone, Strategic Marketing Manager, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment said, “The mobile campaign is designed to integrate with our existing channels of marketing communication and deliver an immediate call to action response mechanism.”

Always at the forefront of new and innovative ways to create and raise product awareness, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was keen to engage such a strategy from the outset. Alexia Johnstone added, “Integrating mobile with our current promotional channels gives us the perfect platform to communicate with our ever increasing tech savvy target market.”

The Rambo mobile internet site is one of the first to go live in Australia using Dialogue’s new MSB application, which allows brands to build and publish advanced sites and storefronts using a simple user interface and easy-to-use drag and drop features.

Hugh Spear, Dialogue Communication’s CEO explains the advantages that mobile solutions will bring to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s marketing campaign: “By including the mobile site across the entire campaign, Sony can capture the audience’s attention at their first point of interest and deliver relevant content back to them virtually immediately.

“The mobile element gives passive advertising a more dynamic and instant appeal, by removing the product from its location specific source of promotion. This not only prolongs campaign longevity but also broadens its appeal as the mobile campaign site encourages content sharing among consumers own social network.”

Dialogue and AEI Launch UK’s First Mobile Ticketing Solution Using PayforIT

2008-06-05T14:21:00.003+01:00

The first mobile ticketing solution using UK mobile payment initiative payforIT has been launched today by interactive mobile specialists Dialogue Communications and AEI Mobile. Mobile ticketing will enable party-goers to purchase tickets to a London nightclub via their mobile phone using payforIT, and to receive the tickets via SMS.

PayforIT is the cross-operator payment initiative that allows consumers to purchase goods and services via their mobile phone up to the value of £10. Dialogue and AEI Mobile will be working together to provide a mobile ticketing solution for Drum & Bass Arena event taking place at Scala Club in London on 15th August and tickets are on sale today for £10.

Dialogue was the first company to take payforIT live in January 2007, when it was used predominantly by mobile content providers to sell content via the mobile internet. Now 18 months later, the payforIT system has been further developed and with the recent increase of the maximum single transaction to £10, it looks sets to become a popular payment mechanism for selling tickets via mobile.

Guiom Peersman, Dialogue’s UK managing director explains: “We believe this is the first time payforIT will be used to purchase event tickets. People wishing to buy a ticket can text “Scala” to short code 81330 and in return will receive a WAP link to Scala Club’s mobile internet site. From there tickets are available for purchase through the payforIT payment system and the ticket will be delivered directly to the buyer via SMS.

“Dialogue has been involved in the development of payforIT from the very beginning and this is yet another major step for the initiative. The mobile ticketing market has huge potential and is another key market growth area where payforIT can be a real value added solution.”

Mobile ticketing is growing in popularity in the music and entertainment industry in particular. Earlier this year, new research from Juniper Research estimated that over 2.6 billion mobile tickets will be delivered to just over 208 million mobile phone users by 2011. Therefore, new payment mechanisms such as payforIT will be a welcome addition to the market to aid this predicted growth.

"Mobile ticketing is a no-brainer for event organisers, a good proportion of which are already using SMS as the preferred marketing channel for events and functions," says Del Dias, managing director of AEI Mobile. "Promoters can now promote events using outbound SMS messaging, and allow their customers to complete the transaction on their mobile phones.”

PayforIT has a maximum purchase value of £10 so clubbers wishing to purchase more that one ticket for Scala’s Drum & Bass Arena event can still do so via their mobile and pay via credit or debit card.

About AEI Mobile

AEI Mobile is the mobile services division of Art Empire Industries Ltd, a digital media and entertainment company that was established in 1998. Originally based in Sheffield, UK the company relocated to London in 2005.

AEI Mobile is a leading provider of mobile content and marketing services to entertainment brands and media owners. Clients include: Warner Music, O2, Ministry of Sound, and Shazam.

AEI Mobile’s products and services include: Mobile Ticketing, Mobile Site Design & Build, Content Delivery & Billing Platform, Mobile marketing and advertising campaign management.

Dialogue First to Take PayforIT Initiative Online

2008-05-08T14:30:00.002+01:00

New Micro-Payment Mechanism Available to Online Vendors

The UK mobile payment initiative payforIT is expanding onto the World Wide Web with the help of leading mobile interactive specialist Dialogue Communications. The payforIT payment mechanism will offer shoppers an online payment alternative and enable internet merchants to reach new customers.

PayforIT allows consumers to pay for content, goods or services up to the value of £10 via their mobile phone, with the cost of the online purchases being deducted from their mobile bill. PayforIT has been successfully in operation on mobile for over a year, paving the way for use on the World Wide Web. The initiative was finally launched on the internet yesterday.

Dialogue Communications is a leading force in payforIT developments. After being the first Accredited Payment Intermediary (API) to go live with the initiative on mobile, it is again the first to take payforIT online with its content providers. Initially, payforIT online will be used by mobile content providers for sales on their online sites, but payforIT is also a perfect mechanism to pay for items such as CDs, DVDs, flowers and books, along with paying for services such as cinema tickets or subscriptions.

Guiom Peersman, managing director of Dialogue explains: “payforIT on the internet will work very much in the same way as it does on mobile, with consumers seeing standard payforIT payment pages across all purchases regardless of merchant. payforIT was launched over a year ago by all UK operators on mobile, with the aim of building consumer confidence when buying mobile content and this is also the driving force behind its launch on the internet.

“We are confident that the initiative will grow very rapidly beyond just being used for selling digital content, and online stores will see the value of offering an alternative payment mechanism that draws in new customers, who had previously been unable to make online purchases if they didn’t have a bank account or a credit or debit card”

The payment pages are payforIT branded and once a user has clicked to purchase an item, they are presented with the web payment pages and asked to enter their mobile number. The user then receives a text message with a unique payment code which they enter into the web payment pages to complete the transaction. The cost of the purchase is charged to the user’s mobile account.

Since Dialogue went live with payforIT on mobile in January 2007, the feedback has generally been positive, with statistics from content providers and API’s demonstrating a clear increase in conversation rates for most services.

The payforIT framework still needs to evolve but the recent increase of the maximum single transaction value to £10 and the upcoming support for single click purchases should see adoption increase dramatically.

Dialogue is also looking into opportunities to launch similar mobile billing initiatives around the globe, in particular in Australasia where a solution similar to payforIT has already sparked interest in the market.

Dialogue Runs SMS Service for Record Breaking Fundraiser

2008-04-09T15:47:00.002+01:00

Dialogue Communications will be going the distance during this year’s Flora London Marathon, by providing a text messaging service to veteran runner Ian Capon, who will be attempting to set a new world record for the most money raised during the race alone.

The five digit short code, 84010, supplied by Dialogue will be emblazoned across the costume of marathon runner Ian Capon, 54, who is a company director from London, as he attempts to set a brand new world record when he competes in his eleventh full marathon in April.

Ian will run dressed in a pyramid shaped costume carrying text and telephone numbers - so that spectators and television viewers can donate money during the race. Ian aims to set a new world record for the highest amount of money raised during only the race itself, he hopes to raise £26,200 for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).

Ian is a great supporter of Rebuilding Lives Through Sport (RLTS), which will see half of the money raised by SIA’s London Marathon team being allocated, as grants, to encourage participation in wheelchair sport. ‘I have a passion for rugby and know that, sadly, a relatively high number of injuries occur through accidents on the field so SIA seemed the most appropriate charity I could run for, especially when I heard about RLTS,’ said Ian.

‘Sport can play a crucial role in rebuilding confidence and relieving isolation following spinal chord injury (SCI) but only a tiny percentage of people actively participate with any regularity. RLTS is a fantastic way of promoting the benefits of wheelchair sport both to people living with SCI and to the wider disabled community.’

“We are very happy to be involved in such an unusual world record attempt, said Guillaume Peersman, Dialogue’s UK managing director.

“As well as providing the short code for pledges, we will be tallying the final donations after the run and we really hope that Ian reaches his target of £26,200.”

Ian Capon explains why he has set himself this challenge: “I have been running marathons for nearly 12 years now and thought that this idea was a great way to make the race more challenging and exciting.

“I felt that using text as a means for people to pledge money would prove to be the most successful, as the majority of people now own a mobile phone and a text message is a quick and very easy method to communicate. The fact that Dialogue has provided its technology expertise which has given the audience another means of donating and will hopefully help make my attempt possible - I am just hoping that I will be able to reach my target.”

Dialogue is one of the UK’s leading mobile service providers for interactive mobile solutions and has provided SMS services for events such as Sports Relief and Fame Academy.

Dialogue Provides Text Messaging Service for Northumbria Police Hard of Hearing

2008-03-19T10:13:00.000Z

Mobile solutions specialist Dialogue Communications has provided a unique messaging service for Northumbria Police, to allow local deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired residents to contact the police via text messaging. In the UK alone, there are almost 9 million deaf people and Northumbria Police is amongst the first to adopt this service.

Using Dialogue’s web-based portal, Northumbria Police has set up this mobile facility, which will allow the hard of hearing to contact the police easily. Deaf people will no longer have to rely on someone else to report non-emergencies for them and can now text a predefined mobile number 0778 6200 815, which will be directly sent to the police control room and regularly checked.

Superintendent Derek Scott, of Northumbria Police explains: “We hope the service will prove to be an effective means of reporting non-emergency incidents in our local area. The mobile technology which is available to emergency services these days is rapidly expanding and we wanted to make the most of this. This demonstrates our commitment to providing the best service possible to all sections of the community.

”However, we would want to remind users that in an emergency situation they need to be able to contact the police via 999 if an immediate response is required."

The two-way SMS is a simple to use service whereby a text message is sent, it is then converted into an email and delivered to the police communications centre. The caller then receives a return SMS within seconds to say their text has been passed to the police, who will reply to this enquiry within 24 hours, with a reminder if this is an emergency you must dial 999. Any further communication can be made via email, which is automatically converted to a text message and sent to the caller.

This latest service is yet another way of utilising Dialogue’s community text offering. Guillaume Peersman, managing director of Dialogue UK said: “It is services like two-way messaging which can really prove beneficial to local communities. Our mobile applications offer local services a new dimension, which perhaps they hadn’t considered, and because of the constantly increasing number of mobile users, it only makes sense to utilise the available technology in a positive way.”

With offices in London and Sheffield, Dialogue Communications is one of the UK’s fastest growing mobile service providers for interactive mobile solutions and SMS aggregation.

Dialogue Recruits Former CEO to its Board

2008-03-05T10:14:00.000Z

Mobile expert continues growth with new non-executive appointment

Dialogue Communications, a leading international mobile specialist, has appointed Peter Button, a former telecoms industry CEO as non-executive director. Peter will provide strategic assistance and expertise to the board, and help to further facilitate the growth of the company following a record year in 2007.

Peter, 51, from Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK, joins Dialogue following a year long career break. Prior to this, he spent five years as CEO of mobile and data service provider WIN plc during which the company’s turnover grew tenfold. Peter is no stranger to the role of non executive director, as it was a position he held for five years at Corporate Services Group plc from 1999 to 2004.

Peter is also a qualified chartered accountant and has 27 years of business experience, which includes 17 years in investment banking. In his 27 years of business, Peter has worked as head of corporate finance for NW Brown Group Limited and as a director in the corporate finance department of Kleinwort Benson Limited.

“Following a short career break, I am very pleased to be returning to the telecoms industry especially with a company as forward thinking as Dialogue,” said Peter.

“I am looking forward to contributing to an industry that is ever evolving and I hope to use my experience in high level management, product development and finance to advise the board on its strategy and structure going forward.

“I feel that my experience as a CEO will put me in a perfect position to be a genuine source of advice and guidance to Dialogue as we move forward through 2008 and beyond.”

Hugh Spear, Dialogue’s CEO is excited to have Peter on board: “We are very pleased to be welcoming Peter to the Dialogue team. 2007 was an exceptional year for the company and the most successful financial year to date, with year end turnover and profit the highest in the company’s 13 year history. We feel that with Peter’s strategic assistance and phenomenal expertise in the telecoms and financial industries, he will be a valuable source to the Dialogue board and will help us take the company into a new phase of growth in 2008, both in terms of products and services and expansion into new vertical and horizontal market sectors.”

Dialogue Appoints General Manager in Australia

2008-03-03T10:15:00.000Z

International mobile specialist, Dialogue Communications, today announced the appointment of Pete Neal as General Manager Australia. This newly created role is focussed on taking the business through to its next level of growth and to cement Dialogue as a 360 degree mobile internet solutions provider in Australia.

Pete, 26, will be based out of the company’s Sydney office and has been an integral part of Dialogue’s development and commercial teams over the past few years.

Speaking on the appointment, Hugh Spear, Dialogue’s CEO said, “The company locally is rapidly expanding and Pete’s background in both technical and business development will be invaluable in terms of market growth.”

Originally from the UK, Pete holds a 1st class honours degree in Electronics and Software Engineering from Loughborough University (UK) and was previously with Dialogue UK where he engineered the core infrastructure for Dialogue’s high capacity SS7 messaging platform. Following his relocation to Dialogue’s Australian office in 2006, Pete made a successful transition into to a business development role and has since built strong working relationships with Dialogue’s Australian client base.

Commenting on his appointment Pete said, “One of my main objectives is to drive revenue growth via the innovative application of Dialogue’s existing technologies to new applications. For example, there are tremendous opportunities for the company’s recently launched Mobile Site Builder application that enables brands to effectively market their products and services via the mobile.” He added, “I believe the widespread adoption of highly engaging technologies such as mobile web and MMS will be what drives Dialogue’s growth to the next level, in terms of both our messaging and applications solutions.”

Dialogue Develops Industry’s Most Advanced Mobile Site Builder

2008-02-01T10:15:00.000Z

Dialogue Communications has today announced the launch of its new product - Mobile Site Builder - an application that enables global brands to build mobile internet sites and storefronts quickly and easily, which stand out in the competitive off portal market.

Mobile Site Builder (MSB) is the most advanced application for companies looking to enter the mobile market. It is a toolkit that allows companies to create their own professional mobile websites and storefronts, implement marketing subscription campaigns, run votes and competitions. It also comes with other impressive features such as refer a friend, click to call, an in-built payment mechanism for storefronts, bookmark capabilities and RSS feed options, along with many other marketing features.

MSB has a simple user interface and has been designed so that the user can just drag and drop text, images and other components onto the mobile screen so that you can easily design and view your mobile site and publish it within minutes. The MSB toolkit can be accessed through any internet web browser and the beauty of this application is that no technical knowledge or programming skills are required.

Guillaume Peersman, Dialogue’s CTO and UK managing director explains: “We have developed the features for our Mobile Site Builder product based on feedback from our clients on what they would like to see from a mobile site builder application. MSB now incorporates all the elements needed to build a mobile website that will succeed in the ever evolving and competitive mobile market.”

Hugh Spear, Dialogue’s CEO adds: “Today’s brands are looking at new ways of marketing their products and services and the mobile medium is becoming a popular and key marketing tool. We have created this application to help promote mobile as well as provide a more advanced, easy-to-use tool for our mobile content customers. The advantage of our MSB is not only can it create a site to sell mobile content but it can be used to develop information sites for promotional purposes.”

As the mobile market continues to grow year-on-year, it is proving ever more difficult to create a mobile internet site that stands out in the off portal content market. Dialogue’s new Mobile Site Builder product is available right now and is giving companies an extra tool with which to design their sites, in order to beat off the competition.

Dialogue Expands its Australian Operation

2008-01-14T10:16:00.000Z

Mobile Specialist Appoints Head of New Media Sales

International mobile specialist, Dialogue Communications, today announced the appointment of Chris Elson as Head of New Media Sales. Chris’ role will support the company and help facilitate its growth as a complete mobile solutions provider within the Australian market.

Chris, 30, will be based out of the company’s Sydney office and has extensive experience within the advertising industry and brings with him a skills set that enhances that of the local team in web design and online marketing.

Speaking on the appointment, Hugh Spear, Dialogue’s CEO said, “We are very pleased to have Chris as part of our team. We see that there are some very exciting opportunities in the market and Chris’ experience in new media will allow us to work with both existing and new clients to broaden their understanding and use of mobile technology as a marketing tool.”

Originally from the UK, Chris holds a BA Hons in Business and Marketing from Sheffield Hallam University and was previously Head of Sales with Wiliam, a leading web development and online marketing firm. “I am really looking forward to working with a team of people that already have an excellent reputation in the mobile arena,” said Chris. “One of my main objectives is to grow our business and have customers use mobile technology as a complimentary channel of communication with their target audience.”

This latest announcement comes just one month after Dialogue strengthened its UK team with the appointment of Michaela Hamm and Gary Van Til. Michaela has joined Dialogue as an account director and will be responsible for customer management. Gary has joined also as an account director bringing with him several years of sales experience in the mobile industry and will be responsible for Dialogue’s business development.

Dialogue helps Vodafone Bring First “Made for Mobile” TV to Australians

2007-10-17T10:17:00.000+01:00

17 October 2007, International mobile specialist, Dialogue Communications, today announces a major deal with Vodafone Australia for its MMS solution. Dialogue’s technology is being deployed by the leading global operator to bring the first interactive “made for mobile” show, Street TV, to the company’s 3G customers in Australia.

Street TV is a 3G “made for mobile” 30 minute weekly TV show available 24/7 on Vodafone live! The service involves compressing and sending out Mobile TV video clips of up to 30 seconds in length to customers that have opted in to receive mobile advertising messages. Dialogue’s technical solution allows Vodafone to deliver a media rich MMS, including a call to action to download that week’s free “full track music download” (FTMD), as well as a click through to the Street TV WAP Portal.

The technique which has been pioneered by the Australian arm of the business based in Sydney, in conjunction with Vodafone Australia - recently won the MMA Award for Consumer Content Offering.

"This is an innovative use of MMS which has really paid off,” commented David Green, head of Vodafone’s mobile advertising. "We have seen Mobile TV usage surge following the broadcast of these messages. As well as showing 'catch-up' or preview footage, these video clips can also include messages from advertisers and sponsors, making this an important revenue stream.” He added, "Having seen the success of this service on Street TV, we are now getting calls from other suppliers of Mobile TV shows that are keen to increase their viewer numbers.”

Hugh Spear, CEO of Dialogue said of the service, "We know that all the opted-in Vodafone customers are using 3G phones which support mobile video, so we can give them a much richer experience than just sending out plain SMS reminders.”

Dialogue, which is a specialist mobile messaging service provider, has also received interest from a range of other parties including Real Estate agents that want to send out multi-media broadcasts of property details, as well as political parties that are keen to send out short speeches.

Commenting on the service, Hugh Spear said, "One of the benefits of MMS is that there is no confusion about data charges. Consumers can incur quite high charges for downloading images and music from the mobile internet, but with MMS everything is delivered to the phone without any cost to the end user.”

PayforIT - An Unbeatable Mechanism for Mobile Purchases?

2007-09-19T10:17:00.000+01:00

Key Industry Leaders Predict PayforIT Future at Dialogue Seminar

Mobile payment initiative, Payforit came into force across all mobile internet services and UK networks officially on September 1, 2007. The payment system was welcomed by the mobile industry; and now key operators, content providers and API’s (Accredited Payment Intermediaries) believe the future success of the initiative will rely on the developments made over the coming months.

Dialogue Communications hosted a NOC – The Future of Payforit seminar in London last night to look at what the future holds for this payment mechanism. Dialogue’s MD, Guillaume Peersman was joined by Iain McCallum of O2, Jeremy Flynn of D2See, and formally of Vodafone, and Phil Cooke of I-Play, to discuss where Payforit is heading.

Since Dialogue went live with Payforit in January 2007,the feedback has been positive, with statistics from content providers and API’s demonstrating a clear increase in conversation rates. Dialogue has seen a rise of up to 27 per cent on conversion compared to premium SMS solutions for its connected customers and I-Play is now approaching a 15 per cent conversion rate for customers visiting its mobile site.

“Payforit was in development for nearly two years and I think that now we have created a clear user interface and single click payment method that will be a success and consumers will trust. I believe Payforit will dominate m-payments for some time to come, but it is by no means the finished product and further developments need to be made, which is something all operators and API’s are working to achieve over the coming months,” explains Guillaume Peersman.

Price points have been one area of debate amongst the operators, with the consensus being that a £5 maximum purchase value is not enough to offer a broad range of content, and this rate should be increased to £10. Operators are already working on solutions to tackle this problem and in only a matter of months some may well raise the limits.

Iain McCallum, Head of Interactive Messaging Products at O2, echoes Guillaume’s statements: “"Improvements need to be made to the customer experience and that is the key issue that Payforit is trying to address. A lot of work and expense, by Accredited Payment Intermediaries and MNO's working together, has gone into optimising the PFI scheme rules to ensure that they are both robust enough to deliver the best possible subscriber experience and can be implemented by our partners with the minimum hassle and complexity. The next few months will, no doubt, throw up issues of concern and the MNO group will study these and fine-tune the scheme rules accordingly."

Consumer awareness is one of the key issues facing the brand. Simply, consumers are not being told what Payforit is and what its purpose is. Operators need to increase the promotion of the system before it can achieve its objectives.

Data charges involved in buying the content is another major concern for Payforit. Consumers don’t know the final amount they will end up paying for a game or music download, as the purchase price does not include the data charges that come with downloading the content. Two solutions were discussed at last night’s seminar including, listing the size of the download at the point of purchase, so the customer can work out how much extra it will cost to download. Secondly, some operators have introduced “all- you-can-eat” data tariffs that remove the worry of not knowing how much you are paying for a download, as all data downloads are included in the monthly line rental cost. This seems to be the way the industry is heading and would remove the barrier of unknown data charges.

“The next stage in the Payforit development process is to ensure that the standard is used not only in the off portal market but also on operator portals. For it to truly achieve its goal, the customer needs to see the standard payment screen wherever they buy content, be that on or off portal,” said Jeremy Flynn, MD of D2See.

Currently, on portal content purchases still make up around 25% of the market, therefore it is very much an active area in purchasing content and needs to incorporate the Payforit standard to ensure the user’s buying experience is always the same.

Subscription services have been available on mobile for many years but the trust in them has diminished over time as customers are unclear as to what they will be charged, when and how. Phil Cooke, CTO at I-Play explains how Payforit could lead to the revival of mobile subscriptions: “With Payforit taking over off portal buying, subscriptions are set for a rebirth as API’s now ensure consumers receive all the payment terms, including details of how to unsubscribe and helpline information at the time of purchase. This will hopefully demonstrate to the customer that a streamlined system is behind the subscriptions and all previous problems have been resolved.”

In terms of marketing, opt in boxes are currently left ticked on certain networks and unticked on others and there is a feeling amongst some operators that this is an issue that needs to be standardised across the whole industry. In addition to this, there is the matter of a merchant’s memory of consumer choices. Put simply, should consumers have to re-tick a box every time they revisit the same merchant?

Payforit will come up against some tough competition over the coming year from systems such as Google Checkout and Paypal Mobile. However, by making some minor developments, this registration free payment tool, which is quick and easy to use, looks set to become the market leading initiative it has always looked likely to be.

Dialogue's Technology Drives New Mobile Phone Shopping Service

2007-08-20T10:18:00.000+01:00

2shop4™ Set to Change UK Shopping Methods Forever

Technology from Dialogue Communications is behind the UK’s first mobile shopping mall, 2shop4, which launched its trial service today and is set to revolutionise the way mobile users shop. 2shop4’s unique software has been developed by the Microsoft Certified Team, Evevoy Developments, Microsoft ID: 1587875 and Hero-Solutions, Microsoft ID: 1570818. Evevoy Developments are Mobile Tier One Partner whom are exclusively operated by Dialogue Communications.

2shop4 will allow users to buy products instantly through the mobile internet and text codes. Shopping adverts for global brands, high street shops, supermarkets, travel agencies, sports and film tickets to name a few, will appear across multiple media outlets including bill boards, magazines, TV and online, advertising a 2shop4 Buy-Now code or keyword which shoppers can text to purchase goods.

The shopper texts the 2shop4 code or keyword; such as ‘Flowers’ to 84777 and receives a 2shop4 Buy-Now WAP advert direct to their mobile phone. The user then selects the advertised product and buys it via a secure payment system and the goods are delivered to their home.

SMS technology behind 2shop4, has been supplied by Dialogue Communications, an interactive mobile specialist, the UK Managing Director, Guillaume Peersman, is excited to be involved in this unique mobile shopping service:

“2shop4 is pushing mobile shopping into a whole new area. Before this service launched, buying on mobile was very limited and this service will bring a whole new dimension to mobile shopping. Dialogue is very excited about being involved in such a forward thinking project, as we pride ourselves on our innovative attitude in the mobile market and 2shop4 most certainly is that. Working with Evevoy, we believe 2shop4 will provide shoppers with a truly unique shopping experience.”

Following an initial trial phase, 2shop4 will be launched in the UK in October, expectations of global services available within 2008. Evevoy is in talks with leading Global Advertising Network for exclusive rights to 2shop4. 2shop4’s mobile Buy Now shopping service will enhance the marketing and advertising campaigns of its clients.

Andrew Curry, Chairman of Evevoy is looking towards the Brand’s future: “2share4 is currently being developed for Buy-Now Stocks and Shares, which will include a brand charity loyalty programme. Evevoy team’s will continue to be the architect and developer of innovational, commercial and technological products by working with trusted brands as global strategic partners or VARs.”

2shop4 works on all UK mobile network operators and the system allows payments to be made with MasterCard, Maestro, Paypal, Visa, Delta and Switch. 2shop4 shopper lifestyle and gift profiling, keywords and codes can match clothing sizes, brands, products and services to the 2shop4 shopper needs.

About Evevoy Developments Limited:

Evevoy Developments Limited, is a Microsoft Credited Partner ID: 1587875, Tier One Mobile Network Partner & Global Commercial VAR company. Working via Return on Investment as Consultants-Consultants; we employ ‘Kizena’ business techniques & ‘Macedonian’ methods of communications.

Evevoy Developments, commercially develops: Innovation, Patents, Technologies, Products, Brands, Brand Extensions, Commercial Property & Medias via creative strategic senior partnerships. Our principle team offer ROI’s & portfolios close to 150 years of senior & commercial expertise. We mentor & coach developments & our team’s.

2shop4.com