The UAE’s telecoms regulator has announced that BlackBerry services in the country will be suspended from 11 October this year.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said that the suspension was due to the failure of ongoing attempts since 2007 to bring BlackBerry services in the country in line with local regulations.

“With no solution available and in the public interest, in order to affect resolution of this issue, as of October 11, 2010, Blackberry Messenger, Blackberry Email and Blackberry Web-browsing services will be suspended until an acceptable solution can be developed and applied,” said TRA director general Mohamed Al Ghanim.

“The TRA notes that Blackberry appears to be compliant in similar regulatory environments of other countries, which makes non-compliance in the UAE both disappointing and of great concern.”

BlackBerry devices, introduced in the UAE in 2006, allow users to send messages that can’t be monitored as allowed for under the country’s 2007 Safety, Emergency and National Security rules, the regulator said last week.

Although such communications should fall under the remit of that law, technical encryption allowed them to avoid monitoring, it said Sunday.

Telcos Etisalat and du were informed of the TRA’s decision on Sunday. They were also instructed to ensure minimal consumer disruption in the provision of alternative services.

“All Blackberry services fall within the UAE regulatory framework developed by the TRA since 2007, however because of Blackberry’s technical configuration, some Blackberry services operate beyond the enforcement of these regulations,” said a statement issued by the TRA.

“Blackberry data is immediately exported off-shore, where it is managed by a foreign, commercial organization. Blackberry data services are currently the only data services operating in the UAE where this is the case.

“Today’s decision is based on the fact that, in their current form, certain Blackberry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns for the UAE.”

Source Courtesy: Ed Attwood | arabianbusiness.com

UAE leads the way in the Middle East for using technology to create a better economic and social environment, according to a new report published by the World Economic Forum.

The Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010 ranks the UAE as the 23rd best country out of 133 survey on how it uses information technology to create a “more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable world in the aftermath of one of the most serious economic crises in decades”.

Globally, Sweden came out on top, followed by Singapore and Denmark.

In the Gulf region, the UAE was placed six places above Bahrain, which edged Qatar into 29th place.

Saudi Arabia was ranked at number 38 while Oman was rated the 50th most ICT prepared country. Kuwait was the lowest ranked GCC nation at number 76.

Bahrain was the highest climber of the Gulf nations in this year’s rankings and over a three year period, having gained 21 places since 2006.

Kamal Ahmed, chief operating officer of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), said the kingdom’s rise reflected a commitment to ICT as both a sector in its own right and an enabler of continued economic growth, modernisation and competitiveness.

“Sweden, Singapore and Denmark’s superior capacity to leverage ICT as an enabler of sustainable, long-term economic growth is built on similar premises, relating with a long-standing focus placed by governments and private sectors alike on education, innovation and ICT access and diffusion,” said Irene Mia, senior economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the World Economic Forum and co-editor of the report.

“The success of these countries underlines the importance of a joint ICT vision, an implementation, by all the different stakeholders in a society for a country to take full advantage of ICT advances in its daily life and overall competitiveness strategy.”

Courtesy: arabianbusiness.com/584653-uae-is-gulfs-most-ict-prepared-country—world-eco-forum as posted by Andy Sambidge on Saturday, 27 March 2010

Existing banking systems are too old for mobile banking.

If we know, we tend to forget this, and if we are ignorant, we would never believe it: but banking is actually not real time. What you see is not necessarily what is, nor is it what you may get. Listen to what Bill Streeter say in a recent article in the ABA Banking Journal:

“On the other hand, if you define real time as handling any transaction at any channel only once, at which point final posting occurs, then very few U.S. institutions are doing that….. Real time was also the norm for years with savings and loans and credit unions, and still is in some cases, though the movement to check-based transactions changed things for many of these institutions.”

The rest of the article is a great read about the state of real-time-ness in banking and how difficult it is to turn existing banks into real time machines. Or to quote from the article: “Changing core systems is not for the faint of heart,”

Which made me think: why do we want to put mobile banking and payment solutions on top of old banking systems? The whole idea of using a mobile phone for banking is that I can do stuff in real-time. I mean, can you imagine having a telephone call in batch? Phones are made (and consumers expect them to be) real-time devices. It is just absolutely crazy to plug a mobile phone into a system that does not work in real-time.

In order to bring the true benefit of mobile banking, we will have to re-define banking from the ground up. The banking systems that should sit underneath mobile banking should be designed in a different (more modern view). If a transaction happens we post a debit and a credit and it is done (simple). If we have to reverse the transaction, we post a credit and a debit. This is not so difficult. This means that mobile banking (in many cases) would initially be a separate system.

Once again, this is not so far-fetched. Banks did it when they launched credit card systems a few decades ago, and it seemed to work pretty well. Why should we not do it with mobile payment systems. Just a thought…

Source Courtesy: http://mbanking.blogspot.com/2009/07/existing-banking-systems-are-too-old.html

MoneyGram International and Affinity Global Services Launch Mobile Money Transfer Service Agreement brings MoneyGram’s convenient cash-transfer services to Mobile Network Operators and their customers

MoneyGram International (NYSE: MGI – News), a leading provider of global payment services, and Affinity Global Services, a leading mobile financial services company, today announced an agreement that will enable mobile money transfer receives in important markets around the globe, bringing greater convenience and extending the benefits of MoneyGram services to a new category of consumers.

According to the World Bank, more than 200 million people live outside their home country. Mobile networks, which are now globally available, help immigrants stay connected and mobile money transfer applications will enable these and other subscribers better manage their finances. The MoneyGram and Affinity Global Services alliance will allow consumers to use MoneyGram’s agent network of over 180,000 locations around the world to send money to an account associated with a mobile device.

“In developing economies, there are more people with mobile phones than traditional bank accounts. We see a tremendous opportunity to better serve these consumers by delivering MoneyGram remittances in compelling new formats such as mobile technology,” said Anthony Ryan, MoneyGram president and chief executive officer. “Our relationship with Affinity Global Services will significantly enhance our agent network by allowing us to partner with mobile network operators in key corridors such as Latin America, Asia and Africa, and provide convenient, affordable and reliable money transfer services to consumers around the world.”

Affinity Global Services is the first Mobile Gateway to facilitate MoneyGram services, and will provide technical connectivity between MoneyGram and various mobile network operators. The MoneyGram mobile money transfer service will use Affinity Global’s MADE™ Platform, enabling MoneyGram to connect to virtually any mobile network operator. The parties are currently in discussion with a mobile network operator which is expected to be the first to launch the service to consumers later this year.

”MoneyGram understands that success in the mobile sector is about more than just technology,” said Ritchie Skelding, Affinity Global Services chairman. “To make mobile money transfer services work on a global scale requires a partner with world-class systems and a willingness to partner with mobile operators. Success also takes a commitment to deliver consumer value in a simple and transparent way. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ in this rapidly evolving space so MoneyGram’s entrance into the mobile money sector will help accelerate adoption of these services.”

About Affinity Global Services, Inc.

Affinity Global Services is a mobile solutions company based in Dallas, Texas. We believe in bringing economic freedom and opportunity to underbanked people around the world.

Established in 2004 and funded by US and international venture capitalists, Affinity boasts a leadership team of wireless and financial services veterans. We understand that wireless technology can deliver financial empowerment to those in need – and that providing such empowerment benefits everyone. For more information, visit www.affinityglobalservices.com.

About MoneyGram

MoneyGram International offers more control and more choices for people separated from friends and family by distance or those with limited bank relationships to meet their financial needs. A leading global payment services company, MoneyGram International helps consumers to pay bills quickly and safely send money around the world in as little as 10 minutes. Its global network is comprised of 180,000 agent locations in 190 countries and territories. MoneyGram’s convenient and reliable network includes retailers, international post offices and financial institutions. Now, MoneyGram offers its most loyal customers MoneyGram Rewards for cash discounts on eligible money transfers from the U.S. – visit www.mymoneygram.com to register today. To learn more about money transfer or bill payment at an agent location or online, please visit www.moneygram.com.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/MoneyGram-International-and-bw-222672343.html?x=0&.v=1

MMT09 is the rightfully being recognized already as the world’s largest independent mobile money transfer conference and exhibition.

This year’s event is scheduled to take place at the JW Marriott, Dubai on the 26-27 October. Highlights include keynote speeches from mobile microfinance innovators.

As well as project management guidance, MMT09 also offers unsurpassed networking opportunities and a private exhibition featuring all the leading mobile money technology developers.

The program features over 45 leading mobile money pioneers including the banks who have practical experience of MMT programme deployment. Some of them are as follows:

* Karim Khoja, CEO, Roshan
* Jan Chipchase, Principal Scientist, Nokia
* Chris Gabriel, Chief Executive Officer, Zain Africa
* Jojo Malolos, Group Head of Financial Services, SMART Communications
* Zouhair Khaliq, CEO, Orascom International Investment Holdings
* Claire Featherstone, Head of M-Commerce, Maxis
* Aran Hamilton, VP – Strategic Partnerships, Zoompass
* Staffan Ljung, Director of Payments and Consumer Information Management, Ericsson
* Rashed Alabbar, Senior Manager, e-Business, Etisalat
* Mitch Roda, Senior Payments Manager, du

MMT09 is not only about visionary case studies. It also brings you panel debates and roundtable discussions led by the product managers who have got their ‘hands dirty’ deploying MMT programmes. Get to the heart of the issues that really matter:

* How to establish and manage an effective agent network
* How to structure strategic partnerships and provide profitability for all parties
* The benefits of partnering with MFIs
* How to launch a successful marketing campaign that will have resonance with your target market
* How to talk to the regulators
* The impact of MMT on existing back office processes and cultures
* ..and much more!

Booking by the 21st of August entitles you to receive your £300 discount!

Online registration is open now at www.mobile-money-transfer.com/global-summit. Alternatively register by telephone: +44 (0)20 7067 1831; fax: +44 (0)20 7067 1807; or email: mmt@clarionevents.com. Quote MTE3G when registering.

Following card frauds experienced by consumers and the various degrees of support and reassurance received from their respective banks, a poll conducted shows that 50% of consumers support chip and PIN move in UAE.

Almost half of all responders to a poll have said they think the new chip and PIN idea that is to be rolled out across the UAE is a great idea that will have a major impact on fraud.

Last week’s announcement by the UAE Central Bank that all banks in the country will be required to move to chip and PIN technology called widespread debate, with some experts citing the move as useless against the type of fraud residents suffered last summer at the hands of international gangs.

However, Arabian Business’s online survey showed that 48.6 percent strongly welcomed the move, with just 10.4 percent thinking it would be a better to invest in more advanced biometric tests, such as eye scans, to stop fraud.

A quarter of responders (26.3 percent) said the plan was a good idea but would have limited impact on fraud and 14.7 percent said the plan would be ineffective and only incur costs for banks and retailers.

The bank’s decision to introduce chip and PIN follows a review of the UAESWITCH cash machine network and comes amid a growing problem with credit card fraud in the country.

The bank said that after the excercise it decided to amend some of its protocols and introduce new ones following the recommendation of consultants brought in to oversee it.

It added that it will adopt global payment card industry standards for the network.

Chip and PIN is the name of an initiative backed by the UK government aimed at combating credit/debit card fraud.

Under the Chip and PIN system credit/debit cards containing an embedded microchip are authenticated automatically using a PIN.

So, when a customer wishes to pay for goods using this system, the card is placed into a PIN pad terminal or a modified swipe-card reader, which accesses the chip on the card.

Once the card has been verified as authentic, the customer enters a 4-digit PIN, which is checked against the PIN stored on the card. If the two match, the transaction will be completed.

The UAE Central Bank has given no further details of how or when the plan will be rolled out.

Source Courtesy: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/546294-half-of-people-support-chip-and-pin-move-in-uae as reported by Joanna Hartley

Computer Viruses are not the only ones that are in constant race with the Anti-Virus – or vice versa!

Bankers are forced to adopt new technologies to protect their consumers from various types of frauds.

Reportedly, Chip and PIN technology may cut fraud cases in Bahrain as reported by Andy Sambidge in Arabian Business.

Cases of card fraud are set to drop in Bahrain following the rollout of chip and PIN technology, it was reported on Sunday.

Following an order from the Central Bank of Bahrain, all new credit and debit cards issued from July by banks must come equipped with a microchip, which stores all of the cardholder’s data.

The Central Bank of Bahrain ordered all banking institutions to adopt the technology from June 30 or risk penalties.

“The new cards are much better than the old system because of the cryptography used in the chip itself,” Bahrain Society of Bankers chief executive officer Robert Ainey said in comments published by Gulf Daily News.

“Although it can be broken under extreme laboratory conditions, this is the sort of technology that the common counterfeiter doesn’t have.”

Ainey told the paper that although the vulnerability of the magnetic strip would still be present in the new generation of cards, consumers in Bahrain would be better protected if their cards were used fraudulently.

“The slight downside to the current implementation of chip and PIN is for those retailers who are not enabled. They can still fall back to the magnetic strip,” he said.

“So if someone got your card, they could still copy the strip and a fraud could occur.

“But in this case, the issuing bank would have the absolute right to charge-back the fraudulent transaction from the merchant’s bank.”

Source Courtesy: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/561676-chip-and-pin-to-cut-case-of-fraud-in-bahrain—banker

I had the pleasure of participating at MMT-08. Doubtless, it was a great learning experience with the likes of CEOs of mPesa and Obopay sharing their insights – not to forget the local players like Etisalat and NBAD.

Here are the details along with the message from Steve Clarke on MMT-09

[Quote]

The total value of international mobile p2p payments is expected to reach $202 billion by 2015*. With the likes of Orange, Zain, Orascom, Globe, Smart, Etisalat, Vodafone, MTN and Safaricom all at advanced stages of MMT programme deployment, you need to finalise your mobile money strategy so as not to be left behind.

(* Source: Edgar, Dunn and Co.)

Attend the 2nd Global Mobile Money Transfer Conference and Exhibition, (26 – 27 October, JW Marriott, Dubai) to hear inspiring keynotes from the world’s leading MMT pioneers and actionable advice on how to make your mobile money programme a success from over 45 expert practitioner speakers, all with market-proven experience of devising and launching MMT services.

As well as project management guidance, MMT 09 also offers you a definitive networking opportunity and a private exhibition featuring all the leading mobile money technology developers.

The world’s most comprehensive line up of international MMT pioneers includes:

* Karim Khoja, CEO, Roshan
* Jan Chipchase, Principal Scientist, Nokia
* Chris Gabriel, Chief Executive Officer, Zain Africa
* Jojo Malolos, Group Head of Financial Services, SMART Communications
* Brad Jones, Managing Director, Wing Cambodia
* Gautam Ivatury, Strategic Advisor, CGAP
* Zouhair Khaliq, CEO, Orascom International Investment Holdings
* Sanket Mohapatra, Economist – Migration and Remittances, World Bank
* Claire Featherstone, Head of M-Commerce, Maxis
* Brian Richardson, CEO, WIZZIT

MMT 09 is not only about visionary case studies, we also bring you panel debates and roundtable discussions led by the product managers who have got their ‘hands dirty’ deploying MMT programmes. Get to the heart of the issues that really matter: how to establish and manage an effective agent network, how to partner with MFIs; how to launch a successful marketing campaign that will have resonance with your target market; how to talk to the regulators; the impact of MMT on existing back office processes and cultures… and much, much more!

Mobile money transfer may be the title of this conference, but our audience are interested in the entire m-payments suite. Domestic money transfers, airtime top-ups and mobile microfinance may have been the killer applications in driving adoption of m-payment in emerging markets, but merchant payments, cross border remittances, corporate, utility bill and school fee payments are all coming soon.

Our MMT conferences provide practical, ‘how to do it’ advice, delivered by practitioners with market-proven experience. Don’t miss the ‘Mobile Money Academy’ – a comprehensive programme of workshops helping you overcome the key challenges in MMT project management: defining your business model, interacting with regulators, selecting technology partners, engaging with the unbanked, and launching and marketing your service.

MMT expert Olga Moraczynski and mobile visionary Jan Chipchase, Principal Scientist at Nokia, will jointly deliver a groundbreaking Mobile Money academy session exploring the key enablers that will encourage illiterate and semi-literate consumers to embrace mobile money services.

Online registration is open now at www.mobile-money-transfer.com/global-summit. Alternatively register by telephone: +44 (0)20 7067 1831; fax: +44 (0)20 7067 1807; or email: mmt@clarionevents.com. Please quote MTE1G when registering.

Book by Friday 21st of August to receive your £300 discount!

I look forward to welcoming you to MMT09.

Warmest Regards,

Steve Clarke
Host, MMT Group & Conference Director, MMT09
Email: mmt@clarionevents.com
www.mobile-money-transfer.com

[Unquote]

Foreign workers in the UAE send home more than $10 billion (Dh36.7bn) every year – making the country the second highest fund remittance performer in the GCC, said global trade association Money Transfer International (MTI).

And the UAE is the third largest sender of remittances worldwide. MTI says the region has the potential to drive growth in the sector though the global economy is slowing down.

“The GCC is one of the top five performers in the global remittance industry, which was worth $550bn in 2008,” said MTI’s Regional Director, Premal Patel. He said recent estimates from the International Monetary Fund indicated that the remittance volume in the UAE would lead the increase and would rise by five per cent this year.

“The UAE is set to play a crucial role in remittance sector growth,” he added. “During March 2009 alone the volume of remittances from the UAE to Pakistan topped $174 million.

“More than 40 per cent of all overseas Filipino workers are based in the Middle East and 10.5 per cent live and work in the UAE. Remittances to the Philippines from the UAE reached more than $584m in 2008.”

According to MTI statistics, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait are the GCC’s best performers. On the back of the anticipated growth in the region MTI recently launched a Gulf chapter in Bahrain.

Lady Olga Maitland, MTI CEO, said: “The decision to launch MTI Middle East is a direct response to the remittance sector’s call for a voice to represent its interests.

“Our global network will expand this year to include four more chapters, including ones in the Philippines and Pakistan both high volume destinations for receiving remittances.

And Patel added: “MTI’s Middle East chapter is geared to facilitate and safeguard the interests of the industry as a whole, be it the consumer, service providers and partners.”

Source Courtesy: Emirates Business 24/7 2009

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