Press Release: MACH, the leading provider of hub-based mobile communication solutions, today announces that Microsoft has selected its Direct Billing Gateway (DBG) solution for Windows Phone 7 applications and content billing. The DBG solution will enable Windows Phone 7 users across the world to buy content from Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace with a simple 1-click service, placing the fee for the application on the user’s phone bill. Microsoft has already launched this service with Telstra in Australia.

The rapid evolution of mobile applications and services necessitates a payment method that combines ease of use with the broadest consumer reach. The Direct Billing Gateway selected by Microsoft was launched by MACH to offer a much more sophisticated and direct billing method by transferring the cost of the application download or in-app purchase directly to users’ phone bills. The DBG solution creates a simple to use 1-click buy process, doing away with the need for cumbersome Premium Messaging or re-direction to WAP payment pages.

“Microsoft is committed to providing Windows Phone 7 customers with easy access to quality apps, games and other content through Windows Phone Marketplace on the phone or PC,” said Todd Brix, Senior Director, Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft Corp. “Working with MACH better enables us to offer customers the benefits of a convenient and easy-to-use mobile operator billing option when purchasing their favourite content for Windows Phone 7.”

Charles Damen, Vice President, Mobile Content and Applications, MACH, commented: “MACH has provided messaging services to Microsoft for many years now and we are delighted to extend this relationship to its content billing requirements for Windows Phone 7.

We see operator billing as a real driver towards the growth of mobile application transactions and we are confident that the elegance of the one-click billing experience will prove extremely popular with Windows Phone 7 users.”

As well as providing a seamless user experience for Microsoft’s customers, MACH’s DBG solution will help the company maximise revenue assurance and conversion for its application partners. The solution is directly integrated to the billing systems of mobile network operators and delivers real-time authentication and authorisation within the application, minimising risk of revenue leakage or abandoned transactions.

About MACH

MACH connects and monetizes the telecom world. It provides its 650 operator customers with roaming, interconnect, messaging, and direct billing solutions, all integrated with its $10bn / year operator settlement capability. We are the largest provider of data and financial clearing solutions for wireless roaming and operate the globe’s largest and fastest growing open connectivity roaming hub, Link2One. We insert the operator in the content and application value chain and serve the reseller and wholesaler community with our A2P messaging solutions. Headquartered in Luxembourg, MACH has offices in 12 countries and employs more than 1,000 people worldwide. Our customers include Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Telus, Verizon Wireless and Microsoft, as well as enterprise messaging customers like KLM. For more information, visit www.mach.com.

WMPoweruser Comment

Operator billing for software has been found to have the best conversion from downloads to paid applications, and removes the requirement of having a credit card or sharing your billing information with anyone besides your carrier, who has it already. It provides a great advantage over even Apple, who often boasts over having more than 160 million credit cards registered on iTunes, and is only now being adopted by other platforms like Android. With 650 carriers supported world-wide, it will also hopefully help support the roll-out of Marketplace to currently unsupported countries.

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