The Pakistani mobile operator Ufone and Fortumo this week announced the launch of direct carrier billing for Google Play.
Millions of Ufone subscribers can now pay for apps and in-app content from Google Play by charging purchases to their monthly Ufone bill or prepaid SIM card.
Fortumo managed the integration project from end to end, using its previous expertise from connecting dozens of other telcos to Google Play. In addition to the technical setup and project management, Fortumo supports its telco partners with marketing advice on how to maximize revenue from Google Play. Ufone also receives access to real-time analytics on carrier billing performance from the Fortumo Insight platform.
In Pakistan, only 1% of people own a credit card while 43% of people have a smartphone. This creates a challenge for app stores and digital content merchants, as the majority of mobile users are able to access content but cannot pay for premium services.
Taavi Krusell, VP of Carrier Sales, Fortumo
Smartphones are today one of the biggest sources of entertainment for people across the world. Fortumo’s goal is to help telcos in launching these entertainment services to their subscribers in a scalable way and as quickly as possible.