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The rise of microbilling across social networking, gaming and media content sites has encouraged Oxygen8 to create a new division that can now offer custom design of web and mobile sites fully optimised for Web, WAP and Smart Phones, iPhone and Smart phone applications, Near Field Communications and full Mobile Marketing services.
The new division brings together the resources of two of its subsidiaries, Melodi and Brainstorm. To help with the roll-out Oxygen8 is starting to sign up Reseller agreements with technical businesses that can integrate micro-billing solutions into their offerings and into mobile and web-based social networking and content companies.
The rapid expansion of sites that demand small payments – such as social networking, gaming and content; a global online consumer population increasingly dominated by non credit card owners; and the need to attain a far more secure approach to online purchasing have combined to make micropayments come of age.
Oxygen8’s development as one of the global leaders in micro-billing has been boosted by acquisitions and investments in 2009 especially in the Caribbean and Africa. Oxygen8 now has a developed network offering premium domestic mobile and phone billing in over 110 countries – supported by international billing covering 200 countries. Moving forward Oxygen8 is planning further acquisitions and investments to strengthen its position.
Shane Leahy, Group CEO at Oxygen8 Communications, says, “There is a growing recognition that to maximise opportunities in areas such as gaming, social networking and content provision the industry needs to deliver easy to use micropayments. Indeed, in the UK it is estimated that 16% of the adult population does not have a debit card, rising to 38% for credit cards. And amongst the youth sector, the prime target for many online services, those numbers are even higher. And while to date many organisations have eschewed micropayment options, such as mobile voice and premium SMS, due to the significant charges placed by the networks, the market has reached a tipping point: the opportunity now outweighs the network cost.”
Leahy continues, “Our customers, especially those that generate their core business from the Web are increasingly looking for global micro-billing, however this is complex with local variations in commercials, regulations and technology. The more control we have of the billing functions the better service we can provide. That is why apart from acquiring companies that can give us more global coverage we will also be investing in partners. Our ambition is to increasingly own the billing networks that we offer.”
The company is also looking for 60% growth over the next two years. Turnover in the last six months of 2009 was 20% up on the previous year. Whilst core markets such as the UK have seen an increase of 10%, emerging markets, particularly in Africa, are seeing triple digit growth. |
