Looks like more and more OEMs are taking matters in their own hands in matters mobile payments, particularly where they have their own apps stores and content they need to push. Nokia in Kenya and Nigeria recently saw the roll out of operator billing via Airtel announced for Nokia Store. Samsung and Safaricom are on the way to get something similar running on seamless Mpesa.
BlueVia, which is part of Telefonica in Germany pushed for mobile carriers to adopt a single API for mobile payments for developers. The situation is different there, the carriers are pushing for developers and content sellers to adopt the API, here in Kenya, it’s the devs who need the carriers to give them access. Samsung will be selling apps on Samsung Apps store and content on Samsung hub via the operator billing API in Germany.
Clearly things come to those who already have as the 1st World country already has credit cards working for it, in the case of Kenya and other countries, adoption of the same is hampering ecommerce.
Source: Mobile Money Revolution
