MTN Uganda strengthens mobile financial services with Ericsson

• MTN Uganda deploys Ericsson Converged Wallet solution to support more than seven million current mobile wallet users and 50,000 agents
  
  
• Ericsson Converged Wallet solution streamlines MTN's ability to quickly introduce relevant, new and differentiated mobile financial services offerings
  
  
• Rollout is part of MTN Group and Ericsson's strategic partnership to introduce Ericsson Converged Wallet across the operator's vast African and Middle Eastern footprint

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) today announced that MTN Uganda has deployed the Ericsson Converged Wallet platform, enabling the operator to quickly introduce relevant, new and differentiated mobile financial services offerings for seven million MTN Uganda mobile wallet users and 50,000 agents.

MTN Uganda is part of MTN Group, a multinational telecommunications group, connecting approximately 219 million people in 22 countries across Africa and the Middle East.

Ericsson and MTN Group have a strategic partnership to ultimately launch mobile wallet services across the operator's footprint, and the Ericsson Converged Wallet serves as a mobile money hub solution, connecting across MTN's vast operations in several countries.

MTN uses the solution to quickly launch new services across regions and take advantage of cross-promotion capabilities.

The deployment also fulfills mobile financial services regulatory requirements imposed by Bank of Uganda. By making financial transactions, subscribers are now able to accumulate loyalty points toward MTN services, initiate loan requests and receive money from a range of access channels, including feature phones and smart devices.

Brian Gouldie, CEO, MTN Uganda, says: "Through our work with Ericsson, MTN Uganda offers MTN Mobile Money to bridge the gap between the region's banked and unbanked populations, providing wide and crucial access to financial services. With our rollout of Ericsson Converged Wallet platform, we have enhanced the stability and security of our mobile financial services offering, while gaining the ability to deliver better mobile financial services offers and service bundles as part of our pre-paid services."

Ericsson has replaced MTN Uganda's existing mobile wallet platform. The deal represents the first time that a mobile financial services solution is being integrated into a charging system, and also deployed as a hub solution to connect to operations across country borders. This migration was supported by dedicated m-commerce delivery teams at Ericsson's Global Competence Hub - a virtual organization that unites Ericsson experts around the globe - and the Global Service Center in India.

As a hub solution, the reusability of products and services across regions improves time-to-market and operational efficiencies. Ericsson provides a prime integrator engagement model that encompasses hardware, software, systems integration and migration services that are supported by a managed operations model.

"MTN Group's deployment of Ericsson Converged Wallet in Uganda follows a long history of our close collaboration in related areas," says Peter Heuman, VP, Head of M-Commerce, Ericsson. "We are proud of the important work we are doing together in the region to bring mobile financial services to millions of people in tight co-operation with MTN."

Part of the Ericsson M-Commerce portfolio, Ericsson Converged Wallet is an integrated mobile wallet solution that combines the company's wallet and charging platforms.

It allows operators to reuse existing assets and bundle telecom offerings with financial services to create a complete end user solution for m-commerce needs. Ericsson's m-commerce solutions help operators succeed in the mobile payments market by accelerating the interconnection between the m-commerce ecosystem and the financial world.