Joint EPC-GSMA Paper 'Mobile Contactless Payments Service Management Roles - Requirements and Specifications
Summary
The paper describes the provision and lifecycle management- including distribution, configuration, activation, maintenance and deletion - of banks' mobile contactless payment applications when integrated with a mobile phone. It also outlines the role of the "Trusted Service Manager", which is to support banks and mobile operators aiming to promote mobile contactless payments. This document describes the main processes between Issuers and MNOs necessary to load and manage the MCP Application(s) on the UICC (note that the payment transaction itself is out of scope of this document). These processes are defined in terms of Service Management Roles (SMRs).
Mobile financial services are experiencing a global surge, especially in emerging markets. Global total transaction volume is expected to reach approximately USD 280 billion by 2015. Clearly, there is an enormous potential for M-payments in M-BRIC countries, but how to best capture it? This article provides an overview of the best entry strategies and indicates how players in each country must consider specific local requirements in order to succeed in the m-payment market.
Series of articles on M-PESA
In March 2007, Kenya's largest mobile network operator, Safaricom (part of the Vodafone Group), launched M-PESA, an innovative payment service for the unbanked. "Pesa" is the Swahili word for cash; the "M" is for mobile. Within the first month Safaricom had registered over 20,000 M-PESA customers, well ahead of the targeted business plan. This rapid take-up is a clear sign that M-PESA fills a gap in the market. The product concept is very simple: an M-PESA customer can use his or her mobile phone to move money quickly, securely, and across great distances, directly to another mobile phone user. The customer does not need to have a bank account, but registers with Safaricom for an M-PESA account. Customers turn cash into e-money at Safaricom dealers, and then follow simple instructions on their phones to make payments through their M-PESA accounts; the system provides money transfers as banks do in the developed world. The account is very secure, PIN-protected, and supported with a 24/7 service provided by Safaricom and Vodafone Group.
Phone gadget to diagnose disease – Portable Healthcare Clinic
Summary
An add-on fitted to a mobile phone that can take detailed images and analyse them to diagnose diseases such as tuberculosis. In many developing world and rural areas, a person could be hundreds of miles from hospitals or miles away from power - but the mobile infrastructure is well-established.
If the person has a mobile, battery-operated system to take images, analyse, and transfer them with the add-on, this leads to creating a portable healthcare clinic. The doctor can see the samples without actually having to be present.
The Sana Philippines team is designing and implementing a cell phone based telemedicine system that will improve the identification, management, and treatment of hypertension, one of the most prevalent disorders striking populations in both the developed and developing world.
The Grace App for Autism helps autistic and other special needs children to communicate effectively, by building semantic sequences from relevant images to form sentences. The app can be easily customized by using picture and photo vocabulary of your choice.
The application works in real time and allows the user to select their preferences, and then rotate the device (for instance iPhone) to present a full-sized sentence to the listener – who will read it with them and respond.
Sector
Healthcare, Private
Author(s)
Country
Ireland
Website
Read more:
http://www.graceapp.com/what-is-grace-app/
http://www.graceapp.com/guide-to-grace-app/
Title
Mobile Link Service (MLS)
Summary
Innovative 24-hour outdoor emergency support and care service to enhance the social inclusion of seniors by empowering their independence and mobility in the community. The Centre can also identify the approximate location and path of the Mobile Link Device - upon receipt of a request and also consent from the service user or designated contact person. It helps save people from medical emergencies.
A multimedia prescription manager and medication reminder. With Medica, users can store and manage as many prescriptions as they wish, each with multiple medications. The application also reminds patients to attend treatment sessions and follow-ups. Users can record audio messages from doctors and attach the audio to the prescription, so as to recall the doctor’s face-to-face instructions.
Sector
Healthcare, Private
Author(s)
Country
Egypt
Website
Read more:
http://irwaa.com/
http://irwaa.com/medica/
Title
MMS Sign - To make cell phones accessible to deaf
Summary
The project consists of a new service which converts SMS received by the telecom operator to MMS: the deaf person receives the MMS containing a translation of the initial textual message into sign language (based on a 3D avatar).
This application combines readings a patient from various measuring devices such as a blood glucose meter. Software on the patient’s mobile phone recommends a certain course of action to be taken by the patient depending on the readings obtained. In critical situations, the software may notify the patient’s doctor or caregiver.
In order to fight the deadly consequences of the growing global counterfeit pharmaceutics market, MPedigree enables anyone in a developing country with access to a cell phone to authenticate their drugs before use. Users reveal a single-use code on drugs and SMS it to a provisioned mobile short code, which, in turn, generates an automated verification response.
With Hygieia, when a doctor types a prescription on his computer, the prescription is transmitted directly to the intelligent Hygieia server, which then forms a daily planner for the patient and sends it to his mobile device. The solution can be activated by the customer by downloading the application on one’s mobile phone or any other device that provides network ability.
It is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunication technologies, which can be utilized to support the productive interactions between patient and caregiver. Hygieia, empowers customers to be more proactive towards their health.
Mobile Baby will save countless lives whilst greatly enhancing the quality of living of millions of women across the continent. Etisalat already deployed its Maternal Health program in the Tanzania, Nigeria, UAE and Saudi Arabia. In sub-Saharan Africa, 500,000 women die each year in pregnancy and the risk of maternal death is 50 times higher compared to developed countries. Studies also indicate that more than ¾ of maternal deaths take place during or within 24 hours of childbirth and that 4 million babies die during the first 28 days of life. Etisalat Mobile Baby uses mobile technology features in order to:
•Remotely monitor pregnancy evolution using ultrasound
•Identify and report danger signs during labour and delivery
•Pay for emergency transportation using money on the phone
•Communicate with the referral facility to indicate a woman’s need for emergency transfer and her requirements on arrival
The project partners are developing a breakthrough distributed diagnostics model: low cost HIV testing and counseling support via mobile phone. Individuals are eager to have an HIV Self Test, with both patients and health workers preferring counseling via Cell Phone.
