14 DAY TRIAL // Today, mobile phone maker Research In Motion has announced that over 50 wireless services providers all around the world have already implemented carrier billing for its BlackBerry App World portal.
This milestone is of great importance for RIM, as is for its carrier partners and for their customers. Furthermore, developers and content providers are also expected to gain a lot from this.
Through integrated carrier billing, users can purchase applications and other digital goods straight from the BlackBerry smartphone and pay for them on their monthly bill.
At the same time, the handset vendor has announced that carrier billing has been integrated with the BlackBerry Payment Service, which gives developers and content providers the possibility to offer in-app purchases to their customers.
Along with that, the service provides support for options such as one-time and recurring purchases, while leaving user’s app experience unaltered.
According to RIM, customer purchases in the BlackBerry App World are expected to increase following the addition of carrier billing options for them.
"We're delighted to announce that over 50 of our carrier partners are now offering integrated carrier billing to customers on BlackBerry App World,” Ronjon Nag, vice president for the BlackBerry App World storefront at RIM, commented.
“We remain committed to developing innovative ways to support our carrier partners, while providing a platform that benefits the whole mobile ecosystem.”
The handset vendor also notes that, on average, 75 percent of purchases are made through carrier billing where the option is available. Carrier revenue derived from apps is expected to increase 100 – 300 percent on average.
At the moment, the application portal is available for users in 170 markets and territories worldwide. Users can access over 100,000 applications through the storefront.
“Mobile operators recognize that RIM works closely and constructively with them and with more than 50 operators now offering integrated carrier billing it's a great milestone that shows these relationships are productive,” Dario Talmesio, principal analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media, said.
“Mobile operators recognize the business benefits this service provides and the opportunities for repeated customer engagement on BlackBerry App World.”