14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion unveiled during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona plans to release an innovative mobile gifting platform for carriers, aimed at integrating with BlackBerry App World and carrier billing systems to enable users gift airtime, apps and carrier services from one another through BBM.
According to the leading handset vendor, its plans would include offering authorized BlackBerry subscribers the possibility to use their post-paid or pre-paid accounts for approving and paying for airtime, apps or other carrier services for another BlackBerry subscriber in a convenient, and secure manner.
The company announced that the new, innovative BBM mobile gifting platform was meant to integrate with BlackBerry App World and carrier billing systems, so that all the gifting requests and approvals would be directly handled between the BlackBerry subscribers using BBM (BlackBerry Messenger).
These transactions would be secure, authenticated and non-repudiable, the company notes, adding that the new platform is also expected to offer carriers the possibility to sell airtime to BlackBerry prepaid subscribers much easier than before.
“RIM is committed to aligning with carrier business models to deliver innovative and relevant mobile commerce solutions,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at RIM.
“There will be many usage scenarios and circumstances that can be accommodated through the BBM mobile gifting platform around the world, but the easiest for many people to readily envision and appreciate is the simplified act of a parent approving their child’s request for additional airtime minutes or an app purchase with a single click using BBM.”
RIM also notes that the launch of these convenient and tightly integrated services that are based on the BBM mobile gifting platform should result in an enhanced mobile commerce. It would also allow carriers to deliver unique value to their customers.
With this platform, BlackBerry subscribers will enjoy the possibility to acquire or gift airtime, apps and other carrier services, while having these charged to their existing postpaid or prepaid account. At the same time, they are offered the possibility to pay for the purchase through other payment methods.
Note: Fellow editors Cosmin Vasile and Alex Vochin are on the floor at the 2011 Mobile World Congress and are keeping us posted with pictures and live reports on the latest product previews and launches.