Mobile Network Operators Value Added Services (VAS) –

The transfer of applications from the PC to the mobile phone is timely news for operators, since mobile penetration is approaching saturation in some markets and operators are acutely aware that they need additional services to recover the investments made in bringing the connectivity to more users.

Presently, mobile voice revenues constitute the largest chunk of mobile operator’s revenues, relegating mobile data revenues to a miniscule percentage. However, the mobile operators have realized that in order to curb depleting ARPUs, they would need to widen their focus on increasing data revenues. In the case of Messaging, the popularity of Peer to Application (P2A) SMS, where mobile subscribers respond to an application such as voting through SMS for a TV program, is on the rise. In terms of Premium Content – Mobile Entertainment segment, it remains the most significant form of mobile VAS across the region.

Without value added services it will take a long time for operators to recoup their investments in network coverage and capacity, because the great majority of Latin American mobile users prefer the prepaid system, with relatively low monthly ARPU.

With the above operator challenges, we believe with our”VAS_AMERICAS” value added services, we contribute to the MNO’s differentiation and provide meaningfulness in the marketplaces of low ARPU, high social interaction and a segmented subscriber base. With this in mind,” VAS_AMERICAS “offers to the MNOs:

• USSD -Unstructured Supplementary Service Data
• SMSC – Short Message Service Center
• A2P/P2P SMSC – Application-to-Person, Persons-to-Person SMSC
• SMS Gateway/Socket – Short Message Service
• SMS Routing
• Entertainment and Advertising
• Raffles, Lottery, Contests
• Media Platforms for Service Delivery
• Media Application Server
• Media Control Services

The above offering helps the MNO achieve across mobile markets in Latin America that are intensely competitive and some of them have reached saturation in terms of penetration of addressable markets to have meaningfulness and differentiation. With decreasing voice tariffs contributing to declining ARPU rates, MNOs are actively pushing for growth of the non-voice value-added services (VAS) market. Despite the economic uncertainties, the mobile services market in Latin America continues to sustain a growth path, especially in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, where Chile has created some of the most interesting services. The expertise we accumulated over the years, and with the customer trust we worked so hard, qualifies Groupmab to fully understanding the social idiosyncrasies of Latin America, that by combining our VAS offering, “VAS_AMERICAS”, we can carefully balance the aggressiveness of the marketplace so that MNO can be in the position to win.