Fantastic 1 selects comprehensive Qpass solution

Umhlanga, 23 Jun 2005

Fantastic 1 announced today that it has chosen Qpass` Content Delivery Platform and Service Management Platform to power its mobile data services business.

Fantastic 1, based in Umhlanga, South Africa, is a provider of messaging infrastructure to both the mobile network operators and a number of enterprise clients and B2C application providers. Fantastic 1 has connectivity, including billing, into the three mobile network operators in SA (Vodacom, MTN and Cell C) and, through inter-connect agreements, with 550 network operators in 170 countries in the world.

There are an estimated 23 million subscribers in SA. Approximately 80% of those subscribers are prepaid customers. Data services contribute 4% - 5% of revenue to South African mobile network operators and Fantastic 1 would use the Qpass solution to increase the average revenue per user (ARPU) and improve customer loyalty.

"We chose Qpass` carrier-class solution because it meets our immediate needs, and more importantly, can scale to meet our future needs," says Nisaar Ally, CEO, Fantastic 1. "The Qpass Content Delivery Platform and Qpass Services Management Platform enables us to support our business model with flexible pricing, subscriptions and bundles while ensuring revenue is correctly allocated to the business partners concerned. The rich reporting and customer care interfaces also enables us to effectively manage our costs."

"There is tremendous growth opportunity for mobile data services in SA," said Chase Franklin, CEO, Qpass. "Qpass` software solution will enable Fantastic 1 to provide its operator customers a superior offering, thereby dramatically increasing their data ARPU, and allowing them to drive their mobile data services business at scale in this emerging market."

Qpass` solutions

Qpass Content Delivery Platform delivers the capabilities required to present offers and deliver digital media and services products to end-users by:

* Providing an efficient Web-based workflow for the upload and management of digital content - including ringtones, games, music, video and tickets.
* Presenting content offers for searching and shopping by end users, rendered for either the Web or mobile device.
* Delivering downloads via SMS, MMS, WAP push, WAP OTA and J2ME download.

Qpass Service Management Platform enables operators and media companies to launch and manage any offer, for any device, on any network, leveraging existing business systems by:

* Efficiently integrating content providers into the operator`s core business systems, and managing contracts, settlements and reporting through a Web-based workflow.
* Managing a single centralised offer catalogue for all types of premium digital products, with sophisticated capabilities for pricing, bundling, promotions and access control.
* Delivering transactions to pre- or postpaid billing systems, credit and debit cards, or other payment systems.
* Using real-time reporting and customer care interfaces for operators, content providers and end-users.

Qpass

Qpass software powers the marketplace for digital media and services by efficiently managing the entire digital supply chain over any network and any type of device. The Qpass product line includes the Content Delivery Platform, Service Management Platform, Payment Server, and MultiMedia Album. Today this infrastructure powers a digital services marketplace for operators reaching more than 145 million subscribers globally, generating hundreds of millions in revenues.

Qpass software works as an overlay to existing business systems including provisioning, billing and CRM, speeding service innovation and providing greater flexibility for new offers.

Qpass customers include mobile operators Cingular Wireless, T-Mobile International (UK, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Croatia and Czech Republic), Nextel, ALLTEL, Vodafone Ireland, and Boost Mobile; as well as leading consumer portals such as Yahoo! UK and Germany, uboot (www.uboot.com) and SMS.at (www.sms.at). Today more than 300 content partners and aggregators are integrated through Qpass software, providing access to more than 500 000 applications to consumers in the US and Europe. Qpass global headquarters are in Seattle, Washington, with European headquarters in Vienna, Austria. For more information on the company, visit www.qpass.com

Fantastic 1

Fantastic 1 prides itself as the best technology and service offering to its clients, and can provide many ways for communicating, delivering and streaming to the mobile handset in SA. Fantastic 1`s corporate office is situated in the heart of Umhlanga with support offices located in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Fantastic 1 is an approved WASP (wireless application service provider) for all mobile networks in SA and is also affiliated with WASPA and other major internationally recognised organisations. The company abides by strict rules and regulations in the industry and does not tolerate spam.

Fantastic 1 is also the only gateway provider to the mobile networks that is affiliated to "Proudly SA" and a black economic empowerment company (BEE). The affordability, security, interoperability and ease of use for all Fantastic 1 solutions will revolutionise the mobile industry in SA. http://www.fantastic1.co.za

Editorial contacts

Fantastic 1 selects comprehensive Qpass solution

Qpass to provide end-to-end content management and service management solution