Bango Regulatory News (BGO)

2 Nov 2006 07:02

Bango PLC02 November 2006 BANGO PLC ("Bango" or "the Company") LAUNCH OF NEW SERVICE Bango launches safe subscriptions for mobile content over the mobile internet Bango (AIM:BGO) has launched a safe subscription service that gives mobile usersworld-wide a simple, risk-free way to pay for content from ringtones and videosto news and blogs, on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis. The new servicemakes it easy for consumers to sign up and manage their subscription accounts onthe mobile internet, aiming to restore public confidence in mobile subscriptionpayments. "With the new Bango subscription service, users have a clear understanding ofwhat they are entering into, know exactly the status of each subscription andhave a simple means of stopping future payments" says Ray Anderson, CEO atBango. "Having a single point of control and management avoids problemsencountered with old-style disparate SMS subscriptions." The safe subscription service from Bango, which is fully compliant with the UKmobile operators' "Payforit" trusted mobile payment scheme, addresses consumerconcerns in a number of important ways: - Ensures terms and conditions are easily read; - Uses mobile internet to meet double-opt-in requirements, eliminating the need for complex, disparate SMS messages; - Provides clear central point of control for the consumer on Bango.net; - Gives one-click option to cancel payments; - Detects handset capabilities, reducing the likelihood of content being non-compatible; - And utilises the Bango global mobile payment platform thereby offering a range of payment options. Content providers can concentrate on their mobile site and their business model.The end user experience they require is automatically adapted by Bango to meetthe best practice guidelines and mandatory requirements for each payment methodand in local markets. Content providers simply set the frequency and define the initial introductoryand standard repeat prices. Bango ensures that there are no barriers to signingup and takes care of the complexity along with management and legal issuessurrounding contractual agreements. The new Bango subscription service is due to go live by the end of 2006. For further information, please contact: Bango plc Tel: 01223 472 777Ray Anderson, CEO / Peter Saxton, CFOICIS Tel: +44 207 651 8688Tom Moriarty / Caroline Evans-Jones About BangoBango has developed and deployed a unique open, global infrastructure platformthat enables content providers to market, sell and deliver their products andservices directly to mobile phone users on all mobile networks using the mobileInternet. This "direct-to-consumer" approach operates alongside the operator'smobile content portals. Leading mobile operators including Cingular Wireless,Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica and O2 work with Bango to accelerate the growth oftheir "direct-to-consumer" business. The Bango platform has given phone subscribers around the world greater accessto third-party content. Users in more than 130 countries and over 250 operatorspay for mobile content using Bango. Bango, based in New York and Cambridge (UK),is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (AIM: BGO). For further information, goto www.bango.com. About Bango Subscription ServiceBango ensures that consumers see the terms and conditions before confirmation ofany payments so it's clear how much the service costs and the frequency of thepayments. The integration with the payment flow in a mobile internet sessionovercomes the problems of a disparate SMS message based approach where the termsand conditions are separated from the payment experience. Consumers also have an easy way of controlling their subscriptions. By visitingbango.net on their mobile phone, or clicking on a link from the contentprovider's mobile site, they clearly see the details and status of all theiractive subscriptions - with a one-click option to cancel future payments. Thissingle point of control means consumers do not need to remember what they havesigned up for or how to stop the subscriptions. The user needs an internet enabled handset to sign-up - nearly all new phonessold today are internet enabled. The mobile internet site offering the servicesdetects handset capabilities so they only offer content known to work on theuser's handset. This approach means consumers are not likely to subscribe forcontent they cannot access or use. The mobile internet based flow enablesdouble-opt-in requirements, whereby consumers have to reconfirm their wishes, tobe met in a much more user friendly way than a complex exchange of textmessages. As the service is part of Bango's global mobile payment platform, customers canchoose to pay using a range of methods including on-bill payment, credit/debitcards and PayPal where available. About PayforitPayforit was developed through a strategic UK cross-mobile network operatorinitiative to promote a safe and trustworthy environment under which mobilephone users may purchase goods and services from the mobile internet and chargeto their mobile phone. It aims to improve the consumer experience for one-timeand subscription based services by introducing a safe, transparent and unifiedapproach to mobile purchases. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange