Bango Regulatory News (BGO)

11 Dec 2006 07:02

Bango PLC11 December 2006 11th December 2006 BANGO PLC ("Bango" or "the Company") LAUNCH OF NEW PRODUCT AND CONTRACT WIN Launch of Bango Advantage package for large brands Ministry of Sound first brand to take advantage of highest possible payout rates world-wide Bango (AIM:BGO) has launched 'Bango Advantage', a new package giving largecontent providers access to the Bango Service. The Bango Advantage package isin addition to the existing Bango Focus, Target and Pro packages. BangoAdvantage is specifically designed for the growing numbers of large brands nowusing the mobile internet, offering them the most advanced mobile internetsolution with the highest possible payout rates world-wide. Aimed at leading companies and global brands that want to build the best directrelationships with their customers through the mobile internet, Bango Advantagedelivers everything that is needed to drive people to a mobile site, identify,track and understand these visitors and charge for premium content world-wide.It provides all the tools, information and services needed to establish a highlysuccessful presence on the mobile internet. Bango Advantage connects consumers to the best value billing provider andenables high earning mobile sites to get global reach through more than 40different billing channels. Additionally, once the value of transactionsprocessed through Bango from an Advantage customer site reaches or exceeds anagreed threshold, the cost of using Bango for billing drops to 1 cent on atypical $1 transaction, incentivising the brand to drive increased traffic ontothe site. "Bango delivers standard rates equivalent to going direct to individual billingcompanies, yet without the costs or complexities of integrating with each ofthem" said Matt Dicks, Head of Media at Ministry of Sound. "And when we passour agreed volume levels, Bango takes us to within 1% of best available mobileoperator wholesale rates, giving us the broadest reach at the lowest cost." "Bango uses all the leading billing methods and our unique BillRank(TM)technology to determine the optimum billing method to pay for mobile services,"said Ray Anderson, CEO at Bango. "It is important to us that content providersget maximum returns on their marketing investment by earning the highestpossible rate - we're here to make them successful." If a customer of the new Bango Advantage package finds a better available payoutrate for a specific billing channel, then Bango will integrate that rate andmatch it. With this approach, Bango and its "Advantage Partners" can use theircombined buying power to benefit all content providers. Bango also ensurescompliance with payment schemes such as PayForIt, the UK mobile operators'trusted mobile payment scheme and the MMA guidelines in the US. Businesses of all sizes are using Bango to seize the opportunity to engagedirectly with their consumers on the mobile internet. These include globalbrands such as News Corporation, Manchester United Football Club, DiscoveryMobile and MTV, together with smaller, niche content providers. Each Bangopackage is designed for business's different needs from the Bango Focus andBango Pro package for smaller content providers to the Bango Target and BangoAdvantage package for global brands. For further information, please contact: Bango plc Tel: 01223 472 777Ray Anderson, CEO / Peter Saxton, CFO ICIS Tel: +44 207 651 8688Tom Moriarty / Caroline Evans-Jones About Bango Bango 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. User 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 furtherinformation, go to www.bango.com. About BillRanK(TM) Bango's BillRank technology selects payment methods that deliver the highestsuccess (conversion) rate. When multiple billing options are available, it willselect the one delivering the highest chance of a transaction completing. If aconsumer repeatedly fails to pay using their chosen method, BillRank willautomatically suggest an alternative method. Because Bango sees all thetransactions a consumer makes across multiple sites, BillRank quickly minimizesrisk of payment failure. Why the mobile internet? The Bango payment service, a core component of the Bango Advantage package,provides billing within a WAP session. By building sites on the mobile internetmodel, brands ensure they provide a superior user experience where users onlypay for the content they want and that works on their phone. It also taps intoincreasing use of search and advertising on mobile as people looking for newmobile content and services, browse into mobile sites from a search engine orclick-through from a mobile ad. About Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound opened as a club in London in 1991 and has since established acult following among dance music lovers worldwide. Since clubbing has developedfrom an underground movement to a mainstream activity influencing the musicpreferences, style and attitudes of young people, Ministry of Sound has emergedas the unifier of this culture and is now an internationally recognised youthbrand. Ministry of Sound employs in the region of 100 staff across a range ofsynergistic businesses including recordings, licensing, digital, promotions,touring and media ensuring the brand's representation on news-stands, radiostations and in record and clothing stores across the globe. More informationcan be found at www.ministryofsound.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange