BILL.L Regulatory News (BILL)

10 Jan 2007 14:56

Billing Services Group Limited10 January 2007 NEWS RELEASE Contacts:Julian Walker - Investor relationsGainsborough Communications Consultancy+44 (0)20 7190 1705jw@gainsboroughcomms.com BSG and Conister Trust in Groundbreaking M-Commerce Initiative For the first time, European mobile operators are offered a single, simple entry point for pre-paid mobile commerce accounts LONDON - January 10, 2007 - BSG Clearing Solutions, (BSG), a subsidiary ofBilling Services Group Limited (AIM:BILL), the telecom industry's clearing andsettlement provider, today announced a new partnership with Conister Trust PLC,(Conister), a bank based in the Isle of Man. The two companies have entered into a trial program to jointly market a solutionfor mobile operators to provide customers with pre-paid accounts, which willallow them to spend and transfer money using either a debit card, a mobile phoneor the Internet. The service will be especially suitable for those mobile phoneusers with needs outside the scope of the retail banking sector, such as parentstransferring spending money to their children, without the risks associated withcash or credit cards. BSG will manage the transaction processing for purchases in addition to thefinancial clearing and settlement between mobile operators and retailers.Conister will manage banking services such as debit card issue and regulatoryaffairs. "A key business goal for the mobile sector is to increase the proportion ofrevenue earned from data services, including mobile commerce," commented RandallBrouckman, Chief Executive Officer of BSG. "This service will provide operatorswith a single, simple entry point into that mobile commerce market." "The partnership with BSG marks a new stage in Conister's business development.It allows us to claim a place at the forefront of the market for pre-paidm-commerce accounts," commented Jerry Linehan, CEO of Conister. "The pre-paidaccount market is expected to grow more than fivefold in Europe alone by 2010,with transaction value forecast to top €75bn that year according to PSEConsulting. In addition, migrant workers who send funds "home" on a regularbasis are a target market. Latest estimates from the World Bank are that migrantworkers send $300bn funds "home" annually. This partnership with BSG will enableus to address the market through mobile operators, harnessing their technologyand high brand value to provide a very competitive offer." Randall Brouckman commented further, "The key strengths of this partnership areBSG's technical capability and strong customer relationships among mobileoperators, coupled with Conister's know-how from 70 years in the bankingindustry. BSG has cleared and settled funds for over 22 years and we have athorough, comprehensive knowledge of the mobile market. Our core market of GSMmobile operators accounts for 558 million users in Europe alone, a huge marketfor BSG and Conister. We are looking forward to the mobile industry response tothis pioneering new service and to widening our contribution to our customers'achievement of their key business objectives." About BSG Clearing SolutionsBSG Clearing Solutions is a leading global provider of clearing and settlement,payment services, and financial risk management solutions for communicationsservice providers. The company processes over 20 billion transactions annuallyfor 750 of the world's largest communications companies throughout NorthAmerica, Europe and Asia. With a ubiquitous, scalable platform and an extensiveportfolio of clearinghouse services for fixed-line, wireless, Wi-Fi, andbroadband networks, BSG monetizes network transactions by facilitating thefinancial exchange of its customers' services. BSG meets the needs of today'scomplex network interconnections and anticipates the requirements of convergingtechnologies, allowing for rapid and reliable deployment. BSG Clearing Solutionsis an operating subsidiary of Billing Services Group Limited, which is publiclytraded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) under the ticker symbol BILL. For moreinformation, visit www.bsgclearing.com. About Conister Trust PLCConister is a Licensed Deposit taker and Regulated Bank that has providedpersonal finance in the Isle of Man and the UK for over 70 years. Conister havenow, through their membership of MasterCard, launched a new business division toissue Pre-paid cards, a market that offers tremendous growth potential. Conisterwill be operating in this market on a Business to Business basis. Conister is aCompany, which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) under theticker symbol CTU. For more information visit www.conistertrust.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange