The past couple of weeks have been a rather bad for SMS. Everyone seems to have it in for the faithful service that only recently turned the big 2-0, but before we rush to such a dramatic conclusion, we think it’d be wise to assess the situation.

Towards the end of April (2013) Informa released some figures that kick started all this furor. They stated that that some 19 billion messages were sent in 2012 via WhatsApp, BlackBerry Messenger, Viber, Nimbuzz, Apple’s iMessage and KakaoTalk, compared to ‘only’ 17.6 billion SMS messages (Informa also predicts that this time next year 50 billion messages will be sent via apps, and 21 billion via SMS). At first glance, it would appear that SMS is fast losing the battle of messaging. But not so quick! In our opinion, there are more sides to this story, and in all, SMS come out trumps.

For a start, we have the view that SMS is the mobile carriers’ cash cow, and that these new (and not-so-new) apps are killing the old girl, which will lead to huge profit losses for all carriers. Now while SMS might be something of a cash cow, and while apps might be carving a large slice of messaging for themselves, this in no way means that mobile carriers have anything to worry about. After all, apps need data, and data costs money. What carriers lose in SMS, they’ll make up in data*. What’s more, every carrier can create their own messaging app if they feel that’s the way to go.

Then there’s the view that SMS will soon become obsolete due to the aforementioned apps, but what we mustn’t forget is that SMS is the one universal messaging platform, no matter what phone you’re using, what company you’re with, or what OS you’re on. If you want to make sure you reach someone (and everyone) – SMS is the way to go.

This view also sees SMS as being used for person-to-person (P2P) messaging, and P2P only, which couldn’t be further from the truth. SMS is used for far more than messaging. Person-to-app (P2A) services such as ticketing, travel services, payment, banking, voting, donations, marketing, reminders (for a start!) all make use of the humble SMS. In fact, from 2010 to 2012, global SMS messaging increased by 11% (Forrester 2013)), mobile ticketing shot up 50% (Deutsche Bank 2012), SMS payment increased by 61.2% (Deutsche Bank) and SMS held 51% of the overall mobile payment share (Gartner 2012).

And let’s not forget about application-to-person (A2P) messaging. It was only in December last year that tyntec predicted the explosion of A2P messaging. Being in the business ourselves, and seeing the data we see, we have to agree. App developers – including ourselves – are looking more and more into using SMS as in app push notifications to engage, drive downloads, and ensure communication no matter if the end-user is using data or not. Juniper Research even predicts that A2P SMS will over take P2P SMS by 2016, exceeding $70 billion in revenue, while Transparency Market Research predicts that the global premium messaging market will reach 1,134.2 billion by 2017. Not half bad for a technology whose death is currently being heralded…

One more aspect worth discussing is security. Chat apps open up a myriad of potential problems that don’t exist with SMS. For example, you never can be 100% of where your message is going – or who it’s going to. Send an SMS within your country’s borders and it’ll stay within telcos in that country. Send an app message and, well, it could be going anywhere before it reaches its destination. This opens up the possibility of being sent attachments and images that you really don’t want to be sent. Our mobile operating systems are still brand new and wide open to virus attacks that are easily sent via a malicious chat message. Think of it as an email virus – open systems, like email and app messaging, are hotbeds for criminals, and if your phone gets hacked, just think of what’s to lose.

While it’s true that smartphones are becoming more prolific (having just out-shipped feature phones for the first time by 1.6%), it must be remembered that the vast majority of these phones head towards developed countries – there is a gigantic feature phone market that relies on the simplicity and reliability of SMS. Just try telling Africa that SMS is dead when Google just launched an SMS version of Gmail, and when micro-payments, education and healthcare are all (partly) carried out via SMS.

At one point in the relatively distant future, when materials, shipping and data become cheaper and cheaper, we’ll most likely see the end of the feature phone, but one thing’s for sure, it’s not happening tomorrow.

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

*Of course, this varies as to what country you’re in, what plan you’re on, and what carrier you’re with, but whatever the case, carriers aren’t going to let a few apps ruin them.

The acquisition of inmodo in late 2012 has, as expected, proved to be nothing but a success. Not only do we work extremely well together in terms of our products and business values, but we also have gelled as a team. Our trip to Mobile World Congress in February this year only cemented this, proving that we are a perfect match. So perfect, in fact, that we’re  moving in together.

With more and more projects are being worked on as a team of both Unwire and inmodo, the move makes more than logistic sense (we’re both outgrowing our offices!). Finally being able to get everything and everyone together under one roof will enable us to work together far more efficiently than before, saving time and money for both us and our customers. We really can’t wait to get settled in.

The new address is:

Saltmätargatan 5
Stockholm
113 59
Sweden
Phone: +46 (0)8 411 11 12

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

DR and Unwire have worked together since 2001, but it wasn’t until 2008 that we started providing technical help for the Danish version of X-Factor. That was the very first season of the hugely popular program.

Since then, we’ve had millions of votes pass through our SMS Gateway API. This latest season, season 6, averaged out at 141,500 votes per week, but the program’s final proved to be typically hectic with a massive 439,208 votes coming in.

At the very busiest, we had 1,925 SMS votes run through our system in just one second – a true testament to our SMS Gateway API, our dedicated team and DR.

We’re looking forward to continuing our work with DR, and of course to another entertaining season of X-Factor!

If you’re interested in hearing more about our SMS Voting product, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

You can see a breakdown of all the votes on the DR X-Factor voting page.

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

We are extremely happy to announce that Elibra Global and Unwire have entered into a joint venture together.

On 7 February 2013, we opened our permanent office in Istanbul. Talks started in late November 2012, when Tagi Ibrahimov, CEO of Elibra Global, approached us with the idea of establishing a joint venture in Istanbul in order to reach potential customers not only in Turkey, but also surrounding countries such Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro and Bulgaria.

Turkey is a huge country (783,000 km²) with approximately 70 million people – 14.5 million in Istanbul alone. Millions use their phones for both verbal communication and sending SMS messages, resulting in a mobile penetration rate of around 86%. Whether they’re 7 or 70, people are familiar with complex apps and services, yet there remained an area that Elibra Global felt needed attention; mobile payments.

Together with Elibra Global, what we’ll provide is an incredibly simple way of paying bills. All that is needed is a one-time sign up to link bank accounts to mobile phone numbers. When it’s time to pay a bill the user receives an SMS, and by replying to the SMS the user can choose to pay now, or do so later. That’s all it takes.

We’re also pushing towards turning mobile phones into a personal POS capable of being used in any retail stores, making physical POSs redundant, thus maximising convenience and minimising time spent for the end-user. We’re already in talks with banks in Turkey and neighbouring countries.

In the near future, Unwire and Elibra Global will place focus on mobile ticketing. Sport, particularly football, is hugely popular in Turkey, with dozens of stadiums around the country, many of which seat well over 50,000. The cinema industry serves approximately 25 million people each year, and Turkey’s municipality transport services, such as buses, ferries and trains, see hundreds of millions commuters and travellers annually.

Things are still at an early stage, but we’ll keep you updated on the story as it progresses. For Turkey and her neighbouring countries, the future is certainly mobile!

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

Tagi Ibrahimov, CEO of Elibra Global, approached Unwire in late November 2012 in regards to establishing a joint venture in Istanbul in order to reach potential customers not only in Turkey, but also surrounding countries such as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria. On February 7^th 2013, Unwire officially opened a permanent office in Istanbul.

Initial focus will be placed on providing Turkey (70m citizens and a mobile penetration rate of 86%) with a simple method of paying bills via mobile phones. A one-time sign up links bank accounts to mobile phone numbers, and by replying to an SMS sent by, for example, a utilities company, the user can pay a bill or choose to do so later.

“We’re thrilled to have established this relationship with Elibra Group and Turkey. Turkey have been eager early adopters in regards to mobile services, so we have no doubt that together with Elibra Group we’ll be able to provide strong, effective and valuable products and services,” says Gregor Bieler, CEO of Unwire.

The newly established joint venture will also push towards turning mobile phones into a personal POS capable of being used in any retail stores, making physical any POS redundant. Talks are already being held with banks in Turkey and neighbouring countries.

In the near future, Unwire and Elibra Global will place focus on mobile ticketing. Sport, particularly football, is hugely popular in Turkey, with dozens of stadiums around the country, many of which seat well over 50,000. The cinema industry serves approximately 25 million people each year, and Turkey’s municipality transport services, such as buses, ferries and trains, serve hundreds of millions commuters and travellers annually.

Elibra Global is Ibra Holding’s foreign trade company located in Istanbul, Turkey. Elibra Global mainly deals with international companies in defence and security products as well as cyber security, shipping, aviation and mobile payment systems.

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

NFC isn’t new. At least, certainly not to anyone involved in mobile, tech, advertising, etc. There are of course many, many people who don’t know what it is or how it can be used, but with mobile wallets being launched on a relatively regular basis, and NFC capabilities being trumped in almost every new phone, they’re being slowly introduced to it.

One of the main arguments we hear for NFC failing is that it’s a solution looking for a problem, and we agree. Sort of. NFC doesn’t solve a problem because there is no problem. It’s a simplifying technology, not a problem solving technology. As David Marcus, President of PayPal, quite rightly says, tapping a phone isn’t any easier than swiping a credit card; it’s not solving a real consumer problem. This way of looking at things is akin to the classic quote from Henry Ford. His customers didn’t think there was a problem either. Simplifying technologies rarely address problems. You could even argue that they create them as once we have the new technology, we don’t want to go back to the way things were.

Gregor Bieler, our CEO, says, “Most technologies take time to break through. They go through iterations and improvements before they reach their tipping point. From the car to the computer, if you compare the first with the latest – they’re almost unrecognisable. It’s the same with NFC. The first RFID wallet was developed in 1995, today, we have joint ventures and independent mobile wallets being established on multiple continents, and NFC in London buses. Imagine what tomorrow will bring.”

We are of course firm believers in it. Whether you’ll be using it for experiences, payments, advertising or just exchanging information, NFC will change the way you use your mobile device. You only have to look at think&go’s example to see that. By using your NFC enabled mobile to scan barcodes, check out and pay, your average shopping trip is completely transformed. You can compare it to the self-scan systems many supermarkets have in place. Only, it’s even faster.

People have been heralding the ‘year of NFC’ for the past few years now, but 2013 is the year that things will really start to pick up. We’re not saying that you’ll be paying for all your Christmas presents with your NFC wallets, but with multiple joint venture and independent NFC wallets springing up all over the world, and with more and more handsets adopting the technology, its unavoidable.

Yes, there are bumps ahead, including an apple shaped bump. There’s a strong view that once the iPhone adopts NFC, companies will be falling over themselves to adapt to the technology. Unfortunately, they’re probably right. On the bright side the latest rumours hint towards the iPhone 5S (or will it be the iPhone 6?) having NFC – although they are just rumours.

More complicated bumps are in the shape of mobile network operators and industry services trying to agree on secure element standards, but maybe that’s not a problem for the future. Samsung’s latest Galaxy, the S4, is the first phone to have Visa’s payWave built directly into phone instead of having all the information on the SIM. This means that it bypasses the operators completely.

And of course, security concerns abound. Is NFC secure? Yes. The SIM-based approach has been approved and validated by both MasterCard and Visa, and your card details are protected within an app that can require one or more pins to access. Even once you’ve accessed the wallet, the card number and other details aren’t visible. If your phone does get stolen, you can remotely disable it via an app. You’re far better off with your information on your phone than in your physical wallet.

Hacking is another worry, but the ‘near’ in near field communication isn’t just to look good (or something). In order to hack the signal someone would have to stand extremely close to you – you would notice them. Besides, the chip has to be active in order to be hacked, and it’s only ever active when you’re using it. In other words, a hacker couldn’t sit close to you on the tube and hack your accounts through your pocket.

Simply put, using NFC is just as safe as using your credit or debit cards, safer in fact. As more people adopt the technology, the tighter the security will become. Remember when we didn’t have holograms on credit cards?

A final worry we often hear about is what happens when the battery dies? What if you’re out for dinner, your phone dies, and you can’t pay? Well, SITA, the world’s leading specialist in air transport communications and IT, have hit upon something really rather special. By using a SIM-based solution, the NFC terminal supplies power to your phone’s NFC chip, allowing it to work – in this case supply boarding information – even when dead.

Eek! The video isn’t available right now (11th April) but we’re working on getting it back! Hold tight!

The same technology could potentially be used in a POS, so that even if your phone were to run out of battery while out, you could still use it to pay.

NFC hasn’t matured yet. But it will, and when it does, it’ll change the way we go about our daily lives. Even if your phone has run out of battery.

If you’ve got any comments head on over to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and let us know what you think.

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

We’re pleased to say that we’ve won a contract with Sweden’s Färjerederiet to bring mobile ticketing to their paid ferry routes.

The winning proposal is a unique ticketing system built upon our mobile ticketing platform, including SMS ticketing, integrated ticket vending machines and a smartphone app to be used by ticket inspectors. The new service will save time for both passengers and Färjerederiet, significantly reduce fare evasion, and introduce mobile ticketing to ferry travel.

The system works by scanning vehicles’ license plates as they board the ferry, and running the plates against those entered by paying customers. If the app detects a vehicle that hasn’t been registered, i.e. hasn’t bought a ticket, the app alerts the ticket inspector, who then issues a fine to that vehicle owner

“The ferries form an important part of Sweden’s public transport system.  This project will make things far easier for both the passenger, and for us as ferry operator, so we’re looking forward to getting it all set,” says Michael Lindqvist, IT Strategist at Färjerederiet.

We can’t say more for now, but we’ll keep you updated as the story progresses.

Färjerederiet is part of Trafikverket, the Swedish authority that handles all transport within Sweden, and runs a large number of ferries in Sweden. In April 2012, Unwire was chosen to deliver a pilot ticketing solution for the largest paid route (Slagsta – Ekerö). The pilot was a great success, saving commuters time and money, and paving the way for this permanent system.

One of the ferries on the Ekerö Line
Photo: Kasper Dudzik

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

Danske Spil have been with us since 2003, and yesterday we learnt that our collaboration will continue for the foreseeable future.

Danske Spil use our SMS Gateway API, SMS Conversation, and SMS Competition for a number of their products such as lottery, poker competitions, and SMS competitions. We’re able to provide them with a secure and stable platform which they can rely on to get their messages to their end-users, as well as be confident that any messages from their end-users are received and acknowledged.

Over the past 9 years we’ve go to know each other very well, and have, as a result, established a solid relationship. We’ve got to know the people at Danske Spil, and they’ve got to know us. We understand each other and compliment each other, so naturally we’re very happy we get to work together for even longer.

Here’s to the future!

For more information:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

With more than 70,500 m2 of exhibition space and around 1,500 exhibitors – not to mention the 60,000+ visitors – the past few days in Fira Gran Via have been hard on the feet, fairly easy on the eye thanks to some fantastic booths, and most importantly, great for Unwire.

We’ve got a team of 15 here, including marketing, senior management – including PA, sales, developers and some friends from sister companies, inmodo and Pertura. Together we can answer pretty much anything people have been asking us, even where you can go for the good coffee (just alongside Oberthur Technologies in hall 6 – small cart, the lovely Daisy Rollo), and answering we have been. From companies asking if we can change the fact that we don’t currently do business together, to asking how our mobile wallets work, we’ve hardly had a quiet moment at the booth. Just how we wanted it.

We’ve also had time to have a good walk around the centre and see what’s on display, and believe us, there are some awesome things on the way. Many of the exhibitors down here are looking for distributors, but some are already out there – even if they’ve only just been released, such as the beautiful HTC One – a really good-looking phone. We’ve had the chance to get our hands on tablets, phones, computers and other hardware, but we’ve also come across things that we didn’t expect to see, one of which was DryWired. DryWired are a nano-coating technology company who coat phones (or just about anything else) with a protective nano-coating around 2000 times thinner than a human hair. Once coated, phones can stay submerged for longer than 30 minutes.

We also had the luck to talk with some great guys from the mobile tech world. From exciting app start-ups to small but already very successful gadget companies, we’ve got a few interviews we’ll be sharing. The first is a great chat we had with Louis Tag, Managing Director of PASSNFLY, a brilliant new app aimed at travellers that aggregates all your recently booked flights – no matter who you’re flying with – automatically without you having to do anything, into one single app. The app then checks you into your flights, chooses your seat, receives updates from any airport, and notifies you of any changes i.e. flight delays or gate changes, all in real-time. Check it out below.

Time seems to be something of a precious commodity here, so editing and uploading is taking longer than hoped (the internet connection also leaves much to be desired!) but we’ll be sharing everything else as fast as we can!

That’s a short update for now. We’ll get back with more as soon as we can.

For more information, contact:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com

xsmart and Unwire will pool their resources in a strategic partnership in order to create the best possible mobile payment, ticketing and couponing solutions for the citizens of Switzerland.

“We have found a skilled partner within xsmart, providing us with optimal support for our expansion plans in Switzerland. By working together we can provide our customers with even better service,” said Gregor Bieler, CEO of Unwire.

xsmart has been helping companies within public transport, telecommunications, banking and retail with integrated mobile payment, couponing and ticking solutions since 2004.

Christian Baumann, CEO of xsmart, says that, “bringing together the respective core competencies of both companies creates an enormous competitive advantage, which can be implemented quickly.”

For more information, contact:
Lara Mulady
Online Communications Manager
+45 5045 2396
lmu@unwire.com