aimm

David Birch – author and advisor of digital financial services will be speaking to aimm members next week

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

We are very pleased to announce that David Birch will be speaking at our Complementary Payment Mechanics Working Group on the 31st January to chat about Crypto payments.

At this online Working Group we have the exciting opportunity to hear from renowned financial expert David Birch who will be discussing Crypto Payments – the what, when, where & why. He will be give an introduction to crypto payments and the different kinds of digital payments included in this arena, before we open the floor to members with a Q&A session.

David G.W. Birch is a global speaker, published author, thought leader, commentator and board-level advisor on digital financial services.

David has consulted to some of the world’s biggest banks, financial services organisations, telecommunications providers and IT companies about the future of electronic transactions of all kinds and speaks at events all around the world. An expert in digital money, digital identity and digital finance with a wide perspective and reasoned foresight, David was named one of the global top 15 favourite sources of business information by Wired magazine, and one of the top ten most influential voices in banking (Financial Brand); created one of the top 25 “must read’ financial IT blogs and was found to be one of the top ten Twitter accounts followed by innovators, along with Bill Gates and Richard Branson (PR Daily).

We hope members will be able to join us at our virtual online Working Group next week for this interesting session. If you want to reserve your place please contact the aimm team.

 

aimm welcomes new Board members

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

This year we said goodbye to a couple of Board members, who moved onto to new opportunities. They had been a part of aimm for many years and have during their time on the Board, been a great support and have helped shape our direction, so thanks to them for all their help.

Although it was sad to see them go we are pleased to welcome our new Board members who have stepped up to replace them, and look forward to working with them over the next couple of years.  Both our new Board members are from the companies who had already been part of the Board, so provides a nice continuity.

Please welcome our new Board members:

 

Denzil Tapsell-Gunner – Kaleyra

As Head of Legal, Denzil oversees the European regulatory compliance for Kaleyra, a global Communications Platform as a Service company. This includes mobile payment industry compliance in several European countries where Kaleyra operates as an intermediary provider. In that role,

Denzil has broad experience of working with the regulatory bodies and all members of the value chain to ensure that industry and business needs are met without compromising on the need to operate compliantly.

As a qualified solicitor, Denzil has many years experience both advising to, and then working in technology industries, including dealing with the Codes of Conduct for numerous regulatory bodies. He joined the mobile payment and messaging industry in 2017.

 

Victoria Hull – Dynamic Mobile Billing

Victoria is Head of Business Development and has over twenty years of experience in a business-to-business sales environment working with major UK brands. The past decade she has been focussed on telecoms, mobile technology and payments in the UK, Caribbean, Ireland, Australia and South and East Africa.

Prior to this Victoria worked at a large London firm reselling Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard and IBM technology delivering large scale server room projects to insurance and communication sectors, followed by a number of years at a publishing and media company. She also enjoyed two and half years in the Territorial Army, spending many a weekend training in the field as part of the Royal Artillery. Victoria is also a trustee of the charity East Anglian Driveability that support the elderly and disabled to drive.

More recently, Victoria has been instrumental in the creation of a new company, Debit My Mobile, concentrating on ticketing in transport and parking sectors.

 

We will be starting the new Board election process in January with calls for new Board members to join us in April, so if you are a Gold Member you are eligible to become an aimm Board member. If you are interested in becoming a Board member make sure to keep your eyes open for Election announcements.

 

Improving Customer Care for the Interactive Media Industry

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

aimm has always championed best practice across the industry, and ensuring that customer care is the focus to help improve consumers’ experience of interactive services has been at the top of the agenda. 

Our extensive and comprehensive Customer Care Best Practice Guide was created to reduce customer escalations to mobile network operators and regulators in the UK. This is intended to work in tandem with the Phone-paid Services Authority’s (PSA) own general guidance on complaint handling. 

The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) is now compiling a similar guide and will be using key elements from our best practice to ensure there is continuity surrounding customer care for the interactive media and micropayments industries. 

Joanna Cox, General Manager of aimm said “The purpose of aimm is to create an environment of consumer confidence and trust within which our members’ commerce can flourish, inside a framework of a strong members’ code of ethics.  aimm has several working groups that bring together the entire interactive media value chain, with a view to making that happen. Our Internal Standards and External Education Working Group is proud to share its Customer Care Guide with our friends at MEF. Sharing best practice in this way can only help Industry self regulate and raise standards, which in turn will benefit the consumer and build trust in phone paid services.”

Ross Flynn from MEF commented “In this succinct White paper, aimm lays down the current obfuscations that lay between the buyer and the relevant merchant and how, through collaboration, each individual player in the Direct Carrier Billing ecosystem can come together to improve the consumer experience through improved clarity and customer support.”

Our Customer Care Best Practice Guide has been well received across our membership value chain, and we are pleased to be able to now share this more widely across industry.

If you are interested in getting your own copy of our best practice guide please contact aimm.

aimm speaking at MEF Connects – Digital Transformation

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

Next week is MEF Connects – Digital Transformation a two day online event July 18th and 19th. As a Trade Association in the same space we are pleased to be able to support this event. We have been invited to speak on 19th July, Day 2 on Regulatory Frameworks at 12pm UK time.

“The increasing growth of mobile payments has provoked a response from regulators. The intersection of financial, telecommunication and technological regulation make this a complex and challenging question. Leaders in the field are ready to share insight and knowledge.”

As our members will know we have spent a lot of time over the last few years working with the Regulators to ensure that the regulatory space our members work in is protected, fair and encourages innovation and growth, especially with the launch of Code 15 this spring.
We will be joined by Mobile Ecosystem Forum, Three UK, MCP Insight Ltd and Empello

This event is free to attend and you can register for your ticket online. Join the event to get the latest information and news on all things, IoT, Identity and Authentication, Security, Direct Carrier Billing [DCB], OTT Sports, NFTs, Crypto and so much more.

aimm response to PSA announcement (future of phone-paid services)

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

While we are surprised by this announcement, (regulatory responsibility will transfer from the PSA to Ofcom in late 2023) coming less than a month after the launch of a new Code of Practice, we do understand the reasons that have been put forward for the absorption of the PSA into Ofcom.

Huge progress has been made through collaboration across Industry and ongoing communication with the PSA – in particular the ability to liaise with the regulator on highly technical matters – and we look forward to continuing this relationship with Ofcom.

As the transition develops, we will continue to work with our members to ensure that they are consulted and able to input into the regulatory changes at every stage. In building a new relationship with Ofcom, we are keen that we can help refine further a regulatory landscape that is proportionate and allows for innovation and opportunity in our changing market.

For full details regarding the announcement by the PSA on their merger with Ofcom please see their press release.