AIMM & MEF Autumn Regulation Update

aimm is pleased to share this Autumn UK Regulatory Update for the Interactive Media & Micropayments Industries, in association with MEF.

To learn more about the current regulatory landscape and the importance of having your say, join Joanna Cox General Manager from AIMM and Ross Flynn Project Manager at MEF for this video update below:

Both aimm and MEF are trade bodies based in the UK that work in the mobile and interactive media space to provide support, guidance and the opportunity for growth for these industries.

Meet our new aimm Board Members – Spring 2023

We’re pleased to announce our successful candidates for this years aimm Board

This years Board Elections closed at the beginning of March and we are very pleased that all the Board members who had reached their term re-applied for their seats to continue the great work they have been doing for the last couple of years, and we are very happy to have them stay on.

This year we are also joined by a new Board member from Cymba and we very much looking forward to working with Steve over the next two years.

You can find out more about our Board, and their manifestos on our Board page of our website: https://aimm.co/about/who-we-are/aimm-executive-board/

Announcement of the new aimm Board of 2023, with an image showing the pictures of all our Board Members with the opportunity to learn more about them.

The Board exists to ensure that the association’s members interests are being upheld. The aimm Board is also expected to contribute towards the success of aimm, to act as a conduit to increase membership, prevent loss of membership, participate in initiatives and working groups and share their individual expertise into aimm, to help the Executive and members to gain benefit from their expertise.

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

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.

 

Improving Customer Care for the Interactive Media Industry

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

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.