Fixed Mobile Convergence

A subsidiary of Sybase, Inc., Sybase 365 (News - Alert), recently announced that they had entered into an international partnership with Telefonica (News - Alert) Digital to offer mobile wallet services. Sybase 365 will now be responsible for helping to create Telefonica's mWallet, which will then serve as a gateway in providing a wide range of mobile financial services to its customers.

Sybase 365 will be responsible for developing the mWallet will which will act as a virtual wallet that provides users with a secure and easy way of accessing a number of services from a stored value account that allows them to make payments and complete peer-to-peer transfers. The mWallet will have the ability to store prepaid, debit, credit and loyalty cards, making it extremely easy to make online purchases.

In a release, Joaquin Mata, head of Financial Services at Telefonica Digital said, “The mobile wallet lies at the heart of our financial services strategy and it is crucial that we deliver a strong, simple and secure user experience to our customers. Sybase 365 is a leader in its field whose expertise will be a key element in helping us bring the best customer experience to market. It is crucial that we assemble around us the best possible technology partners to power our mobile financial services products. Through partnership we can bring the best experience to our end user customers.”

This new partnership with Sybase 365 is in line with Telefonica’s initiative to increase its international presence in the mobile financial services space. As NFC technology continues to expand, users will soon be able to make payments directly from the wallet via point of sale terminals and their smartphones.

Matthew Talbot, senior vice president of mCommerce at Sybase 365 said, “With the ongoing convergence of technology and agreement amongst key players in the ecosystem, mobile commerce services are a fast developing global phenomenon. We are very excited to be partnering with Telefonica to provide such a comprehensive mobile wallet offering. This is a great example of how mobile operators, financial institutions, enterprises and merchants collaborating with innovative technology built with the needs of the end customer in mind can extend mobile financial services to millions around the world.”

In other news, Sybase 365 recently unveiled the 2012 edition of the Sybase Mobile Commerce Guide. This year's guide combines firsthand analysis of key developments that top the mobile commerce agenda with a global view of how mobile commerce is rapidly transforming the way consumers shop, pay, bank and remit money, redefining business opportunities along the way.