Unified Messaging Service Launches in Africa

ForgetMeNot Africa (FMN Africa), which delivers unified messaging for telecos, has announced that it is launching its Message Optimiser service throughout Africa. The service will be publically demonstrated for the first time in Africa at East Africa Com on 1 and 2 April in Nairobi, Kenya. 
In November 2008, LonZim plc acquired a controlling interest in FMN Africa. LonZim has established a strong presence in both the communications sector and financial services technology in the region, through its investments in Celsys, and Paynet, both of which offer strong synergies with FMN Africa and further opportunities to enhance LonZim's portfolio of investments.
Message Optimiser (MO) enables carriers to immediately provide cost-effective comprehensive unified messaging services, including email, Instant Messaging (IM) and SMS, without the end user requiring any Internet access, device upgrades, or application downloads.
With an implementation cycle of a matter of weeks, the company says, carriers can quickly enjoy additional revenue streams, monetizing channels previously unavailable to them, and offering a unique differentiator point; an array of value-added messaging services to their entire customer base. Since it does not require a data contract, Message Optimiser allows operators to increase ARPU and reduce churn amongst its pre-pay customers. 
End-users benefit from the simplicity of ForgetMeNot’s Handset Initiation technology, which turns even the most basic mobile phone into a smarter, Internet-capable, multi-channel messaging device, providing two-way email and two-way IM for both pre-pay and post-pay users alike. Handset Initiation technology is becoming vital, not only for developing nations where PC and Internet access is very low, but also in allowing users globally to have access to email and IM without the need for more expensive Smartphones, a PC or Internet connection.
“In today’s maturing mobile markets, mobile operators are increasingly focused on customer retention and service differentiation,” says FMN Africa CEO, Jeremy George. “Message Optimiser meets both needs, offering a new revenue stream from their existing subscriber base, while offering customers a unique service.”