“Etisalat Zantel” launches Africa’s First Commercial NFC Service in Tanzania

Africa’s first commercial Near Field Communications (NFC) payment service h?? b??n launched ?n Tanzania b? Etisalat through ?t? subsidiary, Zantel. Th? n?w offering dubbed ‘Touch ?n? G?’ ?? a revolutionary enhancement t? Zantel’s existing ?n? rapidly expanding mobile financial service (zPesa).

“Touch ?n? G? offers a convenient, secure, simple t? ??? ?n? versatile service th?t anyone ??n access,” ???? Essa Al Haddad, Etisalat Assemble Chief Marketing Officer. “Th? secret f?r th? success ?f th?? service ?? th? simplicity ?f th? process.

A consumer ??n ??? “Touch ?n? G?” w?th merchants t? b?? goods, services, tickets ?r even mobile confidence top-ups without needing t? type ?n? numbers ?r intricate commands.Th? consumer ???t needs t? bring device close t? th? commercial’s point ?f sale terminal ?n? validate th? transaction w?th a password.”

Etisalat’s/Zantel’s customers ?n Tanzania already using ?t? zPesa service t? perform person-t?-person cash transfer, commercial/utility payments ?r banking services fr?m th? th??r mobile phones ??n now swiftly ?? secure transactions using Etisalat/Zantel’s simple t? ???, intuitive ‘Touch ?n? G?’ NFC (Near Field Communication) interface.

Essa al Haddad continued: “Touch ?n? G? ?? n?w, innovative ?n? ideally suited t? customers th?t want t? ??? th? technology t? complement th? existing encounter ?n? ???? t? people wh? w??? ??? th? service ?? th? sole means ?f generating ?n returns f?r th??r families.”

NFC ?? a relatively n?w technology th?t ?? now being introduced ?n markets around th? world. Operators ?n African countries such ?? Tanzania, benefit fr?m being ?b?? t? leapfrog inheritance systems ?n? ??n directly take ?n board NFC f?r th??r customers. In addition t? “wow” effect associated w?th “Touch ?n? G?”, th? n?w service addresses issues ?f consumer literacy ?n? educational, wh??h represent a major challenge f?r th? take-up ?f n?w services especially ?n th? rural communities.

“Touch ?n? G?” simple t? ??? interface w??? enable everyone t? delight ?n convenient payment services ?n? participate ?n entrepreneurial activities surrounded b? th??r ?wn communities. In addition, “Touch ?n? G?” addresses key challenges ?f service acceptance t? th? country’s copious street merchants. En?-t?-?n? transaction time ?f th? process ?? much q???k?r th?n traditional mobile financial service offerings ?r even confidence/debit cards ?n? th? benefit f?r th? commercial ?? immediate.

W?th th? availability ?f affordable POS devices, acceptance ?m?n? merchants ?? expected t? b? high Etisalat ?n? ?t? partners Oberthur Technologies ?n? MasterCard h??? redefined innovation ?n th? NFC arena ?h?w?n? benefit f?r ??? types ?f consumers fr?m tech savvy entrepreneurs ?n? university students, corporate customers ?n? even th? un-banked.

Th? long established partnership ?? a precursor t? th? Etisalat Assemble’s progressive plans t? rollout mobile financial services ?n? NFC technology ??r??? ?t? 18 markets ?n th? Midpoint East, African ?n? Asia “Th? service launch represents another landmark f?r Oberthur ?n emerging markets w?th NFC SIM ?n? mobile adaptor enablers combining t? provide a state ?f th? art secure technical platform, bringing a homogeneous ?n?-user encounter t? Etisalat customers”, ???? Cedric Collomb, Director, movable Product Line, Oberthur Technologies.

 

teletechwire.com

 

This article was originally posted on East Africa Business Communities

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