Fronde drives uptake of mobile commerce

Media Release 15 March 2007

Hall 3, Stand B55, CeBIT, Hannover Germany, 15 March 2007 – Fronde Systems Group has today reported significant uptake of its mobile commerce solutions, which provide end-users with convenient forms of payment and information access. Organisations that include rail network operator Tranz Metro, loyalty programme provider Loyalty NZ, betting agency TAB, and a number of local councils in New Zealand, have deployed Fronde’s solutions to provide customers with improved service, while increasing revenues.

Fronde’s pay-by-phone solution for parking, which is used by most cities across New Zealand, now generates 15 per cent of the revenues collected via specialised parking machines provided to councils by Cash Handling Systems Ltd. Requiring no pre-registration, the service is offered to customers of Vodafone NZ and Telecom New Zealand as an alternative to paying by cash or credit card. Mobile transactions are automatically debited from the customer’s mobile phone account or from the prepay balance. Since the deployment, Auckland City Council has seen an increase in customer satisfaction and a 27 per cent rise in revenue from those machines. Fronde will be demonstrating its pay-by-phone parking solution on its stand at CeBIT.

“TXT-a-Park gives councils a modern hi-tech image and provides the public with an easy to use alternative payment option available to anyone with an NZ mobile phone,” said Mark Oliver, director of Cash Handling Systems.

Marketed under the Fly Buys brand, Loyalty NZ manages one of the most successful loyalty programmes in the world. Thanks to Fronde’s technology, Loyalty NZ now offers mobile phone access to Fly Buys with TxTRewards. This uses an SMS push and pull service, enabling members to instantly retrieve points balances, which are then linked to rewards and promotions. Additionally, members can also carry out financial transactions via text message. Once they have chosen from a range of products, points are automatically deducted from their balance and the reward is shipped directly to their home address, speeding up the delivery process.

New Zealand’s TAB customers are also benefiting from Fronde’s convenient and innovative mobile solutions. TxTBet enables customers to place a bet, access their account and gain betting information simply by sending a text. As a result, TAB has reinvigorated and improved the performance of its betting service, while also providing customers with the fastest way to place a bet.

Tranz Metro rail commuters are also reaping the advantages of Fronde’s mobile messaging solutions with Metro Alert, a train schedule information text alert service. This subscriber-based service alerts commuters of any schedule changes, enabling them to avoid waiting on platforms. Fronde enables 24/7 broadcast of schedule changes and information sent to each subscriber’s phone is determined by their chosen line and times of travel. Tranz Metro has reported that 40 per cent of its daily commuters have subscribed to the service. Future plans for this service include extensions into mobile ticketing.

“Metro Alert has, for the first time, enabled us to let our passengers know about delays as the situation develops,” said Graeme Mowday, marketing manager at Tranz Metro. “It’s become an invaluable customer service tool for Tranz Metro.”

“Our mobile commerce solutions are designed to be easy-to-use and ultimately make lives easier, which is why end-user adoption of these services is so high,” said Caroline Dewe, executive vice president, products and marketing at Fronde. “The possibilities of mobile commerce are endless and we envisage a world where the mobile phone empowers people to do more – anywhere, at any time.”

About Fronde Systems Group
Fronde Systems Group designs, builds and operates industrial-strength business transaction and payment systems and services. It serves clients in Europe, North America, Australasia and SE Asia from its offices in London, Singapore, Auckland and Wellington. These clients are medium and large organisations in the finance, telecommunications, energy, distribution and government sectors.

Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, Fronde employs more than 200 IT professionals.