I know there has been talk about BlackBerry lauching a program to be able to share money through BBM and to our BBM contacts and it looks like the program is here. Well at least in one part of the world for now.
We have a press release from BlackBerry stating that the Indonesian Financial Institution PT Bank Permata TBK, BlackBerry, and Mobile Money Leader Monitise PLC have announced the pilot launch of BBM Money. With this program customers will have the ability to create and have access to their mobile money account from their BlackBerry and then make real time payments to a BBM contact who is also signed up in the program.
Read the press release below for more info.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA–(Marketwire – Feb. 26, 2013) – Indonesian financial institution PT Bank Permata Tbk (PermataBank), BlackBerry(R) (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB) and Mobile Money leader Monitise plc (LSE:MONI.L) announce the commercial pilot launch of BBM Money. With BBM Money, customers have the ability to create and access a mobile money account from their BlackBerry smartphone and make real-time payments to their BBM contacts who are also signed up to the service. They can also buy mobile airtime credit and transfer money to bank accounts.
Developed by PT AGIT Monitise Indonesia (AGIT Monitise Indonesia), the joint venture between Monitise Asia Pacific and Astra Graphia Information Technology (AGIT), part of Astra International Group, and issued and managed by PermataBank, BBM Money is making its commercial pilot debut in Indonesia, where customers may easily load cash into it from an Indonesian bank account. PermataBank will issue BBM Money mobile money accounts and process financial transactions. The service is protected by bank-grade security measures including a passcode, encryption, monitoring, and limits as required by PermataBank under Bank Indonesia regulations.
David Fletcher, President Director of PermataBank said, “We are pleased to team up with our strategic partners in developing this innovative and revolutionary service and we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the regulators, especially Bank Indonesia, for the support in the process. This initiative is a response to growing customers and society needs of easy and convenient banking services by using their smartphone. This is in line with our vision to be the pioneer in delivering innovative financial solutions and also reflects our support to Bank Indonesia’s concept of a cashless society in Indonesia.”
Lauren Sulistiawati, Retail Banking Director of PermataBank added, “This is a game-changing innovation as the transactions can be performed as easy as chatting on BBM and the customer can create their mobile money account directly on their BlackBerry smartphone. We are very delighted to tailor this solution for BlackBerry smartphones that are widely used in Indonesia, which will allow us to simplify the life of millions of BlackBerry customers in Indonesia. Another crucial aspect of BBM Money is that it gives customers total trust and confidence in the security of the service. With PermataBank as the issuing bank and AGIT Monitise Indonesia behind the service, BBM Money customers know they have a partner with proven bank-grade standards that gives them the assurance and certainty they are looking for.”
“We are delighted that Indonesia is the first country in the world to develop a person-to-person payment service using BBM,” said Calvin Lim, Director of AGIT Monitise Indonesia. “BlackBerry smartphones are the favorite phones of most Indonesians, with BBM being its most popular and indispensable service. BBM Money will enable BlackBerry customers to make fast, easy and secure mobile payments.”
“BlackBerry leads the mobile and smartphone market in Indonesia, where BBM is extremely popular with our customers,” said T.A. McCann, Vice President of BBM and Social Communities at BlackBerry. “BBM Money, which uses BlackBerry’s BBM service, further evolves the BBM experience to move from real-time chat to meaningful and convenient real-time engagement. We are excited to be part of this pilot in Indonesia, where BBM has become an essential part of daily life.”
“With BBM Money, BlackBerry customers can enjoy an easy, convenient and secure mobile money transaction anytime and anywhere. We are committed to work with partners to bring services to BlackBerry customers in Indonesia that can enrich their mobile lifestyle,” added Maspiyono Handoyo, Managing Director for Indonesia at BlackBerry.
Through a simple registration process within the application, BBM customers can create a BBM Money account with PermataBank and then start loading cash into the account through any of the 70,000 ATMs in Indonesia. After visiting a designated location to perform a one-time identity check, customers can then make secure payments to their BBM contacts and transfer money to other bank accounts using the app. Customers can also pay for mobile airtime or prepaid SIM cards for their family and friends. Another innovative feature is that customers who actively conduct business through BBM can make payments immediately and securely. There is a vibrant trade taking place among groups within BBM in Indonesia.
“Monitise is constantly working with its partners to make money totally mobile around the world for everyone,” said Alastair Lukies, CEO of Monitise Group. “Our focus in Indonesia, as it is in Asia Pacific and around the world, is centered on acting as an enabler at the heart of the growing Mobile Money ecosystem, helping financial institutions and other service providers deliver increasingly innovative and secure services to their customers.”
For information about BBM Money, please visit id.blackberry.com/BBMMoney.