Simple to use and available for all MTN customers by dialling a short code before the correspondent’s number, the Sicap-designed service was rapidly embraced by a large number of MTN’s 4 million subscribers on launch last November.

MTN is now running a nationwide media campaign, including a TV commercial which shows a child and her Mother phoning the Father, who automatically accepts the call charges. MTN has astutely chosen to market the service as a means of bringing families closer by enabling subscribers to bear the cost of calls from their loved ones. 

For the operator, the Sicap solution has additional advantages. Because Pay4Me works exclusively among MTN subscribers, friends and family members are likely to favour MTN over its competitors in order to benefit from the service.
In terms of increased voice traffic, Pay4Me clearly stimulates calls which otherwise would not have happened. The vast majority of mobile phone users in Cote d’Ivoire are prepaid. Instead of friends beeping each other when out of credit, MTN customers can now choose to request a collect call.

On a more technical level, because the solution works by alerting an intention to call using the USSD channel, it is very economical on network resources.

Mr. Yann Pognant, Managing Director of Sicap Africa explains that “mobile users want simple, convenient services that provide a solution to their everyday problems. Pay4Me is ideally suited to the market in Cote d’Ivoire and we are proud of the success story behind the recent MTN launch. Our Sicap West Africa team is committed to working closely with MTN subsidiaries in the region in order to deliver solutions adapted to their market context.”

Mr. Coulibaly Aboubakar, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN Cote d’Ivoire said that “Sicap Pay4Me has been hugely successful and its popularity is growing by the day. We expect to achieve a rapid return on investment from calls generated by the solution and enhance the MTN brand image through this attractive service.”

About Sicap
Sicap is one of the world’s leading providers of customised mobile software solutions in the areas of communications and charging. Every day Sicap’s technology empowers mobile operators to deliver a superior end-user experience, while maximising new revenue streams and reducing operating costs.

Sicap develops and implements solutions comprising convergent charging and rating, mobile payment, network services and messaging. These solutions cover mobile, fixed and IMS network environments and are used by more than 90 operators, serving more than 800 million end-users world-wide.

About MTN Cote d’Ivoire
MTN Group is a global communications partner and world-class cellular network. As a major communications company, MTN is focused on the African continent. We believe that through access to communication comes economic empowerment. MTN Cote d’Ivoire has over 4 million subscribers.

Source: Sicap