arvato services, the services arm of Bertelsmann's arvato division, and Margento B.V., a technology company from the Netherlands, have today announced the formation of a joint venture, headquartered in Munich, which will offer customers 'comprehensive' transaction and payment services via the mobile phone.
Margento will bring its transaction platform to the 50-50 joint venture, as well as its patented Data-Over-Voice (DOV) technology, while arvato services will invest in the joint venture and contribute its specialisation in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Finance services.
"We are excited about opening up the German market for mobile transaction services with arvato as our partner," said Margento CEO Gregor Breznik. arvato services' managing director Mario Schwegler added: "The JV's balanced mix of expertise in services and technology forms an outstanding basis for a nationwide implementation of mobile loyalty and payment services in Germany."
Margento's technology is said to turn mobile phones into a convenient, secure tool for payments and other transactions. Customers can use their mobiles to collect and redeem bonus points, pay for products and services, top up the balance on pre-paid phone accounts, redeem coupons, use mobile tickets, and buy and send electronic gift vouchers – all via a single terminal at POS.
Margento's technology is also claimed to provide other key benefits: it guarantees the highest security standards, it is mature and has already been proven in actual use, and unlike the much-hyped NFC technology, it works with all mobiles, by all manufacturers, without the need for additional hard- or software. And, as Breznik claims, it is 'incredibly easy to use': "With our DOV technology, any mobile phone is immediately ready to go, without the need for further modification. Customers don't have to write a text, access a browser or open complicated applications. They just make a phone-call."