HomeInsights50 operators now offer direct billing on Blackberry World

50 operators now offer direct billing on Blackberry World

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Fifty mobile operators now offer direct billing to developers on Blackberry App World app, according to a release from RIM.

RIM said that customers show a tendency to buy more apps when carrier billing is enabled. On average, 75% of gross sales are transacted through the carrier when direct billing is enabled, and RIM added that โ€œaverage carrier revenues derived from apps increased between 100%-300% after launchโ€. 
 
You can see a list of carriers with direct billing to Blackberry here. Of the major global operators, perhaps the main missing name is Orange, whilst only AT&T and T-Mobile are signed up in the USA. There is also very limited sign-up in Asia Pacific, with only the Indonesia operators XL and Indosat represented, as well as Telstra in Australia.
 
Ray Anderson, CEO, Bango, whose mobile payment platform enables charge-to-bill payments in BlackBerry App World, said, โ€œWeโ€™ve seen smartphone users rely increasingly on the ability to charge the costs of digital goods to their carrier bill, and with RIM, weโ€™re providing them with a frictionless payment experience.โ€
 
Dario Talmesio, Principal Analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media, said, โ€œMobile operators recognize that RIM works closely and constructively with them and with more than 50 operators now offering integrated carrier billing itโ€™s a great milestone that shows these relationships are productive. Mobile operators recognize the business benefits this service provides and the opportunities for repeated customer engagement on BlackBerry App World.โ€