State Bank of Mauritius Launches ATM Mobile Top-up Service

State Bank of Mauritius Limited (SBM) has launched a top-up service at ATMs for mobile phone users in Mauritius, supported by ACIs BASE24 software.The service will provide greater convenience for Mauritian Pre Paid Mobile Phone users following a global growth trend in mobile usage and increasing bank and mobile operator cooperation. SBM currently uses BASE24 to authorise, route and switch ATM and POS transactions. Using extensions to its existing BASE24 software, SBM now provides top-up services at the ATM for subscribers to Emtel and Cellplus pre-paid mobile packages. The service allows top-up users to request a pay-as-you-go top-up from any SBM ATM. Customers of other banks will also be able to access this service at SBM ATMs. ACI software will validate that the account holder has sufficient funds and authorise the transaction. ACI will team with sister company Insession Technologies, as BASE24 will communicate with the telecoms operator via Insessions WebGate solution. WebGate provides the interface between both parties using HTTP and XML to facilitate requests and transfer information. Providing there are no irregularities with the mobile telephone, the telecoms operator will confirm the top-up request and the phone will be credited with the specified amount. If there are any issues, for example, if it is suspected that the phone has been stolen, BASE24 will reverse the payment and inform both parties. BASE24 provides split-second transaction authorisation and 24 x 7 availability, thus ensuring customers can confidently use this service at any time. Operating on an HP NonStop server, both BASE24 and WebGate ensure mission-critical support for SBMs mobile top-up service. SBM is the first bank in Mauritius to offer pre-paid mobile top-up services. This program allows SBM to gain first-to-market advantage via a new ATM revenue stream. The SBM Mobile Top-Up Service will initially be offered at 94 SBM ATMs deployed at 64 geographic locations throughout Mauritius. The service will go live at the end of November 2003. Added to this, the ATM is evolving from purely a cash-dispensing device into a consumer access channel that enables self-service convenience and efficiency. In the future, the service will be enhanced for additional channels, such as point of sale terminals, the Internet and the mobile phone itself via SMS (Short Message Service). The scalability of BASE24 will allow SBM to support new delivery channels easily and the increasing number of users requiring mobile top-up services.