Says it’s all about ‘the next billion’ users. Facebook will provide a frictionless social experience while Bango will provide frictionless payment for content and services.
Since mid-2012, Bango has been partnered with Facebook to provide mobile web carrier billing. Bango’s integration provides a frictionless payment experience to hundreds of millions of Facebook’s mobile users.
Bango was fascinated by yesterday’s launch of Facebook Home, and the small but meaningful change to build around people and the social experience, rather than apps. Mark Zuckerberg made clear that Facebook seeks to define the user experience for “the next billion” connected users, when he said: “This is just the beginning. In 5, or 10 years, the people coming online will be people who have never seen a computer, have never seen the Internet. We’re defining, right now, what they’ll see.”
Bango’s CEO and Founder Ray Anderson reacted to the launch, saying:
“Facebook Home and future “Facebookified” phones will be one of the catalysts driving open smartphone platforms into the next billion hands. This smooth, highly social experience will help drive the creation of compelling content and services, without restrictive walled gardens. We’re confident that the first web experience for millions of users across Africa and other developing markets, will be to send out Facebook friend requests.
Bango will continue to play our part, enabling Facebook’s mobile web users to easily purchase digital content without the use of Premium SMS messages or credit cards. Instead, users enjoy frictionless operator billing, paying on their phone bill, which for many users in the developing world is their sole credit relationship”.
