South African technology company MobileData has introduced its next generation service delivery platform TradeSwitch® to help companies across Africa successfully transition from bricks and mortar establishments to digital businesses underpinned by mobile and online presence.

MobileData is an established technology service provider focused on payment facilitation and prepaid electronic value distribution.

The opportunity for businesses is to plug into this digital hub and then benefit from core components including connectivity, value chain management, billing services, reporting and reconciliation services and includes smart wallet.

TradeSwitch® has a software development kit that allows users to extend the capabilities and retain that IP in addition to Value Added Services including airtime management, PIN generation, PIN less recharge, starter pack tracking, online bulk sales and emergency airtime.

It is ideally positioned to help clients take advantage of opportunities linked to growth areas such as the Internet of Things.

It fulfils the obvious need within emerging markets in Africa for a transactional switch that is multi-channel, multi-device and multi-product.

MobileData explains that the solution is designed to help manage technology for clients and provide solutions that will help convert them to the digital economy.

"In this way companies save because they do not have to invest in- or maintain complicated new technology," says Andre' Louw, CEO of MobileData. "Businesses can automate their billing and collections, and replace their outdated technology and processes with new, agile solutions that allow them to set up quickly (in a matter of weeks) and make hassle-free changes as required."

Distributor advantage

The solution is relevant not only to companies that want to join the digital economy, but also to Value Added Distributors who want to supply customers with virtual products, including airtime, insurance products like funeral cover, Lotto, DSTV accounts etc.

"TradeSwitch® manages the tracking of these token-based products throughout the distribution value chain, Using a hierarchical structure to map the distribution chain, it is built with dynamic node types to replicate a company's actual business structure perfectly," says Louw.

As he explains, the billing, payment and service delivery platform is also designed to benefit Mobile Network Operators, traditional and digital banks, digital product aggregators and independent distributors.

The disruptive quality of TradeSwitch® is being felt extensively within the financial services space.

The solution can be configured to act as a sub-ledger which integrates with other financial systems offering a real-time database synchronisation between systems. It caters for flexible accounting periods and will calculate the age analysis reflected on statements as configured for each customer.

Security is paramount in every sector, but especially within financial services says Louw.

To this end, MobileData has positioned TradeSwitch® to offer 100% openness, transparent auditability and has the functionality and credibility to link multiple e-service offerings together.

Rather than the way global networks currently handle PIN management and create vaults, using TradeSwitch® enables real time interaction to generate and redeem, pinless recharge can in fact have a pin without the threat of fraud and ""leakage"".