How do TelCos and SMS Integration work with PaygOps?
PaygOps TelCo Integration Services
What is a Telco Integration?
A “Telco integration” refers to the way by which the PAYG platform is able to send and receive SMS through the “SMS integration” and receive mobile payment thanks to the “Mobile Money integration”
Basic Telco integration
Full Telco integration
USSD Mobile Money integration
Application developed by the distributor himself or a third party resulted from an agreement with a specific Telco in a specific country, based on the Telco’s API documentation.
International SMS Service
By creating an account and a phone number with an international SMS service, the distributor get access to a public API which allows only an SMS integration very costly.
PaygOps TelCo and SMS Integration
Basic Telco Integration
Full Telco Integration
Integration
Send Information
Send
Money
Client
Integration
1
Distributor using
PaygOps to manage
Paygo operations
2
Quick Telco
integration via 1 Android App (SMS and Mobile Money)
1
Distributor using
PaygOps to manage
Paygo operations
2
Full Telco
integration via 2 APIs (SMS and Mobile Money)
4
Telco / Mobile Money Platform receives payment information from client and sends notification to Android App
4
Telco / Mobile Money Platform receives payment information from client and sends information via USSD Menu
5
Client makes payment and receives confirmation
5
Client makes payment and receives confirmation
Telco/Mobile Money Platform
3
6
7
Quick Mobile Money Integration
Integration Time:
< 1 month
Time distribution:
90% Technical part ; 10% Administrative part
Local Telco
Integration
Integration Time:
3 to 24 months
Time distribution:
10% Technical part ; 90% Administrative part
Misconceived Issues and Key Challenges
Challenges:
-
There are no existing standards for mobile money integrations. With each operator comes a completely different integration process often with different technologies, outdated technologies and specific requirements in terms of infrastructures making the process lengthy and expensive.
-
An integration between a Paygo provider and an operator can take months to complete, and the cost of time and resources dedicated to the process is high.
-
The contracting process is often long and complicated.
Misconceived issues:
-
Compared to the IT costs, the Paygo software itself represents a small part that is actually often bringing the most value for the business.
-
Even though the proper process of integration is rather complicated there are workarounds to start having automation to capture SMS and payments inside the software platform without having to enter them manually.
-
Once an integration is completed, the technical work is done but the administrative process remains.