June 2011 Round up

Knowledge & Networking News

Dear Members and Colleagues,

As we move into the holiday season I’m sure that for most of you your thoughts will now be on the prospect of far away shores, or maybe a campsite in Devon (avoiding the rain!!), even if you’re not quite there yet in person.  It’s been a busy year for regulation and also commercially, as we see growth in most of the content sectors, so a break is well deserved.

AIME’s recent General Meeting touched on the progress made by several of the working groups (see newsletter summary below), and particularly it is good to see progress being made by AIME’s Forward Look Group (FLG). At June’s FLG meeting, Chris Newell presented first draft of the ‘payments map’, which identifies and plots the values of key payment solutions across a global multi-platform media environment. This map is currently being completed for distribution to members and the next stage will map consumer behaviour across the different social media platforms, output providing members with information on platform integration, commercial models, service design, monetisation and regulation. By providing members with greater understanding we will hopefully help members realise potential opportunities for interactive media and entertainment services.

As laid out at the start of the year, our membership evolved to represent the wider micropayment industry (of which PRS is an important sub-set) and a recent Board action was to agree a definition of what is a micropayment. As announced at the GM we will use the following definition to help improve stakeholder understanding of micropayments and the digital economy we represent: “A payment facility for swift and convenient low priced purchases of physical and digital goods and services.”

So when you’re on your travels and get posed that ubiquitous question of what you do for the other 51 weeks of the year, hopefully you will now have the foundations for a pithy reply.

I’d also record my sincere thanks to Roy Ellyatt, who retires from the AIME Board after 15 years of sterling services to AIME.  As the original org chairman you can never really make a clean break and I’m pleased to report that Roy remains happy to support the AIME team from the touch line when called upon and may even be seen at the odd social.

Yours Sincerely,

Edward Boddington
AIME Chair

This month's discussion topics:

SHOWCASE

REPRESENTATION

INDUSTRY CONSULTATIONS

  • Ofcom: Modifying who is subject to the Premium Rate Services Condition

INFORMATION & NETWORKING

AIME CONSULTANT RESOURCE

MEMBER NEWS

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Showcase

AIME Call for Government to review the micropayments sector

On 30th June, AIME issued a press release to highlight publication of a joint letter with premium rate services regulator PhonepayPlus (PpP) and trade organisations MEF and UKCTA, calling for Government to carry out a full review of the UK’s micropayments sector. The letter was in response to a request by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), for input to the formation of a Comms Act 2015 Green Paper in September 2011. 

At AIME’s recent General Meeting a member rightly asked for clarity regarding AIME’s support for the joint PpP Industry Liaison Panel (ILP) letter and this generated debate about whether we are aligned with what some are interpreting as a PpP call for greater responsibility in the regulation of a wider micropayments market. Our view is that this is not what the debate should be about, although it is certainly appreciated that the co-signatories may attach differing values to the need for a wholesale review. 

Read more here...

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Representation

Meetings & Events

    • 12th Code event with AIME member Mobile Interactive Group - 2nd June
    • AIME Interactive Services for Charities meeting - 8th June
    • AIME representation at DMA Accident Claims working group - 9th June
    • 12th Code event with AIME member Vodafone - 14th June
    • AIME Strategy - Board meeting - 16th June
    • AIME Forward Look Group meeting - 22nd June
    • AIME Board meeting - 22nd June
    • AIME Broadcaster member visit to Vodafone Network Operator Centre - 29th June
    • Review meeting with O2 re Yellow & Red Cards - 29th June
    • AIME Participation TV forum conference call - 30th June
    • AIME General Meeting - 30th June

Please find below a brief summary of this months’ activity from AIME's 8 current Forums and other Initiatives we are working on. Any members who have an interest in any of these areas can receive further information (including meeting notes) or details of how to join the working group from zoe@aimelink.org. Or for more information about the benefits of joining AIME and becoming part of the AIME Forums please visit our website or contact our Membership Manager David Ashman, davidashman@aimelink.org

 AIME Forum: Forward Look

  • Forum meeting held on 22nd June
    • Presentation of Payments Market Map by AIME member Chris Newell, Impulsepay - final document to be circulated to members with glossary of terms shortly
    • Agreement that forum agenda is to be platform led, e.g. Facebook, Twitter
    • Micropayments to be key agenda item initially
    • Output of the forum will include further research and AIME K&N seminar
  • Next forum meeting to be held in September

 AIME Forum: Interactive Broadcast

  • SMS voting working group:
    • as part of the ongoing work to reintroduce SMS voting to Interactive Broadcast AIME organised a Broadcaster member visit to Vodafone's Network Operation Centre - 29th June
    • AIME due to provide SMS voting presentation to Channel 4 Business Development Team early July
    • working group continue to work with MNOs to formalise operational capabilities for TV voting
  • Voice Short Code working group:
    • AIME has achieved approval from PhonepayPlus for revised price disclaimers
    • Currently being reviewed by Ofcom - AIME meeting in July
  • Next bi-annual Interactive Broadcast Forum to be held in November, working group activity will be ongoing

AIME Forum: Mobile Betting & Gaming 

  • The next meeting of the Forum's Technology Infrastructure Working Group will be focusing on:
    • Joining up the Provider and Network Operator age verification processed
    • Developing direct-to-bill facilities to improve payouts
    • Documenting technical infrastructure needs and improving bandwidth for rich content
  • For more information on the Mobile Betting & Gaming forum please contact davidashman@aimelink.org

AIME Forum: Interactive Services for Charities

  • Forum met 8th June, forum output agreed and prioritised
  • Preliminary results of AIME Charity Technology Needs survey presented
    • Survey distribution now widened & deadline for charity responses extended to 22nd July
    • Results to be analysed in August and comparisons made against small businesses outside of charitable sector
    • Key survey findings to be presented at AIME Charity Conference
  • AIME supporting LBi HyperIsland Initiative - 3 Charity '5 year vision' briefs to be chosen and LBi, leading global marketing & technology agency and their top clients will brainstorm innovative solutions - case studies to be presented at the AIME Charity conference
  • AIME to meet with CTT & Raceonline in July to formalise proposal for online Central Information Source for Charities
  • AIME now official partner of Raceonline2012  
  • Next forum meeting will be held in September, working group activity ongoing
  • AIME Charity Event, 'Empowering the Charitable Sector with Interactive Technologies II' - 15th Sept at LBi, London

AIME Forum: Participation TV

  • Forum conference call - 30th June
  • Amendments agreed for PTV Chat Best Practice - final version to be circulated to members
  • Other self-regulatory forum initiatives include content monitoring and operator training 

AIME Forum: Mobile Commerce: MCJIC

  • Annual AIME M-commerce survey being finalised for release to members and retail groups

AIME Forum: Voice Services (nee Fixed Line Forum)

  • AIME Voice Services Best Practice Guide now published
  • Discussions continue with Ofcom regarding Higher Rate PRS (090) 

Other AIME updates

  • AIME Micropayment Definition signed off by Board, in line with AIME's 2011/12 Objectives
    • "A payment facility for swift and convenient low priced purchases of physical and digital goods and services."
  • AIME member 12th Code events - Mobile Interactive Group & Vodafone
  • DMA Accident Claims working group:
    • AIME invited to be part of working group looking at unsolicited SMS and Voice
    • working with key stakeholders, including ICO, to address issue
  • O2 Yellow & Red Cards
    • AIME held review meeting with O2 29th June to feedback members views and AIME card monitoring information.
    • Agreement to hold 3 & 6 month review meetings
    • Marked improvement in compliance; customer care lines remain an issue
  • AIME representation on ILP Futures group - helped influence PhonepayPlus In-app Billing Guidance note due for Industry consultation in July 

Regulatory Updates

Industry Consultations
 

Closed Consultations


Ofcom: Modifying who is subject to the Premium Rate Services Condition

  • AIME response submitted 22nd June  

Industry consultations & AIME responses can be found on the AIME website
AIME encourages members to also respond individually to consultations 
For further information please contact Zoe@aimelink.org

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Information & Networking

  • AIME welcomes new members 24 Seven
  • AIME 12th Code event with Mobile Interactive Group, including networking drinks - 2nd June
  • AIME representation at UK Technology4Good Awards - 7th June
  • Supporting Association and AIME Speaker (Mark Gibson, Chair of AIME Mobile Betting & Gaming Forum) at mgaming Summit - 15th June
  • Supporting Association for Digital Content Monetisation West - 22nd June
  • AIME attendance at Industry networking day - Cricket, hosted by AIME member BT agilemedia - 23rd June
  • Supporting Association for GameHorizon - 28-29th June
  • Member Emails Included:
    • Regulatory process update and member request for information on PhonepayPlus 12th Code
    • AIME Meetings: AIME GM, PTV forum, Interactive Services for Charity forum, Forward Look Group
    • AIME PR: AIME and Premium Rate Services Regulator PhonepayPlus call for Government to review the micropayments sector
    • Member Discounts: Mobile App World 2011 

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AIME Consultant Resource

AIME has several member companies and consultants who offer support services to the industry at preferential rates, from regulatory and legal support, verification & auditing services, through to more specialist consultants supporting the interactive broadcast & media sector. If you require business support in these areas please contact the AIME Secretariat who will put you in touch with appropriate members to support your business needs or go online and visit member profiles in the AIME Ecosystem.
 

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Member News

Screenreach’s Screach App, which allows two way interactions between a smart device and content on a digital screen, or just within the app, was rolled out at its first live US event last week.

Mobi Chat the latest sms chat servcie to be built by Square1 communications Ltd one of the UK's largest independent service providers will launch on 1st July 2011 

Three-way partnership between OpenMarket, GlobalCharge and Digital Chocolate enables operator in-app billing for games and apps embedded on 3UK handsets 

Mobile Interactive Group ( MIG ), a mobile and digital technology business today announces the consolidation; upgrade and rebranding of its proprietary technology to one global platform ‘mVoy’. 

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Dates for your Diary!

15th September - AIME Empowering the Charitable Sector with Interactive Technologies II conference
21-22nd September - ad:tech - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
12-14th October - WorldTelemedia - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
26-28th October - CDN World Summit - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
29-30th November - Appsworld Europe - AIME Supporting Association, member discount

If you would like further information on any of AIME's activities, initiatives or benefits of membership, please contact me at zoe@aimelink.org

Kind Regards,

Zoe Patterson
General Manager

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