Ericsson, Western Union in m-commerce deal

Global brands, Ericsson and Western Union have revealed a strategic agreement designed to accelerate the interconnection between the m-commerce ecosystem and the existing financial world, Reuters writes.

The first step of this agreement will result in seamless platform integration between the Western Union mobile money transfer network and the Ericsson suite of m-commerce solutions, including Ericsson's converged wallet, wallet platform, and m-commerce Interconnect.

According to the Telecom Paper, operators rolling out services using the Ericsson m-commerce services will be able to deploy Western Union mobile money transfer services as well, "out of the box" when they contract with Western Union.

Market Watch quotes Hans Vestberg, president and CEO of Ericsson, as saying: "With 2012 set to be a year of rapid transition and dynamic change across the m-commerce industry, operators and financial institutions have a chance to evolve their role and meet consumer needs and expectations in new ways.

“Our business ambition is to accelerate access and interconnection between the m-commerce ecosystem and the existing financial world. Through this agreement with Western Union, we are helping mobile network operators and financial institutions get closer to their customers with differentiated wallet services that connect and add value to their consumers."