Safaricom selects Gemalto’s cloud-based solution to offer Kenyan mobile users phonebook back-up services

PRESS RELEASE

Safaricom selects Gemalto’s cloud-based solution to offer Kenyan mobile users phonebook back-up services

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, March 27, 2013/ -- Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) (http://www.gemalto.com), the world leader in digital security, has announced that Safaricom, a leading mobile operator in Africa, with over 18 million customers, is using its LinqUs Cloud Backup solution to offer mobile subscribers in Kenya a comprehensive back-up service for phonebook contacts. Compatible most of the handset models, the solution ensures that Safaricom customers can easily protect themselves against the disruption caused by phone theft, loss, damage or replacement, through saving all their contacts automatically in the mobile operator’s cloud-based storage service.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/gemalto.jpg

Photo - Gemalto LinqUs visual: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/gemalto-visual.jpg

Gemalto’s LinqUs Cloud Backup is already used by more than 140 million subscribers across the world and is particularly relevant in emerging markets such as those in Africa, where the mobile phone is fast becoming the most widespread computing device, and where the many small businesses rely on the integrity of their mobile phonebook contacts to operate. LinqUs Cloud Backup combines both SIM and handset phonebook backup systems and this feature is unique to the Gemalto solution. It is simple to use as protection of the entire phonebook is just a single click process and restoration of contacts is equally straightforward.

For Safaricom, the contacts back-up service represents both an important differentiator and a new income stream within the highly competitive mobile communications market. Furthermore, customer loyalty is significantly enhanced with churn rate dropping* as the mobile operator is recognized and trusted as the guardian of the subscriber’s valued contacts information.

“The mobile phone is a technology that forges strong emotional bonds with the user, and we fully understand how important contacts data is to our subscribers. That’s why we are putting secure and convenient cloud-based back up services within easy reach, enabling them to safeguard and retrieve contacts at any time and from anywhere, no matter which type of phone they use. This mass market service fits perfectly with our strategy to offer complete peace of mind to all of our customers’ needs,” commented Thibaud Rerolle, Technical Director at Safaricom.

“With the help of LinqUs Cloud Backup, Safaricom offers customers the opportunity to protect themselves against the consequences of losing a wealth of personal- and business-critical data, simply because a handset goes missing. It will give the operator a solid and secure platform on which to build premium subscriber services,” said Eric Claudel, Senior Vice President for Telecommunications at Gemalto Middle East & Africa.

*2012 Gemalto’s studies show that subscribers using the service are staying on average an extra 9 months with the same operator.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Gemalto.