Global Micro-Billing Specialist Oxygen8 Communications Targets 60% Growth in the Next Two Years

BIRMINGHAM, England, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxygen8 Communications http://www.oxygen8.com/ the global micro-billing, micropayments, communications and mobile enablement specialist, has set a target of growing 60% in the next two years, building on its strong performance in 2009. Turnover in the last six months of 2009 was 20% up on the previous year. Whilst core markets such as the UK have seen an increase of 10%, emerging markets, particularly in Africa, are seeing triple digit growth.

The rapid expansion of sites that demand micro-billing and micropayments -- such as social networking, gaming and content; a global online consumer population increasingly dominated by non credit card owners; and the need to attain a far more secure approach to online purchasing have combined to make micropayments come of age.

Oxygen8's development as one of the global leaders in micro-billing and micropayments has been boosted by acquisitions and investments in 2009 especially in the Caribbean and Africa. Oxygen8 now has a developed network offering premium domestic mobile and phone billing in over 110 countries -- supported by international billing covering 200 countries. Moving forward Oxygen8 is planning further acquisitions and investments to strengthen its position.

Shane Leahy, Group CEO at Oxygen8 Communications, says, "There is a growing recognition that to maximise opportunities in areas such as gaming, social networking and content provision the industry needs to deliver easy to use global micro-billing and micropayments. Indeed, in the UK it is estimated that 16% of the adult population does not have a debit card, rising to 38% for credit cards. And amongst the youth sector, the prime target for many online services, those numbers are even higher. And while to date many organisations have eschewed global micro-billing and micropayments options, such as mobile voice and premium SMS, due to the significant charges placed by the networks, the market has reached a tipping point: the opportunity now outweighs the network cost."

Leahy continues, "Our customers, especially those that generate their core business from the Web are increasingly looking for global micro-billing and micropayments, however this is complex with local variations in commercials, regulations and technology. The more control we have of the billing functions the better service we can provide. That is why apart from acquiring companies that can give us more global coverage we will also be investing in partners. Our ambition is to increasingly own the billing networks that we offer."

To help with the roll-out Oxygen8 is starting to sign up Reseller agreements with technical businesses that can integrate global micro-billing and micropayments solutions into their offerings and into mobile and web-based social networking and content companies.

In addition, Oxygen8 has created a new division that provides custom media development, bringing together the resources of two of its subsidiaries, Melodi and Brainstorm. This means that the company can now offer custom design of web and mobile sites fully optimised for Web, WAP and Smart Phones, iPhone and Smart phone applications, Near Field Communications and full Mobile Marketing services.        

About Oxygen8 Communications

Oxygen8 Communications is a global micro-billing, communications and mobile enablement specialist, delivering 'carrier-grade' multimedia services which include voice, data, web, WAP, SMS, MMS and video. As one of the largest privately-owned providers of voice and mobile services in the world, Oxygen8 is unique in providing content, infrastructure, billing, CRM and campaign management on a global scale, all through a single supplier.

Utilising the latest technology, Oxygen8 enables its clients to develop new ways of interacting with their customers, whether locally or across international markets, helping them to drive new revenue streams, build brand awareness and increase customer loyalty. Oxygen8's innovative communications solutions are helping businesses throughout the world to reduce their cost base and streamline their processes.

The Oxygen8 management team draws on many years of experience and expertise, having been at the forefront of the voice and mobile services industry since its inception. Oxygen8 is fully compliant with the latest industry regulations and standards, providing customers with complete confidence that the company is leading the way in best practice for the industry.

Headquartered in Birmingham, UK, Oxygen8 provides voice and mobile services to infrastructure providers, media companies, and corporates. Its clients include mobile networks, newspaper groups, radio and television stations, major high street retailers, and banks. Oxygen8 currently operates in the UK, Ireland, Australia, USA, South Africa and East Africa including Tanzania.

SOURCE Oxygen8 Communications