We have been informed today that Econet is migrating the core technology powering its mobile money system, EcoCash, from a platform developed by South African based company, Pattern Matched Technologies, to award winning Indian based VAS company, Comviva. Last week, Econet announced that its mobile money system would be down over the weekend as the company upgraded the system. We learnt today that the upgrade is more a migration.
The information was revealed to us by Pattern Matched Technologies CEO, Markus Schorn, in response to an email we sent the company enquiring about the upgrade. “The new system is not provided by PMT,” he said in the email. It’s not clear what has caused Econet to migrate and Schorn himself said he didn’t know: “PMT still does not actually know why Econet chose to do this”.
We also sent an email to Econet Mobile Money Executive, Francis Matseketsa (the man in charge of EcoCash) but we didn’t get a response from him. Another email to the Econet PR head, Ranga Mberi, also went unanswered.
Information we’re getting from contacts at Econet however suggests the company has moved EcoCash to Comviva because of “capacity issues” with the PMT platform. Capacity here we assume is referring to scalability issues. “Econet is thinking big with EcoCash,” said one contact we spoke to. He explained that the company’s plan is to have a “big” payments system. He suggested the word “big” here refers to something as robust as a system the size of PayPal.
On what subscribers will get with the new platform, information we have says it’s mainly the merchant system that has been added.
We’ll be posting additional information on the move as we get it.
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11 comments
But they could have managed the changeover process way better than what they did. I was in some of the small towns of the weekend and it was an outcry, there are some pple who are actually using EcoCash as their bank!
Interesting, hope the demand is there and it becomes more widely used. I still do not know anyone personally that uses EcoCash but do see the need and value of it.
This report is not accurate, and not approved by myself. I referred you to Econet staff for the full detail and that is why I would not provide you detail. Your comments are also distorted – I noted I was confused as to why Econet would tell the market they migrated because PMT had capacity issues. Your reporting is not factual. M Schorn, CEO
huh?? approval?
@kabweza:disqus
Over the last 12 months i have been researching mobile payments in
Zimbabwe and by chance, months ago, I knew this move was coming. The
move to Comviva is NOT about “capacity” and I agree with Schorn that the
article is not really
accurate, or rather, contains half-truths. I would have loved to tell
you what i know but I won’t say anything on a public platform.
You say “Capacity here we assume is referring to scalability issues.”
This is very wrong, as a matter of FACT (not assumption). You should
also not have “assumed”. Scoops are good but be careful some of your
contacts may give you wrong info just to avoid being point blank,
especially when a product with a reputation positive goodwill is
involved. If you are sued, your assumptions wont help you and your contact may deny ever saying anything.
Trust me, it’s not about scalability. PMT’s technology is very scalable.
@55eda97a25a3b60bf00a370fa6836a8f:disqus you obviously don’t know the meaning of assumption. Since when is it wrong to assume and disclose it is an assumption and not fact??
“especially when a product with a reputation positive goodwill is involved.” I gave this a hearty-LOL. So products can’t be discussed, analyzed and critiqued…whether right or wrong?
Your comment suffers from a lack of argument and breeds of the fear of unknown. Enough said.
Just posted some clarification on the process we used to gather information and publishing this article: http://www.techzim.co.zw/2012/08/ecocash-pmt-inaccuracies-distortions-and-ethics/
From the article, Econet did not tell the market that PMT had capacity issues but rather, “contacts” in Econet are alleged to have said so. I think it would have been better if Econet itself had said so.
Good show.
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