SMS + Payments: More than the sum of the parts
It’s been a realization slow in coming, given that we’ve got ‘SMS’ in our name, but the more organizations and businesses we’ve talked with about mobile payments, the more it’s clear: SMS is not only a valuable communications tool, but the combination of mobile payments and SMS is more than the sum of the parts. And right now the :Credit software development team is working on adding...
October 13th, 2011 by Nathan
Expanding Microinsurance Penetration
The expansion of microinsurance has been slow, tethered to distribution channels that allow insurance providers to achieve a feasible scale: microfinance organizations, for example, or retail shops. As such, microinsurance policies have been designed with viability and ease of distribution in mind; client-centric design is a luxury that most providers haven’t yet been able to breach. Instead, simplicity...
September 1st, 2011 by Sushmita
Easing Pain Points in Ag Value Chains
Agriculture, by nature, is a dispersed enterprise. We fail to realize this—both here in Nairobi and in the U.S.—when we pop into the grocery store for essentials. All of our products, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, eggs, coffee, have made long and varied journeys to our shelves. In the last two weeks I have had several enlightening conversations with organizations working with clients in...
August 22nd, 2011 by Beth
8 Ideas to Make Mobile Money More Financially Inclusive
During my last trip to Washington, DC, I met with a range of people working with USAID, NGOs, and private organizations interested in mobile money in various forms. I spoke with them about applications of FrontlineSMS software to make it easier for development programs to use mobile money both for work with beneficiaries as well as for internal administration. But one of the most interesting questions...
June 29th, 2011 by Nathan
Peace of Mind: Priceless.
This summer FrontlineSMS:Credit has two Social Impact Summer Fellows, exploring new opportunities for enterprise use of mobile payments to impact the base of the pyramid in agriculture, health, and financial services in East Africa. Sushmita Meka is a Masters of Public Policy student at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She is exploring opportunities for mobile payments in rural...
June 22nd, 2011 by Sushmita
Relaunch of Credit.FrontlineSMS.com
Relaunch of Credit.FrontlineSMS.com! Credit.FrontlineSMS.com has been quiet for some months but that will be changing, reflecting the trajectory of FrontlineSMS:Credit. Our new site design reflects the focus we’re placing on our software product and our desire for clarity on the software and services we provide. After several redesigns reflecting an evolving mobile money landscape and increasingly...
April 26th, 2011 by admin
