GSMA recognizes Movirtu for innovation — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{Virtual phones for poor people} GSMA recognizes Movirtu for innovation

1 Nov 2008 at 16:14 GMT Timo Poropudas

Movirtu, a supplier of rural network infrastructure solutions for mobile operators located in emerging markets, Friday announced that it has been selected as a Top Innovator by the GSM Association (GSMA) as part of its 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition – APAC Tournament, which is being held at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, China in November.

The GSMA’s competition recognizes breakthrough technology, applications and services in the global mobile industry by showcasing companies developing innovative products and solutions. Movirtu has been selected as one of three finalists in the Most Innovative “True Mobile Start Up” category.

The company has the potential to become one of two Global Finalists who will participate during the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain next February for the prestigious title of the “2009 GSMA Mobile Innovation Global Champion”.

Movirtu helps mobile operators in emerging markets to create access to basic phone services for more than a billion people earning less than two dollars a day. The company's MXShare product enables subscribers, who cannot afford to buy a handset, to own a virtual phone account with their own telephone number which they can access from other people’s mobile phones.

By enabling basic phone services Movirtu is helping people access jobs, raise incomes, access displaced family members and, increasingly, is acting as an enabler to send remittances over the mobile phone network. Movirtu is a private company, headquartered in London, UK with offices in Johannesburg, South Africa.