Boku, Inc., the global leader in carrier billing and cross-platform mobile payments, today announced the acquisition of mobileview Italia, a leading provider of mobile payment solutions in Italy.
Mobileview Italia was sold by its German parent company dtms converting communication GmbH. The acquisition brings with it direct connections to every major Italian carrier, further strengthening Boku’s position as the world leader in carrier based billing, and opening Italy to the premier carrier billing merchant network.
“Mobileview’s strong, established relationships with every major Italian carrier made them an extremely attractive strategic partner in what we consider a tremendously valuable market” said Jon Prideaux, Boku CEO. “We see this as a growth initiative for carrier billing in Italy not only for Boku but for our merchant network. Opening a new market to massive global brands like Facebook, Spotify, and Sony, alongside hundreds of other merchant partners is good for consumers and carriers alike.”
Italy is a particularly strong market for carrier billing, as mobile penetration is extremely high at more than 158% of the population, while credit card penetration rests at a relatively low 34%. Based on mobileview data, Italian mobile users are also heavy consumers of digital goods and services ranging from music streaming, to gaming and in-game purchases. Through this agreement, Boku will provide carrier billing services in Italy for more than 87 million mobile subscriptions across Telecom Italia Mobile, Vodafone, Wind, and 3 (Hutchinson).