Safaricom selects Gemalto’s cloud-based solution

SOUTH AFRICA: Gemalto announced that Safaricom, a leading mobile operator in Africa, with over 18 million customers, is using its LinqUs Cloud Backup solution to offer mobile subscribers in Kenya a comprehensive back-up service for phonebook contacts.

Compatible most of the handset models, the solution ensures that Safaricom customers can easily protect themselves against the disruption caused by phone theft, loss, damage or replacement, through saving all their contacts automatically in the mobile operator’s cloud-based storage service.

Gemalto’s LinqUs Cloud Backup is already used by more than 140 million subscribers across the world and is particularly relevant in emerging markets such as those in Africa, where the mobile phone is fast becoming the most widespread computing device, and where the many small businesses rely on the integrity of their mobile phonebook contacts to operate.

LinqUs Cloud Backup combines both SIM and handset phonebook backup systems and this feature is unique to the Gemalto solution. It is simple to use as protection of the entire phonebook is just a single click process and restoration of contacts is equally straightforward.

For Safaricom, the contacts back-up service represents both an important differentiator and a new income stream within the highly competitive mobile communications market. Furthermore, customer loyalty is significantly enhanced with churn rate dropping as the mobile operator is recognized and trusted as the guardian of the subscriber’s valued contacts information.