I dismissed this company as froth when I first looked at it. Since then the sp has doubled and continues to steadily rise. I looked again and when I saw the countries and contracts this firm is in---I was impressed and bought some to tuck away. anyone else bought in or interested?

Monitise plc announces that its Asia Pacific joint venture has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Handpay and China Rewards to create a range of compelling mobile commerce propositions and new joint business opportunities.

Under the scope of the MoUs, Handpay, a mobile payments specialist, China Rewards, a leading loyalty program provider, and Monitise will cooperate to deliver exciting new mobile opportunities to their respective customers both inside and outside the China market.

The agreement between Handpay and Monitise will combine the strengths of Handpay's links to local payments networks, banks and service providers in China with the international connectivity and global relationships of Monitise. The partnership aims to make it easier for customers to manage their money using the mobile phone as a highly convenient and secure channel. It will also deliver a simple and quick to implement mobile banking and payments solution to partner financial institutions, which is expected to appeal in particular to small and medium sized local banks as well as international banks operating in China.

StockMarketWire.com
PCCW mobile customers in Hong Kong will soon be able to top-up their mobile account directly and securely via a new app from their smartphone following a collaboration with Monitise, the leading enabler of Mobile Money solutions, and its local partner JETCO (Joint Electronic Teller Service).

Leveraging its connection to JETCO, which provides payment services to the majority of banks in Hong Kong, Monitise Asia Pacific has entered into a deal with Hong Kong's PCCW mobile to offer customers the ability to recharge any prepaid PCCW mobile from their smartphones. The tie-up sees PCCW mobile become Monitise Asia Pacific's first customer in Hong Kong, with the debut mobile top-up service due in the coming months.

PCCW mobile is the mobile communications services business of PCCW, Hong Kong's premier telecommunications provider and a major player in information and communications technologies.

StockMarketWire.com
Monitise has officially launched its first mobile money services in India with a range of smartphone and Java apps.

The new range of apps has been developed by Monitise, the leading global enabler of mobile money services, to help give mobile phone owners greater ease of use and a higher degree of convenience.

The apps, developed for Standard Chartered Bank's Breeze brand, are powered by Monitise's Globe mobile banking technology platform and allow users to view bank and credit card accounts, transfer funds to other banks in India and pay utility bills.

They will also locate the nearest SCB branch/ATM using an ATM Locator, find and pay for a cinema, locate and purchase seat tickets for events and find, book and pay for airline tickets, all through Breeze.

The new Monitise application is compatible with more than 700 handsets, from Blackberry and iPhone to the most basic devices.

StockMarketWire.com
Monitise has announced a new agreement with Visa Inc., the world's leading payments company.

The new five-year alliance represents minimum annualised revenues to Monitise in excess of $10m. in the first three years, with potential for greater revenues in years four and five as key milestones are achieved.

The agreement is intended to enable Visa to mobilise existing Visa account holders in the U.S. and in other key geographies creating new mobile solutions that replicate the ease, reliability, and security of traditional Visa payments, on mobile phones and in ecommerce stores accessed via mobile phones.

"Visa is the benchmark for trusted payments innovation on a global scale and it is a huge honour for Monitise to be playing our part in their mobile strategy. Mobile Money is an industry that will have a big societal impact as the 5bn. plus mobile phone users around the world discover new ways to bank, pay, trade and shop. This agreement validates Monitise's strategy of becoming the leading trusted enabler in the space and cements our role in this ever growing ecosystem," said Alastair Lukies, Chief Executive of Monitise.

Merrill Lynch have picked up coverage today:
"We initiate mobile money specialist Monitise with a Buy rating and 44p price objective, 41% upside. Founded in 2003, it has set itself up as a trusted partner to connect banks and their credit, debit, and prepayment cards to consumers via their phones. This is no UK-focused niche player. San Francisco-based Visa Inc was suitably impressed to take a 14% stake and sign a global alliance agreement that has been updated twice and now represents $50m of guaranteed business, the largest mobile-money contract we have seen. Monitise also has projects in Hong Kong, China, Nigeria, UK, India, US/Canada.

Mobile money is not just about swapping a credit card swipe or PIN entry for a mobile phone wave or tap. It delivers significant value to consumers and merchants through loyalty and promotional potential. So mobile money is not just about rechanneling a slice of payment interchange fees, it is about rechanneling advertising and marketing spend. Todays dance between financial institutions, mobile operators, and giant tech companies for a slice of this pie requires aggregators and intermediaries, which is where Monitise fits in.

Monitises revenue base is in the process of switching from license/consultancy to transaction or user-count related revenues. The company expects to break even during calendar 2013, and model will switch from wont breakeven until Jun-14 FY because 70% of costs are investment in future opportunities. We estimate the current share price is the value of the live mobile banking activity. Todays share price implies a 30% chance that Monitise can take a modest 1% of the potential $75bn global banked mobile money market by 2020. We initiate with a valuation implying 50% chance of modest goal success."

Also mentioned in III lunchtime round up. here.

Lovely stock. Have been trading in & out for the last year or so, but now looks like the big boys are becoming more interested in this technology.

London, 13 July 2011 - Monitise plc (LSE:MONI), the technology company delivering mobile banking, payments and commerce networks worldwide, announces an unaudited pre-close trading update following its 30 June financial year-end.

Highlights

Full-year revenues expected to be approximately 14 million ($22 million), more than double the 6 million ($10 million) reported last year, and with a year-end annualised revenue run rate in excess of 20 million ($32 million).

Growth across live mobile banking and payments services continues, with Monitise now handling more than 10 million banking transactions a month, including 100,000 account transfers and mobile payments per week with an average monthly value of more than 100 million.

Minimum contracted revenues at year end of approximately 55 million ($90 million) over the next five years. This represents more than four times the level seen a year ago, with significant upside potential, further underpinning plans to reach break-even in calendar 2013.

Strong increase in operating profit and cash generation in the second half from live operations, broadly matched by continued investment in the business.

Robust financial position, debt free with in excess of 23 million cash balance as at 30 June 2011.

Strong outlook for next financial year with Group well positioned to double revenue again in 2011/2012.

The group has made strong progress during the second-half of the year, entering a number of long term partnerships including a new five-year deal with Visa Inc. worth a minimum of $50 million with significant upside.

Indonesian Joint Venture with Astra Group and first bank customer lined up
London, 28 July 2011 - Monitise Asia Pacific today announced its plans to launch mobile banking, payments and commerce services in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populated country and one of the fastest-growing economies globally.

The company has signed a joint venture agreement with PT Astra Graphia Information Technology (AGIT) that will see it developing cutting-edge new mobile services for Indonesia's huge population, both banked and unbanked. AGIT is an information and communication technology business, part of PT Astra International Tbk, one of the largest publicly-listed companies in Indonesia.

The new business, PT AGIT Monitise Indonesia, will establish a platform able to support the full spectrum of mobile banking, payments and commerce for banks, mobile operators, retailers and other service providers.

Monitise Asia Pacific is also pleased to announce that Permata, one of Indonesia's top-10 banks, has entered into a memorandum of understanding to be the launch bank for the new joint venture.

Monitise Asia Pacific Chief Executive Darren Sugden said: "We are delighted to be opening for business in Indonesia. The country has seen huge growth both economically and in mobile phone take-up in recent years and our new partnership promises great commercial opportunities for everyone involved. Building on our recent partnership deals in Hong Kong, this is further evidence that the time is right for our plans for rapid expansion across the Asia Pacific region."

I seem to remember noticing that they were managing a mobile payment service for a high profile client, can't for the life of me remember who it was though! Sorry, not exactly useful information...

This thread has gone a bit quiet - what are people's latest thoughts?

I have traded in & out of this for two years now. It was an intentional strategy, just in case the technology didn't succeed, but it now looks like it is going to be adopted by many of the credit and payment houses all over the world. There are other competitors in this market, but none of them seem to have the drive and global reach of MONI. Am now considering building a reasonable stake as I think it could be a real growth company approaching profitability.

London, 23 August 2011 -
Monitise plc is set to build Nigeria's first mobile shared financial services platform after being granted a Mobile Payment System Provider licence to provide mobile money services by the country's Central Bank.

The Monitise technology platform is designed to be shared by various banks and payment providers, enabling them to be able to offer mobile payment services under their own brands. Monitise, with its local partners, has set up a network of agents in Nigeria that can be utilised by banks and payment service providers to offer branchless banking services to both the banked and unbanked.

Monitise received a provisional licence in December 2010 and successfully launched a mobile payments pilot in four cities and 11 rural locations, earlier this year.

Within the trial period, the Monitise pilot attracted c7,000 users, handled payments totalling more than 25 million Naira (100,000) and created nearly 170 local jobs through its network of approved agents and support staff.

In the near term, Nigerian banks and other financial institutions will have the potential to provide mass market mobile based financial services including loans, insurance, pensions products and savings all without a bank needing to build and operate branches across the country.

London, 31 August 2011 - Monitise plc (LSE: MONI) today announces it has signed a new partnership agreement with RBS Technology Services to broaden mobile banking and payments services across its banking divisions.

Monitise has strengthened its existing relationship with RBS by entering a new five-year global strategic partnership. Under the terms of the new agreement, RBS will utilise Monitise's industry leading and award-winning platform to provide innovative bank-grade and secure mobile apps and services to RBS customers.

By further integrating Monitise's configurable technology platform within the bank, RBS is able to give its customers richer, real-time smartphone services as new devices and operating systems hit the market, while continuing to provide mobile services to any customer that wants them via text message, no matter what phone they have.

The new contract covers all RBS Group divisions including RBS and NatWest UK Retail, Citizens Bank US, Ulster Bank and RBS Global Corporate and Business.

StockMarketWire.com
Monitise plc has appointed Brian McBride to the Board as Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.

McBride was previously managing director of Amazon.com in the UK and brings with him more than 25 years experience in the IT industry. He began his career with Xerox and subsequently worked at IBM, Crosfield Electronics, Madge Networks, Lucent, Dell Computers as Vice President, Northern Europe and as Managing Director of T-Mobile (UK).

StockMarketWire.com
Monitise the technology company delivering mobile banking has announced its audited preliminary results for the year ended 30 June 2011 showing revenues of 14.0m (2010: 6.0m) with half-on-half revenues more than doubling from 4.3m in H2 2010 to 8.7m in H2 2011.

Platform development and integration revenues of 6.0m (2010: 1.4m), up fourfold on prior year, driving future user generated income streams

User generated revenues of 6.3m (2010: 2.9m), also more than doubled on prior year

The company also reported that gross margin was consistently strong and in excess of 60% target.

Monitise highlighted a growing order book, including the recent five-year strategic contracts with Visa Inc. and RBS, hit 78m ($128m) as at 1 September 2011, six times the 13m order book at end-June 2010

Revenue growth in live operations (1) drove profitability, from an operating loss (3) of 2.5m in 2010 to an operating profit of 3.2m

The company recorded a loss for the year of 14.5m (2010: 16.8m) and a loss per share 2.1p (2010: 3.7p)

The company is debt free with 30 June 2011 cash balance, including short-term deposits, of 23.6m

Latest patent covers way shoppers can use 'virtual payment cards' to shield account details, or even if they have no bank account
Monitise plc announces it has been granted a patent for a new way to enable consumers to shop securely via their mobile or the internet, reinforcing the group's reputation as a mobile money innovator.

"Bank-grade security is at the heart of our growing mobile money business and we welcome this new patent being granted," said Monitise Group Chief Executive Alastair Lukies.

The UK patent relates to how Monitise can generate 'virtual card details' on the mobile phone to enable a consumer to shop in a secure and convenient way without them having to divulge data from their credit or debit cards such as personal account numbers, card expiry dates and security codes. The consumer chooses which account to use as the funding account for the virtual card.

The virtual card, in effect a prepaid digital voucher, can be created for a fixed amount or for a specified period of validity. The risk of fraud is further minimised because the consumer can shop without having to share their bank and credit card account information if they prefer not to

StockMarketWire.com
Monitise is further strengthening its alliance with Visa Europe, which is investing 24.7 million in Monitise at an issue price of 35p per share for 70.5 million new Monitise shares.

As part of the subscription for Monitise shares, Visa Europe President and Chief Executive Peter Ayliffe, will join Monitise's Board of Directors.

Monitise has also agreed to acquire the 51% stake in its US joint venture, Monitise Americas, held by Metavante Corporation, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS).

FIS is one of the world's largest global providers dedicated to banking and payments technologies.

Monitise welcomes launch of MMN's Simply Tap
Monitise plc (LSE: MONI), is delighted to welcome the launch of the Mobile Money Network's instant mobile checkout, Simply Tap.

Monitise is a joint venture partner in MMN and developed the technology platform for the launch, which has just gone live with Carphone Warehouse among the first major retailers to integrate Simply Tap into how its customers shop via their mobile handsets.

Monitise Group Chief Executive Alastair Lukies commented:
"It is great to see Simply Tap live. The UK now has a bank-grade, interoperable infrastructure for secure, fast and simple mobile shopping. This will inevitably change the way we pay and shop, just like cash did thousands of years ago, bank cards did 50 years ago and the Internet did a decade ago. What seems like an innovation today will be mainstream in a few years time, just as ATMs have become.

"The response to Simply Tap and the proposition it offers retailers, media partners, banks and payments companies has been very positive. We have more innovations planned over the coming 12 months, which will revolutionise the way consumers shop via mobile. Consumers choose retailers in the high street by voting with their feet, they will now vote with their fingers and thumbs via Simply Tap too."

Norges Bank > 8%.

Ouch...........quite a drop. I wonder if this is because of the struggle between all of the companies trying to be the market leader?
"MasterCard, like its traditional card rivals, is rushing to gain a foothold in the nascent mobile money market. Visa has acquired Fundamo and invested in Monitise and Square in the recent past while American Express has taken a stake in Payfone."
Presumably not all of these will survive?