Mobile application developer weComm plans to integrate payment functionality into its development platform through a partnership with mobile billing and analytics service Bango.

WeComm will integrate Bango payment and analytics into its Wave development platform that creates applications compatible with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile platforms. The partnership will enable consumers using weComm-powered mobile applications to charge payments directly to their phone bills.

“Bango has a world-class payment system,” said Steven Tan, vice president of business development at weComm, London. “They will enable users to make payments with whether on Wi-Fi or via [carrier networks].

“It will enable [developers] to do all sorts of payments – micropayments, subscription payments, et cetera,” he said.

WeComm said it plans first to integrate Bango analytics, then later focus on folding payments into its platform.

WeComm clients include NBA, Turner Classic Movies and Facebook.

Payments and analytics
Bango already provides in-application billing via its Direct Billing application programming interface.

The company will now enable mobile billing to weComm clients directly via integration with the Wave platform.

WeComm said that it partnered with Bango because of the company’s experience enabling mobile payments via carriers.

“Their background is doing payments via [carriers]  and protect who you are across different networks,” Mr. Tan said.

The partnership will let weComm clients coordinate and track application usage and in-application payments across platforms, providing a more complete view of how consumers are interacting with their mobile offerings.

In addition, Bango boasts relationships with carriers worldwide, providing global reach to weComm clients.

The creates the potential for better reach and increased revenue, per Bango.

“Bango’s extensive international reach through our close relationships with mobile carriers worldwide, alongside our unique mobile analytics technology, have already proven successful with some of the world’s biggest brands,” said Vanessa Daly, marketing communications manager at Bango, Cambridge, Britain.

“Through this new partnership with weComm, we will combine our offerings and give mobile application developers sophisticated multi-platform application development solutions and applications analytics and billing in one singe place,” she said.

Riding the mobile wave
WeComm clients using the Wave platform will capitalize on consumers’ increasing comfort with mobile payments by integrating Bango’s back-end service.

Fifteen percent of consumers have already purchased items via their handhelds, according to a study conducted by AT&T and Demandware Inc. (see story).

In addition, mobile purchases of physical and digital goods is expected to top $200 billion by 2012 (see story).

Still, Bango said that application-centered billing and analytics services are in short supply, even given the growth of the application market.

“Multi-platform applications continue to be a popular choice for developers and brands due to the ease of implementation and lower development costs associated with not having to develop for each OS separately,” Ms. Daly said.

“As more businesses choose to use apps to create brand awareness and generate extra revenue, it is essential for them to get a good understanding of how their customers are interacting with their apps,” she said. “But the world of mobile applications in-app billing and analytics solutions is very limited.

“By using sophisticated and robust analytics and payment solutions, businesses will have a guarantee that they’re reaching the right audience and getting their dollar’s worth.”

Final Take
Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily, New York