Cancelling Network Initiated USSD Request

Vikas Agrahar (Software Engineer at Infosys) has asked a question on LinkedIn:

…What would be the mobile side behavior when a network initiated USSD request is followed by a release message from the network?

For example, network (MSC/HLR/VLR) sends a USSD request to the MS, requesting for some details from the mobile. Assume that the request is displayed in a texual form at the mobile’s screen. Before the mobile user can enter his input and send it to the network, the network releases the USSD transaction by sending a RELEASE COMPLETE message.

Now, what will be the mobile side behaviour. Will the RELEASE cancel/remove the text displayed at the mobile handset screen. Or will the user still be able to enter his input in response to the request and send it to the network (this obviously will be an invalid response as the transaction has already been cleared by the network)

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Do you know the answer? Three of us attempted an answer. If you want to know what, read below. Read more

Mobile Wallets

Mobile Payments, Including the Use of USSD, Are (Somewhat) Explained Here:

Mobile Money Transfer Explained, Part 2: Mobile Wallets

  February 2008

LONDON, UK — Mobile money transfer is the hottest topic in mobile payments now. Pilot programmes and commercial launches are being announced seemingly on a daily basis. But how do you make MMT work for your organisation? One of the first things you’ll need is a mobile wallet…

In the course of researching MMT 08 – the world’s first independent MMT conference – Steven Clarke, Event Director and Chief Payments Researcher for the Clarion Events Payments Division spoke to hundreds of MMT innovators, and is pleased to share his research in a series of papers. In this edition, we spoke to the leading mWallet vendors. Read more

USSD is Ussed for…

I continue to write about USSD services… So, there can be:

- Various information services: weather, sports, breaking news, traffic, geo-location services, directory services etc.

- Entertainment services: melodies, pictures, games, horoscopes, dating, etc.

- Financial services

Nikhil Pahwa reports:

Barclays Bank has launched Mobile Banking, called “Hello Money”, entirely on the USSD platform, so it doesn’t require GPRS and SMS. I’m not a Barclays customer (though their representatives do call me quite often), but I did give the service a go by dialing *598*#. The service is available in Hindi and English, but there’s a problem -- they’re charging customers Rs. 30 per month, and it is available only on Airtel, Voda and Idea networks.

Wikipedia reports that USSD is the base of some payment methods such as SharEpay in South Africa, Mobipay in Spain, Paysa in India & mPay in Poland.

Pros and Cons of USSD

Pros:
• Works on any modern phone
• Almost instantaneous response (subscriber gets USSD menu without delay)
• Interactivity
• Works in roaming
• Harmonious with a number of technologies – SMS, WAP, Java – that helps to create composite services
• Clarity and simplicity of use – no need to tweak settings or sign up for data packages, no need to multi-tap an SMS. A person enters a number and calls it – a routine operation for even novice people.
• An easy number to remember (you can simply add it to the address book)

Cons:
• Requires a rather quick response (if the user waits too long the session will expire)
• For some models it is not obvious how to navigate in a menu, or a user needs to change the input method (usually to “numbers”).

USSD Particulars (User Experience)

Session Time

A user is having an interactive dialogue with a USSD service by choosing menu options. Time given for an answer is limited and usually is around 30 seconds. If the user don’t answer during this time, the session expires (i.e. the dialogue ends) and the user has to send another request to open a new USSD session. Read more

How Does USSD Work?

In the network of a mobile operator:
A USSD request consequently goes through MSC ——>VLR——> HLR. If one of these nodes have a local interpreter, it will process the inquiry. As a rule, however, after HLR the request goes to a USSD center – a network node with a local interpreter. The USSD center acts as a gateway the main function of which is conversion of protocols. (Eyeline USSD center can convert SS7 into SMPP.)

From the user’s standpoint: Read more

WAP Problems

1) Marketing Bluff
WAP has been marketed as “Internet on your phone”. A simple demo of a WAP site could easily prove that it is quite an overstatement.

For many people there is no “second chance”. Lured by the marketing fluff, they looked at WAP. Realizing the bitter reality they will never come back to what they saw. Read more

WAP Use Cases 2

As a rule WAP sites do not use much graphics because of a small screen of mobile phone. Therefore, a typical WAP site is a list of well structured links which help a user to find information she is looking for. A good WAP site has:
• Well structured content
• Well organized navigation (a user should be able to return to the previous page, etc.)
• Simple and phone-oriented addresses
• Minimized input of text

Possible WAP applications:

• E-mail
• Online, real-time, multi-player games
• Stock trading
• News:
Breaking News
Stock Info
Weather
Sports
• Entertainment:
Downloadable horoscopes, cartoons, quotes, advice
Gaming and Gambling
• Travel:
Schedules and rescheduling
Reservations
Location-based special offers and sales
Financial services:
Account management and billing inquiries
Bill-paying
Funds transfers
• “M”-Commerce:
Shopping on the go
Instant comparison shopping
Impulse buying

How to Use WAP to Make Money?

Source: procontent.ru

Compilation: Julia Ryzhkova

Unfortunately, WAP is a subject of many preconceptions. For instance, in public opinion, WAP, SMS, and mobile content are somehow related to each other (ads starting with “Send SMS…” have exhausted everyone), although WAP is a lot more than an instrument delivering games or melodies. Read more

Why WAP Isn't As Bad As People Say

Source: wapcatalog.com

“It’s unlucky that the acronym for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has such an unfortunate rhyme! Even more unlucky for WAP, it burst onto the mobile communication scene with lavish promises from the Mobile Operators (you know who you are) of ‘The Internet on your Mobile’ and ‘Take the Internet with you’. Read more