Premium subscription cable service relies on Gotransverse's unique cloud-based subscription and usage-based billing solution, TRACT®, to reach new customers.
Austin, Texas – August 24, 2015 – Gotransverse, a leading provider of subscription and usage-based billing software based in Austin, Texas, has been tapped to help STARZ PLAY Arabia launch premium cable services to underserved markets in the Middle East and North Africa.
As STARZ PLAY Arabia launched its service to tens of millions of new viewers, its adoption of TRACT®, Gotransverse's award-winning cloud-based, internet-scale billing and revenue automation platform, will allow the company to sell direct to consumers and through their vast array of partners, such as international wireless telecom carriers, as well as explore new revenue models based on customer usage and its traditional subscription model. The Middle East is home to markets with some of the deepest levels of mobile penetration in the world, making the region an ideal target for an up-and-coming method of watching and paying for TV.
“STARZ PLAY Arabia is a premium entertainment company run by some of the world’s most forward-thinking business leaders,” said James Messer, CEO of Gotransverse. “They are going to areas of the world that are underserved by content and technology providers, but represent billions of dollars in revenue from mobile customers. Gotransverse is honored to be part of their vision for mobile content consumption abroad.”
As more and more consumers are ditching traditional cable packages in favor of over-the-top (OTT) entertainment providers, STARZ PLAY Arabia and Gotransverse are cooperating to offer millions of consumers the ability to customize their relationship to their provider in a way that reflects what they watch and how much they watch.
“Gotransverse is an essential partner in the future success of the STARZ PLAY Arabia's vision,” said Maaz Sheikh, President of STARZ PLAY Arabia. “Gotransverse's platform gives us the ability to start with one payment model but easily scale offerings for consumption-based pricing and packaging in the future.”
Saleem Bhatti, Chief Technology Officer for STARZ PLAY Arabia, explained that Gotransverse's unique cloud capabilities and involvement in the telecommunications industry made it the natural candidate to help the company pursue new online subscription payment options.
“The fact that Gotransverse's system is 100 percent cloud-based was key for us,” he said. “But what really makes this partnership compelling is their team's deep domain experience in the telecommunications industry.”
STARZ PLAY Arabia’s launch into the Middle East, which reaches 17 countries, makes it the first OTT provider to target the region's estimated 385 million consumers. The untapped potential in the Arab world guided the decision to target the largely-neglected consumer base in the Middle East and North Africa.
While many other OTT providers are competing for dwindling shares of Western markets, STARZ PLAY Arabia and Gotransverse are partnering to leap-frog the competition entirely by focusing on a more fertile consumer base whose purchasing power is on the rise.
About Gotransverse
Gotransverse powers leading-edge companies who push conventional boundaries with disruptive product and services offerings. The TRACT® platform supports the monetization of any combination of one-time, subscription, and usage-based offerings with near real-time metering, rating and native revenue recognition. The result is top-line revenue growth, faster time-to-market, visibility into revenue streams and operational savings. Our customer base includes publicly traded and privately held companies typically technology-focused in cloud solutions, digital entertainment and media, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-to-Machine (M2M), logistics and hosting/managed services. Visit www.gotransverse.com to learn more.
About STARZ PLAY Arabia
STARZ PLAY Arabia launched across 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa in April 2015. Developed exclusively for the Middle East and North Africa markets, STARZ PLAY Arabia is rich in original programming offering more than 4000 hours of movies and TV series for the equivalent of $12.99 a month, with a 30-day free trial, no monthly contractual obligations and the immersive benefit of no advertisements. The platform is available on PCs and Macs, iPhones, iPads, Android and other devices, with up to five devices registered per subscription. Users can watch on any two devices at the same time and the platform offers easy parental control functions.
Dave Manzer
(512) 963-9924
dave@manzercommunications.com