Pattern Matched

REACHING AFRICANS WITH REVERSE BILLED DATA

Delivering Excellence Beyond Exception™

Pattern Matched Technologies™ is committed to reaching one billion people across Africa on reverse billed data. We find out more with the product development company’s executive team

Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

As the CEO of Pattern Matched Technologies™ (PMT™) for the last 15 years, Markus Schorn (MS) has had the privilege to be part of creating and morphing the vision of the company.

“In the case of PMT™, the common vision and mission has been incredibly consistent – that through the careful and ethical use of technology, the lives of billions of people can be irrevocably improved,” he opens.

The idea of financial inclusion has been bandied about for decades when looking at any developing country.

Even South Africa was seen in this light in terms of banking its citizens

About PMT™

and enabling ecosystems that empower individuals to create and accelerate their capacity to originate and consume financial instruments and services, including transactional accounts and more meaningful use of their mobile devices.

“Technology should never represent more than 15 percent of the solution cost, and to be effective, should be as transparent and frictionless to the owner and user of the technology platform in every way possible” – MS

PMT™ is a product development company that was founded over two decades ago.

Built with a key focus on delivering innovation and low costs across multiple industry types, but with a keen focus on the intersection between the mobile and financial sectors, PMT™ has been the first to market over the years with many essential products that enable corporate and consumer solutions at scale. The company is primarily focused on its trademarked products, in which Obsidian™ is its leading product brand.

PMT™ has always been committed and driven to delivering a service of excellence beyond expectations without exception. This has translated into the company being an award-winning software developer well known for its critical innovations in mobile banking, remittance wallets and debit cards, value-added service delivery, and mobile banking security solutions.

As a long-time technology originator, the mission of PMT™ was always to create and build opportunities by innovating in the valuable intersection between the mobile and financial sectors, empowering people in their own journey to financial and identity upliftment.

“PMT™ has striven to put the consumer first, often taking industry stands to partner with large players such as mobile network operators and banks, and in so doing, driving down the costs of using the technology as well as bearers such as mobile-originated data and transaction fees” – MS

Markus Schorn, CEO of Pattern Matched Technologies™

Being one of the first in South Africa to launch commercial unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) services over 20 years ago, PMT™ has enabled millions of consumers to gain access to legacy environments such as banking and retail institutions, to name just two.

PMT™ pioneers solutions in African markets such as mobile-linked wallets, prepaid services, and other electronic switching services such as cross-border remittance, debit card switching, and many more.

The company likewise continues to innovate in mobile network operator (MNO) service delivery, such as with the launch of the Obsidian™ Service Connectivity Platform (Obsidian™), a pioneering operator-grade product for standard-rated, zero-rated, and reverse-billed mobile data in app and website applications.

PMT™ continues to pioneer solutions in African markets such as mobile-linked wallets (mobile money), prepaid and other electronic switching services such as cross-border remittance, debit card switching and many more. PMT™ continues to innovate in Mobile Network Operator (MNO) service delivery, such as launching the pioneering product Operator-grade Obsidian™ for standard-rated, zero-rated and reverse-billed mobile data in app and website applications. PMT continues to innovate in delivering African solutions that significantly contribute to building financial and financial identity transactability for the continent. In the 20 years of service of the steadfast vision, PMT™ is well one the way to serving 1 billion people in sectors such as MNO, Financial services, national retailers and many more in countries across the African continent and beyond!

Managing Growth

PMT™ also delivers innovative African solutions that significantly contribute to building financial identity transactability for the continent, and is well on the way to serving one billion people in sectors such as MNOs, financial services, national retailers, and many more in countries across the African continent and beyond.

MANAGING GROWTH

Henning Viljeon (HV), Managing Director, adds that “PMT™ has been a pioneer for services such as reverse billed (sponsored) USSD since 2011, Push USSD and sim securitisation since 2013, and reverse billed data URLs since 2014.

“In 2020, PMT™ substantially invested in creating our solution envisioned in 2017 to solve for fundamental identified features not catered for through traditional reverse billing solutions. Thus, Obsidian™ was

across all Mobile Operators and various aggregated service providers across multiple Territories as a Service Connectivity Platform.

cloud-scale service providers.

Obsidian™ combined with our Secure Messaging and Sim Securitisation service, is perfectly positioned by design to solve

core-grade service offering positioned for enterprise banking, MNOs, Internet of Things (IoT) operators, and cloud-scale service providers.

Henning Viljeon, PMT’s Managing Director adds “PMT™ has been a pioneer for services such as Reverse billed (Sponsored) USSD since 2011, NI (Push USSD), Sim Securitisation since 2013, and Reverse billing of Data URLs (Sponsored Data) since 2014. In 2020, PMT™ substantially invested in creating our solution envisioned in 2017 to solve for fundamental identified features not catered for through the traditional reversed billing solutions. The Obsidian™ Service Connectivity Platform was born, offering a more enriched and secure Reverse Billing (Sponsored Data) and ZeroRating™ Data Service.”

“In line with our company dream, we continue expanding our services across Africa with Obsidian™ taking the charge to change people’s lives through technology, making a difference and reaching one billion people across Africa” – HV

“In line with our Company Dream, we continue expanding our services across Africa with the Obsidian™ Service Connectivity Platform taking the charge to change people’s lives through Technology, making a difference and reaching 1 billion people across Africa.” - HV

Combined with the company’s secure messaging and sim securitisation service, Obsidian™ is perfectly positioned by design to solve real-world challenges, enabling an enterprise to add an extra layer of security and authentication to the transaction through mechanisms such as device lockdowns and secure notifications, deterring fraudsters from targeting customers using their trusted digital channels.

born, offering a more enriched and secure reverse billing and zero-rating data service.”

Obsidian™ is mobile operator agnostic, built on AWS and cloudhosted components. As a result, it provides and facilitates the enablement of reverse billed URL services across all MNOs and various aggregated service providers across multiple territories as a service connectivity platform.

Alongside our trusted service offerings (Pattern Matched Technologies™), Obsidian™ is an Enterprise core-grade service offering positioned for enterprise

Alongside its trusted service offerings, Obsidian™ is an enterprise

Our Products and Solution!

"The SSV Service was born out of our passion for solving real-world problems and providing solutions that change people's lives through technology." - HV

“The sim securitisation and verification (SSV) service was born out of our passion for solving real-world problems and providing solutions that change people’s lives through technology” – HV

PMT™ has many more exciting

Henning Viljoen, Managing Director of Pattern Matched Technologies™

EMPOWERING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Empowering Digital Transformation

OBSIDIAN™ AND EMERALD™ PLATFORMS

PMT™ stands at the forefront of digital innovation, offering cuttingedge solutions to address evolving challenges in today’s dynamic landscape.

PMT's Obsidian™ and Emerald™ Platforms on AWS “PMT™ stands at the forefront of digital innovation, offering cutting-edge solutions to address evolving challenges in today's dynamic landscape. Central to PMT's mission are two flagship platforms: Obsidian™ and Emerald ™, both powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), delivering unparalleled security, scalability, and reliability to clients across Africa. Let’s delve into the key components that make PMT a trusted partner in safeguarding and empowering cloud environments.” states van Rensburg, PMT’s CTO.

“Obsidian™ is a secure foundation for digital connectivity” –

PJVR

“Obsidian™ A Secure Foundation for Digital Connectivity”- PJVR

threats like SIM swaps, phishing, and unauthorised access.

By leveraging AWS’ advanced security capabilities, Obsidian™ provides clients with peace of mind, knowing that their digital assets are protected against threats like SIM swaps, phishing, and unauthorised access.

“Central to the mission of PMT™ are two flagship platforms: Obsidian™ and Emerald™, both powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), delivering unparalleled security, scalability, and reliability to clients across Africa,” he states.

Obsidian™ represents the company’s commitment to providing a secure and reliable service connectivity platform.

Built on AWS, Obsidian™ gives enterprises a comprehensive solution for managing and deploying digital services with confidence, offering scaling models with the capability to process and securitise unlimited amounts of data.

Obsidian™ represents PMT's commitment to providing a secure and reliable service connectivity platform. Built on AWS, Obsidian™ offers enterprises a comprehensive solution for managing and deploying digital services with confidence, offering scaling models of unlimited instances with the capability to process and securitise unlimited amounts of data. With features such as real-time integration and robust security measures, Obsidian™ empowers organisations to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.

Emerald™: Revolutionising Value-Added Service Distribution

Complementing Obsidian™ is Emerald™, PMT's real-time value-added service distribution platform.

EMERALD™: REVOLUTIONISING VALUE-ADDED SERVICE DISTRIBUTION

Complementing Obsidian™ is Emerald™, a real-time value-added service distribution platform.

“With billions of transactions processed for banks and mobile telcos, Emerald™ has become synonymous with reliability and efficiency. ”- PJVR

“With billions of transactions processed for banks and mobile telcos, Emerald™ has become synonymous with reliability and efficiency” – PJVR

Now, PMT™ is taking Emerald™ to new heights by migrating it to the AWS cloud to expand its reach and capabilities.

Now, PMT™ is taking Emerald™ to new heights by migrating it to the AWS cloud to expand its reach and capabilities.

Pieter Janse van Rensburg (PJVR), CTO of PMT™, delves into the key components that make PMT™ a trusted partner in safeguarding and empowering cloud environments.

With features such as real-time integration and robust security measures, Obsidian™ empowers organisations to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.

One of the standout features of Obsidian™ is its ability to detect and prevent fraudulent activities, thanks to seamless integration with the PMT™ SSV service.

One of Obsidian™'s standout features is its ability to detect and prevent fraudulent activities, thanks to seamless integration with PMT's SIM Securitisation and Verification (SSV) Service. By leveraging AWS's advanced security capabilities, Obsidian™ provides clients with peace of mind, knowing that their digital assets are protected against

Pieter Janse van Rensburg, Chief Technology Officer of Pattern Matched Technologies™

Pieter Janse van Rensburg, Chief Technology Officer of Pattern Matched Technologies™

As Emerald™ transitions to the cloud, clients can expect enhanced scalability, agility, and security. Leveraging AWS’ global infrastructure, Emerald™ will offer unparalleled uptime and performance, ensuring seamless service delivery even in the most demanding environments.

Additionally, AWS’ comprehensive security features will fortify Emerald™ against emerging threats, safeguarding sensitive data and transactions.

SECURITY AT THE CORE

At the heart of PMT™ and its platforms lies a steadfast commitment to security. With AWS’ robust security infrastructure, PMT™ can uphold the highest standards of data protection

“Compliance, privacy, and adherence to best practices are nonnegotiable” – PJVR

and compliance, earning the trust of clients and partners alike. From real-time fraud detection to secure data transmission, Obsidian™ and Emerald™ leverage AWS’ advanced security features to deliver unmatched levels of resilience and peace of mind.

LOOKING AHEAD

As PMT™ continues its journey of digital transformation, the future looks brighter than ever. With Obsidian™ and Emerald™ leading the

charge, PMT™ is poised to redefine the way enterprises connect with their customers and deliver value-added services. By harnessing the power of AWS and its robust infrastructure, scalability, and global network, PMT™ is paving the way for a more secure, scalable, and innovative digital ecosystem in Africa and beyond.

“Obsidian™

can scale to limited instances with the capability to process and securitise unlimited amounts of

data” – PJVR

First Distribution (FD) has been a key player in the development of Obsidian™.

PMT™ has been working with AWS since 2015. Around the middle of 2020, the company realised it would gain a lot of added value from working with a local distributor. Thus, the partnership with FD was born.

As an AWS distributor and registered AWS partner, FD brings its expertise to the table, understanding the key products and services utilised by PMT™. This collaborative partnership leverages FD’s expertise to validate design decisions and conduct well-architected reviews for all AWS initiatives undertaken by PMT™.

As FD works with AWS and other partners, PMT™ gains access to more resources and a greater knowledge pool. FD has helped PMT™ to build out on the AWS technology so it can support clients with longer-lasting and better technology, providing scalability and longevity.

Contact FD on +27 11 540 2640 or via email at aws@firstdistribution.com to start building on AWS today.