SEGMENTAL REVIEWS

The value-added services segment houses all group companies that are broadly aligned with the South African information and communication technologies (ICT) industry.

Datacel

Datacel is a national business process outsourcing company, operating both inbound and outbound call centre services. During the year under review these functions are delivered through its subsidiaries Velociti, CNS and Blue Label Call Centre.

It specialises in telemarketing of cellular products and various financial services instruments and provides inbound customer care and technical support.

Services are provided for third parties and several companies within the Blue Label group.

The outbound call centre insurance business underperformed, resulting in the consolidation of three call centres into two. Blue Label Call Centre was consequently closed post year-end.

The Velociti Call Centre has expanded its cellular contract telemarketing area and inbound capabilities. This division has performed well.

The outbound direct selling model continues to have good growth prospects as companies develop more products and services for the emerging income groups which are sold through the call centres.

Cellfind

Cellfind remains focused on delivering annuity income-driven location-based services via Vodacom and MTN, as well as providing WASP services.

Key drivers of success are:

• Network operator performance
• Co-marketing opportunities
• Uptake of new services
• New value-added location-based services
• Extended WASP service offerings
• Extended white label offerings.

In May 2009, the company expanded its product offering with the launch of miTRAFFIC, an MMS report on the traffic situation within a 50km radius of the cellphone subscriber. GuardMe, a mobile safety alert, was added to the MTN 2MyAid and Vodacom Look4Me emergency services.

Further corporate and consumer location-based services and information products are scheduled for launch during the forthcoming financial year.

Content Connect Africa (CCA)

CCA is an aggregator of on-portal and off-portal localised content for mobile operators and third party clients throughout Africa.

Additional offerings include the conceptualisation, production and execution of digital marketing campaigns on behalf of the major cellular networks in South Africa.

PROSPECTS

The predominantly outbound call centres are constantly procuring additional product offerings to the databases that they communicate with, utilising the existing infrastructure of call centre seats to achieve additional revenue.

Additional location based services that were introduced in the latter part of the financial year-end 2009 are expected to gain momentum over a full year cycle. The company is exploring the introduction of value-added services in territories outside South Africa.