This achievement marks another milestone in their journey of commitment to their customers, to not only achieve but maintain high standards, prioritising Information Security.

What is ISO 27001?

• ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard for Information Security management System (ISMS). 
• It provides a systematic framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continuously improving information security within an organisation. 
• The standard emphasises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, as well as the proactive management of information security risks. 

The whole PM Connect team worked really hard to ensure every corner of the business aligns to this global standard with great success! 

This accreditation continues to reinforce PM Connect’s drive as a tier 1 partner to their existing and future Brand and Carrier Partners and how seriously they take Information Security.

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Aligned with this, sports is fundamental to PM Connect, with the NBA, WWE and Opta Sports all brand stakeholders we have long-term partnerships with. This underpins the company’s strategy for growth, with the Sports OTT sector itself set to be worth $85 billion in 2024 as highlighted in our white paper on the subject. 

Alongside this, ‘Digital Games’ is considered an even bigger slice of the sector pie by Juniper – with 34% of the total spend, equaling $41.5 billion. This is another sector PM Connect is actively involved in, with our Cloudy Gaming product boasting AAA titles including Fortnite, eFootball PES and PUBG: Battlegrounds.

“Juniper Research’s report not only instills further confidence in mobile payments but places PM Connect at the heart of our industry’s growth story. 

“DCB is maturing into a mainstream payment solution for entertainment, and the fact that our two leading sub-sectors equate to 59% of the forecasted $122 billion is clear evidence that our company strategy is the right one. 

“At PM Connect, we are committed to digital transformation for the digital generation, giving access to premium content to the sports fans of tomorrow via the mobile ecosystem. 

“The future is extremely exciting and we’re just getting started.”

Kevin Dawson – Group CEO

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Part of this equation is building connections. I strongly believe that informal, non-hierarchical connections go deeper and faster than those shackled by convention.

One effective strategy to foster connections, a boundary-breaking mentality and encourage continuous learning amongst the team is implementing 20% time. This approach enables team members to think outside the box and feel free from traditional constraints and structures – which in turn cultivates a growth mindset.

I initiated this approach in February, and we’re starting to reap the rewards already. But before I discuss these, put simply, what is 20% time?

20% time is where one in five days of an employee’s week is devoted to solving problems that the employee thinks will benefit the company most, rather than the tasks given to them by their bosses in the traditional sense.

Let me break down the benefits into component parts:

Empowering Learning and Personal Growth

By embracing 20% time, businesses cultivate a culture that values continuous learning and empowers employees to tackle problems using their own initiative, therefore becoming independent thinkers and lifelong learners – leading to organic personal development.

Unleashing creativity

20% time allows team members to tap into their creative potential by breaking away from conventional thinking. Consistently exercising this creative muscle pays dividends in the long run, with the payback being a creative team for all 5 days of the week. Providing the freedom to explore, experiment, and take risks leads to groundbreaking ideas and solutions. Sometimes taking risks can be a challenge due to the internal and external rules and pressures we face in a commercial environment. You have to overcome this for a team to thrive.

Encouraging collaboration and cross-pollination

Collaboration in business fuels growth as it allows individuals to learn from one another and expand their perspectives – creating an environment that thrives on collective intelligence. 20% time fosters collaboration, beyond normal operational structures, by providing opportunities for my team to work across departments and share their knowledge and insights.

Nurturing intrapreneurship

This time nurtures intrapreneurship by fostering a growth mindset among employees. A culture of experimentation and embracing failure as a learning opportunity is essential for intrapreneurship. These initiatives enable employees to take ownership of their projects, think like entrepreneurs, and contribute innovative ideas that drive the business forward.

Gaining a Competitive Edge

Organisations that continuously adapt are better equipped to navigate change and seize opportunities. By embracing 20% time, businesses position themselves as pioneers in their sector, attracting top talent and staying ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

20% time has been instrumental in fostering the culture I set out to when I joined PM Connect; one where learning, development and innovation is at the heart of how we work and most importantly self-sustained beyond me. 

However, what have I learned? That we haven’t gone fast or far enough. We still have more to do to unlock our team members’ potential, drive change and nurture the feedback loop. 

It is working, we are getting new ideas and innovative practices – but there are still barriers and people being shy. The reality is that we are still all learning how to make this work, including me! 

We’ve come a long way. I’m sure we will go so much further. Whatever happens, I know it will be fun and I know the learning will never stop

Sanjay Mistry – Group CTO

The post 20% time: unleashing creativity and innovation appeared first on PM Connect.

Alongside the data, Opta also gives PM Connect access to daily video content, including interviews with managers and behind-the-scenes footage with players. 

The new contract is held with Opta’s parent company Stats Perform and runs until September 2025. Territories within the deal include European strongholds Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Slovakia and the UK, Egypt in the Middle East, and a host of African markets Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.

“PM Connect’s ambition is to be the sports distribution platform for Africa. The strengthening of our partnership with Opta until 2025 is a key pillar to this strategy. Giving sports-obsessed consumers the football content they crave direct to their mobile is what we’re all about, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. 

“We’re just scratching the surface of mobile distribution on the African continent. Having Stats Perform be so aligned with our vision and equally confident in its growth potential makes this an extremely exciting opportunity for both parties. I look forward to seeing how this develops to 2025 and beyond as we make football accessible to all across the EMEA region.”

James Brighton – Partnerships Director

The post PM Connect renews partnership with Opta Sports appeared first on PM Connect.

CEO Kev Dawson and VP Rafael Pico Parras were there to collect the award on the company’s behalf, in a room full of industry peers.

“This is a big vote of confidence for what we’re striving to achieve at PM Connect. The Global Carrier Billing Summit is one of the events we underline in the calendar, so to win this award in a room full of our partners and peers is testament to our trajectory as a business and means a lot to us. 

 

“We are on a mission to make in-demand content accessible to all by matching our world-class brand portfolio with MNOs, supercharging subscriptions using targeted digital marketing and driving growth for the whole ecosystem via our DCB payment solution.

 

“We strongly believe PM Connect is pioneering this approach, executing a strategic vision and delivering the results for our partners in a way that’s sustainable in the long-term. 

 

“A massive thank you to the Global Carrier Billing Summit for the award, but most of all thank you to our amazing team for constantly going above and beyond to make our work a success. We look forward to what the future holds for PM Connect and our business associates.”

 

Kev Dawson – Group CEO

The post PM Connect scoops coveted global award appeared first on PM Connect.

The core of the tech team operates out of our Birmingham (UK) headquarters but technology staff have been added in both South Africa and Portugal to match our global reach.

This supports our growth, with the company now processing over 50 million monthly transactions via our industry-leading mobile payments platform. In response to this Sanjay has restructured the team to incorporate a stream-aligned workflow, which enables faster delivery to match the commercial pipeline of new mobile network integrations and product launches.

Peter Colquhoun joins the newly named Operations Performance team as a back-end developer, Lisbon-based Hugo Camilo is welcomed as a nearshore Salesforce developer, Tariqur Rahman has been recruited as a core-services developer, and Jakub Kozlowski joins as a software developer in the company’s product team.

The business has also welcomed Product Manager, Harprit Badyal, to help strengthen its integration and core platform roadmaps.

Alongside the recruitment, Sanjay has promoted George Walker to Operations Performance Team Lead and Shaun Whalen-Smith to Product Team Lead, while Harry Perry has also been promoted to Senior QA Tester.

“I said when I joined PM Connect that we have a top development team, built by my predecessor, Andrew Robins. The tech is strong, and the people are of high calibre. We needed to take this further and that starts by restructuring and strengthening resources where demand is highest. With Peter, Hugo, Tariqur, Jakub and Harprit joining us – that is exactly what we’re doing. 

“I’d also like to congratulate both Shaun and George for their well-earned promotions to leadership positions, and Harry for his promotion, too. Empowering those who are hungry for more responsibility is something I’m deeply passionate about. Learning and progression should be at the heart of PM connect’s culture, one that is self-sustained beyond myself and our Head of Development, Dwayne Rowley. Learn, develop, and improve processes – that’s what success looks like for me as a senior leader.”

 

Sanjay Mistry – Group CEO

This news follows the company’s first international technolgy recruitment last year. Amina Amijee joined as a QA in 2021, the first on-the-ground development resource in South Africa. Hugo also joins a team of three in Lisbon, Portugal, with this nearshore resource helping the company with its technical operations within the European market.

“It’s such an exciting time for PM Connect as we look to scale in the next two years. The world-leading brands we have coming on board, the huge potential in Africa, and the growth opportunities in the rest of the world. We are building something special and having an international development team is central to that. Watch this space.”

Sanjay Mistry – Group CTO

The post Tech promotions and recruitment drive at PM Connect appeared first on PM Connect.

Sanjay’s tenure at PM Connect comes shortly after we announced the newly vamped executive team, with Kev Dawson coming in as CEO and the company’s co-founder James Macfarlane moving to the role of President.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Sanjay to PM Connect. He brings extensive industry knowledge, pedigree and experience – which further strengthens both our operational and executive team – where Sanjay’s track record of quality decision making will add significant value.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for the business, as our partnership with the NBA begins to mature, we’re launching in new territories, growth is on a steep upward trajectory and our pipeline of deals is looking strong. Sanjay’s know-how will be invaluable as we continue to expand.”

 

Kev Dawson – Group CEO

“The decision to join PM Connect was an easy one for me. The company has a fantastic brand, culture and value proposition. It’s also a great opportunity to work with James (Macfarlane, Group President) and Kev, having known and respected them for many years – and to deliver on their ambitious three-year strategy.

“The brands that we have coming on board, the potential in Africa and the rest of the world is building to something special. What excites me is that I have experience in delivering on these opportunities through my 17 years at Infomedia.

“We have a top development team here – the tech is strong, and the people are of high calibre. What I want to achieve is to take this one step further – where learning is at the heart of the culture, that is self-sustained beyond me. Learn, develop, and improve processes – that’s what success looks like for me.”

Sanjay Mistry – Group CTO

The post PM Connect recruits top CTO Sanjay Mistry appeared first on PM Connect.

NBA League Pass

Top of the list of achievements has to be launching our landmark partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its premium live game subscription service, NBA League Pass.

Since launch, we’re already plugged into mobile network operators in Belgium, France and South Africa – where we’ve increased NBA League Pass’ subscribers by hundreds of thousands in just over six months.

Sports OTT focus

In line with this – we increased our profile in the Sports OTT market, with our white paper, Sports OTT: The Big Mobile Opportunity – which led to us being nominated for ‘Innovation of the Year‘ at the 2021 SportsPro OTT Awards.

This has driven some exciting new conversations with other world-leading OTT services – as we continue to expand our sports partner portfolio.

New services

We’ve also expanded our service offering – with the launch of our crediting partnership with revolutionary ad platform WeAre8 and EE in the UK – putting British people at the heart of the £23.6B ad ecosystem.

Alongside this, we’ve gone live with Sports Radio in South Africa with Vodacom and BCI – giving Vodacom customers access to live commentary, news updates and highlights packages of every English Premier League (EPL) match.

As the official tech partner – our team has managed the end-to-end Sports Radio user experience, including the development, streaming, hosting, subscription management and driving revenue through digital advertising.

“2021 has been a huge step forward for PM Connect, as we continue on our mission to make in-demand content accessible to all.

We couldn’t have done this without our partners and amazing team. I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all for your work.

2022 is set to be our best year yet, with more exciting product launches on the horizon – our ambitions to expand in both North America and Asia, alongside driving further growth in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

All that’s left for me to do is wish you Season’s Greetings – I hope you have a relaxed and restful break.

We look forward to building on our successes in 2022.”

Christopher Purdie, Chief Commercial Officer

The post 2021: a groundbreaking year for PM Connect. appeared first on PM Connect.

Tebogo Mokobo

We’re excited to welcome Tebogo into the PM Connect team as Carrier Account Manager.

Working from Johannesburg, South Africa and reporting to SVP for Africa, Deon Pinetown – Tebogo will be both supporting and boosting our rapid growth on the African continent.

Tebogo has significant experience within the mobile, tech and digital space in Africa, having been COO of Pixel Entropy – a digital agency that specialises in mobile apps.

Aruna Goturi

Also joining us is Aruna, who has been appointed as Lead QA in the development team.

Adding over six years experience to our testing function, Aruna will be applying her rich skillset to increase our test automation coverage across our product portfolio.

Drawing on QA Harry Perry’s at-the-coalface knowledge, we look forward to Aruna’s expertise adding real value to our QA team – helping ensure our products are as robust as possible.

Danielle Shipway

Alongside Tebogo and Aruna, Danielle joins the PMC fold as HR & Admin Generalist.

Reporting into our Head of People, Ayelet Goss, Danielle’s role is essential in supporting our growing international team from our HQ in the UK.

Coming from Birmingham tech outfit Packt Publishing, where she worked for six years, Danielle’s experience and knowledge will be a real asset to the company.

Olga Kostyshena

Joining the PMC fold back in 2017, we’re thrilled that Olga has now been promoted to Design Team Manager.

Working within the User Acquisition team, Olga plays a crucial role in managing the delivery of creative assets we use to drive business growth.

With extensive knowledge of the creative process, Google advertising and first-rate management skills – Olga’s role is an essential cog in PM Connect’s advertising output.

Felipe Ferreira

Working within the same team as Olga since 2019, Felipe’s excellent results has seen him promoted to Senior User Acquisition Manager.

Felipe has been responsible for some incredible ROI on his advertising campaigns, with his CPA continually improving as he drives the business’ subscription revenue forward.

Working across our full range of products, from sport, to games and fitness, Felipe continues to raise the bar within the UA team.

James Macfarlane

“These external hires are a clear sign of our intent – as we continue to grow and deliver on our mission to make in-demand content accessible to all, particularly off the back of the NBA League Pass launch and our growth on the African continent.

“Equally as important are our internal promotions. We take pride in growing our own at PM Connect – and seeing hard work from the team being rewarded is hugely satisfying.

“A big welcome to our new starters, and congratulations to the recently promoted. Onwards and upwards for team PMC!”

James Macfarlane, Group CEO

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