Understanding the mobile money ecosystem:Roles, structure and strategies

This paper discusses the structure of the new mobile money ecosystem and the roles of its key players. Mobile money is an evolving sector both in volume and in economic impact especially in the developing world. The paper is an exploratory study that investigates the structure of the ecosystem, providing a foundation for future strategic analysis of the system. We adopt a theoretical insight from Moore's business ecosystem theory to explain the key roles of the actors in the mobile money ecosystem. And also draw extensively from the work of Iansiti and Levien to explain the best strategies for the players in the system. We argue that to ensure sustained robustness and productivity, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) must adopt a keystone strategy in the system. And can refrain from being dominators by encouraging new niches in the area of the m-commerce application.This paper discusses the structure of the new mobile money ecosystem and the roles of its key players. Mobile money is an evolving sector both in volume and in economic impact especially in the developing world. The paper is an exploratory study that investigates the structure of the ecosystem, providing a foundation for future strategic analysis of the system. We adopt a theoretical insight from Moore's business ecosystem theory to explain the key roles of the actors in the mobile money ecosystem. And also draw extensively from the work of Iansiti and Levien to explain the best strategies for the players in the system. We argue that to ensure sustained robustness and productivity, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) must adopt a keystone strategy in the system. And can refrain from being dominators by encouraging new niches in the area of the m-commerce application.