# Comic Relief chooses OpenMarket to power mobile donations for Sport Relief

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/02/06/comic-relief-chooses-openmarket-power-mobile-donations-sport-relief/
- Published: 2014-02-06T14:21:47+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Comic Relief chooses OpenMarket to power mobile donations for Sport Relief******

 * **OpenMarket is providing custom-built SMS donation system for Sport Relief’s
   2014 campaign**
 * **OpenMarket Mobile Engagement Platform receives and manages SMS donations for
   four month campaign **
 * **Comic Relief is the latest major UK charity to choose OpenMarket to drive its
   mobile fundraising**

 

**LONDON, UK – February 5 2014 –**** **Comic Relief, the UK charity that uses entertainment
to raise money to help poor and disadvantaged people at home and overseas, has chosen
leading mobile engagement company [OpenMarket](http://www.openmarket.com/) to drive
SMS mobile donations for its 2014 [Sport Relief](http://www.sportrelief.com/) fundraising
campaign. This year’s Sport Relief campaign is using the OpenMarket Mobile Engagement
Platform (MEP) to power its mobile donation channel, allowing people to donate to
the appeal by sending a text message to a short, five-digit code. OpenMarket is 
managing the entire SMS donation process on behalf of Sport Relief.

## Advertisement

“We chose OpenMarket for its proven track record in the charity sector, delivering
a reliable mobile platform that can scale to support  multiple concurrent fundraising
projects, all running nationwide,” said Jacqueline Hill, Head of Campaign Management
at Comic Relief.  “We were particularly impressed by OpenMarket’s in-depth knowledge
of the mobile donations domain and the speed with which they delivered a solution
that met all of the needs of our 2014 Sport Relief campaign.”

The OpenMarket platform supports text-based donations for more than 20 separate 
Sport Relief fundraising projects across the UK. OpenMarket is providing four charity
donation SMS short codes so that donors have the choice of donating different amounts
of money via SMS.  The SMS donation campaign began on January 13 with special Sport
Relief editions of the BBC show “The Great British Bake Off”. The programme featured
an on-screen message that invited viewers to donate money by sending a text message
to a short code supplied and managed by OpenMarket. The campaign will continue with
other shows and events, culminating with the Sport Relief Games on March 23.

Comic Relief is the latest charity to enlist OpenMarket’s help for its mobile requirements.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is currently using the OpenMarket Mobile
Engagement Platform for donations made via Premium SMS for its Philippines Typhoon
relief appeal. Children in Need, the BBC’s charity for disadvantaged children and
young people in the UK, also used OpenMarket for SMS-based mobile donations for 
its 2013 campaign.

“Our selection to support Sport Relief reinforces OpenMarket’s market position as
the mobile provider of choice for major charities and high profile broadcast campaigns,”
said Adrian Sarosi, Director of Marketing and Business Development at OpenMarket
EMEA. “With the experience and insight of our team, plus the tried-and-tested reliability
of our technology, organisations can properly capitalise on the value of mobile 
devices as an affordable, convenient and flexible channel to reach and engage with
large numbers of end-users.”

Sport Relief is one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, and encourages people
to raise money through sponsored sport-related events and activities leading up 
to the weekend of Friday March 21 to Sunday March 23 2014.  The money raised is 
spent by Comic Relief to support projects helping poor and disadvantaged people 
in the UK and around the world. Supporters of the cause can text FIVE to 70510 to
donate £5, [terms and conditions](http://www.sportrelief.com/legal#tab-top?text-and-half-price-tcs)
apply. Texts cost £5 plus the standard network charges and donors must be 16 or 
over and have the bill payer’s permission.

 

– Ends –

 

**About Sport Relief**

As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation
together to get active, raise cash and change lives. Since 2002, Sport Relief has
raised over £195million. The money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief
to help people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across 
the world.

From the BT Sport Relief challenge Walliams Vs The Thames to Eddie Izzard’s 43 marathons
in 51 days, Sport Relief has a unique history of brave celebrities taking on gruelling
physical challenges to raise cash and change lives and Sport Relief 2014 will be
no exception.

Visit [www.sportrelief.com](http://www.sportrelief.com/) to keep up with the latest
news.

Comic Relief is a UK charity, which aims to create a just world, free from poverty.
The money raised by Comic Relief, through its fundraising campaigns Red Nose Day
and Sport Relief as well as other initiatives, is spent at home in the UK and across
the world to help people, families and whole communities stand on their own two 
feet.

Comic Relief is a registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)

 

**About OpenMarket**

OpenMarket, a subsidiary of Amdocs, helps enterprises use mobile to transform their
business.

OpenMarket provides mobile engagement solutions for organisations to optimise their
operations and enhance relationships with their customers and employees. Major enterprises
choose OpenMarket for our domain expertise, service flexibility, demonstrated performance
and reliability, global scale, and corporate maturity. We provide smart, interactive
connectivity to more than 200 countries, enabling businesses to engage with nearly
every mobile user around the world. Our clients trust us to power their mobile business.
For more information, visit [www.openmarket.com](http://www.openmarket.com/).

 

**About Amdocs**

For 30 years, Amdocs has ensured service providers’ success and embraced their biggest
challenges. To win in the connected world, service providers rely on Amdocs to simplify
the customer experience, harness the data explosion, stay ahead with new services
and improve operational efficiency. The global company uniquely combines a market-
leading BSS, OSS and network control and optimization product portfolio with value-
driven professional services and managed services operations.  With revenue of $
3.3 billion in fiscal 2013, Amdocs and its more than 20,000 employees serve customers
in over 70 countries.

_Amdocs: Embrace Challenge, Experience Success._

For more information, visit Amdocs at [www.amdocs.com](http://www.amdocs.com/)

 

**Amdocs’ Forward-Looking Statement**

### _This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Amdocs’ growth and business results in future quarters. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations will not be material. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, the effects of general economic conditions, Amdocs’ ability to grow in the business markets that it serves, Amdocs’ ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, adverse effects of market competition, rapid technological shifts that may render the Company’s products and services obsolete, potential loss of a major customer, our ability to develop long-term relationships with our customers, and risks associated with operating businesses in the international market. Amdocs may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future; however, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These and other risks are discussed at greater length in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 filed on December 09, 2013._

**OpenMarket press contact EMEA:**

Alex Sowden or Sandhya Shyam

Dimoso

E: [op********@****so.com](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/02/06/comic-relief-chooses-openmarket-power-mobile-donations-sport-relief/op********@****so.com)

T: +44 (0)207 033 2660

 * **[Sport Relief 2014 raises £51,242,186 on the night](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/03/22/sport-relief-2014-raises-51242186-night/)**(
   22 March 2014)
 * **[OnBrand Group to support Sport Relief 2016](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/03/08/onbrand-group-to-support-sport-relief-2016/)**(
   8 March 2016)
 * **[Sport Relief 2012 raised £7.9 million via text donations](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/05/28/sport-relief-2012-raised-79-million-text-donations/)**(
   28 May 2012)
