Welcome to VanillaPlus Bites, the monthly communications industry news service. LATEST: 25% Financial Times Event Discount for VanillaPlus readers!
Sponsors:
FREE VanillaPlus Digital Edition – OUT NOW!
Just some of the features in the latest issue: Case Study: Globe Telecom – How one Asian operator has cut churn and built ARPU with a fixed-mobile voice strategy Service Assurance: The key steps to increasing subscriber satisfaction and reducing churn in mobile data services Pricing for Telecoms: Jeremy Cowan speaks to Mark Billige about the challenges facing the industry Personalisation: You can order almost anything today from any device but it’s not always a simple experience PLUS: A round-up of all the latest contract wins from around the world and product, company and people news
Special Offer:
25% discount for all VanillaPlus readers to the FT World Telecoms Conference – 16 November, London Quote 1CEH0-VP when booking http://www.ftconferences.com/telecom
Business Drivers for Operators to Switch to Real-Time Charging
Date: Thursday 21 October, 2010 Time: 10.00 New York, 15.00 London, 16.00 Paris, 18.00 Dubai Speaker: Dave Labuda, CEO of MATRIXX Software Analyst: Dan Baker, Founder of TRI Moderator: Jeremy Cowan, Editorial Director of VanillaPlus
Subscribers expect the same visibility and access to information about their spending on communications services as they do on their credit card or iTunes accounts. So, what’s preventing mobile operators implementing real-time rating and charging across their subscriber base? We look at best-practise for making the change and identify how to realise the benefits.
Openet agrees to meeting in response to Amdocs’ lawsuit
Niall Norton, CEO Openet
Following news that Amdocs is suing Openet, VanillaPlus contacted both parties for their comments. Niall Norton, Openet Telecom’s CEO, told Jeremy Cowan, that (as at 4 October) no papers have been served by Amdocs but that Openet has received a letter from Amdocs’ lawyers asking for a meeting to discuss alleged infringement of two US patents. These patents, issued in 2004 and 2009 respectively, refer to the “System, Method and Computer Program Product for Network Record Synthesis” and “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Merging Data in a Network-Based Filtering and Aggregating Platform”. The action covers, but is not limited to, Openet’s FusionWorks system.
An Amdocs spokesperson issued a statement saying: “Amdocs is the owner of several key technology patents around mediation and core event processing that it alleges Openet is knowingly and unlawfully infringing upon. As stated in the lawsuit, this infringement has caused and continues to cause substantial damages to Amdocs.”
Openet’s CEO replied: “We’re very surprised at this development. Amdocs have applied with the court in Virginia to have a court hearing. They haven’t actually served any papers on Openet, their lawyers have written us a letter saying they believe there may be grounds for patent infringement and that they’d like to have a conversation with us. We’ve responded saying, ‘Sure, let us know when you’d like to meet and who you’d like to have at the table’.”
“We work on the basis that if Amdocs really believe there’s something there they’ll press ahead with it. And if they don’t they won’t. I think it’s fair to say that we’re not hugely intimidated by this. We’re surprised at it from a technology perspective,” said Norton. “I remain open-minded as to where the conversation with these guys goes – it’s nice validation that we’re an industry player, acknowledged by one of the other industry players.” www.amdocs.comwww.openet.comBack to top
IBM pays US$1.4bn for Sterling and HP buys Fortify
Software vendor acquisitions roll on as OEMs snap up targets HP and Fortify Software have reached a definitive agreement under which HP will acquire Fortify Software, a privately held software security assurance company based in San Mateo, California. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. With the acquisition of Fortify Software, HP says it will offer a complete solution that helps organisations reduce business risk, meet compliance regulations and protect against malicious application attacks by integrating security assurance across the application lifecycle.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated deal AT&T was finalising the sale to IBM, first disclosed in May, of Sterling Commerce, Inc for US$1.4 billion. According to IBM, the acquisition expands ‘Big Blue’s’ ability to help clients accelerate their interactions with customers, partners and suppliers through dynamic business networks using either on-premise or cloud delivery models. www.hp.comwww.ibm.comBack to top
NSN and VCs invest €6 million in OpenCloud
OpenCloud Ltd, a supplier of real-time application server software for next-generation convergent telecommunications services, has announced that it has received an investment of £4 million (€4.7m) from Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), one of the largest telecoms hardware, software and services companies in the world plus an additional £1 million (€1.17m) from its existing venture capital (VC) investors Advent Venture Partners and No 8 Ventures.
In addition to the investment by NSN, OpenCloud has secured an OEM agreement that will see OpenCloud’s Rhino Telecom Application Server and Service Interaction Server becoming integrated into NSN’s charge@once unified product suite.
The £5 million investment will be used by OpenCloud to expand globally. It will also allow OpenCloud to extend its partner and application portfolios, as well as to assist in the development of future products. www.opencloud.comBack to top
Alcatel-Lucent acquires mobile software vendor OpenPlug
Acquisition enables wider availability of mobile apps Alcatel-Lucent has acquired OpenPlug, a mobile software and applications development tools vendor. Through this acquisition, Alcatel-Lucent deepens its role in the applications space by delivering (as part of its integrated suite of developer tools) a platform where application developers can write an application once and it be will “translated” to run on any of the five major mobile operating systems. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
OpenPlug allows Alcatel-Lucent to offer service providers, enterprises and developers the ability to create applications that can be deployed — in record time and without customisation — across multiple mobile devices and within service provider app stores. As a result, applications that had previously only been available on more sophisticated devices such as smartphones, can now be enjoyed by consumers on any mobile device, which open up opportunities in emerging markets, where low cost mobile phone circulation is highest. www.alcatel-lucent.comBack to top
Comptel tailors system for SmarTone-Vodafone
Enables Hong Kong operator to deliver innovative VAS Comptel Corporation, a vendor of dynamic operations support system software, has tailored Comptel Subscriber Repository to meet the value added service (VAS) needs of SmarTone-Vodafone. SmarTone-Vodafone needed a centralised, generic user profile (GUP) system for its voice, broadband, multimedia and applications services in Hong Kong’s mobile and fixed communications markets.
Comptel’s OSS solution replaced SmarTone-Vodafone’s existing GUP system, enabling the company to deliver more valuable customer experiences. With Comptel’s subscriber repository, SmarTone-Vodafone can also improve time-to-market for these services and achieve cost savings by consolidating user profile images into a central storage area. www.comptel.comBack to top
Telekom Slovenije addresses ‘bill shock’ with Subex
Usage patterns and credit limit data combine to warn customers Subex Ltd, a global provider of operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS), has helped Telekom Slovenije to implement a system to protect their customers from unexpected high communications bills, commonly known as “bill shock.”
In Slovenia, the government has directed all operators to alert their customers to potentially high telecoms bills. Subex’s ROC Fraud Management system has helped the service provider to assess usage patterns among subscribers quickly and, in turn, provided the company with the intelligence and analysis to identify the subscribers who need to be warned.
The CEMM (Credit Exposure Management Module) of Subex’s ROC Fraud Management along with SAP’s Credit Risk system has helped Telekom Slovenije create a dynamic credit risk limit for subscribers based on average usage for three months. Through detailed reporting and analysis the system provides a clear view of any significant increase in the subscriber’s bill almost immediately, and thereby gives Telekom Slovenije enough time to warn their customer. www.subexworld.com Back to top
Vietnamobile expands use of Comverse pre-paid BSS
Comverse has expanded its business support system (BSS) at Vietnamobile to satisfy its growing pre-paid subscriber base. Vietnamobile, a partnership of Hanoi Telecom and Hutchison Telecom, launched its GSM services in April 2009 and has reportedly achieved major growth in pre-paid users.
Comverse’s billing system serves as a real-time marketing engine for mobile operators. It offers advanced personalisation capabilities, à la carte service plan customisation, and usage-driven automated marketing promotions that enable operators to increase revenues, profitability and subscriber loyalty. The solution also provides operators with the ability to quickly create and launch service offerings to both broad and targeted market segments while providing self-service options to end users. www.comverse.comBack to top
Chunghwa Telecom calls on JDSU for migration to LTE
JDSU has announced that the Telecommunications Laboratories of Chunghwa Telecom (CHT-TL) will use the JDSU Signalling Analyser Real Time (SART) to monitor and analyse the end-to-end the performance of its 3G/HSPA wireless network. The goal is to ensure the highest quality of voice and data services, and to support the carrier’s upcoming LTE/4G trials. Chunghwa is a Taiwan-based provider of mobile, fixed-line and internet services, with a growing presence in mainland China and other major Asian markets.
CHT-TL will use SART for multi-interface and multi-protocol call trace, 24×7 monitoring of key performance indicators, and root-cause problem diagnosis. The system enables users to focus both on high-level service assurance and on specific issues affecting individual customers. CHT-TL can easily tailor diagnostic queries and report formats that support any level of analysis. www.jdsu.comBack to top
Network Norway manages surge in a Flash
Video optimisation enhances user experience while reducing CapEx Flash Networks, a global provider of intelligent mobile internet solutions, has announced that Network Norway is expanding its Harmony installation. The company is adding Flash Networks’ Harmony Video Optimisation to manage a surge in mobile data traffic.
According to Cisco’s Visual Network Index report from February 2010, by 2014 video will make up 66% of all mobile data traffic. Flash Networks’ Video Optimisation system enables operators to meet this growing demand for data by sitting at the heart of the network, inspecting, identifying, and optimising video traffic. Optimisation is based on various parameters, including date and time, network congestion, and subscriber information.
Flash Networks’ Video Optimisation is part of the Harmony Mobile Internet Services Gateway which enables operators to enhance users’ quality of experience, reduce operational expenses, and manage and monetise access to the open internet. www.flashnetworks.comBack to top
EMT selects Junifer Systems to manage interconnect
Paul Fitzgerald, Marketing Director at Junifer Systems
Junifer Systems, a global provider of interconnect / wholesale billing and customer care products, has announced that EMT, the largest Estonian mobile operator, is implementing the Junifer Interconnect System to manage its interconnect and wholesale agreements.
EMT has more than 750,000 customers and the Junifer Interconnect System is now handling in excess of 100 million transactions per month for the operator. It is processing every kind of traffic, from voice and messaging to interconnection services, in a single integrated system.
The Junifer Interconnect System uses a three-tier architecture with C#, Java and any standard recognised database. This provides the immediate benefit of running in either MS Windows, Unix or Linux environments. Through its component architecture the system has been designed to ensure rapid deployment timescales. The graphical user interface is said to be easy to use, ensuring that even the most complex products and transactions may be managed without highly trained technical consultants. www.junifersystems.comBack to top
Mi-Pay appoints Allan Jakobsen as CEO
Allan Jakobsen, new CEO at Mi-Pay
Recruits senior telco player to power new expansion phase The award-winning mobile money service provider, Mi-Pay Ltd, is aggressively expanding, and has just appointed Allan Jakobsen as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Having held executive positions within a number of telcos across Europe, including leading Danish operator TDC in Finland and Sweden, Jakobsen also has extensive payment industry experience as the former President and CEO of the large telco data and clearing house Dannet (MACH). His appointment will strengthen Mi-Pay’s ability to drive competitive service and operational advantage to international mobile operators, MVNOs and financial institutions. www.mi-pay.com Back to top
Convergys chooses CTI Group for enterprise analytics
Michael Lightfoot, CTI Group
CTI Group’s A7 analytics technology enhances enterprise offering CTI Group (Holdings) Inc., an international provider of electronic invoice processing and management (EIM), enterprise communications management software and services, enterprise- and carrier-class call recording systems and carrier-class voice over internet protocol (VoIP) management applications, has announced a partnership with leading communications BSS provider, Convergys. CTI Group’s A7 analytics technology will be integrated into the Convergys Smart Enterprise Solution. This collaboration will enable Convergys to offer telecoms operators serving enterprise clients deeper and richer analytics as part of its Smart Enterprise Billing Solution.
Michael Lightfoot, Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances for CTI Group, commented: “Businesses across the globe are looking for transparency of usage across real-time billing solutions that will help them to manage and control communications costs. By integrating CTI Group’s A7 solution, Convergys will be able to offer operators serving enterprise clients a richer analytical application with a tangible return on investment. It will also provide Convergys with a differentiator from its competitors when targeting new clients.” www.ctigroup.comBack to top
Basset to RevUp to v3.0 for maximum revenues
Basset has launched a new version of RevUp Interconnect 3.0, with a toolset that the company says you can easily recognise and integrate. It gives access to functions and processing for instant payback. Delivered ready for full use from day one, it reportedly demands a minimal learning curve. This complete interconnect billing system aims to help operators maximise the potential revenues within this important domain.
The RevUp Interconnect billing system meets the needs of a growing number of partners, arising from the changing business climate, such as packaged and IP-based networks and content provider arrangements. The system supports future challenges and will be, says Basset, a complete interconnect billing solution for next generation networks, voice over IP, route optimisation, pricing and trading business support and full wholesale management. www.bassetglobal.comBack to top
VanillaPlus Thought Leadership Webinar Series: Business Drivers for Operators to Switch to Real-Time Charging 21 October, 2010 14.00 London, 15.00 Paris, 09.00 New York, 17.00 Dubai, 22.00 Singapore Click here to register FREE
FT World Telecoms Conference– 25% Discount for all VanillaPlus Readers! Quote 1CEH0-VP when booking 16-17 November, 2010 Marriott Grosvenor Square, London, UK www.ftconferences.com/telecoms
VanillaPlus Magazine next issue: Out 1 November, 2010
Editorial Features in the October/November issue include:
Billing transparency still under operator scrutiny for next gen networks
Enterprises need a hand to hold in the cloud
How to maintain accurate interconnect billing amid rising complexity
Is help at hand for managers of complex data migration projects?
Device management needed to control corporate mobile assets and costs
Business analytics tools should be a telco’s multi-functional Swiss army knife
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: Management World Americas 2010 Preview
Publication: 1 November, 2010 To secure your copy of VanillaPlus Magazine subscribe (Free in Europe, Middle East and Africa*) at www.vanillaplus.com*Terms & Conditions apply
To find out more about promoting your business through our webinars, online videos and the new VanillaPlus website: Email: cherisse@vanillaplus.com Tel: 44 (0)1732 897646 www.vanillaplus.com
Get your message across in this Ezine! Put your company’s message in front of tens of thousands of VanillaPlus Bites readers (with links to your website). For sponsorship details call Cherisse Draper on 44 (0)1732 897646 or email:cherisse@vanillaplus.com
Make sure of your Free VanillaPlus Bites! Sign up NOW to receive a monthly FREE copy of this html newsletter sent direct to your screen. Send your Full Name, Job Title and Email Address with “VP Bites” in the Subject line to: subs@vanillaplus.com
Ribbon Communications has announced plans for a major network modernisation programme with Verizon to retire legacy TDM switching platforms and replace their function with modern cloud-based technologies.
Satellites are rapidly gaining prominence in the world of cellular communication. However, the full extent of their potential to complement terrestrial networks as well as phone services and broadband is
The top telecom IT news stories of the minute in your inbox
Exclusive offers for entry into hundreds of events worldwide
Free access to a huge selection of the latest analyst reports and whitepapers
Subscribe now so you don't miss out
Please check your emailYour email has been saved
Don’t show me this again
⨯
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
