Posted: 3/2003
DEALS & CONTRACTS
PT Excelcomindo Pratama (excelcom), an Indonesian mobile provider, is implementing Amdocs solutions for end-to-end customer care and billing including real-time prepaid, postpaid, partner relationship management (PRM) and CRM. Amdocs will provide excelcom with a single billing and CRM platform for all GSM, GPRS and next-generation mobile services. excelcom will generate a unified customer view across all front and back-office systems, providing flexible prices and service packages for at least 1 million business and consumer subscribers.
As part of the implementation, the Amdocs Prepaid product will enable excelcom to provide subscribers with combined prepaid and postpaid accounts, which incorporate real-time rating functionality and utilize a single customer catalogue for both prepaid and postpaid services.
* Swiftcomm Inc., an integrated communications/data services provider, has contracted with PhoenixSoft to provide the centralized platform for its voice and data network. PhoenixSoft will provide its CMS/2000 enhanced switching and CMS/Server convergent billing software to support Swiftcomm's prepaid and postpaid services, as the company expands.
The CMS/2000 is a client/server-based call processing platform designed to provide tandem switching, calling card, international gateway, one-number calling, callback, 1+ resale, feature groups and dial tone services. The CMS/Server is a client/server-based convergent billing system that integrates with any switch that provides call detail records. Features include an integrated account database, deposit tracking via service code, tax management, accounts receivable, multiuse customer service with historical reporting, automated provisioning and inventory management.
* Centennial Communications Corp. announced its Centennial Wireless subsidiary has signed a multiyear contract for Boston Communications Group Inc.'s (bcgi) Prepaid Connection real-time subscriber management platform. Centennial Wireless, which serves an estimated 6 million people in Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas, will use the hosted solution to roll out new services.
Prepaid Connection enables small and medium-sized carriers to replicate postpaid plans on a prepaid basis, including enhanced features such as nationwide roaming, two-way text messaging and mobile commerce purchasing. It also operates in any network environment and provides call processing and rating capabilities. The solution works in conjunction with Centennial Wireless's existing billing and network infrastructure, enabling the carrier to manage customer activity through real-time transaction processing, proactive voice messaging, Web-based customer care tools and account replenishment options.
* Sure-Tel Inc., an Oklahoma City-based prepaid local telephone company, has selected DCA Services to provide Sure-Tel with hosted services for its call center, OSS, provisioning, billing, third-party verification and collections. Sure-Tel also will use DCA's point-of-sale software, DCA Customer Care, in its retail stores, the call center and for outside sales agents.
The decision to outsource allows Sure-Tel to reduce its provisioning, ordering and call center staff. However, DCA plans to offer jobs to Sure-Tel staff members to ensure consistency for Sure-Tel's customers and to accommodate the increased workload at DCA from both Sure-Tel and other large client contracts.
Sure-Tel provides prepaid telecommunications service in eight states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. The company plans to expand its service to additional states this year.
* Vodafone UK has chosen Redknee Inc. as its billing provider for prepaid data services. Redknee will provide three network products: The Synaxis-5600 IP Charging Gateway, Synaxis-2100 Unified Rating Service and Synaxis-2100 Open Charging Gateway. The solutions integrate into existing IP networks and OSS infrastructure, enabling network operators to offer unified accounts for both voice and data services.
Vodafone will use the platform to offer real-time rating and billing mediation for GPRS, including WAP and multimedia messaging service content. Rating and pricing of data is based on volume, time and type of content delivered. The Redknee solution also features account management and control.
"Redknee's solution offers network operators the freedom to introduce consumer-oriented pricing for prepaid data services with built-in control features. When a subscriber's account is depleted, the account status is updated, and both operators and subscribers are automatically notified," says Duncan Ratcliffe, president and CEO for Redknee.
* Voiceware Systems Inc. will supply Nigeria's top three prepaid calling card providers with its Telephony Services Platform (TSP). Akklaim Communications Inc., Atlastco Communications Inc. and Microtel Ltd. have installed the TSP.
Lagos-based Akklaim will use the platform to support prepaid calling cards and prepaid enhanced services, including voice mail, fax and conference calling. Atlastco, also based in the capital, will use the TSP for prepaid and postpaid telecom services. Atlastco specializes in the broadband services market, offering all flavors of ISP services including wireless ISP. Microtel, out of Abuja, will replace an existing prepaid card platform with the TSP.
Voiceware, headquartered in West Palm Beach, Fla., has installations in 24 countries on six continents. Its solutions include prepaid wireless, prepaid and postpaid calling cards, prepaid dial tone and enhanced services.
