mobilkom austria, Austria´s leading mobile operator, has launched Tecnomen´s Missed Call Notice to more than 3 million subscribers. Missed Call Notice alerts subscribers about calls diverted to voice mail and the caller does not leave a message. With Missed Call Notice, mobilkom austria can provide customers with an easy-to-use, innovative service, which helps manage their personal communication.
 

Tecnomen has developed a wide range of voice mail services in response to operators´ needs to increase voice mail and other voice services usage and revenues. Missed Call Notice keeps track of missed calls, noting the caller’s number, and the time and date of the call, and delivers this information by SMS. Missed Call Notice also keeps track of the number of times the person has called as well as information about the first and last call made.
 
“Resulting from our long-term, close co-operation with Tecnomen, we can rely on the maturity of their solution and on their flexibility. In today´s hectic life, we are happy to launch this new service to help our customers in their daily communications”, says Alexander Kuchar, Head of Division, Mobile Service Network, mobilkom austria.
 
“Tecnomen has accompanied mobilkom austria from the very beginning on its road as the innovative market leader in Austria. We are very proud to help mobilkom austria to launch this enhanced service offering to their customers,” says Mr Eero Mertano, Vice President, Sales, Tecnomen. “Missed Call Notice is really an easy-to-use, mass market service. It is an addition to the phone´s missed call function as notification is provided even if the phone is out of coverage or turned off, or if the line is busy.”

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Tecnomen

AIRCOM International’s post processing and analysis tool now supports multple technologies

UK based specialists in OSS and Network Planning Solutions, AIRCOM International, have announced that their Post Processing and Analysis tool RANOPT is now fully multi-technology ready.

With more and more Network Operators rolling out 3G networks and co-locating 2G and 3G sites, RANOPT now offers a major advantage allowing operators to use one single tool and one common database for all drive testing as well as allowing 3G to 2G coverage, neighbour and handover analyses.

RANOPT is a feature rich 2G, 2.5G and 3G drive test post processing tool, which automates KPI report generation and auto fault identification. Its architecture allows significant productivity, cost and operational improvements whilst its integration into the planning environment provides unique additional functionality. RANOPT makes use of a common database methodology providing a secure method for data warehousing and maintenance.

RANOPT is part of AIRCOM’s ENTERPRISE suite, a single platform software solution for Network OSS, Planning & Optimisation. Consisting of 13 integrated software modules covering Radio Planning & Design Optimisation, Transmission & Core Planning, Configuration & Performance Management and Service Assurance, it is the most complete solution available to the telecoms industry.

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Aircom International

Introduces BlackBerry Connect and BlackBerry Built-In

T-Mobile International and Research In Motion today announced plans to support a wider choice of devices with push-based BlackBerry email services. Through the introduction of BlackBerry Connect and BlackBerry Built-In, T-Mobile is extending the range of devices on which BlackBerry services are supported and available to business professionals in Europe.

Support for BlackBerry services will be initially introduced with T-Mobile’s popular organizer, the MDA II; and the rollout with other devices is expected to continue in early 2005 with T-Mobile’s MDA III, Sony Ericsson P910i, Siemens SK65 and Nokia 6820.

RIM’s BlackBerry Connect licensing programme enables mobile device manufacturers to equip their handsets with the integrated ability to connect to BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service.

With the BlackBerry Built-In licensing programme, mobile device manufacturers can incorporate various BlackBerry applications into their own devices including BlackBerry Email, BlackBerry Calendar and BlackBerry Browser applications.  The first device to support BlackBerry Built-In is the Siemens SK65.

T-Mobile International will now be able to offer a much wider choice of devices to suit the preferences and user needs of different staff within the enterprise, all managed on the same robust BlackBerry mobile data infrastructure.

“A widening range of mobile professionals are recognising the productivity benefits of BlackBerry,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at RIM. “We are very pleased that T-Mobile International is broadening its BlackBerry offering with the introduction of BlackBerry Connect and BlackBerry Built In.”

André Stark, Head of Business Marketing, T-Mobile International comments: “The extension of the BlackBerry service to a much wider range of new and stylish mobile phone handsets allows T-Mobile to address the needs of a broader target group of mobile workers which can now have a much larger variety of handsets to choose from.”

Stark continued: “Both user groups, those with preference for a small and handy voice phone as well as mobile workers with need for a feature rich wireless device will have the freedom to choose the device of their preference from a larger choice of BlackBerry enabled handsets from T-Mobile.”

BlackBerry platforms for both corporate and personal email use are supported. For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with Microsoft Exchange or IBM Lotus Domino to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to email and calendar. For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service allows users to access multiple personal and/or corporate email accounts (including many popular ISP email accounts as well as Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino accounts) from a single device.

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T-Mobile International
Blackberry

Cartoon Network has announced the launch of its mobile services featuring Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Powerpuff Girls and a whole host of its other world famous characters in a new deal with Zed in the UK.

Zed will now market the Cartoon Network mobile content via its website, www.getzed.co.uk, to its customers.

The deal is aimed predominantly at phone users between the ages of 10 and 25. Visitors to the site will be able to download innovative java games, colour wallpapers and polyphonic ringtones featuring classic and contemporary characters to their phones. All content is developed by Macrospace Ltd.

“This represents another super distribution opportunity for Cartoon Network to reach beyond our mobile operator partners to provide Cartoon Network fans with our compelling Java games, ringtones and screensaver content,” said Mitch Lazar, Vice President Wireless & Emerging Technology for Turner Broadcasting. “Zed is a well-established and a recognised leader in mobile device offerings online and we are keen to work with such a company in this arena.”

Based on much loved characters known through Cartoon Network’s television channel, the mobile games offering includes Yogi Bear’s Pic-A-Nic, Dexter’s Laboratory Security Alert, The Flintstones’ Grocery Hunt, Samurai Jack’s Samurai Showdown, Courage The Cowardly Dog’s Haunted House, Tom and Jerry’s Cheese Chase Game and The Powerpuff Girls’ Bad Mojo.

There will also be wallpapers and ringtones from top shows including Top Cat, Scooby Doo and The Jetsons available.

“It is becoming increasingly common for children to own mobile phones at an ever younger age, and it is not just to call mum and dad. They want to have access to all their favourite cartoon characters. We offer our customers a hand-picked selection of colour graphics, ringtones  and games available to download quickly and easily via our web site.” commented Mark Harris, product director at Zed. “This partnership is indicative of the standards we are setting in the mobile services market, by offering people of all ages exactly what they want. We are delighted to be able to offer our mobile customers their favourite characters from the popular Cartoon Network channel.”

The deal is also effective in Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland.

Operator reports half year results, including #5.7 billion profit

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Vodafone

First MVNO to pick Blackberry

BT today reinforced its presence in the mobile market by signing an agreement with Research In Motion (RIM) to become Europe’s first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to sell the  BlackBerry(R) wireless solution.

The deal will enable BT to offer BlackBerry to its corporate customer base, building on BT’s success in the business mobile market and extending the benefits currently available to BT’s mobile customers. The BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds(TM) will be co-branded by both BlackBerry and BT. 

Developed and manufactured by RIM, BlackBerry offers BT’s customers secure, always-on, wireless access to their corporate email and data, via an advanced BlackBerry handheld with integrated phone, text messaging, browser, calendar and organizer capability. The BlackBerry always-on ‘push’ technology also means customers don’t have to periodically connect to their email to check for new messages; messages are automatically routed to the handheld. BT is initially offering the BlackBerry 7230(TM) and BlackBerry 7730(TM) handhelds.

For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server(TM) software tightly integrates with Microsoft(R) Exchange or IBM Lotus(R) Domino(TM) (Novell GroupWise expected to be available later this year) and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to email and other corporate data.

Steven Evans, CEO of BT Mobile, said: “This partnership with RIM is another strong example of BT’s commitment to offer leading edge mobile solutions to corporate customers. The fact that this is the first European deal that RIM has done with a mobile virtual network operator is a strong reflection of BT’s strength in the corporate mobile market. The flexibility that wireless solutions and services can give companies is particularly appealing and BlackBerry has already become indispensable to thousands of organizations across the world.”

Larry Conlee, Chief Operating Officer, Research In Motion, said: “BT has a large corporate customer base with a strong support infrastructure and we are very pleased it has chosen to offer BlackBerry to its customers. Together, we can help mobile professionals achieve significant business and personal benefits through advanced connectivity solutions.”

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BT Group
Blackberry

Azure Solutions, the revenue assurance company, today announced the acquisition of Anite Calculus Limited, the UK-based telecommunications software company that specialises in interconnect, wholesale and partner event billing, rating and settlement applications. Upon completion of the acquisition, the companies will trade under the Azure Solutions name and will continue to provide tier-one communications service providers with access to the world’s best* and broadest revenue assurance portfolio.

Azure Solutions employs over 200 people around the world.  It is headquartered in London, has its R&D centre in Ipswich, UK and has people based in Colorado, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Hong Kong, Jakarta, and Sydney. It was spun out of British Telecommunications plc (BT) in April 2003 and is backed by New Venture Partners, the technology venturing partnership.  Anite Calculus was formerly part of Anite Group plc, a UK listed international IT software and services company.  Anite Calculus’ carrier customers include TeliaSonera, Telenor, NTL, Global Crossing and Finnet. This latest deal builds on Azure’s recent acquisition of US-based Connexn Technologies, and
further expands Azure’s tier-one customer base which already includes carriers such as BT, Telenor, Cable & Wireless, France Telecom, BSNL, Optus, KPN, Vodafone, Orange, O2, Qwest and AT&T.

Azure Solutions extends its unrivalled domain expertise in telecoms and revenue assurance by combining Azure and Anite Calculus’ product offerings and teams. Azure’s award-winning portfolio contains the broadest range of
revenue assurance products and services including Interconnect Accounting, Security and Fraud Management, Route Optimisation and the Connexn revenue assurance solution. Anite Calculus provides Azure with international partner settlement solutions, real time rating and billing and an interconnect product suitable for Tier 1 subsidiaries.

Under the terms of the acquisition all existing customer and partner agreements will be fully supported.

John Cronin, president and CEO of Azure, said: “The Anite Calculus deal is yet another part of our commitment to remain the number one company in revenue assurance. Anite Calculus’ employee expertise and technology made the acquisition very attractive and provides Azure with greater resources to meet the growth in the revenue assurance market. This acquisition is great news for current and future customers worldwide, as our combined technology and expertise will ensure that they continue to have the best revenue assurance products and services available.”

Saul Nurtman, managing director of Anite Calculus and who will take a senior management position at Azure said, “I am excited at the prospect of merging the Calculus business into Azure.  I am confident that our current customers and staff will benefit from the global brand and distribution capabilities,
technical expertise and financial strength of Azure.”

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Azure Solutions