Vodafone and Kordia team up for seamless customer experience

Vodafone and Kordia team up for seamless customer experience

Monday, September 26, 2011

Vodafone and Kordia have joined forces to provide their customers with a seamless team – providing the best of breed mobile and network solutions to New Zealand businesses.

Vodafone Director of Sales, Grant Hopkins, says the partnership ensures a high grade of service and allows Vodafone and Kordia to respond jointly to RFPs, meaning customers have a more cohesive process and ultimately a better result.

“By partnering, Vodafone and Kordia can offer combined solutions that ultimately result in an enhanced and differentiated capability for customers,” says Grant.

Drew Gilpin, General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Kordia, agrees that the authenticity of the partnership is a real plus for customers. "This isn't a joint approach cobbled together for the sake of one RFP. We've made an on-going commitment to work together and that shows in the joint face we present to both current and potential clients.”

The first customer to benefit from the partnership, DB Breweries, selected the Vodafone-Kordia Partnership after a formal RFP process to deliver full service including Vodafone mobile, mobile broadband, WAN services (Kordia OnKor) and Avaya IP Telephony, beginning in November 2010.

Despite the physical complexity of the implementation across 13 sites as diverse as Mangatainoka, Greymouth, Timaru, Nelson and Otahuhu, DB CIO, Pam Nobbs, says the transition was so seamless, she hardly noticed it. "There were none of the usual hiccups normally associated with this kind of transition. We are now enjoying a higher level of service, improved performance and enhanced visibility of our network."

Under the joint implementation, Vodafone was able to review the services DB was using and 'right size' them, resulting in considerable cost savings. "Vodafone and Kordia worked together to remove duplication from our services," says Pam. "For example, our total number of desk phones has gone from 366 to only 99 – less than a third. We recognised the benefits of removing duplication in services for a large proportion of staff that were already very reliant on mobile. That supported the delivery of substantial savings that we can now reallocate."

Drew adds that with Kordia’s OnKor, DB now has the benefit of increased visibility of its network. "Network traffic can be prioritised according to business need, for example prioritising video conferencing over Facebook access," he says.

Following the DB implementation, the Vodafone-Kordia partnership has won Tegel and Stevenson Group as new OnKor WAN customers in addition to the existing mobile services they had with Vodafone.

China Unicom and Syniverse Team up to Ensure Superior Mobile Subscriber Experience

TAMPA, Fla. – Sept. 29, 2011 – China Unicom and Syniverse have teamed up to deploy a wide range of Syniverse solutions, including the company’s next-generation IP-based network and SCCP Signaling Gateway; real-time intelligence tools RoamMonitor, Visibility Services and VisProactive; and roaming cornerstones Financial Clearing House and Syniverse DataNet. Combined, these solutions will enhance the end-user experience for China Unicom subscribers both at home and abroad while preparing the operator to make the transition from 3G to 4G and beyond.

With more than 900 million mobile subscribers, China is the world’s largest mobile market. As smart device sales increase and 3G network expansion continues, Syniverse is seeing increasing demand for its global transport, interoperability and real-time intelligence services in this fast-growing market.

“China Unicom’s continued investments in high-quality network interconnect and real-time intelligence tools demonstrate the importance of enabling the best possible global experience for its subscribers,” said Jeff Gordon, President and CEO, Syniverse. “The mobile paradigm has shifted to revolve around the real-time demands of the end user for immediate, consistent connectivity via everything from voice to video, text to social networking. China Unicom has the future-proof backbone in place to propel its subscribers to the latest technologies that deliver the optimum mobile experience.”

The combination of two Syniverse real-time intelligence tools, Visibility Services and VisProactive, provides the operator a clear up-to-the-minute view of the integrity of its own network as well as the networks on which its subscribers roam. This instant access enables immediate issue resolution, so problems can be addressed before the subscriber even knows anything occurred. A third real-time intelligence tool, RoamMonitor, provides immediate data usage alerts to individual subscribers, both on home and visited networks, enabling users to make informed decisions and to avoid unexpected charges, which helps to improve quality of experience and to minimize bad debt.

From a network perspective, China Unicom has leveraged Syniverse’s MPLS network as an onramp to the next-generation, all-IP technologies of tomorrow while also supporting today’s networks. This offering provides guaranteed Quality of Service and enables Class of Service. Syniverse’s SCCP Gateway solution prepares the operator for a seamless transition from legacy SS7 technologies to the Diameter world of LTE all via a single provider.

Dr. Yan Bo, General Manager of Global Business Department, China Unicom, said leveraging real-time intelligence and strengthening its network was imperative to ensuring the satisfaction of its customers.

“As we continue to build our mobile offering, we remain keenly focused on providing our customers with a high-quality, seamless experience both at home and while roaming,” Dr. Yan said. “We benefit from Syniverse’s in-region presence and end-to-end solutions to address the complexities surrounding global interoperability to help us support the increased data demand we’re seeing today while ensuring we’re fully prepared for the future.”

Syniverse supports Asia Pacific (AP) with regional headquarters in Hong Kong and offices and network points of presence (POPs) throughout the region. With a focus on providing superior local customer support, Windy Zou Kohl, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, Syniverse, emphasized the company has an unmatched in-region presence.

“We are deeply committed to the AP region and have a strong understanding of this dynamic mobile market,” Kohl said. “Our full-service roaming, messaging and network portfolio enables us to address the totality of our customers’ needs.”

M1 introduces two new mobile plans for the deaf and hard of hearing individuals

SINGAPORE, 30 September 2011 - M1 Limited (M1), today announces the launch of two new mobile service plans exclusively for clients and members of The Singapore Association for The Deaf (SADeaf).

The MessageSurf and BlackBerry MessageSurf plans are priced respectively at S$25.68 and S$29.96 per month and inclusive of 50 minutes free outgoing video calls, 10,000 SMS and MMS, and 3GB data bundle with excess data usage bill capped at S$30. Additionally, the plans will come with free exclusive benefits such as unlimited free calls to three M1 numbers, per second billing and all day free incoming video calls.

“M1 is glad to be able to make a small contribution in creating these new plans to cater to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing individuals. We recognise that these individuals communicate through e-mail, SMS, MMS, instant messaging, social media applications and video calls. Hence, we hope our generous bundles will enhance the way they stay connected.” said P. Subramaniam, Chief Marketing Officer, M1 Limited.

The M1 MessageSurf and BlackBerry MessageSurf plans are available only to the clients and members of SADeaf from 1 October 2011 onwards. Subscriptions may be made at any M1 Shops or M1 Exclusive Distributors with the presentation of the SADeaf Hearing Help Card or Membership Card.

Softbank Group Company Selects Huawei to Power Its AXGP Commercial Network

Tokyo, Japan, 29,September, 2011: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced that it has been selected by Wireless City Planning Inc. (WCP), a leading mobile operator, Softbank’s group company, to deploy the large scale LTE TDD compatible AXGP (Advanced eXtended Global Platform) commercial network in Japan.

At first, the new network will be launched in some parts of Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. It is the fastest mobile broadband network in Japan, offering downlink data speeds of 110Mb/s to provide end users with the highest quality data service experience.

”We are excited about our new partnership with Huawei, and to tap on Huawei’s leadership and expertise in deploying its SingleRAN solution and other advanced mobile communications technology to build Japan’s fastest radio network,” said Mr. Junichi Miyakawa, Director and COO, WCP. “The AXGP network will yield significant competitive advantages for Softbank, and we expect the network to not only consolidate our market leadership but also significantly accelerate the commercialization of mobile broadband technology across Japan for the benefit of our subscribers.”

Taking into consideration the unique characteristics of each city, Huawei provided Softbank with its industry-leading SingleRAN solution, enabling fast and cost-effective deployment of the AXGP network, and ensuring that Softbank’s network is future-proof for the smooth evolution to LTE-Advanced. Highlight features include:

l The world’s smallest and lightest Broadband RRU (Radio Remote Unit) which supports 4T4R (four transmitters and four receivers) and multi-carrier beamforming. A single RRU can support 40MHz bandwidth and offer downlink data speeds of over 400Mb/s.

l BBU (Base Band Unit) “hotel” that significantly boosts operation and maintenance efficiency, and network performance.

l Leading AAS (Adaptive Antenna System) and RGPS (Remote GPS) technology to reduce network interference.

Wang Tao, President of Wireless Networks, Huawei, said: “We thank Softbank Group for its trust in Huawei and for selecting us to deploy its network in the most strategic cities in Japan. Huawei is confident that our end-to-end SingleRAN solutions, which are based on our strong R&D credentials and track record in delivering quality networks worldwide, will enable Softbank Group to offer its subscribers with the very best in mobile broadband services.”

In addition to radio access network solutions, Huawei also offers a suite of devices that allow more users to enjoy an enhanced mobile broadband experience. These include the LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode USB dongle (E398), LTE TDD/FDD/GSM/UMTS/CDMA multi-mode USB dongle (E392) and the world’s first LTE TDD smart phone.

DOCOMO and Orange to Procure Smartphone from Sharp | Press Center | NTT DOCOMO Global

DOCOMO and Orange to Procure Smartphone from Sharp

TOKYO, JAPAN, September 29, 2011 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it will procure an Android smartphone from Sharp Corporation together with Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, marking the first time for an overseas operator to deploy a DOCOMO smartphone.

The smartphone model, a 3D-capable handset initially developed for DOCOMO and sold as the AQUOS PHONE SH-12C in Japan, was redesigned for the European market and named the “AQUOS PHONE SH80F.” Orange will introduce the model in France from October as its first mobile device capable of converting images and videos from 2D to 3D in real time.

Kiyohito Nagata, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Strategic Marketing for NTT DOCOMO, INC., said, “We’re very proud of our relationship with Orange, which has made it possible to introduce this innovative 3D smartphone made by Sharp Corporation to the international market. DOCOMO will continue to work closely with Orange as part of a strategy to lead the global market with new and innovative products.”

“We are excited to be launching the AQUOS PHONE SH80F, thanks to our collaboration with DOCOMO and Sharp,” said Yves Maitre, Senior Vice President, Mobile Multimedia and Devices, Orange. “Orange is committed to bringing compelling innovations to our customers. Together, we share this ambition, launching this product in both Asia and Europe. We look forward to developing similar opportunities for our customers in the future.”

Masami Ohbatake, Group General Manager, Communication Systems Group, Sharp Corporation, said, “Sharp is honored to commercialize our new 3D smartphone (AQUOS PHONE SH80F) with Orange, thanks to their new collaborative relationship with DOCOMO. The introduction of this product in Europe will offer new added value experiences for users through our one-of-a-kind technologies; such as our 3D display and 3D camera.”

DOCOMO and Orange have a successful and long-standing relationship built on a common vision to enhance mobile experiences through innovative products and services. The two companies will continue to explore opportunities to harness new innovations for their markets that will further enhance customer satisfaction.

SOFTBANK MOBILE selects Ericsson to build their next generation packet core

SOFTBANK MOBILE selects Ericsson to build their next generation packet core

SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. - the fastest-growing operator in Japan - will prepare for an expected increase in traffic by implementing Ericsson's (NASDAQ: ERIC) Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solution. When the EPC, which supports the next generation of mobile broadband services, goes online,SOFTBANK MOBILE's more than 26 million subscribers will enjoy faster communication and an enhanced user experience. By implementing the solution SOFTBANK MOBILE will benefit from a simplified network that facilitates the uptake of mobile broadband and allows it to reduce costs for operational maintenance and equipment.

This next-generation all-IP mobile core network solution, designed and deployed by Ericsson service professionals, also supports various types of access, including both fixed and mobile networks. For example, it supports the operator's existing HSPA, WCDMA and next-generation LTE access networks, as well other network technologies, such as Wi-Fi.

Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Director and CTO, SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp., says: "Ericsson's EPC solution is a great investment for us since we are expecting our network traffic to increase. Besides giving our users an improved high-speed connection, it allows us to simplify our network and thereby actually cut costs - all while gaining more subscribers."

Fredrik Alatalo, President and Representative Director of Ericsson Japan, says: "We've been providing SOFTBANK MOBILE with Mobile Circuit Switched and Packet Core networks for almost 20 years and we are excited to continue as its sole vendor by providing its next-generation network."

Telstra goes live with world's first combined core network for 2G/3G/4G

Telstra goes live with world's first combined core network for 2G/3G/4G

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Telstra have together created a world first by enabling Telstra to operate a combined core network for its 2G, 3G and 4G traffic.

Ericsson's Evolved Packet Core (EPC) enables the mobile broadband traffic carried in Telstra GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and LTE access networks to be seamlessly handled by the same core network nodes, resulting in an improved mobile broadband experience for consumers.

To date, Ericsson has signed 30 commercial EPC contracts. The majority of the network operators that signed these contracts have deployed an EPC network as an overlay upon their existing packet core networks. EPC's validated triple-access functionality through software upgrades allows for smooth introduction of new IP-based services to existing networks, protecting earlier investments.

Mike Wright, Telstra's Executive Director of Network and Access Technologies, says: "Through implementing the Evolved Packet Core, we can smoothly integrate and transition 2G, 3G and 4G traffic seamlessly for our customers. This is the complete network solution that we envisioned over 5 years ago: a common and efficient core network supporting traffic from any source across our evolving GSM, WCDMA and LTE access networks.

Sam Saba, Head of Ericsson Australia, says: "Telstra has successfully implemented the latest technology and we see many operators following their launch closely. The triple-access Evolved Packet Core enables cost-efficient operations and increased revenues as it greatly facilitates network planning and maintenance and allows for smooth introduction of new IP-based services."

The Telstra solution also includes the world's first triple-access SGSN-MME pool. Ericsson has an extensive pool track record of world firsts, dating back to 2005 when the 2G pool was launched. Telstra played a pioneering role by launching the world's first 3G pool, as well as a dual-access 2G/3G pool in 2007. Now, Telstra has made the next technology breakthrough by evolving its pool solution to also include its LTE network.

DiGi challenges university students to launch Social Venture start-ups in 48-hours

SHAH ALAM, 29 SEPTEMBER 2011: DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (DiGi) today announced the launch of its third installation of DiGi's Challenge for Change. This year's programme focuses on getting university students to collaborate in the creation of social ventures for underserved communities using mobile and internet solutions. DiGi's Challenge for Change competition will see more than RM200,000 worth of cash and experiential prizes offered to participating and winning teams.

DiGi's Chief Executive Officer, Henrik Clausen said this year's competition is part of DiGi's ambition to enable 'Internet For All'. He added, "We believe that connectivity can be a powerful catalyst to propel communities forward, enable socio-economic development and help local businesses grow. Through this programme, we are leveraging our core competencies to empower and nurture Malaysian youth to drive positive changes among the underserved."

DiGi's Challenge for Change will see participating university teams work with local NGOs and communities to develop solutions using mobile and internet to address socio-economic or environmental issues. The competition is open to all public and private universities. The challenge requires students to initiate ideas, develop a business prototype and to pitch for seed funding, all within a span of 48-hours at one of the six regional start-up weekends.

Two finalist teams will be chosen from each of these start-up weekends by a panel of judges. A total of 12 finalists will be provided seed funding as well as access to DiGi and industry mentors who will guide them in the development and implementation of their social venture. An overall winner will be selected based on team presentations and the feasibility of their start-up ideas in March 2012.

Speaking on how this competition will benefit the students, Clausen explained, "DiGi's Challenge for Change takes participants through a holistic experiential journey which will provide valuable skills and inspire innovation, entrepreneurship and community service. We believe that these skills will be valuable as they embark on their future careers."

Over RM200,000 in cash and experiential prizes are up for grabs in DiGi's Challenge for Change. This includes:

• RM1,000 in seed money for each finalist to develop solutions

• RM10,000; and a sponsored learning trip to ZTE HQ in China for the winner

• RM5,000 for the 1st Runner Up

• RM2,000 for the 2nd Runner Up

• DiGi rewards including Broadband packages for finalist teams

• Post-Challenge entrepreneurship training for finalists by MDeC

• Workshops with Mentors

• Opportunities for internships with key partners and DiGi

DiGi's Challenge for Change is endorsed by the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, and the Ministry of Higher Education. Other partners include MSC Malaysia, ZTE Corporation; and supported by GEW (Global Entrepreneurship Week) a global movement that inspires Entrepreneurship among the youth.

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd Raises A Loan Of USD 200 Mln

Gurgaon, 29th September 2011 – Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) that nationally operates its telecom services under the MTS brand with over 13 million wireless customers, today announced raising a loan of rupee equivalent of USD 200 Mln. As part of the process, USD 100 Mln was raised from ICICI Bank and remaining USD 100 Mln was raised from Barclays Bank. This loan has been proportionally secured by Russia’s leading bank, Gazprombank through a standby letter of credit and bank guarantee.

According to Sergey Savchenko, Chief Financial Officer of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd. “Given the testing times being faced for financing of the telecom industry in India, raising of USD 200 Mln loan by SSTL is a significant achievement. The money raised is a reaffirmation of the confidence reposed by leading banks in our business strategy. We plan to utilize the raised money to further scale up our telecom operations in the country.” Adding further, Sergey said “We are thankful to our banking partners i.e. ICICI, Barclay’s and Gazprombank for their trust in us.”

The entire amount of USD 200 Mln has now been received by SSTL in a single tranche. The 3 year loan is payable in 2014.

DOCOMO Deploys Two Large-Zone Base Stations in Tokai Region

DOCOMO Deploys Two Large-Zone Base Stations in Tokai Region

TOKYO, JAPAN, September 29, 2011 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it installed two large-zone base stations for mobile coverage during emergencies in the downtown areas of Nagoya and Gifu cities, two of the more densely populated areas in the Tokai Region between Tokyo and Osaka, which historically has been struck by major earthquakes. Both base stations became operational on September 28.

Large-zone base stations, which are deployed separately from ordinary base stations in times of emergency, are among DOCOMO’s latest efforts to ensure the maintenance of mobile service during blackouts and natural disasters. Capable of sending and receiving signals to/from handsets in 360 degrees over distances of up to approximately seven kilometers, these special base stations are located on high atop extra-earthquake-resistant structures and incorporate independent power supply and redundant transmission lines for uninterrupted service.

DOCOMO will deploy approximately 100 large-zone base stations in densely populated areas nationwide by the end of the year, including five in Tokyo and ten in the Tokai Region that are scheduled to be deployed by the end of October.

Telecom and Alcatel-Lucent sign strategic supplier agreement

Telecom and Alcatel-Lucent announced today that the companies have signed a strategic supplier agreement and three-year managed services agreement under which Alcatel-Lucent will provide network operations, maintenance and support and a range of project services to Telecom.

Telecom Group chief technology officer, David Havercroft, said the company has been reviewing all of its strategic supplier relationships in order to ensure they continue to meet the needs of Telecom in its changing environment.

“Getting our supplier relationships in order has been a business priority for some time, and I’m pleased to have reached these agreements with Alcatel-Lucent, which will deliver the support and flexibility Telecom will need as we face the changes ahead.”

For Alcatel-Lucent’s country leader for New Zealand and Pacific Islands, Andrew Miller, the renewed agreements with Telecom are testament to the company’s global expertise in providing telecommunications carriers with fully managed services capability.

“Alcatel-Lucent’s global expertise in providing managed services, and our significant New Zealand-based team, enables our customers to leverage global best practice to optimise operating costs. It also means they can focus on what is most important to them – the needs of their customers,” said Andrew.

Telstra receives SAP certification for its cloud

Telstra receives SAP certification for its cloud - Media Announcement

Telstra today announced SAP, one of the world’s largest enterprise software organisations, has accredited Telstra's cloud computing infrastructure ready for SAP cloud applications.

Telstra is the first Australian provider to receive SAP certification which means Australian organisations looking to outsource their SAP applications into the cloud can be assured Telstra’s infrastructure adheres to the highest industry standards.

Mark Pratley, General Manager, Telstra Cloud Computing, said the certification is the company’s latest milestone on its cloud computing journey.

“The SAP certification of our cloud infrastructure is another step in our recently announced $800 million plus, 5-year investment program,” Mr Pratley said.

“Having our infrastructure accredited by SAP means organisations who want to run their SAP applications out of Telstra’s cloud can do so with the confidence of knowing it will operate at its optimum on our cloud platform.

“SAP is one of the largest enterprise application providers and is used by the majority of our customers. Receiving the SAP certification further indicates Telstra is delivering on its commitment to provide Australian organisations with a cloud computing infrastructure that adheres to the stringent requirements of the world’s leading cloud players,” Mr Pratley said.

Greg Harbor, Vice President, OnDemand Solutions, SAP ANZ said: “Telstra is a key strategic partner for SAP. We are very confident in Telstra’s ability to deliver infrastructure services to our customers, enabling the orchestration of critical SAP business applications in the cloud. In short, this means customers can now consume SAP with greater flexibility, speed to value and a lower total cost of ownership.”

Telstra has consulted with more than 160 of its enterprise customers to learn what enterprise applications they are using and how they can benefit from hosting these applications in the cloud.

“By optimising our cloud services portfolio for SAP applications and services, our customers will benefit from increased flexibility to meet changing market demands, faster provisioning of business resources and access to highly reliable cloud architecture,” Mr Pratley said.

Telstra’s cloud computing services are delivered through an alliance with Accenture and include the delivery of Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service offerings that will also support SAP cloud applications.

DiGi and MY Evolution collaborate to launch Malaysia's first M2M MVNO service

Shah Alam, 28 September 2011: DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (DiGi) and MY Evolution Sdn Bhd (MY Evolution) today introduced Malaysia's first Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) service. The new service enables communication for machines and devices using DiGi's network.

DiGi's Head of Strategy and Business Transformation, Christian Thrane said the partnership is timely especially given the government and private sector's push to stimulate demand and growth in the domestic M2M market.

The global M2M communications market is predicted to experience a growth spurt in the coming years, with 31% of growth contributed by the Asian region. According to Frost & Sullivan, M2M connections in Asia Pacific (APAC) are expected to reach 116.6 million by 2015 from 20.8 million recorded last year. In addition to China and India, the Malaysian market is expected to grow faster than the APAC average.

"The M2M market in Malaysia, while still in its nascent stages, already exhibits huge potential. According to analysts, growth in the M2M communications market is expected to represent RM200million with more than 2 million connected devices by 2015. This is a considerable market we can potentially tap into."

Thrane said the collaboration with MY Evolution showed that MVNO partnerships continue to be part of the company's business strategy.

"The M2M business is a market driven by industry verticals where MY Evolution as an MVNO can complement DiGi's strategy by offering industry solutions. MVNO partnerships give us an additional revenue stream by addressing underserved customer segments. We have invested in dedicated resources, including a team with relevant industry experience tasked to support the MVNO business. With our existing infrastructure, I believe we will be successful in this space in the coming years."

Through this deal, MY Evolution will ride on DiGi's infrastructure to provide end-to-end M2M communications services that enable the applications and its devices.

MY Evolution's Managing Director, Philippe Buriot said, "The M2M market in Asia has already started to grow at a faster pace and customers now need industry-focused products and services. Asia is going to contribute significantly to the M2M expansion in the next few years, where APAC revenue will increase from RM 2.2 billion today to more than RM 7.6 billion in 2015, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27%."

MY Evolution's focus is to propose business-oriented and tailor-made rate plans, as well as adapted workflows to device life-cycles with real-time monitoring and control tools. Data ∓ Connectivity technology make possible for all application providers to setup and control their devices in a cost-efficient way and in a secured environment. To make these high-end echnologies available to all application providers, MY Evolution has decided to offer these solutions as a service.

Philippe added, "What differentiates us from other players in the market is our ability to customize our services and pricing to each customer instead of providing a one-size-fits-all package. For example, some customers have very long period of stock for their devices, others have incredible low usage needs and some require additional security to avoid sending their information over the Internet. Therefore we can improve the overall costs with the right services and pricing based on their specific requirements."

My Evolution's simcards enable machines to communicate with each other remotely, securely and are easily integrated with customers' existing systems. The highly customizable features enable MY Evolution to deliver to customers valuable information from a business-adapted system, contributing to increase operational efficiency as well as reducing their time-to-market.

Finally Philippe said that "With this partnership, we are launching our Malaysian operations as the first M2M MVNO in South-East Asia, to focus exclusively its technology, data access and know-how to enable all application providers and enterprises that need machine-to-machine communications."

DiGi unveils its first DiGi BlackBerry Store

SHAH ALAM, 26 SEPTEMBER 2011: DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd ("DiGi") has unveiled DiGi BlackBerry® Store, the first of its kind in Malaysia, which is dedicated to featuring BlackBerry smartphones and accessories available for the Malaysian market.

The Store is located at the DiGi flagship store, The DiGi 360 Center in SoHo, Mont Kiara. Occupying the entire mezzanine floor, covering approximately 1100 square feet, DiGi will partner with Research In Motion (RIM) to build a comprehensive and personalised one-stop BlackBerry centre to further enhance DiGi's users' experience of their BlackBerry® smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook tablet.

According to DiGi's Head of Retail, Patrick Er, "There are over 1.5 million BlackBerry users in Malaysia and we see a strong product roadmap which will further enhance this position, and DiGi wants to strengthen our position in this market. We are looking at supporting the local BlackBerry user community by providing a spot where BlackBerry enthusiasts can converge, learn and share their BlackBerry experience with each other. Together with RIM, we will also have monthly BlackBerry related activities.

"At DiGi, we want to continue to add value to our customers and we believe BlackBerry fans will appreciate a store where they can find every BlackBerry device and PlayBook tablet for the Malaysian market under one roof," added Er.

In conjunction with the launch of the DiGi BlackBerry store, DiGi is offering an exclusive promotion from 15 to 30 September for its exclusive group of customers. In this special offer, the first 300 invited customers who purchased a BlackBerry Bold 9900 on DG Smart Plan 68 with a 24-month contract received free BlackBerry® Internet Service worth RM10 per month for 5 months, a free pod charger worth RM188 and a BlackBerry carry bag.

Tata Communications solidifies its position as world's largest Ethernet provider through Pakistan partnership with Multinet

Tata Communications solidifies its position as world's largest Ethernet provider through Pakistan partnership with Multinet

New York (NYSE) and Mumbai (BSE) - 27 September 2011 - Tata Communications, a leading provider of the new world of communications, today becomes one of the few global carriers to extend its Global IP / VPN service offerings into Pakistan, through a collaboration with Multinet Pakistan Private Limited, an operating company of Axiata and an innovative provider of data and voice communications. The collaboration now makes Tata Communications the largest global Ethernet provider in the world.

The partnership will enable enterprise customers to enjoy the first commercially available Ethernet services in Pakistan, as well as global Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) communications services, through a point of presence (PoP) deployment in Karachi.

"Pakistan is a growing and diverse economy which is enjoying increasing international investment," says Radwan Moussalli, Managing Director, Middle East & North Africa Region, Tata Communications.

"This is the 100th country reached by our MPLS services and the 52nd by our Ethernet services, giving us the largest global Ethernet footprint. The MPLS and Ethernet node in Pakistan will allow businesses to connect to their offices in Pakistan and around the world using Tata Communications' extensive regional and global presence."

The new services are particularly ideal for banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies looking to grow their presence in Pakistan, or migrating from international private lines to MPLS or Ethernet. Manufacturing, energy, IT and software development are other fast-growing sectors of the economy which will benefit from improved connectivity to the region and the rest of the world.

"The India-Pakistan cross-border connectivity will give us a unique value proposition," says Mr. Rashid, Senior Executive Vice President, Multinet Pakistan Private Limited. "Enterprise customers will be able to choose from point-to-point and multi-point MPLS and Ethernet connectivity options across both locations."

"The association with Tata Communications is an exciting one for Multinet Pakistan. Together we will offer our clientele the best services and unbeatable customer satisfaction, something we deem as our forte."

Tata Communications' focus on emerging markets sees it not only providing Pakistan a gateway to traditional developed markets around the world, but it also fosters enhanced trading relationships with geographies such as the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia. The Karachi PoP is the latest in Tata Communications' ongoing expansion of its global connectivity reach across the emerging markets. The global Telco recently engaged its global partners to establish PoPs in Doha, Qatar (in collaboration with Q-Tel), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (together with Mobily) and in Dhaka, Bangladesh (under an agreement with ADSNL), as well as increasing over ten-fold, the capacity at the node in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (in association Etisalat). Tata Communications has also added a second node and Global Dedicated Ethernet services in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Additionally, the Telco is in the midst of constructing the TGN-Gulf (Tata Global Network-Gulf) cable system for the under-served Gulf region. The TGN-Gulf high-capacity submarine fibre optic system is due for completion within the next four months.

Telstra and HTC to bring 4G smartphone to Australia

Telstra and HTC to bring 4G smartphone to Australia

Australians will soon get their hands on the next generation of mobile phone technology with Telstra joining with HTC to launch its first 4G LTE smartphone in the first half of 2012.

Codenamed ‘HTC 4G’, the smartphone will feature lightning-fast 4G mobile internet speeds, a large 4.5 inch screen and will be powered by Android™.

Telstra CEO David Thodey said Telstra 4G promised to supercharge the smartphone web experience by providing some of the fastest handset download and upload speeds available.

“4G smartphones will bring the rich internet content Australians love on their home PCs to their hands and pockets,” Mr Thodey said.

“In a matter of months, our customers will be able to stream their video and music collections over the mobile internet faster than before, access cloud-hosted applications and play fast-paced internet games direct from their smartphone screen. We’re delighted to be working with HTC on the first of many 4G handheld devices that are set to launch now the new Telstra 4G network is live in Australia.

HTC CEO Peter Chou said HTC and Telstra are leading the world in LTE development.

“By partnering to deliver Telstra’s first 4G smartphone we are ushering in a new generation smartphone experience in Australia. Superfast network speeds in a device built with HTC’s focus on design, screen quality and delivery of the best customer experience is something that we are extremely excited about making available to Australian customers.”

Earlier today, Telstra launched Australia’s first superfast 4G LTE mobile network in capital city CBDs and more than 30 regional and metropolitan centres.

The HTC 4G will be powered by a fast dual-core processor and will feature a high-quality 8 mega-pixel camera.

A new era of telecommunications – Telstra lights up 4G mobile services in Australia

A new era of telecommunications – Telstra lights up 4G mobile services in Australia

Australians will enter a new era of mobile telecommunications today with Telstra launching the nation’s first superfast 4G LTE mobile network in capital city CBDs and more than 30 regional and metropolitan centres.

Telstra CEO David Thodey said Australians could now access one of the world’s most advanced mobile networks delivering some of the fastest mobile download and upload speeds available anywhere.

“Today marks a new high-speed chapter in Australian mobile telecommunications. Telstra’s 4G network delivers mobile speeds scarcely imagined a decade ago, making it easier for people to connect with the things they need and love when on the move,” Mr Thodey said.

“The superfast speeds mean consumers can download songs faster, get TV shows in minutes and do more things simultaneously.

“This is just the beginning. Telstra 4G will allow our mobile devices to perform even more advanced tasks and open the door to a host of innovative high-speed services that have yet to be conceived.

“Customers trialling Telstra 4G have told us it is already changing how they connect and work. For example, a sports photographer in Melbourne is now sending his high-resolution footy images direct to newspapers from the boundary line faster than ever. In Sydney, video producers are handling larger video files on the go and saving time in the process. In regional Australia, a skin cancer doctor has increased the quality of his medical images thanks to the increased bandwidth available over 4G,” Mr Thodey said.

Using the Telstra USB 4G mobile broadband modem, which goes on sale today, customers in 4G coverage areas can enjoy typical download speeds ranging from 2Mbps to 40Mbps – up to ten times faster than 3G speeds currently claimed by other Australian telecommunications companies. Customers can also experience typical upload speeds of 1Mbps to 10Mbps – three times faster than previous generations of mobile broadband in Australia.

“We know there is a huge appetite for 4G-powered smartphones and tablets and Telstra is working with some of the world's leading manufacturers to bring some of these devices to customers in the first half of 2012,” Mr Thodey said.

As well as supporting faster mobile speeds, Telstra 4G provides a more responsive internet connection. Network latency (the time it takes for data to travel from a PC to the internet and back) is around half that experienced on current 3G networks meaning real-time applications like video conferencing, internet gaming and cloud-hosted streaming services work better with less buffering and fewer interruptions.

Telstra also announced that it would launch 4G services in more than 50 additional locations by year’s end.

Today’s national launch follows Telstra’s switch-on of the first 4G base stations using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in May and a commercial pilot of 4G services for business customers last month.

Sequans working with Huawei on TD-LTE large scale trial in Shenzhen for China Mobile

Sequans working with Huawei on TD-LTE large scale trial in Shenzhen for China Mobile

BEIJING, China (PT ExpoComm China) – September 27, 2011 –Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) and Huawei today jointly announced that they would begin a large scale trial in Shenzhen. This trial will be conducted on China Mobile’s TD-LTE network deployed by Huawei, using devices based on Sequans’ TD-LTE chipset. This is a significant milestone in the commercialization progress of TD-LTE.

China Mobile has selected leading equipment vendors to deploy TD-LTE trial networks in six major cities in China and Huawei has been selected for the city of Shenzhen. Huawei is responsible for building and deploying Shenzhen’s TD-LTE network. Sequans recently became eligible to participate in the China Mobile trials when its LTE chip technology won official approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) after passing a battery of tests.

“We are very pleased to continue our long and successful cooperation with Huawei,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “Working side by side with Huawei on interoperability over the last two years, we now have UE chipset technology that it is fully ready to support the important large scale trials of China Mobile as well as future commercial deployments.”

Sequans and Huawei have already conducted several successful demonstrations of their TD-LTE solutions in collaboration with China Mobile, most notably at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai and at the Asian Games in Guangzhou. For the trial in Shenzhen, Huawei will use TD-LTE USB dongles based on Sequans’ SQN3010 TD-LTE chip.

Korea’s KT uses IP routers from Alcatel-Lucent to deliver better, faster residential broadband services

Korea’s KT uses IP routers from Alcatel-Lucent to deliver better, faster residential broadband services

Paris, September 26, 2011 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced it has been selected by KT, the largest communications service provider in Korea, to provide IP (Internet protocol) routing technology to deliver a better faster, higher-quality Internet, video and voice services to its residential customers in the Seoul and GangWon regions.

With the deployment of Alcatel-Lucent’s 7750 Service Routers, KT will be able to handle subscriber data more efficiently, manage services more intelligently and deliver higher bandwidth as needed to address particular customer requirements. As a result, KT will be able to offer its customers in Seoul and GangWon an improved experience with their voice over IP (VoIP), IPTV, high-speed Internet services and other applications.

Rajeev Singh-Molares, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in the Asia-Pacific Region, said: “This important win with KT shows Alcatel-Lucent’s growing strength in the router market in Asia, and specifically our growing footprint in Korea, where we are expanding our market share.”

Alcatel-Lucent’s Service Router portfolio is used by more than 400 service providers around the world including BT, AT&T, Verizon, Telstra, and Deutsche Telekom.

According to Dell’Oro Group, Alcatel-Lucent holds the #2 position in the Service Provider Edge Routing segment worldwide with a rolling four quarter market share of 24 percent from Q3 2010 to Q2 2011. For 2Q 2011, Alcatel-Lucent recorded year-over-year growth for the 26th consecutive quarter.

Myriad Group and Vodafone Announce Partnership to Power Social Networking and Messaging Services Across India

Myriad Group and Vodafone Announce Partnership to Power Social Networking and Messaging Services Across India

ZURICH, Switzerland – September 26, 2011 – Myriad Group AG (SIX: MYRN), a global leader in mobile technology having shipped over 3.8 billion software applications on more than 2.2 billion phones, today announced that it is partnering with Vodafone Essar Ltd., one of India’s leading telecommunications services providers, to deliver social networking and messaging services over SMS and USSD to its subscribers across India.

“Adoption of social networking on mobile devices across India is growing exponentially. In order to keep pace with market demands, our partnership with Myriad will enable us to quickly and seamlessly deliver social networking services on a massive scale across our entire subscriber base using SMS and USSD,” said Kumar Ramanathan, CMO, Vodafone Essar.

As part of the agreement, Vodafone Essar will leverage Myriad’s flagship mobile social networking platform, Xumii. With Xumii, Vodafone Essar will be able to seamlessly deploy social networking services on a massive scale, making mobile social networking accessible over USSD and SMS.

Vodafone Essar will be deploying the recently launched Myriad Updates, a first‐of‐its‐kind text‐ based mobile social networking service accessible on low‐end phones, without requiring users to have a data plan. Myriad Updates leverages Myriad’s leading mobile social networking platform and Self‐Care systems to power services for Tier 1 operators around the world.

Furthermore, Vodafone Essar will be rolling out Myriad’s complete portfolio of mobile messaging services, including SMS, instant messaging and mobile email. Rich in features such as viewing multiple messaging channels simultaneously in the same thread, Myriad’s cutting‐edge messaging solution enables mobile operators to easily deploy and integrate messaging services with a minimal investment.

“Along with our important relationship with Telefónica in LATAM, our partnership with Vodafone Essar is further proof of Myriad’s unique and compelling portfolio for emerging markets,” said Simon Wilkinson, CEO of Myriad. “Not only does this agreement reinforce our leadership in mobile messaging and mobile social networking, it also extends our footprint in what is an exciting and fast‐growing sector.”

JFDI partners SingTel Innov8 to bring successful start-up acceleration programme to Asia Pacific

JFDI partners SingTel Innov8 to bring successful start-up acceleration programme to Asia Pacific

Singapore, 26 September 2011 – The Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) is partnering SingTel Innov8 (Innov8), the corporate venture arm of the SingTel Group, to bring to Asia Pacific the successful US start-up accelerator programme pioneered by TechStars. This programme will give digital start-ups intensive mentorship from industry experts plus access to mobile markets and investors across Asia.

Operating in Singapore, JFDI aims to replicate TechStars’ 70 per cent success rate as a seed accelerator in taking digital start-up businesses from ideas to investment readiness. In just five years, TechStars and similar programmes have created over US$5 billion[1] in value in hundreds of new businesses.

The highlight of the programme is the JFDI-Innov8 2012 Bootcamp (Bootcamp), which is an intensive 100-day event, where teams of developers and entrepreneurs will receive S$15,000 and be guided by accomplished mentors and industry experts to help kick-start their businesses. These teams will also get the opportunity to pitch to international investors.

To win a spot in the Bootcamp, developers and entrepreneurs from around the world can apply via the JFDI website as of today. In addition, they can take part in Startup Weekend events, where they will form teams to generate ideas for mobile and internet applications. The weekend-long competitions will be held in a number of major cities across Asia Pacific. The first Startup Weekend, hosted by SingTel, will kick off in Singapore on 14 October.

As many as 15 teams will be shortlisted for the Bootcamp to be held in Singapore in January 2012.

Meng Wong, co-founder of JFDI said: "Our door is open to anyone from anywhere who can prove that they have got what it takes. Our objective is to catalyse the creation of world-class, investment-ready start-up businesses that have the talent, technology and connections to scale rapidly and enrich people’s lives. As part of the SingTel Group, Innov8 brings more than funding. It also provides industry expertise, regional market insights and the potential to access over 416 million of the Group’s mobile customers across Asia and Africa.”

Yvonne Kwek, CEO SingTel Innov8 said: “This accelerator programme gives start-ups an amazing opportunity to crystallise and test their ideas as well as gain access to funding for their business dreams and goals. Innov8 will play a role in nurturing the teams and facilitating their go-to-market strategies to help deliver innovative digital applications and services to millions across Asia.”

JFDI is also supported by Singapore’s government agencies including the Media Development Authority and SPRING Singapore.