ITV

Category: Telecom

  • Telenity provides location-based services to BSNL

    Telenity provides location-based services to BSNL

    MUMBAI: Telenity, a provider of next generation converged services platforms and applications for communications networks, will be providing location-based services (LBS) solution to India’s state-owned telecom giant, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) through its partner Tier 1 network equipment providers (NEPs).

    Telenity provides its Canvas LES, Location Enabling Server, and 14 location-based services to BSNL that will enable the operator to offer personalised value added location-based services to its mobile customers. This highly scalable location solution will serve BSNL network infrastructure expected to grow from approximately 14 million to 70 million subscribers, and is expected to support world’s largest deployment to date.

    “Location-based value added services are absolutely essential for carriers to effectively compete and differentiate in the wireless marketplace. Worldwide carrier revenues from location-based services are expected to climb from a little less than $1 billion in 2005 to nearly $8.5 billion by 2010,” said Telenity CEO Dilip Singh.

    “Our converged location and presence solution supports complete and total privacy of location-based services across any network. It not only increases BSNL’s enhanced service offerings and ARPU, but just as significantly, enables BSNL to aggressively pursue a wide variety of new business models, including resale and revenue sharing options. This deployment shows Telenity’s commitment to serve one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world,” he added.

    Telenity’s LBS solution is a crucial part of BSNL’s expansion of its GSM/GPRS digital wireless network in the south, east and north zones of India. It includes Telenity’s Canvas LES, which ensures subscribers can easily find, locate or monitor phones and other assets based on their geographic position, points of interest and securely fine-tune their privacy profile on the fly when they want it and 14 location-based services including:

    Real Time Fleet and Asset Management – enables enterprises to locate, monitor and manage their mobile assets and employees in a secure way using a simple Web browser.

    Friend Finder – alerts subscribers when one of their friends in their buddy list is in close proximity to their location or vice versa.

    Mobile Yellow Pages – allows subscribers to get the location of the closest service point of their interest.

    City Sightseeing – provides subscribers with the location information of a place of interest – restaurant, museum, theater, park, etc.

    Telenity’s LBS solution is developed utilizing the Canvas service creation environment, telephony applications server and service delivery gateway. Telenity’s LBS solution is the most comprehensive and advanced in the world today and is positioned for VAS in IP Multimedia Subsystem enabled and 3G networks.

    “As we expand our network, our main goal is to meet the personalisation needs of our fast growing subscriber base and strengthen our position in the industry as an innovator and leader in mobile value added services. The location-based services solution from Telenity will allow differentiate BSNL mobile value added services and increase average revenues per user,” said BSNL general manager mobile services S. Krishnan.

    “Within just more then a year of operation in India, Telenity has expanded its workforce to fully support customers in India,. We are rapidly moving ahead with our commitment in the region by establishing center of excellence for APAC in India. This will ensure BSNL services are up and running all the time” said Telenity general manager Asia Pacific Ashwani Vachher.

    India is among the fastest growing telecommunications markets in the world. In a country of over one billion people, teledensity now stands at about eleven percent or around 120 million people. This figure is expected to grow to 30 per cent by 2010, according to the Department of Telecommunications of India.

  • British Telecom inks VoD deal with Momentum Pictures

    British Telecom inks VoD deal with Momentum Pictures

    MUMBAI: British Telecom has inked a new video-on-demand (VoD) film agreement with independent film distributor, Momentum Pictures, for its next-generation TV service – BT Vision, which is scheduled to launch in August to September 2006.

    Momentum Pictures is one of the UK’s largest independent film distributors. This agreement will provide access to Momentum Pictures’ catalogue including titles such as – Lost in Translation, Racing Stripes, Where the Truth Lies, O, Brother Where Art Thou?, Vera Drake, Lord of War and Broken Flowers, amongst others.

    BT Vision customers will be able to enjoy a vast range of film, music and television programming all available on-demand as well as all the Freeview channels, plus interactive and communications and all available on the TV, with no compulsory subscription.

    BT Vision CEO Dan Marks said, “We are delighted to have concluded this agreement with Momentum Pictures, which has been responsible for distributing some of the most successful and most interesting independent cinema of the past few years. Our agreement with Momentum represents our commitment to bring the best and most varied selection of movies to our customers.”

    Momentum managing director Xavier Marchand added, “We are very pleased that BT’s broadband customers will have access to many of Momentum Pictures’ titles. BT Vision and interactive access to movies are extremely exciting concepts and we eagerly anticipate the launch of the service.”

  • American Telecom services launches Pay N’ Talk phone on cable television

    American Telecom services launches Pay N’ Talk phone on cable television

    MUMBAI: American Telecom Services, Inc., has launched a pilot of three complementary two-minute Direct Response Television (DRTV) spots to promote the Pay N’ Talk bundled service program with cordless multi-handset phones powered by IDT Telecom. The series of short-form TV spots will air on multiple occasions on several national cable networks

    The company is a provider of both internet phones and Pay N’ Talk pre-paid long distance communication services bundled with cordless multi-handset phones.

    This initiative is intended to expand brand awareness of American telecom as well as attempting to educate the consumer on the value of the Pay N’ Talk service program. This form of DRTV supports the marketing plan to drive consumer sales through retail channels, states an official release.

    The DRTV spots feature Pay N’ Talk home phones bundled with free minutes that provide consumers with an introduction to the Pay N’ Talk service bundle which provides the option to purchase more minutes at some of the lowest long distance rates in the industry, by simply pressing the “Money Saving Green Button” that appears on every telephone handset.

    The proprietary Money Saving Green Button on each phone provides “One-Touch Access” to American Telecom’s Pay N’ Talk service, for making calls, adding funds or setting up auto-payment on the prepaid system, or changing user information and is powered through the company’s exclusive relationship with IDT Telecom, adds the release.

  • Anil Ambani’s Flag Telecom ties up with OmanTel for telecom, internet link

    Anil Ambani’s Flag Telecom ties up with OmanTel for telecom, internet link

    MUMBAI: Flag Telecom, a Reliance Infocomm company, is stepping up its global operations. The network support and communication services company has signed up with Oman Telecommunications Company (OmanTel) for providing an internet transit point between West Asia and Africa.

    Flag Telecom would also lay a marine cable for the Oman-based company. Flag Telecom executive president Punit Garg and Omantel executive president Mohammed Bin Ali Al Wahaibi signed the agreement.

    Internet services along with lease circuit services and the Multi-Party Labelling System (MPLS), known to be the fastest electronic link, would begin from September to 12 countries, including the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

    “One of the agreements is to make Oman a link between Africa and the Middle East in the Flag’s loop cable project, relating to the extension of communication links to Egypt and Hong Kong via marine cables with multiple landings in the Gulf region,” says an official release.

    Omantel will seek to extend the African cable through a network of marine cables to converge at Seeb and Khasab in Oman.

    The second agreement, to start in September, will be to make the country an internet transit point, catering to 12 countries including members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It will also provide lease circuit services as well as multi-party labelling system, the fastest in electronic telecommunication technology.

    “The signing of the MoUs was part of Omantel’s keenness to boost its investments and to make the country a global communication hub,” says Al Wahaibi .

    Flag Telecom has gained from a strong demand for its bandwidth by broadband service providers across the globe. In 2005, it signed major contracts for additional capacity with international carriers and a global internet content provider.

  • Digital living in Asia, a global perspective

    Digital living in Asia, a global perspective

    SINGAPORE: In the second session on global digital living, a Parks Associates survey of 13 nations revealed that Asian countries are leading the way in the digital homes arena.

    The session, which was addressed by Parks Associates, USA director of research, John Barrett, analysed the digital trends within Asia and compared them to other countries. He also touched upon key topics like consumer attitudes, market structure and current practices.

    He said, “Asian consumers express high demand for new digital service but a low willingness to pay.” When queried on what is driving the growth, Barrett said, “There are some notable differences with western countries. One is that there is wide availability of content and deeper broadband penetration have resulted in Asians being more likely to use computers a entertainment platforms.”

    Secondly, Asian CATV providers are weaker than their North American counterparts because the demand for TV services is not as strong in Asia as it is in North American. Also, piracy is a much greater concern in Asia because copyright provisions are more weakly enforced and commercial piracy more common.

    Some key points which emerged were:

    * Korea, Taiwan were the top two countries ranked high on the Digital Living index
    *53 per cent of Asian internet households are interested in viewing digital photos on their TV compared top just 43 per cent of European Internet HHs and 28 per cent of North American HHS
    *Asian Internet Households are willing to spend on an average $ 7 per month for a video-on-demand service compared to $11 per month in Europe and North America.

  • Citigroup picks up 6.3 % stake in VSNL

    Citigroup picks up 6.3 % stake in VSNL

    MUMBAI: The telecom sector is attracting investments not only in the global market but also in India. Citigroup Inc. has acquired a 6.3 per cent stake in telecom service provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL).

    Disclosing this in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Citigroup has said that it now owns 18.61 million shares of VSNL. The The stake was bought through American Depositary Receipts listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

    VSNL expects to see volume growth in voice and data business. The company recently bought out the internet assets of 7 Star, a Mumbai-based cable operator. VSNL also acquired for Rs 750 million Direct Internet Ltd and its wholly owned subsidiary Primus Telecommunications India Ltd to strengthen its broadband presence in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment.

    The phone market is expanding rapidly in India. This has attracted global giants like Vodafone Group which bought a 10 per cent stake in Bharti Tele-Ventures.

     
     

  • Telekom Malaysia completes 49% stake purchase in Spice Telecom

    Telekom Malaysia completes 49% stake purchase in Spice Telecom

    BANGALORE: Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today solemnized the acquisition of the 49 per cent stake in Spice Communications Pvt. Ltd. by the exchange of ‘completion documents’.

    The deputy prime minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is currently heading the trade delegation in India witnessed the exchange of documents. TM was represented by its Group CEO, Dato’ Abdul Wahid Omar while Mcorp Global was represented by Dilip Modi, president, Mcorp Global. This formal exchange marks TM’s entry into the lucrative Indian telecommunications market of India, which is the fastest growing telecommunications market in the world.

    With the competition of this acquisition, TM is now the owner of a 49 per cent equity stake in Spice Telecom. TM secured this critical piece in its regional footprint, through its international investment holding company, TM International SDN BHD. The acquisition was of a total consideration of USD 178.85 million. The remaining 51 per cent equity remains with the existing shareholders Mcorp Global Ltd. and its associates, Mcorp.

    Opined Dilip Modi, “Today, both countries are at the forefront of the revolution in Information, Communication and Entertainment (ICE) technologies and have much to offer each other. Together, they could become a powerful force to take Asian companies to an entirely new globally competitive level. I am confident our strategic partnership with TM will create a new synergy and help us in maximizing growth in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.”

    “Spice customers today join TM’s global mobile subscriber base of over 20 million. Apart from TM’s operational and management experience both in Malaysia and key Asian regional markets, Spice customers stand to benefit from, through the creation and innovation of new products and services, sharing of technological experience and implementation, and the leveraging of group synergies such as in global procurement,” Modi further added.

    Dato Abdul Wahid Omar described organic growth as the key approach for creating shareholder value in Spice, “TM and its partner, Mcorp will seek to grow Spice to be a market leader in the geographies it operates in.”

  • Time Warner Telecom expands fiber network arm

    Time Warner Telecom expands fiber network arm

    MUMBAI: Time Warner Telecom Inc., one of the leading providers of managed voice and data networking solutions for businesses in the US, has announced the expansion of its 180-mile Dallas fiber network into Frisco, one of the fastest growing cities in North Texas.

    Time Warner Telecom extends its local networks into suburban office parks and downtown commercial areas to meet customer demand for an alternative fiber facilities-based choice for communications services. This Sonet network is similar to the company’s 43 other networks across the country that deliver national business-class voice and data solutions, locally and nationally, states an official release.

    “Customer demand typically includes the need for business continuity, diverse routing, data storage, metro Ethernet and a variety of next generation services that only fiber, facilities-based carriers, like Time Warner Telecom and larger incumbents, can offer,” says Time Warner Telecom’s vice president and general manager in Dallas John Schuchart.

    “This network extension also connects Frisco businesses to our 800-mile fiber ring that runs between Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, as well as to our national network of 20,000 route miles of fiber and 10 Gbps IP backbone,” adds Schuchart. “Time Warner Telecom offers communications solutions that enable businesses to converge their networks, reduce their total communications costs and improve their operating efficiencies.”

  • Deutsche Telecom to use Microsoft’s IPTV technology in Germany

    Deutsche Telecom to use Microsoft’s IPTV technology in Germany

    MUMBAI: Europe’s biggest telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom will use Microsoft software to power new internet-based television services it plans to offer in Germany before the end of 2006.

    The tie up will see the service launched across Deutsche Telekom’s VDSL network using a Microsoft IPTV platform. The companies have promised a range of entertainment products, including regular programming in standard and high-definition formats, as well as interactive TV, digital video recording and video on demand. The latter feature will allow viewers to access selected feature films, TV series or documentaries at the touch of a button.

    The deal cements Microsoft’s position as the leading supplier to providers of internet protocol TV, with 13 telecoms groups now installing or testing its IPTV software. It also represents a milestone for Deutsche Telekom in its bid to be one of the first telecoms groups to offer high-definition TV, voice and data services on new, ultra-fast internet lines.

    Deutsche Telecom previously had been conducting a trial of the Microsoft IPTV software. The service is planned for launch in mid 2006 in 10 major German cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. Other Microsoft IPTV customers include AT&T, Telecom Italia and Swisscom.

  • Siemens expands Music2You platform to enable music video downloads

    Siemens expands Music2You platform to enable music video downloads

    MUMBAI: AOL Germany subscribers will soon be able to download music videos, thanks to the “Music2You” (M2Y) service from Siemens. M2Y is an innovative service for the provision of free content such as music and is already used by many Internet and telecommunications providers.

    AOL Germany has been using the M2Y platform, which is managed and hosted by Siemens, since 2004 and now offers 850,000 downloadable songs with this service. In this time, the Internet provider has established itself as one of the three leading music portals in the German market.

    This cooperation has now been extended with the addition of a download service for music videos. Partners who are providing AOL with content for the launch are Warner Music, EMI and SonyBMG.

    The music videos are offered by M2Y in Microsoft’s WMV format and are characterized by high bit rates and high-quality resolution.

    “We are expanding our download offering so as to address our customers’ needs even better. Video downloads are an ideal complement to our music video offering. We will deliver a premium quality product that meets the needs of home entertainment users rather than limiting usage exclusively to portable players”, said Director Entertainment & eCommerce at AOL Germany Boris Rogosch, describing the launch of the new download service for music videos.

    “This new deal with AOL highlights the many and varied possibilities in the growing managed applications market”, explained Senior Vice President for Value Added Services at Siemens Communications Carrier Services Christian Hopf.

    “Having begun by offering music to our carrier and Internet provider clients, we are now intensifying our efforts in diversifying our content portfolio with music video downloads, streaming delivery, ringback tones and ringtones via fixed and mobile networks,” added Hopf.