Paris, December 15, 2003 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that it has been awarded a contract by KPN Mobile, the leading mobile service provider in the Netherlands, for the supply of a new prepaid solution offering advanced prepaid mobile communication services, including real-time payment and charging applications for voice, data and SMS services to prepaid customers.
Alcatel's prepaid solution also identifies in real-time a chargeable service and then debits the corresponding amount from the prepaid user's account. Business and residential customers can then control their own services through the Internet and Internet-enabled phones such as i-mode. For example, a residential customer can check their account balance or top-up their prepaid account. The real time rating engine can provide customers real time cost control for voice, data and SMS. This self-management capability can bring real added-value to Dutch customers and KPN.
Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will deploy a complete Intelligent Network solution built on its industry-leading 8690 Open Services Platform (OSP) along with the Alcatel payment suite including the Alcatel 8618 Rating Engine and the Alcatel 8696 Lite Service Creation Environment (SCE). The Alcatel prepaid solution will give KPN Mobile the ability to introduce flexible charging tailored to the diverse needs of their customers, such as customizable service packages and loyalty programs that reward customers.
The flexible openness and structure of the Alcatel OSP easily integrates with existing modules of other payment solutions and is able to inter-work with a multi-vendor network. This will enable KPN Mobile to efficiently support additional services beyond prepaid as well as next generation applications such as streaming video, web access (Virtual Private Network), OSA Parlay and Location Based Services.
"Alcatel's Open Services Platform will significantly enhance our rating and charging capabilities," declared Cees van den Heijkant, Managing Director of KPN Mobile The Netherlands. "In a highly competitive mobile market, we are challenged to offer our customers an accurate and transparent payment system to give them full real-time control over their expenses in order to accommodate the ever-growing demand for advanced mobile data services. The Alcatel OSP is an attractive option which perfectly meets these requirements in a cost-effective manner. "
Marc Rouanne, chief operating officer of Alcatel's mobile communications activities added, " As a fact, we know that service providers want the billing process to be simple. Alcatel's payment solution will allow KPN Mobile to successfully foster new revenue streams and deliver easy to use, ever-evolving and personalized services to their users rapidly and reliably. At the same time it demonstrates Alcatel's leadership in payment offerings, including prepaid, globally ".
About KPN
KPN is a telecommunications company offering a wide range of high quality and innovative telecommunications services for both the private and business market. Its core business activities are fixed network services in the Netherlands, mobile communications in the Netherlands, Germany (E-Plus) and Belgium (BASE) and IP/Data services. At the end of September 2003, KPN had 7.7 million fixed line customers, 14.2 million mobile customers and 1.5 million Internet-customers.
About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or to their employees. Alcatel leverages its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services to bring value to its customers in the framework of a broadband world. With sales of EURO 16.5 billion in 2002, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.
Alcatel is now the world's fastest growing GSM/GPRS and EDGE supplier. Alcatel has established a dominant position in today's expanding emerging markets, where it is now the leader, with a 25% share. Alcatel's diversified portfolio of over 150 mobile operators includes a strong segment of greenfield operators - in Central & Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa & the Middle-East - which are poised for the most rapid expansion. Alcatel's highly efficient business model implemented through its Evolium™ radio & core solutions - GPRS and EDGE ready, has significantly contributed to this success. Alcatel offers mobile operators a GSM 800, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz end-to-end solution offering, including radio access and core network systems, services platform and mobile terminals. Moreover, the company is expanding its offering in advanced applications and services. Alcatel's application portfolio leverages and extends the value of telecom networks. Alcatel's Open Service Delivery Engine is the ideal applications environment based on next generation IN and J2EE technology. It enables the implementation of a wide range of applications such as network proxies, WAP or SMS gateways, messaging solutions such as UMS or MMS, 0800 and 0900 services, mobile or fixed VPN solutions, a complete and convergent real-time payment chain. Alcatel's UMTS solutions are a reality today, with more than 20 UMTS pilot networks delivered in Europe and in Asia. Evolium SAS, the Alcatel-Fujitsu joint venture, delivers a mobile infrastructure that is 3GPP-compliant, field-proven and capitalizes on Japanese 3G technical and field experience. | |
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