Customers want their questions answered the way they want and in the most convenient manner possible, say mobile phone carriers and analysts. As carriers try to understand how their customers want their questions addressed and problems resolved, many are finding a solution in automation...
STAMFORD, Conn.-International Telecommunication Data Systems Inc., a provider of customer-care and billing services to wireless carriers and resellers, formed a strategic business alliance with Novazen Inc.The alliance calls for ITDS to include Novazen's Internet-based billing and customer-care software in ITDS' suite of products and...
ATLANTA-LHS Group Inc. launched its new customer-care and billing software, "Targys-the millennium series," for the global telecommunications industry.Targys easily can be integrated with other software, regardless of hardware and operating systems, and is equipped with Internet functionality for remote sites, as well as customer...
ATLANTA-Deloitte Consulting and Kenan Systems Corp. said they signed a marketing agreement under which Deloitte Consulting will assign staff to support installation of Kenan's Arbor billing and customer-care software in its network of solution centers.The two companies also agreed to share industry and application...
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.-Apex Site Management Inc. announced FelCor Lodging Trust, a hotel real-estate investment trust, selected Apex as its telecommunications site manager.Apex said it will provide services for FelCor's 190 upscale and full-service hotels such as marketing of available space, license agreement negotiations, installation oversight,...
WASHINGTON-The U.S. Supreme Court last week allowed a case involving AT&T Corp.'s practice of rounding up minutes for wireless calls to proceed in state court.Borrowed from the long-distance industry, rounding up refers to the practice of billing in full-minute increments. For example, a call...
The fourth quarter of 1998 marked both highs and lows for the various carriers that make up the paging industry, with companies meeting both significant milestones and facing continued challenges.Perhaps deserving of the most attention are SkyTel Communications Inc. and Paging Network Inc., although...
WASHINGTON-Even before the Federal Communications Commission can release proposed rules to implement calling party pays service in the United States, its neighbor to the south will implement CPP, said Javier Lozano Alarcon, president of Mexican Federal Telecommunications Commission known as Cofetel.CPP is expected to...
ST. LOUIS-Amdocs announced the successful rollout of its Unix-based Ensemble customer care and billing solution at Telus Mobility, the largest cellular provider in Alberta, Canada.Telus Corp., Canada's third-largest telecommunications carrier, merged Feb. 1 with BC Telecom, the British Columbia-based company, which is the second...
NEW YORK-World Access Inc., Atlanta, which has been targeted recently by shareholder lawsuits related to its recent acquisitions and share price volatility, said it expects most of its 1999 revenues to come from companies it purchased in 1998."We expect $725 million in revenues from...
While wireless data applications made a big splash at Wireless '99 last week in New Orleans, a new company quietly slipped into the pool with the introduction of a new end-to-end mobile data service solution called Saraide.com.Saraide.com is a joint venture among Microcell Telecommunications...
NEW ORLEANS-William Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, told a receptive Wireless '99 General Session crowd on Tuesday he believes calling party pays will lead to wireless competing with wireline for minutes of use. "Only 5 percent of phone calls now are made...
Credit-card processing firm Paymentech Inc. announced it has been chosen to process the automatic payment programs for recurring billing by Paging Network Inc., Western Wireless Corp. and AccessLine Inc. The recurring billing solution allows service providers to automatically receive payments from a customer's credit...
JapanTu-Ka Phone Kansai Inc., based in Osaka, Japan, said it selected Brite Voice Systems and Marubeni, a large Japanese trading company, to launch an intelligent network-based version of BriteDebit, Brite's prepaid service. Brite said it will help Tu-Ka Phone Kansai with all aspects of...
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif.-International Billing Services announced Paging Network Inc. selected the company to be its exclusive provider of statement processing services.Under terms of the agreement, IBS will help PageNet redesign its customer billing statements, including delivery in formats such as paper, diskettes, CD-ROMs...
NEW ORLEANS-Systems/Link Corp. and Onyx Technologies L.L.C. announced they have formed the Fraud Star Alliance to offer a fully integrated suite of fraud prevention, detection and control products for wireless service providers.Fraud Star will provide an automated exchange of data between Onyx' 4SCORE customer...
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif.-TeleCorp PCS Inc. awarded a statement processing services contract to International Billing Services, according to the billing company. Under the terms of the agreement, IBS also will provide statement design services.TeleCorp PCS elected to use IBS' BookBill format and its ExactView...
DALLAS-National Telemanagement Corp. teamed with Blackfoot Communications to offer NTC's SmartPay Wireless prepaid billing option to personal communications services customers in western Montana.Blackfoot, which is marketing NTC's service under the name SmartCall, said it introduced the program to allow customers to take advantage of...
NEW ORLEANS-VoiceCue Technologies Inc. said it will introduce its Balance Monitor system at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association Wireless '99 conference in New Orleans.The system "is perfect for customers who want or need to budget airtime and be billed for payment," said V.J. Harrison,...
PALO ALTO, Calif.-Corsair Communications Inc. reported revenues for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31 were $15.3 million and $65.2 million, respectively, slightly lower than revenues for the 1997 fourth quarter and year, $19.7 million and $60.9 million, respectively.The company also announced a...
ChinaMetawave Communications Corp. announced it entered into an agreement with Shanghai Post & Telecommunications Administration and Shanghai New Globe Co. to develop and test a Metawave smart-antenna system for Global System for Mobile communication networks, and for the trial of the system in Shanghai...
February 8-10Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. Ernest N. MorialConvention Center, New Orleans.(202) 785-2842.Post-CTIA '99February 10-12Wireless Institute of Technology. Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans. (210) 344-6660.Radio-frequency SiteSafety Awareness SeminarFebruary 9Radiofrequency Safety International Corp. Kent State University. Kent, Ohio. (316) 825-4600.Expo Comm Mexico '99February 9-12E.J....
As the end of the millennium approaches, it is worth pondering whether the recent bout of mergers and acquisitions are precedents to some colossal event of biblical proportions or merely defensive strategies of companies safeguarding themselves against falling commodity prices, uncertain technological change, increased...
