With 1997 drawing to a close, the paging industry is readying itself to go out with a bang.Whether the achievement of the carrier, reseller or distributor, fourth-quarter sales traditionally count for an average of about 40 percent of the paging industry's annual revenue, in...
The sensational failure of California-based reseller Econopage Inc. last month, chronicled with great detail and length in the media, brings to light several questions regarding the nature of the paging resale business.Most resale agreements do not end in such disasters. Generally, despite some occasional...
As wireless industry leaders continue to tout convergence as the next frontier for the industry, one Southeastern carrier has quietly pulled itself ahead of the game.Alltel Communications Inc. significantly increased its wireless footprint as a result of the D-, E-and F-block personal communications services...
WASHINGTON-After months of being publicly pounded on antenna siting, health concerns, unsafe cell phone drivers and blocked E-911 calls, the wireless industry is responding with an approach that relies on good corporate citizenship and uses the power of advertising to stress the public-safety benefits...
BURLINGTON, Mass.-Saville Systems and Coopers & Lybrand signed a strategic agreement to provide end-to-end convergent billing to telecommunication service providers worldwide.Saville will provide customers with the convergent billing system they need to bill for multiple services, and Coopers & Lybrand will help them identify...
ATLANTA-Sema Group, a systems integration, consulting and outsourcing company, launched a customer care and billing service bureau for wireless network operators in the United States.The system provides pay-as-you-go service based on subscriber growth, said Sema. The service bureau will be operated entirely by Sema...
IRVINE, Calif.-Subscriber Computing Inc. said it has signed a contract with Celpage, Puerto Rico's second largest telecommunications paging carrier, to provide an integrated customer management and billing system, Communications Resource Manager.The contract is valued at more than $1 million. Celpage plans to incorporate the...
The holiday season is just around the corner, and wireless carriers will be looking to cash in by marketing their products and services as gifts to consumers enjoying a strong economy.But another group is waiting to capitalize on wireless service during the season-fraudsters.In the...
NORCROSS, Ga.-Ameritel Communications Inc. concluded an agreement with computer superstore retailer CompUSA Inc., which allows CompUSA to sell Ameritel cellular and paging services, said Ameritel parent USCI Inc.Under the agreement, Ameritel's services will be offered to consumers in nine CompUSA retail locations in Atlanta...
NEW YORK-Cincinnati Bell Inc. announced a six-month pilot program with 3607 Communications Co., Chicago, to reduce wireless customer churn and increase revenues.Jim Orr, chief operating officer for Cincinnati Bell, said the project will point the way toward developing churn management solutions for a full...
The country's three largest long-distance phone companies-AT&T Corp., MCI Communications Inc. and Sprint Corp.-have each announced they are offering their 800-number customers the ability to block toll-free calls originating from pay phones.This blocking service is considered crucial to the paging industry, which has been...
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ATLANTA-Ukrainian Mobile Communications and LHS Group jointly announced the launch of the first 900 MHz Global System for Mobile communications network in Ukraine.LHS is providing the billing and customer support systems for the network. Initially, Kiev will be connected to the network, followed by...
NEW YORK-Working with Ericsson Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc., Powertel Inc. has just completed a successful "beam firing antenna" trial.The beam firing antenna array, tested in Auburn, Ala., increases efficiency by more than 20 percent and maximizes the linear distance that transmissions can travel,...
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-Motorola Inc.'s Worldwide Data Solutions Division announced an agreement that will allow its VersiTAC Integrated Wireless Data Solution to incorporate AT&T Wireless Services Inc.' nationwide cellular digital packet data offering.The agreement allows Motorola to extend its VersiTAC wireless data coverage area to more...
WASHINGTON-Perhaps in a long-awaited move to mirror wireless billing practices around the world, the Federal Communications Commission released a notice of inquiry into the possibility of calling party pays in a commercial mobile radio services environment.While calling party pays exists in a few U.S....
FAIRFAX, Va.-American Management Systems announced its third-quarter net income reached $4.5 million, or 11 cents per share, compared with $10.7 million, or 25 cents per share, for the third quarter 1996.Third quarter 1997 revenue was $225.5 million, compared with $217.5 million the previous year.For...
Western Wireless Corp. announced the official opening of its customer service center in Albuquerque, N.M., increasing its capacity to respond to calls from its VoiceStream wireless and Cellular One customers.The 65,000-square-foot facility is expected to employ 500 people over the next three years. It...
L.M. Ericsson signed three contracts valued at $223 million to expand Global System for Mobile communications and Total Access Communications System mobile networks in China. The first contract, signed with the Guangxi Posts and Telecommunications Administration of Guangxi Province, includes equipment to expand both...
PHOENIX-AG Communication Systems announced it delivered to Illuminet its INgage Service Order Activation software for local number portability, which allows customers to keep their current phone number when changing phone companies.With the product, Illuminet may initiate requests to the Number Portability Administration Center to...
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif.-International Billing Services Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc. announced a five-year deal calling for IBS to provide Lucent's Business Communications Systems division with statement processing services.Lucent will begin converting its statements from its legacy billing system to the IBS system during...
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif.-Global One announced it chose International Billing Services as its statement processing services provider for card products. Global One-a joint venture of Deutsche Telekom AG, France Telecom Group and Sprint Corp.-provides global voice and data services in more than 60 countries...
DULLES, Va.-Orbcomm Global L.P., a satellite data and messaging services provider, opened its global network control center as the first step in a 10-stage countdown program to the launch of its global communications services planned for the first quarter.The center performs data processing and...
NEW YORK-Gemplus Corp., Montgomeryville, Pa., gambled early and big on the nascent U.S. Global System for Mobile Communications personal communications services business. Today, it has won close to a 50-percent share of the subscriber identity module market.Gemplus and Schlumberger Smart Cards & Systems, Telecom...
