LHS Group and Vodafone Airtouch Announce GPRS Customer Care and Billing Solution
ATLANTA/FRANKFURT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2000--
Billing Solution, Based On BSCS, Enables Fully Flexible GPRS Billing
LHS Group Inc. (Nasdaq:LHSG <quotes.nasdaq.com/...?page=multi&mode=Stock&symbol=LHSG>(Neuer Markt:LHI) and its global billing partner Vodafone Airtouch announce the introduction of a GPRS Customer Care and Billing solution that will give mobile carriers the flexibility to choose different billing strategies for GPRS traffic. The solution is based on LHS` BSCS customer care and billing solution to complement Vodafone`s leading GPRS infrastructure offering.
This solution allows carriers to distinguish and apply separate billing regimes for GPRS traffic. GPRS, the technology that allows a mobile user to receive and send packet data over a GSM infrastructure, does not lend itself to traditional billing strategies, which are based on call rating. With this innovative solution, mobile carriers will be able to choose a mixture of traffic type and volume-based billing to suit their particular customer profiles.
"This offering is a key component of our complete GPRS equation," said Peter Bamford, chief executive officer of Vodafone Airtouch UK mobile switching activities. "The combined capabilities from LHS Group and Vodafone allow customers to take a full `turn-key` solution for the fast introduction of the GPRS services, with the ready capability to bill easily any type of GPRS services. This is equally applicable as a natural GPRS evolution for the GSM networks of existing Vodafone customers and as a key feature for new customers."
"The numerous synergies between our two companies will give us a head start in the GPRS market which is a natural key strategic complement to LHS` leading Customer Care and Billing offering in the GSM market," commented Per Axelsson, senior vice president, Global Partner Sales, LHS. "Our partnership with Vodafone is very productive and the co-operation with Vodafone around GPRS are examples of how we are extracting further leverage from an already successful partnership."
The Vodafone / LHS solution is based on LHS` industry leader BSCS product. Vodafone will deploy a complete Customer Care and Billing solution, fully integrated with Vodafone`s GPRS equipment and allowing for GSM/GPRS convergent billing. As part of its existing longstanding partnership with LHS, Vodafone will provide seamless integration of this solution into the operator`s existing information system. LHS and Vodafone will co-ordinate their product roadmap to ensure the full support by the Customer Care and Billing System of the GPRS services offered by the Vodafone equipment.
About LHS
LHS Group is a leading global provider of operating support system software and services to the communications industry. LHS products range from pre- and post-paid billing and customer care to enhanced services and acquisition software. They are installed at more than 300 customer sites worldwide. LHS has 18 global and regional partners (system integrators, international operators and equipment manufacturers) representing one of the largest implementation and support networks in the global customer care and billing market. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, LHS has major offices in Frankfurt, Germany; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Boston, USA; and Zurich, Switzerland. LHS is listed with NASDAQ (LHSG) and on the Frankfurt Neuer Markt Exchange (LHI). For more information, visit LHS` web site at www.lhsgroup.com.
About VodafoneAirtouch
Vodafone AirTouch Plc has interests in mobile communications networks in 24 countries on five continents. This analysis provides a summary of the worldwide cellular and PCS operations of Vodafone AirTouch , and the Group`s satellite communications.
www.vodafone-airtouch-plc.com/
CONTACT: LHS Group
Media Contacts:
Klaus Kleber, 770/280-3461 (USA)
VP, Global Corporate Communications
kkleber@us.lhsgroup.com
or
Fleishman-Hillard Germany
Peter Tasch, +49 (0) 69-405 702 16
TaschP@fleishman.com
or
Investor Relations Contacts:
Rainer Westermann, 770/290-6360 (USA)
SVP, Investor Relations
rwestermann@us.lhsgroup.com
or
Nikolas Stackelberg, +49 (0) 6103-482-456 (Europe)
Manager, Investor Relations, Europe
nstackelberg@de.lhsgroup.com
CONTACT: Vodafone AirTouch
press.office@vf.vodafone.co.uk
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