Europe’s number one for intelligent value-added services in mobile and fixed-line networks, the European Computer Telecoms Group (ECT), has received another certification for interconnection to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), this time in Latvia. The test for interconnection in this Baltic state was based on the strict guidelines of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and conducted jointly by ECT’s customers Lattelenet and Telecom Group together with Latvia’s national telecommunications provider, Lattelecom. Testing was completed in less than two weeks and confirms the AutoCarrier®’s compliance with the SS7 protocols MTP2, MTP3 and ISUP. The use of the latest technology based on the SS7 protocol is indispensable when offering high quality services to end customers. With Lattelenet and the Telecom Group, the ECT Group has won contracts with two of the largest alternative carriers in Latvia. Telecom Group offers innovative prepaid services to its end customers and Lattelenet offers telecommunication services to business customers. “We have ambitious expansion plans in the Baltic region, and interconnection in Latvia is certainly a milestone towards reaching our goals”, said Sergej Klunk, ECT Account Manager for the Baltic States and Russia.
The approved interconnection means that carriers and service providers can employ the AutoCarrier® Softswitch in the Latvian market and interconnect with the country’s PSTN. The softswitch can be used both as an interconnection switch and as an innovative and powerful platform for intelligent value-added services within the same system. This enables particularly young carriers to gain a foothold in the Latvian telecommunications market, which is in the process of liberalization.
“The Latvian telecommunications market is ideal for a product such as the AutoCarrier®. In particular, new carriers can employ this platform to realize intelligent value-added services, thereby generating new sources of revenue and distinguishing themselves from competitors,” said Dr. Marshall E. Kavesh, who stressed that a major advantage of the platform is its cost-effectiveness. “Carriers with legacy switches use additional equipment, which is expensive and takes up costly collocation space. With its next-generation technology, the Softswitch AutoCarrier® replaces the large amount of equipment and the complicated architecture normally required for intelligent value-added services,” said Dr. Kavesh.
Known for its technology and business competence, ECT has emerged as a premier developer of next-generation softswitches. Over the past few years, the AutoCarrier® has been approved for interconnection in numerous European countries. Carriers and service providers throughout Europe such as BT Global Services, the Deutsche Telekom Group, the TeliaSonera Group, Vodafone, Omnitel, Tele2, and many others use the AutoCarrier® and other ECT solutions to realize various intelligent value-added services such as ring back tone services, televoting, service numbers, prepaid services, teleconferencing or the personal number service.
About the European Computer Telecoms Group
The European Computer Telecoms Group, ECT for short, was established in Munich, Germany in 1998, shortly after the German telecommunications market was liberalised. Today ECT encompasses the mother company European Computer Telecoms AG as well as European Computer Telecoms Ltd. in London and ECT Vertriebs- und Servicegesellschaft mbH in Munich. In addition, there are registered ECT Sales and Service Centres in Paris, Strasbourg, The Hague, Warsaw and Vienna. ECT is also affiliated with Interactive Technologies Holdings Limited in Hong Kong and has a direct sales and service presence in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. In 2004 ECT received the “Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award” due to its being one of Germany’s fastest-growing technology companies.
ECT enables highly profitable value-added services via software applications running on its own complete line of open platforms for public switching, service nodes, intelligent networks, intelligent peripherals and next-generation networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP). ECT’s mobile value-added services, e.g. Ring Back Tone Service, Prepaid Mobile and Number Portability, are utilised by major mobile carriers, such as Vodafone D2, Tele2Comviq, TeliaSonera, Omnitel, the Saunalahti Group and Hutchison. ECT's fixed-line customers include major incumbents such as BT, Deutsche Telekom and TeliaSonera, as well as alternative carriers such as Tele2, Completel, Telewest and Versatel. ECT value-added services are also used by major Internet service providers such as United Internet AG, as well as by larger providers of prepaid calling cards and services, such as Alpha Telecom, the Calling Card Company Ltd., Central Telecom and Mox Telecom. In the recently liberalised markets of Eastern Europe, ECT also provides cost-efficient and low-maintenance public switching with interconnection. In the Czech Republic, for instance, ECT has equipped virtually all the alternative carriers including PragoNet, the local subsidiary of the Deutsche Telekom Group.
ECT has developed a large line of applications for value-added services, such as fixed-line and mobile number portability, service numbers with televoting and network-based call centre functionality, ring back tone service, prepaid mobile, teleconferencing services, personal number services and prepaid calling cards. Additional service applications are introduced on a regular basis, all of which run on both the ECT AutoCarrier® and INtellECT® platforms. The AutoCarrier® is a class 4 softswitch that can be utilised for both interconnection to the public telephone network and intelligent value-added services. Via its INtellECT® Service Control Point, ECT creates intelligent networks using the Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP) CS1 and CS2.
For further press information:
European Computer Telecoms AG
Hagen Gutsfeld
Marketing and PR
Ridlerstr. 55
80339 Munich
Germany
Tel.: (0049) 89/ 55 29 47 – 169
Fax: (0049) 89/ 55 29 47 - 111
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