Retail News CRM

Category: Telecom

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Telecom & Telco news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Colt picks NEC, Netcracker for virtualization

    Colt picks NEC, Netcracker for virtualization

    Colt has selected NEC and Netcracker Technology to enable and support its large-scale OSS transformation and for support in the deployment of the next-generation of its infrastructure, including virtualization.

    Colt will leverage Netcracker’s future-proof, next-generation OSS and Service Orchestration solution, which is a part of NEC/Netcracker’s Agile Virtualization Platform and Practice (AVP).

    Colt is a global high-bandwidth connectivity provider that delivers services to metropolitan small, medium and large enterprises as well as wholesale carriers in nearly 30 countries, through its intelligent, purpose-built, cloud-integrated network known as the Colt IQ Network.

    Netcracker’s OSS and Service Orchestration solution, a component of NEC/Netcracker’s AVP’s Hybrid Operations Management solution, will enable Colt to optimize its physical network and quickly monetize new investments.

    Also, Netcracker’s solutions will also prepare Colt’s infrastructure for the use of both physical and virtualized environments.

    NEC/Netcracker’s Service Orchestration solution will give Colt the ability to enable new levels of provisioning automation. This will shorten the time it takes to deliver new services to customers, eliminate the risk of provisioning errors brought about by manual processes and give Colt more accurate views into the network in order to provide enhanced support.

    “Our customers continue to expect new services to be delivered to them faster, which requires us to optimize our intelligent network and pave the way for fast-growing bandwidth requirements,” said Rajiv Datta, CTO at Colt.

  • VNPT upgrades charging and BSS with Ericsson

    VNPT upgrades charging and BSS with Ericsson

    Vietnamese telecoms operator VNPT has contracted Ericsson to upgrade its charging and business support system.

    Under the deal, Ericsson will provide a new online charging system to support VNPT’s 40 million prepaid and postpaid subscribers. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

    The Ericsson Charging System is replacing VNPT’s legacy infrastructure, and the contract also includes a backend IT peripheral system, which will simplify integration of existing IT applications. The backend system will take full advantage of the new charging features and provides a flexible platform for VNPT to deploy new and innovative services, Ericsson said in a statement.

    The new online system will be put in service by VNPT during the fourth quarter, allowing VNPT to launch 4G services on this new platform. It also marks an important step in the company’s digital transformation, the Sweden vendor added.

    “Ericsson’s modernization of our charging system gives us the agility needed to meet the changing needs of our subscribers who expect greater control, personalization and flexibility,” said Nguyen Nam Long, general manager at VNPT Network. “It also helps us prepare for the introduction of 4G and makes it easier to further develop our service offering.”

    With the new system in service, VNPT’s subscribers will be able to request and update account information in real-time and automatically get notifications on costs, balances, and bonuses. The system will also give VNPT a better understanding of subscriber behavior and make it possible to rapidly create personalized offers, for example charging individual subscribers for bandwidth or specific services.

    Denis Brunetti, head of Ericsson Vietnam and Myanmar, said the Ericsson Charging System will help VNPT reduce the overall service management and service delivery costs. It will also enable VNPT to increase subscriber satisfaction and to capitalize on new business opportunities.

    The Ericsson Charging System has been deployed by over 200 customers supporting around 2.1 billion subscribers worldwide, Brunetti noted.

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  • CellMining launches Network NPS to drive subscriber retention

    CellMining launches Network NPS to drive subscriber retention

    CellMining in Israel launched Virtual Network NPS, touted as the first technology able to predict network detractors across the entire mobile subscriber base without the need for an NPS survey.

    By correlating the responses of surveyed subscribers with key quality indicators (KQI) observed and analyzed by CellMining’s Subscriber Network Analytics – such as low-quality VoLTE calls, slow video streaming, or frequent dropped connections when traveling – CellMining’s embedded machine learning model can actively predict the detractors from the entire subscriber base for which it has analyzed KQIs.

    CellMining said this breakthrough gives the marketing team the power to identify both detractors for retention campaigns and promoters who can be nurtured. It also directly provides the network team with insights for automating network configuration changes, performance optimization, and enhanced prioritization for network tasks, based on subscriber data including NPS metrics.

    “The impact of network quality on the brand NPS score is a major concern for network operators today, and a technology to predict detractors will be a game changer for them,” said Greg (Giora) Snipper, CEO of CellMining.

    “CellMining’s Virtual Network NPS gives operators the power both to automate network performance optimization and to prioritize future investment based on NPS metrics, as well as the ability to use this insight to inform marketing campaigns and business decisions,” said Snipper.

    Virtual Network NPS integrates with CellMining’s Network CEM Solution, which provides marketing and customer experience teams with market-wide customer satisfaction metrics that correlate subscriber experience data with parameters that include device type, cells, technology, service, and quality.

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  • Equinix links to Oracle Cloud in Sydney

    Equinix links to Oracle Cloud in Sydney

    Equinix has announced the launched dedicated, private access to Oracle Cloud in its Sydney, Australia International Business Exchange (IBX) data center.

    Available via Oracle Cloud Network Service – FastConnect and the Equinix Cloud Exchange, access will be available for Oracle Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) as well as Platform as a Service (PaaS).

    This direct access enables enterprise customers in this growing region to migrate compute, applications and data to Oracle Cloud in a high-performance, low-latency manner for an optimal user experience.

    This builds on previous announcements between Equinix and Oracle to offer direct connection to several Oracle PaaS and IaaS services, including database, Java, integration, analytics, compute and storage – in multiple regions around the globe. The addition of Sydney brings the total number of markets that Equinix is offering private access to Oracle Cloud to five globally.

    Cloud deployments in Asia Pacific, and specifically Australia, are on the rise. According to a recent report by IDC, 67% of all Australian organizations surveyed are embracing cloud, using public or private cloud for more than one or two applications or workloads. Yet, factors such as security and privacy concerns still inhibit public cloud adoption.

    Through the Equinix Cloud Exchange integration with Oracle FastConnect, customers in Australia can establish direct connectivity between their private IT infrastructure and Oracle Cloud. This enables them to fully realize the benefits of hybrid cloud – moving application, middleware and database workloads seamlessly between private IT infrastructure and Oracle Cloud on a private, dedicated connection.

    The Equinix data centers in Sydney are the most interconnected in Australia. Enterprise customers in Sydney are able to establish direct links to both of the continent’s largest peering points, as well as key submarine cable systems, and gain direct access to multiple network and cloud providers such as Oracle via the Equinix Cloud Exchange.

    Oracle Cloud delivers nearly 1,000 SaaS applications and 50 enterprise-class PaaS and IaaS services to customers in more than 195 countries around the world, and supports 55 billion transactions each day. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is also part of the fast growing sector of cloud computing. According to a recent Gartner report the highest cloud growth is expected to come from IaaS, with a growth of 38.4% in 2016.

    The Equinix Cloud Exchange is currently available in 21 markets globally – Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Osaka, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington DC and Zurich.

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  • Linux Foundation launches Open Security Controller Project

    Linux Foundation launches Open Security Controller Project

    The Linux Foundation has launched a new open source project focused on centralizing security services orchestration for multi-cloud environments.

    The Open Security Controller Project technology will automate the deployment of virtualized network security functions, such as next-generation firewall, intrusion prevention systems and application data controllers, to protect east-west traffic inside the data center, said the foundation in a statement.

    The project orchestrates the deployment of virtual network security policies, applies the correct policy to the appropriate workload, and it brokers services among cloud management platforms—resulting in seamless integration of multi-vendor virtual security controls.

    “Software-defined networks are becoming a standard for businesses, and open source networking projects are a key element in helping the transition, and pushing for a more automated network” said Arpit Joshipura, general manager of networking and orchestration at The Linux Foundation. “Equally important to automation in the open source community is ensuring security. The Open Security Controller Project touches both of these areas. We are excited to have this project join The Linux Foundation, and look forward to the collaboration this project will engender regarding network security now and in the future.”

    Founding members of the project include Huawei, Intel, McAfee, Nuage Networksfrom Nokia, and Palo Alto Networks.

    Open Security Controller Project technology is licensed under Apache 2.

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  • Smart targets 70% LTE coverage by year end

    Smart targets 70% LTE coverage by year end

    The Philippines’ Smart Communications aims to make LTE services available in 70% of the population by the end of the year.

    A recent study from JP Morgan estimates that Smart’s nationwide LTE coverage reached 51.5% by the end of May, Smart VP of network planning and engineering Mario Tamayo said in a statement.

    Smart, the wireless division of PLDT, said the findings show that Smart is on track to meet the targets the company stipulated in the three-year network rollout plan the operator to the National Telecommunications Commission in July last year.

    The plan stated that the operator is targeting making LTE available to 95% of the company’s cities and municipalities by the end of 2018.

    The report also estimated Smart’s average broadband speeds at 11.1Mbps on a nationwide basis, ahead of rival Globe Telecom.

    Smart said it is currently re-equipping its cell sites to use low-frequency bands such as 700 MHz and 850 MHz to provide better indoor coverage, while simultaneously deploying high-frequency bands like 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz to increase the cell sites’ capacity.

    “We are asking for people’s patience and understanding as we are upgrading our network facilities. We assure you that we are taking steps to minimize the impact of these activities on our subscribers,” Tamayo said.

    “In the end, our commitment to all our subscribers is that they will enjoy progressively better mobile data services in the next few months, particularly for those using LTE devices.”

    To promote adoption of its LTE network the company has launched a new data package offer, Video Prime 99, that comes with 2GB of data and a subscription to the iflix and iWant TV streaming services. The offer is valid for seven days.

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  • China said to ban use of VPNs

    China said to ban use of VPNs

    China has reportedly instructed the nation’s operators to bar their customers from accessing the internet via VPNs by February in the latest move to tighten controls over internet access.

    State-run operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom have been ordered to bar their customers from using VPNs to skirt censorship restrictions, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

    The government is reportedly moving to remove loopholes enabling internet users to circumvent the so-called Great Firewall of China, the system that blocks access to a range of information sources including foreign social media and news websites.

    Many businesses also use VPNs to view restricted websites, and it is unclear how the new directive will affect multinationals operating within the country.

    If the clampdown is extended to businesses it could potentially discourage businesses from operating in China or even convince them to move their local operations, the report states. But the restrictions seem to be aimed mainly at individual consumers.

    If the restrictions are extended to businesses, it will add to the new regulatory burdens due to be introduced with China’s new Cybersecurity Law, which imposes strict restrictions on the transfer of data overseas for businesses operating in China.

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  • WorldLink to build Nepal’s first 100G OTN

    WorldLink to build Nepal’s first 100G OTN

    Nepal’s WorldLink has engaged Nokia to deploy the nation’s first 100G optical network.

    WorldLink, Nepal’s largest fixed broadband operator, is upgrading its 650km backbone network with Nokia’s PSS DWDM technology.

    The backbone network spans from capital Kathmandu to the cities of Bhairahawa and Birgunj, and provides international connectivity between Nepal and countries including India.

    WorldLink has an estimated 120,000 residential broadband subscribers and 5,000 enterprise broadband circuits. The operator is currently connecting 10,000 residential FTTH subscribers per month, and is conducting the upgrade to help meet the fast-growing demand for network capacity.

    “WorldLink has a commitment to Nepal to transform the communications landscape so that our people and enterprises thrive,” the operator’s CTO Samit Jana said.

    “This is our largest project to date and it will allow us to provide ultra-fast broadband services for our mobile and fixed network subscribers in cities as well as rural areas across the country.”

    Nokia head of India Sanjay Malik added that the company is “proud to be part of WorldLink’s vision to transform Nepal’s communications architecture by providing the first 100G transport network. Nokia’s highly scalable optical platform will ensure low latency and high resiliency, and allow WorldLink to cost-effectively increase network capacity as needed.”

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  • StarHub to pursue analytics to offset mobile squeeze

    StarHub to pursue analytics to offset mobile squeeze

    Singapore’s StarHub plans to lean on providing data analytics based on its customers’ consumption habits to compensate for the increased competition set to be caused by the introduction of a fourth player to the mobile market.

    The operator is already facing intense competition in the mobile sector, and this will intensify with the entry of Australia-based TPG Telecom, the recent winner of Singapore’s fourth mobile license.

    StarHub is preparing for a worst-case scenario involving TPG offering unlimited mobile data services, and bundling its offer with broadband, leading to competition for StarHub on two fronts.

    In an interview with Bloomberg, StarHub CEO Tan Tong Hai said the company is pursuing generating revenue by providing analytics based on consumers’ use of mobile phones, broadband and TV services to corporate clients.

    The enterprise segment is already generating increasing proportions of StarHub’s revenue – earnings from StarHub’s corporate customers now account for around 42% of StartHub’s annual revenue, up by more than double from eight years ago.

    But StarHub is facing competition in the analytics segment from incumbent Singtel. The report also cites an OCBC analyst as expressing skepticism that the extra revenue generated from analytics will be enough to offset the impact of TPG’s entry into the market on StarHub’s bottom line.

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  • Bharti Airtel eyes Tata’s assets

    Bharti Airtel eyes Tata’s assets

    India may see a mega merger this year, if reports out of the region are correct. Tata Group has long been seeking a way to reconfigure its capital structure and relieve the pressure of its debt, and they may have found a way to do it with the help of the rival Bharti Enterprises group.

    The two companies are talking about some sort of merger of Bharti Airtel with Tata Teleservices, Tata Communications, and Tata Sky. Now, this would obviously have huge repercussions in the Indian market itself, and the prospect of Tata Communications and its global network infrastructure, top 6 internet backbone, and wholesale/enterprise customer base changing hands is another matter.

    Tata Communications has been a player global consolidation of telecommunications assets on both sides of the table over the years. They have been fixture in the submarine cable business ever since buying the Tyco Global Network and Teleglobe back in 2005. They also bought BitGravity to enter the CDN space back in 2011.

    More recently, the company has been monetizing assets to help with that debt load. Tata sold its South African unit Neotel to Liquid Telecom after a similar deal to sell to Vodacom collapsed. And they sold a majority stake in the company’s data center business to ST Telemedia last year.

    Should a deal happen and these assets land in the hands of Bharti Airtel, it might be that the winds of consolidation shift further. But in which direction is not that clear.

    That being said, it’s still just talk right now and in all likelihood will never be anything else. Until it is, of course.

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  • Xiaomi, Nokia sign alliance and patent de

    Xiaomi, Nokia sign alliance and patent de

    Xiaomi and Nokia have signed new a multi-year business collaboration and a patent cross-licensing agreement covering each vendor’s cellular standard-essential patents.

    As part of the transaction, fast-growing Chinese handset vendor Xiaomi has also purchased patent assets from Nokia.

    Under the business cooperation component, Nokia will meanwhile provide network infrastructure equipment designed to meet the high capacity, low power requirements of large web providers and data center operators.

    The two companies will also work together on optical transport solutions for data center interconnections, IP routing based on Nokia’s new FP4 network processor and a joint data center fabric solution.

    Xiaomi and Nokia will likewise explore opportunities for further collaboration in areas including the internet of things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality as well as artificial intelligence.

    Xiaomi now has a presence in over 30 markets, and is a leading IoT player as well as smartphone vendor.

    “As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future.”Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders,” Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said.

    “Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide.”

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  • MyRepublic planning IPO by end-201

    MyRepublic planning IPO by end-201

    Singapore-based MyRepublic is gearing up to conduct an IPO by the end of next year, and use the funds to expand its operations to cover at least 10 countries in the next five years.

    In a media briefing, MyRepublic said it is currently exploring listing on the Singapore, Hong Kong and/or Australian stock exchanges.

    MyRepublic is meanwhile planning an entry into the Singapore mobile market in the fourth quarter and expects to subsequently expand its mobile operations to other parts of the region by next year onwards.

    The company is likewise planning to launch TV services in the region, bcoming a quad-play provider.

    MyRepublic currently operates in Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, and is evaluating expanding to Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. By June, the company reached 200,000 broadband subscribers across the region.

    The company leverages NBN rollouts in the markets with strategic deployment of passive infrastructure to remain infrastructure agnostic and enable rapid expansion at a low cost of market entry.

    MyRepublic said it can enter a new market in 60 days and launch new products in three months. The company has entered a new market every year since 2014 and turns ebitda-positive within two years of entering each new market.

    At the briefing MyRepublic also denied reports that the company is pursuing an acquisition of Singapore’s M1. While the operator has put in a bid, it is not pursuing the acquisition, the company said, noting that while M1 is a traditional telco, MyRepublic is an “internet platform company.”

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  • PLDT expands FTTH services to east Manila

    PLDT expands FTTH services to east Manila

    The Philippines’ PLDT has expanded the reach of its FTTH services to east Metro Manila in the latest phase of its nationwide fiber expansion program.

    The operator has added over 70,000 fiber lines in the area following deployments in south Metro Manila as well as Cebu, General Santos and Naga City.

    With the expansion, PLDT’s fiber networks now passes 3.3 million homes across five cities and three towns. The operator’s fiber rollout drive has seen it add around 500,000 homes passed within around six months, and PLDT has a target of passing 4.4 million homes by the end of the year.

    PLDT is also deploying hybrid fiber technologies including Huawei’s G.fast, which can boost data speeds of current subscribers up to 600-700 Mbps over copper lines.

    In a statement, the operator said it has invested 300 billion pesos ($5.9 billion) over the past 10 years on its fixed and wireless network deployments.

    “PLDT Home continues its efforts to create Fibr-powered PLDT Smart Cities nationwide to enrich the lives of more Filipinos through our innovative digital services and connectivity solutions,” PLDT EVP and home business head Enrico Reyes Jr said.

    “The network rollout in East Metro Manila will provide powerful connections and top-of-the-line services that will benefit both its residents and businesses.”

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  • China Telecom joins HomeGrid Forum

    China Telecom joins HomeGrid Forum

    China Telecom’s main research arm the China Telecom Shanghai Research Institute has joined the HomeGrid Forum to support the deployment of G.hn technology in Asia.

    The Institute has been working on G.hn related products for more than three years, with China Telecom selecting G.hn as its home networking technology of choice.

    China Telecom Shanghai announced its first public tender request for G.hn devices earlier this year, marking the start of commercial deployments of the technology in China.

    In addition, the Institute has expressed an interest in establishing a HomeGrid Forum Certification facility at its Shanghai labs, adding a third point of call for silicon and system vendors to certify their products in the region after Shenzhen and Taipei.

    “Welcoming China Telecom Shanghai Research Institute as our newest member is fantastic. We look forward to gaining its invaluable insight and perspective into the Chinese and Asian markets as we continue to expand our presence in the region,” HomeGrid Forum president Donna Yasay said.

    “We’ve been championing G.hn technology for many years and support from an organization of this caliber validates our efforts. When combined with other technologies, such as wireless, home mesh networking and Ethernet, G.hn creates an unrivalled hybrid that can extend connectivity further than other products on the market. G.hn is the vital backbone for the kind of seamless connectivity that is now in demand around the world.”

    Chian Telecom will join operators including Chunghwa Telecom and KT as promoting members of the Forum.

    G.hn is the gigagbit home networking technology designed to utilize multiple existing last mile connections including coaxial, copper pairs, powerline and plastic optical fiber.

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  • NEC Introduces Smart Communications System SL2100 to Asian Market

    NEC Introduces Smart Communications System SL2100 to Asian Market

    NEC Asia Pacific today announced the launch of the Smart Communications System SL2100 for small- and mid-sized businesses in the Asian market.

    With wide-ranging, enterprise-grade voice over IP (VoIP), mobility and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) features, the SL2100 also offers industry specific features for retail, healthcare, food service and entertainment, as well as hospitality features for small hotels and motels.

    “The way the business world communicates is rapidly changing, especially in consumer-facing industries, where excellent customer experience is a must,” said Shigeru Matsuura, General Manager, Global Platform Division, NEC Corporation. “NEC’s SL2100 offers a new design for Hardware and Endpoints. Combined with the value-added features, such as Smartphone Integration and web-based Video Conferencing & Collaboration, the SL2100 is an ideal fit for service oriented small- and mid-sized businesses.”

    SL2100’s key features include:

    • Built-in VoIP technologies (Standard 8ch. Expandable to 128 ch)
    • Web-based UC Client
    • Web-based Video Conferencing & Collaboration
    • Voice Response System/Voicemail
    • Outbound & Inbound audio conference
    • Geographical Multi-site operation over IP Network
    • ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) for small Contact Center
    • Hotel Features with PMS API

    The SL2100 also offers an array of add-on Smart Mobility options, such as Remote/Home Office Support, Smartphone SIP App and Mobile Extension.

    The SL2100 will be released to Asian countries sequentially starting from July 2017.

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