News advisory

HP enhances mediation software to help telecoms reduce the complexity of new service delivery

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, April 14, 2009

HP today announced enhancements in its mediation and real-time charging solutions that help telecom companies offer – and bill for – converged voice and data services.

The enhancements are focused in HP Internet Usage Manager (IUM) 6.0 software that forms the core of the HP RealTime Charging solution.

The company also announced expanded deployment by a major Asian service provider, China Telecom.

HP made the announcements at the annual Billing/OSS World tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The enhancements in HP IUM 6.0 allow service providers to reduce costs with improved system manageability, increase security with system-wide controls, and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction with real-time problem resolution. Overall, these enhancements streamline the mediation process, where customer usage data is collected from the network and prepared for billing and other applications.

"Service providers can better manage system operations at less cost with HP IUM," said Nigel Upton, director, Communications and Media Solutions, HP. "Millions of mobile users are ready to enjoy converged services. HP is committed to helping service providers manage the complexity of delivering and charging for these next-generation, IMS-compliant services."

"As the market evolves, mediation is becoming increasingly pivotal in the billing infrastructure, and this plays to HP strengths," said Larry Goldman, Head of Telecom Software, Analysys Mason. "The new functionality in IUM 6.0 enables service providers to more effectively manage and ensure continuous operations, key requirements for real-time charging environments."

China Telecom expands into new provinces with HP IUM

China Telecom is now rolling out new services to prepaid customers in two provinces, Hubei and Sichuan, using HP IUM as the core of an online charging system (OCS). The two provinces have a combined population of almost 150 million people. This expansion adds to an initial deployment in the Anhui province by a China Telecom subsidiary. Now, with an OCS based on HP IUM, the provincial providers can offer and bill for new voice, data and value-added services. These include 3G services that generate higher revenues and promote customer loyalty. China Telecom delivers services across mobile, fixed and broadband networks.

HP was the first company to be OCS-certified in China Telecom.

New features in HP IUM 6.0

HP IUM 6.0 incorporates a new operations console that provides a "dashboard" overview of the entire system. Managers can see problems as they emerge, and take corrective actions to ensure smooth operation of the entire HP IUM deployment.

The enhancements address telecom companies' need for more powerful security features that ensure delivery of services to those who are authorized. HP IUM 6.0 now includes enterprise-wide authentication and authorization controls that help reduce fraud that leads to revenue loss caused by unauthorized users.

In addition, service providers can implement a single sign-on process and share enterprise-wide identities with other systems. This integrates HP IUM security into the company's overall security infrastructure. All security operations are captured for audit purposes.

Tests show billing infrastructure ready for IMS now

IMS Forum, an industry consortium, completed billing and service delivery interoperability testing at its January 2009 Plugfest 6 event. The testing, led by HP, demonstrated that service providers' existing billing infrastructure can be widely reused for IMS services, thus eliminating costly investment for new systems.

Conducted over two multi-domain IMS operator networks across four continents, the tests included policy control, online and offline charging, and support for a range of IP applications. The test systems handled complex calls seamlessly and demonstrated that next generation and IMS services can be delivered today. The tests also showed that the use of open interfaces can minimize development and maintenance costs, thus reducing operating expenses and increasing billing infrastructure flexibility.

More information on the HP Internet Usage Manager (HP IUM) is available at www.hp.com/go/charging.

About HP

HP, the world's largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

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