Rosario’s Growing Business

Posted: January 18th, 2013 | Author: Leila Heijola | Filed under: Around the World | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

We recently shared a story about Williams in Uganda and his success working through Kiva.org. Building upon that, Comptel is eager to share another story about the difference Kiva is making on communities across the globe.

Thirty year old entrepreneur Rosario lives in eastern Peru, right along the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. She employs two other people at her small business in Pucallpa, which buys and sells mobile phones. Rosario loves her work, particularly because she enjoys helping customers find a mobile phone and any accessories that meet their specific requirements.

Having successfully managed her business for eight years, Rosario recently found herself needing some financial assistance in order to keep up with increasing demand. Realising what an honorable, hard worker she is, Kiva decided to loan Rosario 2,000 Peruvian Nuevos Soles (USD $775) to help keep her business afloat. Thankful for Kiva’s support, Rosario is confident that her business will continue to grow and is now optimistically looking to the future.

We invite you to take part in Comptel’s team and help us alleviate some of the financial burdens carried by such hard-working individuals who often do not have access to typical banking services.


Telefónica Central America Unifies Its Mediation Systems Across Four Countries with Comptel

Posted: May 9th, 2012 | Author: Special Contributor | Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , , , | No Comments »

By Andre Kutwak, Solution Architect, Latin America, Comptel

(Scroll down for a Spanish version of the following blog post.)

We are all very excited with the latest news coming from our growing Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) region. After a very diligent process, Comptel has been selected as the mediation provider for the entire Central America cluster of the Telefónica Group. This project involves dozens of network elements and other OSS/BSS system interfaces, as well as the processing of over half a billion network transactions a day!

This win truly shows the power of building strong customer relationships, which we at Comptel emphasise. We have already mediated Telefónica Guatemala’s and El Salvador’s traffic for the last 10 years, and this partnership culminated with the consolidation of Panama and Nicaragua under the latest version of our product. We are committed to making this partnership with the Telefónica Group even stronger moving forward.

We could single out a few aspects of our convergent mediation offering that really differentiates it from others on the market. For instance, Comptel Convergent Mediation provides the flexibility and independence to build on new interfaces and business rules; the scalability, optimised performance and reliability communications service providers need to manage the increasing number of network transactions; and a friendly user interface and automatic reprocessing tools. Plus, we have vast experience with OSS consolidation projects. All of this, along with enabling the streamlining of processes across Telefónica Central America, will contribute to a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) to Telefónica Group, faster time-to-market and ultimately, an improved customer experience.

Telefónica Centroamérica unifica sistemas de mediación en cuatro países con Comptel

Estamos todos muy contentos con las últimas noticias provenientes de nuestra región de Caribe y América Latina. Después de un proceso exhaustivo Comptel ha sido seleccionada como el proveedor de la mediación para el conjunto de operadoras de América Central del grupo Telefónica. Este proyecto incluye interface a decenas de elementos de red como a otros sistemas de OSS/BSS, así como el procesamiento de más de quinientos millones de transacciones en la red por día!

Este proyecto muestra verdaderamente la fuerza de la construcción de relaciones sólidas con clientes, algo que tanto enfatizamos aquí en Comptel, puesto que ya estamos mediando el tráfico de Telefónica Guatemala y de Telefónica El Salvador desde hace más de 10 años; este trabajo en equipo continua ahora con la consolidación de Panamá y Nicaragua utilizando la última versión de nuestra solución de Mediación Convergente.

Podríamos destacar algunos aspectos en nuestra solución que realmente lo diferencian de las otras soluciones en el mercado tales como: flexibilidad e independencia en la creación de nuevas interfaces y reglas de negocio, escalabilidad, rendimiento optimizado, la fiabilidad, la interfaz de usuario amigable, herramientas automáticas de reprocesamiento y grandes experiencia y referencia en los proyectos de consolidación de OSS. Todo esto junto con la consolidación de procesos en la organización va a contribuir a un costo total de propiedad menor para el Grupo Telefónica, así como menor tiempo de lanzamiento al mercado de nuevos productos, lo que sin duda conducirá a una mejor experiencia del cliente.


Around the World

Posted: March 22nd, 2012 | Author: OSS Team | Filed under: Around the World | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

RCR Wireless News…
Latin America Counts 32 HSPA+, 5 LTE Networks
According to a 4G Americas report, Latin America is increasingly deploying HSPA technology and rolling out LTE. Currently, the region has 72 commercial deployments of HSPA technology in 31 countries, with five commercial LTE networks and 300,000 LTE connections expected by the end of 2012.

Along the same lines, the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) recently published a report showing that 300 operators worldwide have committed to commercial LTE network deployments or are engaged in trials, technology testing or studies. This is a significant increase—50 percent, in fact—over the previous year.

The LTE evolution is clearly catching on in Latin America, just in time for the region’s networks to be ready for the data boom expected during the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

TelecomsEurope…
CEE Operators on the Ball in OTT and Connected TV
Over the past year, there has been an explosion of activity in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) online video sector, with operators jumping head first into new market opportunities by offering a variety of new services.

Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts that online video Internet traffic in the region will account for 27 percent of total Internet traffic by 2015. Additionally, the number of connected devices is set to dramatically increase, and the growth of such devices will continue to fuel over-the-top (OTT) service launches. However, operators are increasingly adapting when it comes to OTT services by investing in the development of full multi-screen services to attract subscribers and, in some cases, by teaming up with OTT providers.

The boom in OTT offerings provides an opportunity for operators to embrace innovation and introduce new value-added services. Do you think operators are able to effectively collaborate with OTT players to create mutually beneficial offerings that will appeal to customers?

CommsMEA…
A Busy Agenda
In 2011, the telecom industry came to terms with two major global shocks—the global economic downturn and the disruption caused by mass digitisation. The downturn accelerated the commoditisation of traditional telecom services, pushing operators to cut costs and increase efficiency. The digital boom encouraged operators to boost network capacity and connectivity, and introduce new services that take advantage of mobile payment platforms and cloud computing.

Due to these global changes, the telecom ecosystem is becoming much more competitive as new players from adjacent industries and technological innovation challenge operators. This year, operators will spend more on infrastructure as 4G/ LTE goes mainstream, and make strategic choices by leveraging existing capabilities and building new ones.

With the unprecedented choice of services and devices, customers will likely emerge as the winners of the drastically changing telecom landscape—do you agree with this prediction?


Back to Futurecom: 12-14 September in Sao Paulo

Posted: September 6th, 2011 | Author: Leila Heijola | Filed under: Events | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

Comptel is again looking forward to attending Futurecom in Sao Paulo, Brasil next week. More than 15,000 attendees from 40 countries have attended Latin America’s key ICT event in past years, and the 2011 event is likely to be just as popular, with more than 240 exhibitors displaying their offerings at the Transamerica Expo Center.

On booth B14b, Comptel will be demonstrating our dynamic OSS solutions and policy control, mediation, fulfillment and charging expertise. In particular, we expect customer experience management to be a hot topic at the event, and are on hand to discuss this as well as other Caribbean and Latin American telecom trends and customer success stories.

In addition to the tradeshow area, there will be a three-day-long international congress, where speakers from Telefonica, the ITU, Oi and various communications ministers, among others, will discuss the connected society and the changing world. Comptel, with our strategic partner Alcatel-Lucent, will be presenting on femtocell fulfillment on Tuesday, 13 September 13. Comptel’s Thiago Bardosa Melles and Alcatel-Lucent’s Roberto Murakami Falsarella will cover how femtocells can benefit residential, business and public hotspots. We think there will be great interest in the topic, and hope that you will attend the session or meet us at our booth!

What are you most looking forward to at Futurecom next week: the expo hall or a particular congress track or presentation?


Around the World

Posted: August 26th, 2011 | Author: OSS Team | Filed under: Around the World | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Pipeline…
Where Does IMS Stand?
Tim Young asserts that IMS is making a comeback in large part due to the growth of LTE. While LTE is all IP, there is virtually no support for voice, and as such, IMS has become a real contender to fill this gap, specifically as it applies to Voice over LTE (VoLTE).

This trend toward increased usage is supported by a recent Infonetics Research survey, which found that 78% of respondents will have mobile-specific services deployed over IMS by 2013, a significant increase from 35% today. The analyst firm also identified the desire to offer converged services and deploy LTE as key IMS growth drivers.

When IMS first entered the industry, some critics noted slow carrier interest and grew skeptical of its longevity. Now years later, do you think this renewed carrier interest foreshadows a promising future for IMS?

Billing & OSS World…
Gov’t Plan, Smartphone Adoption to Drive Data Growth in Colombia
A Pyramid Research report predicts that the Colombian government’s plan to increase broadband access and the adoption of smartphones will fuel data growth throughout the next several years. The government wants to quadruple the number of Internet connections in the country to 8.8 million, and is putting special emphasis on the availability of infrastructure for broadband coverage. This plan, along with handset vendor competition, more spectrum availability and decreasing smartphone prices, is expected to maintain Colombian telecom market growth.

This view reinforces predictions that Latin America will see broadband penetration skyrocket over the next five years and the amount of subscribers increase to 150 million-plus. Managing these new customers and services will be critical, and OSS/BSS will certainly play a significant role, allowing the region’s communications service providers (CSPs) to focus on their core business.

allAfrica.com…
Nigeria: GSM at Ten in Nation
August marks the tenth year since GSM was introduced in Nigeria. GSM made telephone access available to everyone, eliminating the age-long dominance of the wealthy on telephone use. But, the most prominent result of GSM can be seen in the tremendous growth of subscribers, rising from 450,000 fixed lines in 1999 to 90 million active lines, fixed and mobile, today. This figure is expected to rise even higher to 118 million mobile subscribers by 2014.

As IDC analyst Andy Hicks notes, developed market telcos can learn from the achievements of CSPs in emerging markets such as Nigeria. These include aspects like offering compelling services and real-time solutions, as well as identity management. What are some telecom trends you’ve seen in emerging markets that others can draw inspiration from?


Around the World

Posted: August 12th, 2011 | Author: OSS Team | Filed under: Around the World | Tags: , , , , , | No Comments »

Computer Business Review…

Mobile Network Operators Face Surging Data Delivery Costs: Study

According to Juniper Research, mobile data delivery costs could go up to $370 billion by 2016—a sevenfold jump from $53 billion in 2010. The analyst firm reported that mobile network operators can reduce costs with Wi-Fi network build-out, femtocells and network sharing initiatives.  Juniper also suggested that mobile network operators in developing countries transition to renewable energy for off-grid networks.

The bottom line though: data usage is outpacing operators’ revenues. This only continues to underscore the need to strike a balance between encouraging service use, controlling resources like bandwidth and ensuring maximum payback. Policy control gives operators the levers to manage mobile data delivery and monetise the services.

Alcatel-Lucent Blog

Customer Experience Management and the Thieves of Time

Did you know that it costs about five to ten times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to retain an existing customer? As Alcatel-Lucent’s Vincent Kavanagh notes, unfortunately, “money talks”— and most companies typically end up incorrectly distributing their marketing spend. They’ve also ignored the fact that happy customers have proven to stay longer and spend more, and not made customer experience management (CEM) a priority.

Luckily, operators are paying greater attention to CEM. They are being increasingly conscious of customers’ time and interacting with them more over multiple channels including social media. One important area that they have yet to tap into though is their OSS and network data, to gain a holistic view of subscriber activity. By doing so, operators can open up a myriad of possibilities and turn them into something that can be monetised.

TYN…

Cloud Computing: Latin American Market Will Be 69% in Five Years

IDC recently conducted its Cloud Solutions Roadshow in Argentina, and after meeting with various Latin American company executives, one of the research firm’s vice presidents, Ricardo Villate, has dubbed 2011 as “the year of the cloud.”

IDC survey results have shown that 14.5 percent of Latin American companies with more than 100 employees have implemented cloud services. This is nearly three times more than in January 2010, and the market is expected to continue this steady growth pattern, reaching 69 percent in five years.

It’s exciting to see barriers to enterprise cloud adoption like security and performance management being broken down, much like Comptel demonstrated through several TM Forum Catalyst initiatives.