Posted: 01/2001

News Briefs

* Cisco Systems Inc. (www.cisco.com)
is offering its Cisco Order-to-Service solution for service providers deploying
end-to-end Cisco DSL networks. The solution provides a complete system for
automating the manual end-to-end DSL flow-through provisioning process, which
enables service providers to cut the waiting period for service turn-up from
several weeks to a few days. Cisco also has introduced the Cisco Network Order
Manager product, which automates the processes of end-to-end network connections
and works with other Cisco Order-to-Service elements from Cisco New World
Ecosystem companies. The Cisco Order-to-Service solution is a key part of the
Cisco GlobalDSL strategy, which is designed to overcome barriers to DSL
deployment and make DSL available to any user, any place with any service.

* Broadband equipment and services supplier ADC Telecommunications Inc.
(www.adc.com) and The Management Network
Group Inc. (www.tmng.com), a
telecommunications industry consulting firm, have formed a strategic alliance to
provide OSS solutions to ICPs. The pact expands an existing relationship between
the companies announced earlier this year when ADC signed a multimillion dollar,
multiyear contract for TMNG consulting services. This latest arrangement will
couple ADC’s Singl.eView customer management and billing application with TMNG’s
Lexicon tool set to help ICPs build OSS systems that can compete more
effectively in the broadband market.

* Pac-West Telecomm Inc. (www.pacwest.com)
has created a new customer operations group that will focus on customer care,
process improvement, field operations and integration of customers obtained
through acquisitions. The new group will be led by vice president of business
development H. Ravi Brar, whose new title will be vice president of customer
operations. Related to the organizational realignment, the company also
announced that it has promoted Rae Kohan to vice president of business sales.

* Denver-based Qwest Communications International Inc. (www.qwest.com)
is constructing a $6 million customer care center in downtown Albuquerque, N.M.
When completed in mid-January, the facility will employ more than 260 people to
handle an expected 13 million calls annually. The center will handle national
billing management for unique customers such as hotels and payphone service
providers.

* Michigan-based broadband service delivery software developer HarmonyCom
(www.harmonycom.com) and customer care
and billing systems (CC&B) provider MaxBill Inc. (www.maxbill.com)
in New York have formed a partnership to offer a comprehensive billing, customer
care and provisioning solution to broadband services providers. HarmonyCom’s
flagship broadband service delivery solution, Harmony, will be integrated with
MaxBill’s CC&B system. The two companies also have agreed to globally market
their joint solution, which will be targeted at emerging and existing service
providers.