Posted: 12/1997

QUALCOMM CDMA Certified for Russia

SAN DIEGO–QUALCOMM Inc. has been certified to deploy code
division multiple access (CDMA) equipment commercially in Russia.
The State Committee for Telecommunication and Informatization
(SCTI) of the Russian Federation presented the certificate to
QUALCOMM after extensive testing was performed on the company’s
CDMA wireless local loop network in Chelyabinsk.

The certificate is valid for three years and is renewable
after that, pending an annual inspection of the certified
equipment by the SCTI.

ADC Enters Singapore Paging Market

WINCHESTER, Mass.–ADC Metrica will provide its Metrica/NPR
network performance system to Singapore Telecom Paging. The
system will help Singapore Paging analyze the performance of its
network in a competitive paging market. Singapore Paging has 100
percent coverage of the island and is deploying Metrica/NPR as
part of a drive to ensure its network management is as automated
as possible.

ADC also will provide Metrica/NPR for SingTel Mobile for three
of its mobile networks. Metrica/NPR forms part of the HP network
management solution, which will help SingTel Mobile standardize
management of its different vendor networks and enable it to
focus its resources on improving quality.

SITEL Obtains ISO 9001 Certification

OMAHA, Neb.–SITEL Corp. announced that SITEL Telebusiness of
New Zealand has obtained ISO 9001 certification. ISO 9001 is an
internationally recognized quality standard for companies that
specialize in designing and building products and services, and
is a growing trend within the technology support sector of the
teleservices industry.

The quality certification, which was audited by KPMG Peat
Marwick, covers sales, finance, administration, call center
application analysis and development and systems integration.

"We recognized a year ago that call centers were maturing
and becoming critical to many organizations’ distribution
strategies. To prepare ourselves to meet future client needs, we
committed to additional investment in our people and processes to
ensure our proven methodologies were formalized and complied with
the ISO 9001 standards," said Simon Norton, New Zealand
general manager for SITEL.

Anam Telecom Tests Korean Call Network

MONTVALE, N.J.–Geotek Communications Inc. installed an 800
MHz FHMA system in Seoul for Anam Telecom. Anam will begin
testing the Geotek digital FHMA network with select customers.
The service, to be marketed under the brand name Business Call,
will be launched later this year in Seoul and Pussan and is
expected to be available throughout Korea by 1999. Subscribers to
Anam’s Business Call network will be able to communicate with
workers in the field, locate vehicles instantly and send and
retrieve information.

Geotek’s digital FHMA network will allow Anam to provide an
integrated bundle of communications services; equipment; software
solutions, which will include dispatch telephony and packet data
services; and Geotek’s mobile business solutions, including voice
manager, automatic vehicle location, mobile messaging and mobile
manifest.

Investors Qualify to Bid on SNO

KAMPALA, Uganda–The Ministry of Works, Transport and
Communications of Uganda, in association with the Privatization
Unit, announced that five of the seven bids received for the
Second National Operators (SNO) license have passed the
government’s prequalification stage. The five prequalified
bidders will now begin due diligence before submitting their
business plan and financial bid for the SNO license.

"With the current poor state of the telecom section in
Uganda, I am particularly pleased that the government has
remained on schedule and soon will be able to provide acceptable
telecommunication standards for the people of Uganda," said
Hon. John Nasasira, Minister of Works, Transport and
Communications.

InterVoice to Distribute in Venezuela

DALLAS–InterVoice Inc., a Venezuelan distributor, has
received an order of 24 InterVoice OneVoice 5000 systems, valued
at about $4 million, from one of that country’s leading
telecommunications companies. The 24 systems, InterVoice’s
multiapplications call and business process automation platform,
are in addition to the 19 systems the company purchased
previously. They will be used to expand existing sites to meet
growing cellular subscriber call capacity.

Graphnet Unveils ProPHONE

TEANECK, N.J.–Graphnet Inc. announced the availability of
ProPHONE, a telephony service, in France and Belgium. Graphnet
recently installed Nortel multimedia carrier switches in both
Paris and Brussels. The company will market ProPHONE through
direct sales, agents and dealer programs, including private
branch exchange and third-party sales channels.

Graphnet also is applying for international facility licenses
in both France and Belgium. The company is seeking
interconnection for national origination and termination of
public switched telephone network calls in France and Belgium
with respective national carriers France Telecom and Belgacom.

Telstra, IBM, Lend Lease Seal Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO–Telstra, IBM and Lend Lease Corp. have signed
agreements to form an information technology (IT) and
telecommunications alliance incorporating an Australian IT
outsourcing deal and creating a new network services company
called Advantra.

Telstra will join IBM Australia and Lend Lease as an equity
partner in IBM Global Services Australia. IBM Australia will
retain 51 percent of equity in IBM Global Services, while Telstra
and Lend Lease will retain 26 percent and 23 percent
respectively.

The new network services company, Advantra, will help
customers better manage their communications needs by marrying
desktop applications, phone, fax computers and video with the
telecommunications network. The company will provide network
services to customers, including managing the delivery of IBM
Global Network services across Australia.

Avirnex Launches One-Number Communications in
Australia

NOVATO, Calif.–AVOX, a one-number telephone system from
Avirnex Communications Group, was launched in the Australian
market. Until now, AVOX was available only to subscribers in the
United States. The Australian launch is the first step in a
long-range plan by the company to release AVOX in key countries
worldwide.

AVOX is a single number assigned to a person rather than a
location. It functions like a universal remote control that can
handle all telecommunications devices for one person, locating
the user based on a series of telephone numbers that can be
changed at any time. AVOX screens all calls for the user,
announcing the name and/or telephone number of the calling party,
and provides store-and-forward voice and fax mail, conference
calling, speed dial and message delivery.

Total Tel Broadens Australian Mobile Market

MARLBORO, Mass.–Total Tel, Ltd. and Network Vodafone have
launched a prepaid mobile phone service in Australia. Total Tel
PrePaid Mobile was implemented using a continuously available
server system from Stratus Computer Inc.

The nationwide offering targets those who are unable to or do
not want to sign a standard postpaid mobile contract. The service
eliminates credit checks, contracts and monthly bills. Customers
merely purchase a Total Tel PrePaid Mobile Starter Pack, which
provides a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a mobile phone
number, prepaid outbound calls and unlimited inbound calls for 12
months. Compatible with any digital mobile phone, the SIM
connects users with the global systems for mobile network
operated by Network Vodaphone. More than 10,000 starter packs
have been activated since the service’s inception.

TIA Co-Sponsors China American Telecom Summit

ARLINGTON, Va.–The Telecommunications Industry Association
and the U.S. Department of Commerce recently sponsored the China
American Telecommunications Summit (CATS) in Dalian, People’s
Republic of China.

Participation in CATS was limited to 20 companies, with three
representatives from each company. Among the 20 participants were
GTE, Lucent Technologies, Motorola and Nortel.

The purpose of the summit was to provide an opportunity for
U.S. communications industry representatives to present their
views on current technology trends and to meet privately with
senior Chinese communications officials. This meeting gave
"U.S. businesses access to a potentially lucrative market in
a country primed for explosive telecommunications growth,"
said Larry Irving, assistant secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information and administrator of the National
Telecommunications & Information Administration.