Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that it has been selected by BT Group plc as prime contractor and systems integrator for a fixed-mobile managed communication solution for enterprise customers in the UK and Europe based on its IMS compliant Corporate Mobility Manager. Named “Enterprise Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) “, BT’s project is expected to be commercially deployed early in 2007.

As prime contractor, Alcatel will lead the design, integration (including a number of third-party components) and testing of the end-to-end solution. Alcatel will supply key platform elements from its leading Managed Communication Services (MCS) portfolio and will also ensure that the solution integrates seamlessly into BT’s enterprise customer sites.

The Alcatel-primed consortium includes Lucent Technologies (who will provide the Lucent VPN Firewall and VitalAAA security products and design team specialists).

BT’s project will allow enterprise users to be reachable on a dual mode handset using one single phone number. They can make and receive both fixed and mobile calls using the network most economical for each call.

This project targets BT’s large business customers in the UK as well as multinational corporate customers throughout Europe, and will provide services across any GSM network or available wireless local area network (WLAN) infrastructure (e.g., WiFi). While being able to move freely within their “campus”, BT enterprise users will be able to access both personal and corporate directory information from anywhere. In addition, users located in a branch site – or employees travelling or working from home with a broadband connection or WiFi access – can enjoy exactly the same features as if they are working in the office.

“Typical enterprise customers today have multiple devices on multiple networks generating multiple bills and service interfaces,” said Steven Evans, BT’s Chief of Wireless Broadband and Future Products. “The Enterprise FMC” project provides one simple experience for the user whilst creating additional value from the device and network through cost savings and enhanced efficiency”.

This contract builds upon Alcatel’s successful relationship with BT, following its role as prime integrator for BT Fusion (the consumer fixed-mobile convergence service), as equipment and solutions supplier for BT Communicator (the world’s largest SIP deployment) as well as for the 21st Century Network (21CN) – BT’s next-generation network (NGN) transformation program.

“Alcatel’s extensive services integration experience with complex multi-vendor projects was a key asset in the deployment of BT’s highly successful Fusion project,” said Monika Maurer, president of Alcatel’s fixed solutions activities. “This new project represents a major step towards the delivery of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-enabled services. We look forward to working with BT as they pave the way to making fixed-mobile convergence a reality in the enterprise world.”

UK carrier Cable & Wireless today revealed that it is searching for a mobile company to partner with the beleaguered telco in its fixed mobile convergence strategy.

Cable & Wireless yesterday became one of 12 companies to be provisionally awarded a license for spectrum in the 1781.7-1785MHz band paired with the 1876.7-1880MHz bands.

The licences are technology neutral and targeted at systems to be managed on a low power basis. Potential applications for these bands include private GSM networks in office buildings or campuses as most mobile phones operate at these frequencies.

A spokeswoman for Cable & Wireless said the operator would use the spectrum to develop a fixed mobile convergence strategy, including the possible creation of private mobile networks within enterprise campuses.

The spokeswoman made allusions to British Telecom’s own convergence product, Fusion, which allows users to make calls over Bluetooth when at home or work and over cellular when outside.

“We are presently holding talks with a number of players with regard to finding a partner for mobile services,” the C&W spokeswoman said. When asked if those discussions could stretch to a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement, the spokeswoman replied, “we’re using the term ‘partner’ at the moment, that’s all I can say.”

C&W last month announced a reorganisation that will see the company reduce its customer base from approximately 30,000 customers to about 3,000. The move is designed to allow the company to concentrate on fewer, larger customers and introduce more focused services.

BT meanwhile, which also grabbed a swathe of spectrum in yesterday’s auction, was less specific about its proposed usage of the spectrum. “It’s really for indoor networking and definitely for GSM services,” a BT spokesman said.

“It’s suitable for voice, but not really for data,” he added. “We plan on using it to deploy services that are complimentary to Fusion. Perhaps, some kind of basic mobile service which offers voice only capability,” he said.

Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis commented that we can now expect to see businesses exerting a much greater level of power over mobile operators. “If large enterprises and government bodies have a choice of 16 mobile operators (and probably countless MVNOs), it seems very likely that corporate cellular tariffs will cease to be such a burden on CIOs’ telecom budgets,” he said.

Bubley added that there will probably be some interesting international-oriented business models emerging as the licensees make use of the spectrum. “Other bits of cleverness that may emerge – maybe using GSM phones to dial-in to VoIP gateways, or perhaps something with innovative roaming arrangements.”

Jeremy Green, analyst at Ovum, noted that the on premises network model means that there is no need for complex, expensive, dual mode handsets and unproven handover mechanisms.

Green said that Teleware, one of the other successful bidders, has tested a solution based on a dual SIM battery packs.

“This relies on user-initiated handover and is possibly a bit clunky compared to the seamless in-call handover promised by dual-mode technologies; on the other hand, it will work on even the cheapest, oldest GSM handsets, making a DECT replacement application a workable proposition for a wide range of organisations and staff functions,” he said.

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom yesterday said it has provisionally awarded 12 companies licenses for spectrum in the 1781.7-1785MHz band paired with the 1876.7-1880MHz bands.

British Telecommunications, Cable & Wireless, COLT Mobile Telecommunications, Cyberpress, FMS Solutions, Mapesbury Communications, O2, Opal Telecom, PLDT; Shyam Telecom, Spring Mobil and Teleware are all to be awarded licenses.

The licences are technology neutral and targeted at systems to be managed on a low power basis. Potential applications for these bands include private GSM networks in office buildings or campuses as most mobile phones operate at these frequencies.

Ofcom will announce full details of the bids once the licence fees have been paid and the licences granted. Each licence had a reserve price of ВЈ50,000.

The regulator said it expects to grant the licences next week, under the provision that full licence fees are paid by April 28.