The multivendor solution improves user experience, enhances customer loyalty and helps to reduce churn

Nokia has delivered its device management solution, centered around the Nokia Terminal Management Server (NTMS), to the Russian operator MegaFon. The solution supports the easy and cost efficient service activation and over-the-air configuration of the subscribers’ mobile devices and is part of the extensive Nokia multivendor service management application portfolio.

This device management solution serves the entire MegaFon network in Russia. It is one of the world’s largest operational multivendor device management systems implemented in GSM and/or WCDMA 3G networks. As part of this comprehensive solution, Nokia also provided project management, system integration and customization services for MegaFon’s multivendor network environment.

“We selected Nokia’s device management solution to increase our customer satisfaction by offering easy and automated device configuration, thus enabling rapid mobile services take-off. Our federal project, Automated Device Configuration, is the latest one in our portfolio of Easy Access to Services – core part of the strategic plan of innovation services development in MegaFon’s network,” says Denis Nochevnov, Head of New Technologies Department, MegaFon.

“Nokia’s solution now serves MegaFon’s entire multivendor network in Russia and enables the service provider to manage devices from over 40 different manufacturers using one device management solution. Over-the-air configuration provided through the NTMS improves the user experience and therefore enhances customer loyalty and helps to reduce churn,” says Jyrki Holmala, Vice President, Networks, Nokia.

NTMS enables automatic over-the-air provisioning of mobile devices using Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) standardized technologies. In addition to OMA Client Provisioning and OMA Device Management open interfaces, it supports the most common device management technologies and Firmware upgrade Over The Air (FOTA). NTMS currently recognizes 3000 different devices.

Nokia Services provides a full range of solutions to help operators differentiate and innovate their mobile offerings, with close to 20 years’ experience in the field. Nokia leads the service management market with over 80 clients globally.

Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) and Delta Telecom, a leading cellular operator in Russia who operates under the Sky Link brand and provides CDMA-450 services in the city of St.Petersburg, Leningrad, Pskov and Novgorod regions, as well as in the Republic of Karelia, today announced the signature of a contract, to modernize the operator’s backbone network in the city of St. Petersburg and the region.

“We have partnered with Alcatel since 2001,” said Constantine Kolomensky, Director of Network Development for Sky Link St.Petersburg. “To keep leading position in the telecommunication market of the North-West region of Russia, we must continuously evolve our network. Benefiting from Alcatel’s expertise in optical networking, we will be well positioned to give our customers access to the most advanced highly reliable services, while reducing our total cost of network ownership.”

“Sky Link turned to Alcatel because of its ability to help transform their network in a timely manner and address subscriber demand for new, attractive services,” stated Romano Valussi, president of Alcatel’s optical networking solutions. “Setting the stage for a future migration to IP radio access networks, Alcatel’s optical networking solutions support the operator’s requirements for increased capacity driven by bandwidth-consuming mobile services”.

Sky Link represents a new breed of mobile operators that are turning to Alcatel to upgrade their infrastructure for the mobile data revolution. The Alcatel solution will be based on its data-aware Optical Multi-Service Node (OMSN) systems offering Delta Telecom a single platform optimized to aggregate multiple traffic types and backhaul the mobile traffic from base stations to the core. Furthermore, mobile switches will be interconnected though the Alcatel 1692 Metrospan Edge coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) system providing Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to cope with service growth. Alcatel will also upgrade the existing Alcatel 1350 management suite – which enables to manage packet, TDM and wavelength connectivity services.

Providing advanced multiplexing, aggregation and optical protection management, the Alcatel solution will enable Sky Link St. Petersburg to efficiently meet the growing needs for mobile voice and high-speed data services in the city of St. Petersburg and its area. The project is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2006.

Pan European alternative service provider Tele2 is today reported to be moving to acquire Russian operator SMARTS for as much as $700m (ВЈ385m).

Russian investment bank Aton Capital said that such a deal that would raise the Swedish company’s share of Russian subscribers from 3.2 per cent to 5.6 per cent and make it the fourth largest cellular operator after Mobile TeleSystems, VimpelCom and MegaFon.

Aton does not believe the deal will have a material impact on Russia’s mobile market as Tele2 will not have the economies of scale of the big three, while the mobile operations of regional telecoms will continue to benefit from fixed-to-mobile synergies.

Earlier this month Tele2 announced it has acquired the remaining 30 per cent of Russian regional operator Siberian Cellular Communications (SCC) it did not already own. Tele2 raised its stakes in five regional Russian operations in February, in a potential move to make the assets more attractive to potential suitors.