Tata Communications introduces next generation service globally, following its Beijing success

Tata Communications announced a partnership with Bharti Telesoft, a leading mobile VAS solution provider, today resulting in the launch of its Intelligent CAMEL eXchange (ICX), a value-added service that enables mobile operators to significantly reduce the time frame, cost of implementing, and maintaining CAMEL roaming relationships.

In August 2008, Tata Communications offered its ICX service on a limited-availability basis to four of the world’s largest mobile network operators, allowing them to open up CAMEL-based roaming to one of China’s largest mobile phone operators in time for the Beijing Olympic Games. Based on the vastly successful outcome of Beijing, the ICX service is now available to support live traffic to other destinations, opening the floodgates to destinations outside of China.

With ten operators already connected to the ICX platform, Tata Communications currently offers CAMEL roaming and connectivity to China, the United Kingdom, Romania, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sweden, with more than 30 additional operators committed to utilizing the service globally. The firm offers mobile network operators with the promise to fast track CAMEL roaming with key roaming partners worldwide.

“Tata Communications is committed to offering the most innovative services to our customers worldwide and we’re pleased with the response of our customers to the ICX service” said Allan Chan, Executive Vice President, Mobility Services for Tata Communications. “Our trial participants are now able to open service to other destinations to help them go beyond Beijing and fast track their roaming reach around the world.”

Directly confronting the interoperability challenges operators face when expanding into developing markets with highly complex networks, the Intelligent CAMEL eXchange facilitates the implementation of CAMEL roaming agreements through intelligent signaling, monitoring, and normalization. The innovative technology solution, which was developed in partnership with Bharti Telesoft, enables mobile operators to increase efficiency in implementing CAMEL Roaming relationships.

With a global reach to more than 630 Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), including over 170 on-net customers, Tata Communications is uniquely positioned to offer MNOs with unconditional signaling reach and connectivity that CAMEL roaming demands. Additionally, ICX integrates the CAMEL normalization and Virtual Home Environment (VHE) capabilities, which are provided by Bharti Telesoft. VHE services increase ICX call completion rates dramatically, while improving the customer’s experience.

“While we are known in the mobile market for our numerous platforms to mobile network operators, this collaboration with Tata Communications marks our entry in the Managed Services area”, says Mao Mohapatra, CEO of Bharti Telesoft. “The ability to serve mobile carriers in this capacity is an exciting step for Bharti Telesoft. We are very enthusiastic about the potential of serving mobile carriers this way and look forward to a promising future in our collaboration with Tata Communications.”

As part of the ICX offering Tata Communications manages the monitoring and troubleshooting of CAMEL roaming issues within ICX service-users, in turn, enhancing resource utilization of the mobile operators as well as guaranteeing service availability to roamers of ICX. In addition to expediting the CAMEL roaming establishment process, ICX also reduces the need for CAPEX investments in network configuration modifications for service users.

For more information about the Tata Communications’ Intelligent CAMEL eXchange, please visit their webpage: http://www.tatacommunications.com/mobile

About Tata Communications

Tata Communications, a member of the $62.5 billion Tata Group, is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. The emerging markets communications leader leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national and Indian enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.

The firm’s range of services include transmission, IP, converged voice, mobility, managed network connectivity, hosting and storage, managed security, managed collaboration and business transformation for global enterprises and service providers, as well as Internet, retail broadband and content services for Indian consumers. The Tata Global Network encompasses one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 300 PoPs, and more than 1 million square feet of data center and co-location facilities.

Tata Communications’ unique emerging market depth and breadth of reach includes a national fiber backbone network and access to network in over 60 cities and 125 PoPs in India, strategic investments in South African converged services operator, Neotel, Sri Lanka, and Nepal and, subject to fulfillment of conditions precedent, a 50% ownership in China Enterprise Communications (CEC) providing full country VPN coverage in China.

Servicing customers from its offices in over 80 cities in 40 countries, Tata Communications is the number one global international wholesale voice operator and number one provider of international long distance, enterprise data and Internet services in India, the Company was named “Best Wholesale Carrier” at the World Communications Awards in 2006, “Best Pan-Asian Wholesale Provider” at the 2006 and 2007 Capacity Magazine Global Wholesale Telecommunications Awards and was awarded “Best Progress in Emerging Markets” at the 2008 Mobile Communication Awards.

For more information, please visit their website: http://www.tatacommunications.com