ARTA.L Regulatory News (ARTA)

24 May 2007 13:00

The rise of Internet Protocol (IP) networks as a communicationplatform coupled with fragmentation of the marketplace due to therapid increase in Virtual Network Operators has dramatically alteredthe telecommunications landscape to create new opportunities andchallenges for operators, managed service providers, systemintegrators and hosting companies. £ These issues, along with a discussion on how UnifiedCommunications has become a reality due to major developments in theindustry, were the key topics addressed at a customer event hosted inBrussels, Belgium by Artilium (LSE/AIM:ARTA), a specialist inconvergence technology that seamlessly integrates disparate fixed,mobile and IP networks to enable the rapid deployment of convergedservices and applications. £ As part of the Artilium event, the company outlined its portfolioof solutions. Robert Marcus, Artilium's CEO stated, "Artilium hasdeveloped innovative solutions which have enabled operators to extendlegacy networks to launch new offerings which are delivered acrossfixed, IP and mobile platforms. Founded in 1995 and recognized for itsengineering talent and unique combination of IT and telecom expertise,Artilium has completed more than 40 installations serving tens ofmillions of end-users in 11 countries." £ Attended by more than 125 customers and partners and including keyspeakers from communications industry leaders, Artilium's customer andpartner event enabled delegates to discuss: £ -- Fixed Mobile Convergence: The reality of convergence today focuses on the issues of seamless call routing between networks and service integration and features such as One number (or multiple numbers), one invoice (or multiple invoices), and Find Me/Follow Me presence capabilities which forward calls and emails to the location of the user. £ -- Fragmentation: Mobile and fixed-line providers see VNOs as a crucial new way of increasing revenue and growing their subscriber bases. However, in order to do this VNO's need autonomy and real-time control of the network. Ideal solutions enable real-time subscriber creation, the ability for real-time fraud detection, fixed/mobile routing of calls and the ability for VNOs to offer online self-care tools and to own and quickly change product, price and promotion offerings. £ -- Unified Communications: Convergence is here. The advent of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is bringing Unified Communications to the forefront of new service offerings. Today, operators and service providers are laying the foundation for offering services such as: 1) centralizing telephone, fax, SMS/MMS and email messages into one place to be accessed via an easy-to-use interface; 2) Linking Microsoft Exchange 2007 desktop presence technology with telecoms networks to enable subscribers to define their availability and preference for receiving communications; and 3) Integrating voice with business processes to maximize existing networks and provide revenue-generating, differentiating offerings. £ "Moving forward, Artilium is scaling our suite of solutions forglobal customers that seek to capitalize on the fixed mobileconvergence initiatives in Unified Communications by Microsoft andothers," Marcus added. "The need for people to connect to theirdesktop is not only the domain of road warriors anymore; prosumers arerapidly demanding access to communications in one place. Our portfolioof open, flexible and modular solutions -- Arta VNO Enabler, ArtaConvergence Enabler and Arta Business Voice Enabler -- drives theability to launch new services which merge the desktop with networksto increase revenues for operators today and position for futureconvergence." £ In conjunction with the customer and partner event, Artilium alsoannounced two new non-executive board members, Richard Hooper andMichael Hulme. £ Richard Hooper joins Artilium as Non-Executive Director after along and distinguished career in the communications industry. From2002 until 2005, Richard was founding Deputy Chairman of the UK'sOffice of Communications (Ofcom) and served prior to that as Chairmanof the Radio Authority. Richard has devoted his career to theconvergent world of media and communications, having been a radio andtelevision producer at the BBC; Chief Executive Officer of the ValueAdded Systems & Services division of British Telecom; and ChiefExecutive Officer of the satellite channel, Super Channel Limited. MrHooper is also a partner of Hooper Communications. £ Richard is currently a Non-Executive Director of Yell Group plcand of i-mate plc. He recently stepped down as Chairman of the GBP 2.5billion specialist information provider, Informa plc, following nineyears of service on the Board. Since 1988, his career has combinedboard positions across the public and private sector. Otherdirectorships in the past five years include IMS Group plc and UKe-Universities Worldwide Limited. £ Also joining the Board is Michael Hulme, 50. Michael is HonoraryProfessor and Associate Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studiesat Lancaster University where he is a member of the LancasterUniversity Development Board. He is a Fellow of the UK's Royal Societyof Arts and a member of the Market Research Society. £ Michael is Director of the Centre for the Study of MediaTechnology and Culture, a social insight consultancy and director ofthe Social Futures Observatory an independent think-tank closelyassociated with the Institute for Advanced Studies. His involvementsoutside social research include chairing a public-private specialinvestment partnership providing seed and growth funding to small andmedium businesses. Michael's career began in corporate finance beforemoving into marketing and then strategy in the computer industry,becoming head of strategic marketing for one of Europe's then largestfinancial services software houses. £ For more information regarding these appointments and the acomplete view of Artilium's leadership team, visit www.artilium.com. £ About Artilium £ Artilium (LSE/AIM:ARTA) delivers innovative software solutionswhich layer seamlessly over disparate fixed, mobile and IP networks toenable the rapid deployment of converged services and applications. £ Founded in 1995 and recognized for its engineering talent andunique combination of IT and telecom expertise, Artilium has completedmore than 50 installations serving tens of millions of end-users in 11countries. £ Customers include Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Mobile VirtualNetwork Enablers (MVNEs), Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs),Fixed and alternative operators, Hosting Providers, SystemsIntegrators and Managed Service Providers. Artilium is now expandingits leadership in telecom and unified communications platforms on aglobal scale. £ Artilium is headquartered in London, England with offices inBruges, Belgium and Seattle in the USA. Artilium plc is a publiclylisted company with AIM on the London Stock Exchange (LSE/AIM:ARTA).For more information, please visit: www.artilium.com. Copyright Business Wire 2007