African Billing Improved

Intec Telecom Systems says that mobile operator Orange has gone live with Intec's InterconnecT solution in the West African country of Cote d'Ivoire. The successful implementation of Intec's intercarrier billing system was made possible by an extended global partnership agreement with France Telecom.

The partnership deal enables the leading French operator to create a centralized InterconnecT bureau service in France which can support the intercarrier billing requirements for any of its Orange subsidiaries around the world. The latest country to become part of this complex settlement initiative is Cote d'Ivoire. Over one million call detail records (CDRs) are sent from Orange's operations in the West African country to France Telecom's central bureau in France, which relies on local service hardware to support Intec's InterconnecT solution. The CDR information received from Orange's Cote d'Ivoire operation is gathered by the French central bureau and then used to produce accurate intercarrier billing settlements for the African affiliate.

"The numerous opportunities France Telecom provides to increase InterconnecT's installed base creates a dynamic and exciting partnership for Intec,'says Kevin Adams, Intec's CEO. 'As part of a global cooperative agreement signed with Intec in 2000, France Telecom promotes and supports InterconnecT among its subsidiary companies. An amendment to the agreement in 2003 has helped to integrate the billing operations of France Telecom's Orange subsidiaries worldwide, while generating new market opportunities for Intec's core product, particularly in African countries such as Reunion Island, Madagascar, and now Cote d'Ivoire."

By creating InterconnecT bureau services for its new Orange subsidiaries, France Telecom provides these companies with identical OSS billing technology and maintenance support. This is important, especially in Africa where companies across the continent are struggling to cope with interconnect partner settlement issues due to the lack of proper network systems. This includes problems that include the inability to stop fraudulent billing activities, such as the under-declaration of network traffic and inflated interconnect tariffs.

Explains Christian Ciupek, Intec's regional director, "African operators are losing substantial revenue streams as a result of poor network infrastructures; there may be a difficult future for many of these businesses in a few years if this level of loss continues. The companies that are making the decisions now to invest in reliable interconnect systems such as Intec's InterconnecT are the ones who will quickly overcome their intercarrier billing challenges and eventually dominate the market. This includes France Telecom's Orange affiliate in Cote d'Ivoire, which will immediately benefit from InterconnecT's flexibility and scalability in handling regional and international settlements."

Posted to the site on 31st March 2004