Mobile Operators Group Invites Vendors to Join

The Asian operators alliance, Bridge Mobile has extended its alliance membership, previously open to only top-tier mobile operators in Asia Pacific, to include global technology partners, under its newly launched Associate Membership scheme.

The group announced that Ericsson, Motorola and ZTE are amongst the first three technology companies to sign up with Bridge Mobile Alliance as associate members - bringing its membership base from eight to eleven members. The other eight members are the founding mobile operators: Airtel (India), CSL (Hong Kong), Globe Telecom (Philippines), Maxis (Malaysia), SingTel Mobile (Singapore), SingTel Optus (Australia), Taiwan Mobile (Taiwan) and Telkomsel (Indonesia).

The Associate Membership scheme is an extension of the alliance membership structure to include key technology players such as application solution vendors, handset and network equipment provider and content developers. The purpose is to promote knowledge exchange and joint collaboration between mobile operators and technology solutions providers across the mobile service development value chain - so as to develop next-generation mobile technologies that are customized for the Asia Pacific mobile markets. Bridge Mobile Alliance had earlier announced the launch of a suite of mobile services - Bridge Roaming, Bridge Prepaid, Bridge Enterprise & Bridge Concierge. These services enable customers to enjoy a seamless mobile service experience & the ease to access a range of services when roaming overseas on the Bridge Mobile Alliance's member networks.

Dr Patrick Sim, CEO of Bridge Mobile said, "We are very pleased to have Ericsson, Motorola and ZTE joining Bridge Mobile Alliance as pioneering technology partner members to the alliance. All three companies are global leaders in their respective fields; this augurs well into our strategy of attracting the best of breed members to our alliance."

Posted to the site on 22nd August 2005