WAKEFIELD, Mass., Feb. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comverse® (Nasdaq:CMVT), a global leader in BSS, Mobile Internet and Value-Added Services, announced today that Comverse VAS 3.0 Service Enablement Middleware (SEM) has been optimized to support new capabilities for feature phones and new revenue-generating opportunities for operators.
"Smart phones – small computers with powerful operating systems and Internet capabilities – are gaining popularity. Yet the vast majority of users globally continue to use the more basic feature phones, for reasons of economy and preference," said Charles Moon, Senior Analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media. "In emerging regions, feature phone usage is as high as 90%. By expanding the capabilities of lower-end handsets and improving the experience of hundreds of millions of feature phone users, service providers can tap deeper into the value of this vast market segment and generate significant new revenue opportunities."
In today's fast-paced communications world, Comverse SEM opens operator networks to internal and third-party application providers. Securely externalizing messaging and related assets (e.g. communication services, subscriber knowledge, billing), this next-generation cloud-based service enables third parties – content providers, enterprises, healthcare, advertisers, publishers, government, financial institutions, etc., to streamline creation of a new breed of services and applications that enrich the user experience over virtually all connected devices.
"Because feature phone applications require downloads and clients to support innovative new services, application providers generally neglect these handsets and concentrate their creative efforts on smart phones," explains Oz Ovady, Senior Vice President, Value-Added Services General Manager at Comverse. "SEM is a game changer, making feature phones 'smarter' and much easier to work with by enabling applications to be network-based instead of device-based. SEM leverages valuable assets and information unique to the network, such as device capabilities and location, to open new mass-market possibilities for the feature phone segment in high-relevance fields ranging from mobile health and mobile money to mobile ticketing for events and transportation, promotions and advertising — and beyond."
SEM also yields additional benefits, such as bridging between feature phones and the IP world for cross-network messaging continuity with IMS environments, communication with social networks with a converged social and messaging inbox, and more.
"Significantly reducing developer barriers, SEM empowers industries to launch far-reaching new applications with accelerated time to profit," says Ovady. "In light of the fact that most people still connect to the world with feature phones, SEM is engineered to augment the capabilities and relevance of lower-end devices. This can enhance the lives of countless millions of users and expand the addressable market of comprehensive new services to the entire subscriber base."
"Operators transitioning to NGN must evolve from the silo-based 'vertical' VAS deployment approach to a more flexible IMS-like 'horizontalized' approach that bridges the gap between legacy and IP networks," noted Frost & Sullivan Senior Analyst Ronald Gruia. "The forward-looking Comverse VAS 3.0 vision enables operators to provide an integrated experience by delivering legacy next-gen services via a carrier cloud with an API exposure layer enabling third-party developers to create new 'long tail' applications. Among the first vendors to articulate this vision, Comverse is positioned as a thought leader in the next-gen VAS arena."
Click to learn more about Service Enablement Middleware and about Comverse at Mobile World Congress: Enabling a World of Connected Possibilities. To schedule a meeting at MWC and to join us at a cocktail event at our stand, contact yael.rohar@comverse.com.
About Comverse
Comverse is the world's leading provider of software and systems enabling converged billing and active customer management, mobile Internet, and value-added services. Comverse's extensive customer base spans more than 125 countries and covers over 450 communication service providers serving more than two billion subscribers. The company's innovative product portfolio enables communication service providers to unleash the value of the network for their customers by making their networks smarter. Comverse's solutions support flexible deployment models, including in-network, cloud, hosted and managed services. Comverse, ranked number 55 in PwC's Global 100 Software Leaders based on research by Pierre Audoin Consultants, is a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:CMVT). For more information, visit www.comverse.com.
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Statements included or incorporated by reference in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements." There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from forecasts and estimates. Important factors that could affect the company include the risks described in the section entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011 filed with the SEC on May 31, 2011 or in subsequently filed periodic, current or other reports. The company undertakes no commitment to update or revise forward-looking statements except as required by law.