Aricent Launches Experience Engineering to Help Carriers Create Innovative Subscriber Experiences

PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwire - February 2, 2010) - Aricent®, a global innovation, technology and services company focused exclusively on communications, today announced Experience Engineering, the industry's first integrated strategy, innovation, product development and systems integration engagement model aimed at enabling both fixed and mobile network operators to conceptualize, productize and commercialize highly differentiated subscriber experiences.

Experience Engineering is a fundamentally unique approach, delivered via Aricent's global innovation arm frog design working in close collaboration with Aricent's Communications Engineering Division, a worldwide leader in telecom R&D and Systems Integration. Aricent's deep understanding of how a tight coupling of technology and design is used to create innovative user experiences is a key reason a number of global Tier 1 operators work with the company today.

"Service providers are in a unique position to deliver innovative mobile services that integrate best in class devices, high performance networks, and a virtually unlimited set of applications and services into a single compelling subscriber experience," said Arun Sarin, former chief executive officer of Vodafone Group, PLC and now senior advisor to KKR. "Aricent's Experience Engineering is the first engagement model of its kind that assists operators through the innovation, development and delivery phases of their experience strategies. It's very timely given the top strategic concerns of carriers today."

As an outstanding customer experience becomes the key decision point for consumers on purchase and adoption of new services and competition from consumer electronics manufacturers and Web companies continues to grow, forward-thinking service providers are implementing competitive "experience strategies." These strategies capitalize on their unique assets, strong brands and deep customer relationships to attract and retain subscribers.

Experience Engineering was developed specifically to enable these network operators to deliver the best possible user experience. Now, for the first time, network operators have the means to integrate every component in the process -- from designing a highly differentiated user interface to the detailed integration of all devices, applications, networks and service-related components and systems necessary to realize the vision. Experience Engineering meets client challenges with a simple, yet powerful Discover / Design / Develop / Deliver process that brings together the innovator's vision and the pragmatist's view. Balancing the freedom to create with the realities of the communications landscape, Aricent drives business solutions from the drawing board to the marketplace.

In order to guarantee the accurate translation of idea into reality, Aricent's two divisions -- frog design and Communications Engineering -- work in tight collaboration to ensure all project details are specified, documented and delivered to the client. This tight integration of the design process with the implementation process includes overseeing the entire production process, facilitating partnerships, managing software development, integrating the experience into the global communications ecosystem and providing ongoing support and further optimization as necessary.

"Developing an innovative subscriber experience strategy is an urgent priority for most operators globally today," said Doreen Lorenzo, president of frog design. "Experience Engineering was developed specifically to address this complex undertaking, and provides a clear process and framework to help carriers design and commercialize innovative experiences in a highly integrated, efficient way. No one but Aricent offers this kind of capability today."

"It's very clear today that network operators globally must design and build branded, cross-platform subscriber experiences that transcend the device," said Sanjay Dhawan, president and chief operating officer at Aricent. "Experience Engineering is the industry's first complete solution to the great number of innovation and integration challenges carriers will face as they take this crucial step to maximizing their role in the value chain."

For more information on Experience Engineering, please visit: http://experience.aricent.com.

Keywords & tags: Aricent, frog design, experience engineering, KKR, Vodafone, user experience, telecom service providers

About Aricent

Aricent is a global innovation, technology and services company focused exclusively on communications. Aricent combines the leading innovation capabilities of frog design with unparalleled domain expertise in communications as a strategic supplier to the world's foremost infrastructure, application and service providers. The company's investors include Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Sequoia Capital, The Family Office and The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board. For more information, visit http://www.aricent.com

Aricent is a registered trademark of Aricent Inc., in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information: For further information, contact: Steven Manuel Sr. Director, Corporate Marketing, Worldwide Aricent Tel: +1 650 391 1621 Email: Jay Nichols Americas: Sterling Communications Tel: +1 415 992 3210 Email: Paula Muezerie Europe: AxiCom Tel: +44 208 392 4081 Email: Varun Dubey Manager, Corporate Marketing, APAC Aricent Tel: +91 9711367093 Email: Shikha Singh Sehrawat India: Text 100 Tel: +91 981 175 7369 Email: