GLDS Named NCTC Approved Provider for Billing, Subscriber Management and Provisioning

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwire - Feb 14, 2012) - Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc. (GLDS), the leading provider of billing, subscriber management and provisioning systems for small-to-medium global broadband providers, today announced that it has been named an Approved Provider for billing, subscriber management and provisioning by the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).

GLDS has also been invited to participate in the upcoming NCTC Winter Education Conference, being held in Austin, TX, Feb. 20-21, 2012. GLDS provides the industry's leading Windows® and Linux solutions for operators ranging from 2,500 to more than 250,000 subscribers, giving them complete billing and subscriber management with its WinCable® platform and automated provisioning for video, voice and data services with its SuperController™ solution.

"Many independent operator members have long enjoyed the services of Great Lakes Data Systems and we are thrilled to once again establish a relationship with GLDS for the benefit of all NCTC members," said Doug Hull, NCTC Senior Director.

"Small operators face enormous technical, competitive and economic challenges," according to GLDS' President Garrick Russell. "GLDS offers triple play billing, provisioning and other 'tier one' features -- at rates averaging 50 percent less than the large service bureaus. We believe the NCTC offers tremendous value and is a critical member of our industry, representing this country's nearly 1,000 small-to-medium cable operators. We're pleased to become part of this distinguished organization as an Approved Provider and look forward to helping NCTC's member operators launch competitive services, cost-effectively and quickly."

GLDS was the first to enable smaller operators to cost-efficiently bill and manage converged services including digital video, IPTV and Internet, and has partnered with more than 22 different industry voice vendors on more than 70 VoIP deployments to date. GLDS was also the first to help monetize IP-based VOD/OTT services, a project first revealed at the 2011 SCTE Cable-Tec Expo®.

GLDS plans to demonstrate the company's new workforce management platform WinForce tech™ at the upcoming NCTC Winter Education Conference in GLDS' booth #2. A full-featured workforce automation solution, WinForce tech gives small operators an affordable way to move customer management data out to the field, reduce field work calls and speed customer service.

"WinForce tech is a must-have tool that empowers techs with visibility into the customer's account, let's them manage equipment and service delivery, and gives them the ability to troubleshoot installations and even close work orders from the field," Russell said. "It gives operators complete control and monitoring of their workforce and offers tier-one functionality, without the tier-one price."

Solutions from GLDS include both stand-alone and cloud-based billing, subscriber management and provisioning capabilities. GLDS team members are seasoned cable professionals with a thorough understanding of cable operations, data conversion and the latest, most innovative industry technologies. GLDS is proud to serve more than 130 NCTC member operators, along with hundreds of additional operators worldwide.

About Great Lakes Data Systems
Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc. (GLDS) provides small-to-medium broadband providers with market-leading billing, subscriber management and provisioning solutions. GLDS' in-house and cloud-based solutions feature Digital & IPTV Authorization, VOD, convergent service provisioning, Credit Card/ACH processing and multi-touch customer self-care. GLDS has installed software for over 400 operators in 49 U.S. states and 44 countries worldwide, offering "tier-one" features at significantly lower prices. For more information, visit www.glds.com.

About NCTC
The National Cable Television Cooperative, Inc. (NCTC) is a Kansas not-for-profit corporation that operates as a programming and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies who own and operate cable systems throughout the U.S. and its territories. NCTC seeks to maximize current and future opportunities to ensure the profitability, competitive stature and long term sustainability of its member companies.

WinCable is a registered trademark and WinForce tech is a trademark of Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.