Verso Technologies, Inc., an integrated switching solutions
company that is adapting the cost savings of IP networks to the unique
requirements of voice, announced it has completed the planning,
installation and testing of a fully integrated, turnkey prepaid solution for
Formula One International, a switch-based provider of prepaid long distance
services.
Verso’s state-of-the-art switching technology will enable Formula One to
launch
the first prepaid long distance services into Bangladesh, the eighth most
populated country in the world, one year after the country’s government
deregulated the telecommunications industry for prepaid service.
Verso’s turnkey solution, which included Verso’s highly scalable intelligent
gateways, integrated provisioning and billing software and a full suite of
configurable prepaid, long distance and calling card applications was tested
and approved by the incumbent provider, the government-controlled Bangladesh
Telegraph and Telephone Board, in January of 2002. Formula One launches
its service on March 7th, just months after being awarded one of only five
prepaid services licenses issued by the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications.
As the first licensee to purchase and install equipment for its
prepaid
network, Formula One underwent rigorous testing of its Verso switch, which
directly interconnects over SS7/C7 with the BTTB network. Formula One plans to
expand its Dhaka City-based network to other cities, such as Chittagong and
Sylhet, using Verso’s integrated platform which includes SS7/C7 signaling to
enable Formula One to seamlessly interconnect to BTTB’s network with no
additional testing required.
“From a business perspective, our decision to take prepaid long distance to
the
consumer-rich, yet completely untapped Bangladesh market was an obvious one,”
said Mazher A. Masud, Chairman of Formula One International. “Still, our
first-mover advantage came with many challenges, in terms of both business and
technology issues. Verso’s experience as the leader in prepaid telephony made
them the clear choice for this venture. Not only were they able to offer a
variety of telephony applications based on a low cost VoIP and TDM
infrastructure, but they had the experience and the expertise to lead us
through the process of launching into a new and untapped market.”
“Deregulation in countries throughout southern Asia and Africa is creating
enormous opportunity for service providers who are willing to navigate
uncharted territory,” said Steve Odom, Chairman and CEO of Verso. “For those
who do, the number one challenge continues to be interconnection with the
local
PTTs – a challenge which our prepaid solution can uniquely address because our
technology includes country-specific SS7/C7 signaling software, something most
of our competitors simply can’t offer.”
To quickly drive new traffic on their network, Formula One finalized an
exclusive distribution agreement with four area-based marketing companies in
Bangladesh, which will resell privately branded calling cards through its
8,000
outlets across Greater Dhaka.
Globally, usage of long distance minutes is experiencing double-digit annual
growth, with prepaid long distance continuing to be the most popular way to
pay
for long distances services outside of North America. 2001 Census figures
report Bangladesh’s population at more than 130 million, while as many as
150,000 emigrate to Asia, Europe and North America each year in search of
better economic and social conditions. Bangladesh’s large population of both
residents and geographically dispersed emigrants make it particularly
well-suited for the benefits of prepaid long distance services.
About Verso Technologies
Verso Technologies provides integrated switching solutions for communications
service providers who want to develop IP-based services with PSTN scalability
and quality of service. Verso’s unique, end-to-end native SS7 over IP
capability enables customers to leverage their existing PSTN investments by
ensuring carrier-to-carrier interoperability and rich billing features.
Verso’s
complete VoIP migration solutions include state-of-the-art hardware and
software, OSS integration, the industry’s most widely used applications and
technical training and support. For more information about Verso Technologies,
contact the company at www.verso.com or by calling
678.589.3500.
