Telewest Broadband, one of Great Britains largest alternative carriers, banks on next-generation technology of the European Computer Telecoms Group (ECT) for its service number offering

Based on ECTs solution, Telewest launches its new Special Rate Service (SRS) Advanced Solutions

London, Munich (PRWEB) September 22, 2004 -- Following a highly competitive tender process, the European Computer Telecoms Group (ECT), Europes market leader for intelligent value-added services, has provided a turnkey solution for special rate service numbers to Telewest, one of Great Britains largest alternative carriers. The cutting-edge SRS Inbound Telephony Solution is designed specifically for call centres and based on ECTs effECTive® Service Number Suite. Rather than continuing to use its legacy technology, Telewest opted for a completely new solution using state-of-the-art, next-generation switching technology. This allows Telewest to benefit from new functionality and lead the way in inbound telephony call handling.

SRS Advanced Solutions include a web portal that makes call handling and routing simple. It allows customers to get instant access to their SRS numbers and associated routing plans. Moreover, it gives them the ability to alter, define, copy, activate and display routing plans, all in real time.

With a suite of advanced features at their fingertips, organisations can instigate overflow plans to cope with particularly busy periods, upload announcements, set up and manage Network Interactive Voice Response (NIVR), utilise Network Queuing and route calls directly to the best available agent using Skill-Based Routing. Real-Time Statistics are also available as a premium feature allowing customers to view call data as calls are processed.

Matt McCloskey, senior product manager SRS at Telewest, said: It was imperative for Telewest to find the right supplier to help us take our product set forward within very aggressive timescales. We wanted to lead the market with our new solution, not just keep adding extra functionality to outdated technology. ECT was able to provide us with exactly what we needed.

The ease of use and web front end provided by ECT technology makes Telewests SRS Advanced Solution the front runner in inbound telephony handling."

The service is entirely network-based, so that there is no need for costly equipment on customer premises, additional hardware or capital expenditure of any kind. Utilising ECTs effECTive® Service Number Suite and AutoCarrier® Softswitches located at different geographical locations for disaster recovery, the service is fully resilient and is also integrated with the Telewest National Network (TNN). The AutoCarrier® provides the backbone of the solution that will allow organisations across the UK, regardless of geographic location, to benefit from the latest in inbound call handling.

Mobile and fixed-line carriers all over Europe bank on ECTs applications for value-added services. Today, ECTs customers include carriers such as BT Global Services, the Deutsche Telekom Group, Vodafone, the TeliaSonera Group and Completel.

Chris Foxell, President of Sales at the European Computer Telecoms Ltd. said: We are pleased that Telewest, one of Great Britains largest alternative carriers, now offers intelligent service numbers based on our technology. I am looking forward to a successful partnership with Telewest."

A demonstration of Telewests new service can be seen at: www.telewest.co.uk/srs

About the effECTive®Service Number Suite:

ECT has developed a new range of application modules for service numbers collectively known as the effECTive® Service Number Suite. This solution offers five different application modules, providing carriers with tailor-made service number solutions for all customer segments. Employing these modules, end customers not only get call routing and call distribution through the carriers network, carriers also provide their customers with numerous intelligent functions and performance features for service numbers. As the intelligence" is based in the carriers network, their customers dont have to invest into cost-intensive special equipment when they realise virtual call centres, IVR systems, fax servers, auto-attendants, etc. with free phone, shared-cost or premium lines. Carriers and their customers can administer and configure these services easily and in real time via the integrated web interface.

• A solution for every need: effECTive® Service Number Suites five modules hold countless solutions in store regardless of what the business environment requires. With this application you can serve small and medium-sized businesses as well as companies facing large traffic volumes. In addition, each solution can be further specified and customised depending on your needs and those of your customer.

• Real-time statistics: All effECTive® application modules include real-time statistics features. This allows your business customer to monitor online all calls currently processed by each service number in the network. An easy-to-use graphical Web interface provides up-to-date information. Another option: You can monitor the traffic and send the statistics to your customer via e-mail or SMS.

• Expanding capacities, adding other Value-Added Services: Based on ECTs highly available and redundant AutoCarrier® softswitch and/or INtellECT® intelligent network (IN), you can easily and seamlessly install and operate other Value-Added Services alongside effECTive® Service Number Suite. Also, should your customer require an upgrade of his current effECTive® installation in the wake of growing traffic, capacity can be increased within a matter of 24 hours.

About Telewest Broadband:

Telewest Broadband, the broadband communications and media group, currently passes 4.9 million homes in the UK and provides multi-channel television, telephone and internet services to 1.74 million UK households, and voice and data telecommunications services to around 67, 000 business customers. Its content division, Flextech, is the BBC's partner in UKTV. In May 2004, Telewest Business was awarded the Communications Management Association (CMA) Chairman's Award for exceptional Customer Satisfaction ratings in the Wireline Services and Internet/Online Services sections of the CMA's Communications Market UK 2003" report. More information can be found at http://www.telewest.co.uk/business

About the European Computer Telecoms Group

The European Computer Telecoms Group, or ECT for short, was established in Munich, Germany in 1998, shortly after the German telecommunications market was liberalised. Today ECT encompasses the mother company European Computer Telecoms AG as well as the European Computer Telecoms Ltd. in London and the ECT Vertriebs- and Servicegesellschaft mbH in Munich. In addition, there are registered ECT Sales and Service Centres in Paris, Strasbourg, The Hague, Warsaw and Vienna. ECT is also affiliated with Interactive Technologies Holdings Limited in Hong Kong and has a direct sales and service presence in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Manila.

ECT enables highly profitable value-added services via software applications running on its own complete line of open platforms for public switching, service nodes, intelligent networks, intelligent peripherals and next-generation networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP). ECTs mobile value-added services, e.g. Ring Back Tone Service, Prepaid Mobile and Number Portability, are utilized by major mobile carriers, such as Vodafone D2, Tele2, TeliaSonera, Omnitel, the Saunalahti Group, Radiolinja and Hutchison. ECT's fixed-line customers include major incumbents, such as BT, Deutsche Telekom and TeliaSonera, as well as alternative carriers, such as Tele2, Completel, Telewest and Versatel. ECT value-added services are also to be found at major Internet service providers, such as the United Internet AG, as well as larger providers of prepaid calling cards and services, such as Alpha Telecom, the Calling Card Company Ltd., Central Telecom and Mox Telecom. In the recently liberalized markets of Eastern Europe, ECT also provides cost-efficient and low-maintenance public switching with interconnection. In the Czech Republic, for instance, ECT has equipped virtually all the alternative carriers including PragoNet, the local subsidiary of the Deutsche Telekom Group.

ECT has developed a large family of applications for value-added services, such as fixed-line and mobile number portability, service numbers with televoting and network-based call centre functionality, ring back tone service, prepaid mobile, teleconferencing services, personal number services, and prepaid calling cards. Additional service applications are introduced on a regular basis, all of which run on both the ECT AutoCarrier® and INtellECT® platforms. The AutoCarrier® is a class 4 softswitch that can be utilised for both interconnection to the public telephone network as well as intelligent value-added services. Via its INtellECT® Service Control Point, ECT realises intelligent networks with the Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP) CS1 and CS2.

For further press information:

European Computer Telecoms AG    

Hagen Gutsfeld

Marketing and PR    

Ridlerstraße 55    

80339 Munich

Germany    

Tel.: (0049) 89/ 55 29 47 -- 169

Fax: (0049) 89/ 55 29 47 - 111

E-Mail: hagen.gutsfeld@ect-telecoms.de

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