OPERA TELECOM IS FIRST TO OFFER ZERO-COST-OF-ENTRY TO NEW PROVIDERS OF SMS, VOICE AND PREMIUM RATE SERVICES

Multi-million pound infrastructure enables unique 'revenue share proposition, positioning Opera as the 'suppliers supplier

7 February 2002: Opera Telecom, the fastest growing International player in the provision of SMS premium services, today launches a unique zero-cost-of-entry proposition to new providers of SMS, voice and premium rate number services. As the 'suppliers supplier, Opera enables its reseller partners to generate revenue immediately without the need for costly start-up infrastructure.

With its own direct SMS Gateway connection, switch and the in-house capability to develop and manage SMS services end-to-end as an International offering, Opera is presenting the reseller community with ready made and bespoke service solutions with no set-up charges.

Gary Corbett, Managing Director of Opera Telecom explains, We think its crucial that our resellers are able to concentrate on marketing, sales and account management without having to worry about the infrastructure or implementation. This enables our resellers to sell unbranded products and services as their own quickly and efficiently on a revenue share basis."

Established in November 2000 and with a first-year turnover in excess of 30m, Opera Telecom is the largest and fastest growing producer of SMS premium services and also boasts a full range of telecom service facilities. These include International switching, IVR bureau, web development team, unified messaging platform, ISP and WAP infrastructure as well as a sophisticated billing system. Operas clients include some of the worlds leading portals, national broadcasters, national and regional publishers, International carriers, network operators and hundreds of independent telecommunication companies.

As a licensed UK Network Operator, and through agreements with other carriers and partners worldwide, Opera Telecom has delivery capability greater than most of its competitors and is further able to offer cheaper domestic premium rates in most western European countries and English speaking markets. This market position, together with the large volumes of SMS that the company handles, enables Opera to cut messaging costs, increasing revenue for both parties.

Until recently, volume SMS was a relatively simple business. However, as SMS has grown, so have the requirements, tariffing and infrastructure. Mark Nuttall, Sales Manager of Value Added Services at Opera explains, Customer requirements now vary from guaranteed time sensitive messaging to bulk mailing. As a result of our extensive capabilities, we have the capability to develop and create very customised services. It also means that we are able to develop and release these services very quickly and ahead of the market. We are continually cultivating new ideas and can easily turnaround two new services each week, which is essential in the competitive environment in which we operate."

Corbett concludes, We provide the ideas, the infrastructure, the implementation and bags of the latest content; our resellers provide the marketing support to their audience; then we both sit back and enjoy the revenue generated from the campaign."

About Opera Telecom
Headquartered in Brindley Place, Birmingham, and with a first-year turnover in excess of 30m, Opera Telecom is one of the fastest growing and profitable providers of SMS premium services worldwide. It also boasts a full range of telecom service facilities, which include International switching, IVR bureau, web development team, unified messaging platform, ISP and WAP infrastructure as well as a sophisticated billing system.

Opera Telecoms reseller programme positions Opera as the 'suppliers supplier, enabling its reseller partners to generate revenue immediately without the need for costly start-up infrastructure. With its own direct SMS Gateway connection, switch and the in-house capability to develop and manage SMS services end-to-end as an International offering, Opera is presenting the reseller community with ready made and bespoke added value service solutions with no set-up charges.

Opera Telecom also provides services direct to some of the world's leading portals, national broadcasters, national and regional publishers, international carriers, network operators and independent telecommunication companies. Customers include GMTV, beeb.com, BT, MSN, EMAP, Eirecom and ITV.

For further information, please contact:

Opera Telecom   
t. 0808 13-13-13-1
sales@operatelecom   
www.operatelecom.com

The itpr Partnership
Laura Scott/Ashley Carr
t. +44 (0)1932 57 88 00      
lauras@itpr.co.uk
www.itpr.co.uk