Blu Introduces Redknees Prepaid Roaming Application to Italian Market

Rome, Italy (March 12, 2002) - Redknee Inc. and Italian telecom operator, Blu, announce the launch of prepaid roaming using Redknees Callback Application and USSD gateway. With this new service, Blu will provide their prepaid customers the ability to use their mobile phones in foreign countries. This roaming application is built upon Redknee's OASIS (Open Application Services Interface System) Callback application and USSD gateway.

Rome, Italy (PRWEB) March 14, 2002 - Redknee Inc. and Italian telecom operator, Blu, announce the launch of prepaid roaming using Redknees Callback Application and USSD gateway. With this new service, Blu will provide their prepaid customers the ability to use their mobile phones in foreign countries. This roaming application is built upon Redknee's OASIS (Open Application Services Interface System) Callback application and USSD gateway.

With Redknees Callback application, our prepaid customers are now able to use their existing mobile phones when they travel to foreign countries, " noted Andrea Ungheri, Blu Switching Engineering & Service Development/Network Infrastructure. Blu is able to provide real-time billing according to the tariffs of the countries from which the calls are initiated and terminated."

Redknees Callback is a value-added USSD application that mobile subscribers invoke by keying in a USSD short code, such as *121**, followed by the phone number. It decrements, in real-time subscribers prepaid account and stops a call when the prepaid account is fully depleted. The Callback Application also screens service access. For example only certain numbers can be dialed, preventing potential abuse of the service.

Redknee has demonstrated great flexibility, and together we have implemented this Callback solution in less than two months", stated Andrea Ungheri, Blu Switching Engineering & Service Development/Network Infrastructure. With Redknee contribution we have developed a valuable application to satisfy this growing market need."

Redknees USSD gateway integrates seamlessly and securely with most mobile network architectures and easily scales to support a rapidly expanding base of subscribers and applications. This means greater revenues for the carrier, easy deployment in existing network infrastructure and interworking with all prepaid roaming partners using existing technology. The USSD gateway is compliant to phase 1 and phase 2 USSD standards. Additional suite of applications available from Redknee for the USSD Gateway includes E-Care (prepaid, postpaid, VPN), currency translation, information services and much more. Redknees USSD gateway leverages OSA design principles and complies with the Parlay Groups open API specifications to accelerate the development and adoption of value-added mobile network services.

Redknee is very pleased to be able to provide Blu with a solution that enables them to increase their opportunities for profitability and revenue generation," Chris Newton-Smith, Redknee European Business Development.

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About Redknee, Inc.
Redknee Inc is the worldwide leader in Open Services Architecture (OSA) products for 2G, 2.5G and 3G mobile networks. Since 1999 Redknee has successfully developed and deployed products into large networks around the world and continues to be selected by major telecom network operators as vendor of choice for mobile service architecture solutions. Redknee products are air-interface independent and OEM vendor independent.

Redknee OASISÔ is software based and creates value for customers by allowing them to quickly introduce new services that generate new revenues. Redknee also delivers products that enhance existing services already deployed in networks. Today Redknee products are deployed in 20 networks around the world and support over 10 million messages per hour.

Contact
Redknee Inc
2560 Matheson Blvd East
Mississauga
Ontario Canada L4W 4Y9
Tel. +1 905 625 2110
Fax: +1 905 625 6485
Email contact@redknee.com
www.redknee.com

About Blu
Blu was set up in April 1999 to create and manage high-value-added voice and data services in the field of mobile telecommunication by means of a prevalently proprietary network. The commercial activity, initiated in May 2000, has generated nearly two million clients, with a market quotation on net activation of 13% on an annual basis. Blu has been the first in Italy to launch GPRS (Dec. 2000), Blu has technological, commercial and organizational resources that have allowed to achieve excellent market rating and offer avant-garde services.

Executive:
Chairman: Prof. Giancarlo Elia VALORI
Managinig Director: Ing. Enrico CASINI

Blu S.p.A.   Administrative HQ:Via del Giorgione, 159I-00147 Rome   Blu S.p.A.Registered Office:Centr. Direzionale Isola B5Torre FrancescoI-80126 Naples

Internet: http://www.blu.it

Contact
Francesca Cecilia
Press Office
Tel. +39 06 59449964
Fax +39 06 59449551
francesca.cecilia@mail.blu.it