Bridge Mobile, which includes Globe Telecom for the Philippines, has chosen LogicaCMG as a solutions and systems integration partner for its inaugural regional mobile services offering.
The Bridge Mobile alliance serves a combined subscriber base of 64 million and aims to facilitate a regional mobile infrastructure and a common service platform.
This platform will enable the creation and seamless delivery of regional mobile services across all geographies and enhance the quality of service to roaming subscribers of the member operators.
The other operators in the alliance are SingTel Mobile (Singapore), SingTel Optus (Australia), Airtel (India), Maxis (Malaysia), Telkomsel (Indonesia), Taiwan Mobile (Taiwan) and CSL (Hong Kong).
One inaugural service is Bridge Prepaid, which will enable the alliance member operators’ pre-paid subscribers, for the first time, to conveniently and quickly top-up their pre-paid account while roaming in any of the member countries.
Currently, this scheme is only possible in the originating country, where a pre-paid subscriber is required to carry extra top-up cards, or ask someone in their home country to activate a top-up.
LogicaCMG is setting up the underlying core infrastructure with a common access gateway and a wholesale billing and settlement system, as well as enabling the initial service offering of Bridge Prepaid.
The Access Gateway comprises LogicaCMG’s Open Messaging Gateway (OMG) and Aepona Causeway – the standards-based integration backbone for convergent networks. LogicaCMG partnered with Intec for the billing and settlement systems and selected Utiba for the Bridge Prepaid solution.
Patrick Sim, CEO of Bridge Mobile, said LogicaCMG’s solutions will help provide an enhanced international mobile experience and enable them to commercialize new services and technologies faster.
"The solution allows us to set new standards of innovation, with a faster time to market in order to support the rapidly evolving business needs. Bridge Mobile is now able to facilitate the launch of more innovative products and services on a regional basis to create competitive differentiation for our member operators," he explained.
For his part, Boudewijn Pesch, managing director of LogicaCMG global telecoms in Asia, added: "We consider this a significant partnership win, which demonstrates that LogicaCMG is continuing to shape the Asia Pacific market and showcases our expertise in systems integration and innovative solutions. "
"Sun is excited to be partnering with LogicaCMG and Bridge Mobile. The innovative services by Bridge Mobile will benefit not only the member operators, but will also set the benchmark for other operators around the world," said Lionel Lim, president of Asia South Sun Microsystems.
Meanwhile, Justin Ho, COO of Utiba, explained that mobile communication is a universal tool for business and consumers and, with the majority of subscribers in Asia holding pre-paid accounts.