Comverse and IBM (News - Alert) are teaming up to help telcos reduce operational costs, increase efficiencies and drive growth. The companies have signed a technology and services deal whereby both companies will offer their customers solutions based on IBM’s software and service delivery platform solutions, together with Comverse’s (News - Alert) value-added services and billing and active customer management solutions.

 

Under this agreement, Comverse will enhance its Comverse Instant SMS product by including IBM WebSphere Presence Server and WebSphere XML Document Management Server (XDMS) as core components of the overall solution. The Comverse Instant SMS enables telcos to add value to their existing mobile messaging services (SMS, MMS) by providing the real-time user experience of Instant Messaging. IBM’s WebSphere Telecom Web Services Server software is also being paired with Comverse’s value-added messaging products.

 

According to the announcement, the combination of Comverse’s Converged Messaging solution and IBM’s WebSphere Telecom Web Services Server can provide a unified messaging experience and enhanced processing for all types of messaging.

 

According to Mike Hill, General Manager, Telecommunications Industry, IBM, “Telecommunications service providers are looking to grow and generate revenue in new ways. At the same time, they are under competitive pressures to improve the consumer experience and differentiate themselves in the marketplace. We are excited about working together with Comverse to offer value-added services such as the Converged Messaging solutions that keep pace with our clients’ ‘always on’ world.”

 

Andre Dahan, President and CEO of Comverse, is excited by the prospect of working more closely with IBM.

 

“Our wide range of software-based solutions in value-added services, customer care, self-service and billing complements the professional services, outsourcing and technology strengths of IBM,” he said. “The deeper collaboration of our two companies should open up many new opportunities to better serve telecom providers worldwide.”

 

Comverse also announced plans to leverage IBM’s BladeCenter technology for its services and IBM Power Systems technology featuring AIX 5.3 operating system for its Comverse ONE Billing and Active Customer Management solution.