End-to-end Evolium solutions

One of the biggest challenges facing mobile operators today is how to maximise network potential and one of the first moves is to get ahead of market evolution by enlarging the customer base. Operators also seek to reduce "churn" - subscriber moves and changes fuelled by competition in the market - that represent a significant administrative and operational overhead.

They can help attract and retain customers through differentiation - developing and launching new services and meeting customer Quality of Service - expectations. Over time, they aim to enlarge their customer base, providing cost-effective coverage and capacity wherever it is needed.

With Evolium, Alcatel delivers field-proven, flexible solutions to these challenges, providing a complete service offering throughout the service lifecycle. The emphasis in an Evolium solution is on ease of deployment and fast return on investment, maximised network performance and minimum cost, with the option to upgrade existing networks with new applications.

Evolium is supported by Alcatel`s global reputation for rapid delivery of high-quality, end-to-end solutions - including turnkey packages - backed by its unmatched combination of local presence and global reach. In addition, with Evolium core network solutions, Alcatel provides high capacity, scalable mobile switching and routing solutions designed to grow and evolve with mobile operators worldwide. All these solutions are modular and provide top-level performance in multi-vendor environments in a cost-effective way. Alcatel`s Evolium radio solutions have been designed to integrate future data applications so much that every current Evolium BTS comes ready with EDGE transceivers as standard. And of course, Evolium is also designed to integrate UMTS transceivers.

Alcatel`s Evolium core network solutions are carrier class in performance and resilience. They are multifunctional, supporting fixed and mobile convergence as well as satellite communications. Their ATM core ensures that they are ready to support circuit- or packet-based third-generation mobile networks as easily as today`s GSM, GPRS or EDGE systems.

By creating Evolium SAS, an Alcatel-Fujitsu company, Alcatel clearly reinforces its position in both mobile infrastructure and mobile Internet. Evolium SAS combines Alcatel`s expertise in GSM, GPRS, and EDGE as well as in ATM and IP technologies, with the advanced experience of Fujitsu as supplier of NTT DoCoMo. By the end of 2000, NTT DoCoMo had over twenty million i-Mode subscribers in Japan and will start the commercial operation of its 3G mobile communication services in 2001. Alcatel, which played a vital part in developing the mobile Internet market, in particular through the successful roll-out of GPRS commercial networks worldwide, has today a timely UMTS offering.

By maximising spectrum efficiency Alcatel LMDS offers operators a future-proof mobile backhaul solution that connects the radio network controller and the mobile network`s base station, significantly reducing transmission costs in urban 2G and 3G networks. With quicker and easier mobile base stations deployment, operators using Alcatel LMDS can deploy a flexible, scalable solution incrementally, allowing them to reap revenue generating benefits while minimising up-front investment. Alcatel`s broadband wireless access system also provides ideal support both for the higher data rates expected to accompany the roll-out of new services and the high base-station density in metropolitan areas. The Alcatel LMDS solution is compatible with other new mobile communications standards including GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution.)

Operators in Africa are installing some of the latest access technologies developed by Alcatel, including radio access solutions. For SA`s Telkom, we have supplied more than 300 000 wireless local loop lines, a quantity that makes the contract one of the world`s largest-ever in radio access. Our wireless access solutions have also been selected by many other African operators: in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Morocco, Libya, Mauritius and still elsewhere.

Our low-to-medium capacity point-to-point microwave systems run in the networks of operators in 20 countries, putting Alcatel among the leaders of this telecom technology in Africa. Alcatel has installed around 1 500 microwave relays across Africa with bandwidths up to 140Mbps. These links are especially efficient in the fast roll-out of GSM networks.

In the wake of the Internet explosion, Alcatel`s wireline access solutions have also drawn interest in Africa. Several countries are evaluating experimental platforms for Internet access solutions based on Alcatel`s fast Internet modems and remote access nodes, notably in SA, Morocco and Egypt. New solutions that interest African operators include Alcatel`s multi-service access node family, offering services from basic telephony to the most advanced broadband services.

Already deployed with more than 100 customers worldwide, Alcatel`s high-capacity, carrier-class local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) solution now offers service providers award-winning end-to-end network and service management, as well as the ability to significantly extend their customer reach and cost-effectively deliver a host of revenue-generating multimedia services and applications.

Currently being tested in customer networks, specific enhancements to the Alcatel LMDS solution include:

* Superior end-to-end network and service management via the Alcatel 5620 Network Manager, enabling service providers to seamlessly manage core, edge and access portions of their networks, in a single step.

* Expanded portfolio allowing service providers to capitalize on the lucrative multi-tenant building market to deliver digital subscriber line (DSL). DSL modems are connected to the LMDS Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) within the building through existing copper wiring.

* Enhanced dynamic bandwidth allocation for multiple traffic types to maximise the gains of statistical multiplexing for bursty data traffic, enabling service providers increase network efficiency and meet demand by distributing unused bandwidth to other users.

With unequalled speed and ease of deployment, the comprehensive Alcatel LMDS solution comprises base stations and customer premise equipment, as well as network and service management. The platform offers service providers a fully controlled, multi-service broadband wireless network that can be deployed incrementally as demand increases. By minimising up-front investment, LMDS enables service providers to quickly capture market share and begin generate revenue, expediting the return on investment.

Alcatel is the worldwide leader in Digital Loop Carrier, with more than 25% market share in ANSI and ETSI markets with its Alcatel Litespan access node. With almost 55 million installed lines, (with 43% in ANSI market), in addition to more than 300 million lines directly connected to Alcatel switching systems, Alcatel`s experience in access networks is unparalleled.

Alcatel Litespan is the world`s most widely deployed multi-service access node offered to carriers to connect both voice and data access lines needed to compete in today`s fast-growing market of new services and technologies. Alcatel`s Litespan 2000 and 2012 ANSI for the US-standard-based market and Litespan 1540 ETSI for the rest of the world market allows a seamless integration of Litespan platform to existing and future networks.

Multiservice Digital Loop Carrier bring the operators a unique access node to connect various kinds of users in a very modular way (POTS, ISDN, FR, ATM, LL, IP). As it evolves to become an Access Gateway of the future Next Generation architecture, it is future safe while offering today`s both Narrowband and Broadband access capabilities.

Alcatel-technology switches, the heart of telecom infrastructures, are found in the central offices of 38 African operators. These network systems feature maximum local development. In all Alcatel has supplied over 10 million digital switch lines.

In SA where the world`s best-selling digital switch, the Alcatel 1000, is manufactured, we are helping meet Telkom`s needs by supplying several hundred thousand subscriber lines every year. Almost 2.5 million Alcatel 1000 lines have already been installed in SA.

The phone calls of many Egyptians, particularly in Alexandria and the Delta, also run through the Alcatel 1000 switch. As part of Egypt`s ambitious plan to double telephone density by 2003, we are implementing the Nile Vision megaproject: this will add 800 000 lines to the already installed base of 1.5 million Alcatel 1000 subscriber lines. Operators in countries as populous as Morocco also rely on the Alcatel 1000 of which more than 700 000 lines have been installed throughout the country. In Ivory Coast, more than 300 000 lines have been installed during the last years.

As network system technology grows in sophistication, African operators seek to benefit from the advantages that it offers. Intelligent Networks and ISDN lines from Alcatel have been installed in Mauritius and Morocco, for example, while Alcatel platforms supporting Telecommunications Management Network standards are in service all across the continent and offshore, too in Cameroon, the Comores, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, R'eunion, Senegal, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Togo.

Alcatel`s voice network solutions provide customers with future safe solutions enabling revenue generation, making sure that they are comfortable and secure in anticipating their activity in a continually changing market. Alcatel provides a portfolio of network solutions for voice and multimedia services to fixed operators. Very importantly, these solutions are implemented accordingly to each operator`s needs and at his own pace, taking into account its national/regional/international specificity and market conditions.

Alcatel`s voice network solutions portfolio enhanced solutions is in line with both traditional and next generation network architecture concepts. Alcatel`s voice network solutions provide a seamless continuity for its customers willing to migrate from traditional solutions to NGN-based solutions. The Alcatel 1000 digital voice switch is evolving to Alcatel 1000 MM preparing for multimedia services. This next generation switch is more compact, handles more traffic and users in the network.

Alcatel has designed solutions that provide services transported on packet-based media services at the same carrier-class quality as those used with voice, using ATM as aggregator at the edge, and MPLS to provide IP QoS in the network from first to last mile. From the beginning of the digital era, Alcatel capitalizes on its extensive expertise in value added revenue generating service offering (IN, network and services management) to move forward to multimedia services mixing video, voice and data.

Pioneer in digital switching, Alcatel is number one with 18% of the switched lines installed worldwide. One out of five phones in the world are connected by Alcatel equipment. In September 2001, Alcatel set the record of 300 million lines connected to Alcatel switches in more than 145 countries around the globe.

Carriers, incumbents and new players alike, are facing the new multimedia challenge of heavy and growing demand for voice, data and multimedia services. Whereas the new carriers want to invest as quickly and effectively as possible, incumbents want to protect their investment while also adding higher capacity and services. Alcatel has solutions based on Alcate`s family of Softswitch platforms and applications which help carriers to introduce multimedia services by gradually adding key components to their existing infrastructure. The solutions comprise elements at the core, edge and access layers of the network. These elements interwork with a carrier`s existing networks, preserving and enhancing their investments.

To remain competitive in the current market, service providers need solutions that will rationalize their networks, reduce costs, maximise revenues and prepare for the future. With Alcatel solutions, service providers are able to meet these objectives and face the huge demand for voice, data and multimedia services. By migrating their voice-oriented network to a fully convergent architecture, service providers are able to evolve their current network to a lower cost of operations, high performance converged network while leveraging existing voice infrastructure. Our solution offers service providers a step-by-step, cost-effective approach for migrating to a new, mixed environment.

Alcatel`s solutions are the building blocks of the future network infrastructure. The Alcatel 1000 MM, the new generation switch, is the answer for multimedia services. It allows operators to offer voice services as well as access to multimedia services and Internet. The Alcatel 1000 MM allows operators to migrate seamlessly their current networks, opening the way for Voice over Packet solutions.

Alcatel`s optics business comprises terrestrial and submarine (wet and dry) transmission systems, optical fiber and cables, optical components and microwave radio links. Alcatel is world leader in intelligent optical networking, encompassing both terrestrial and undersea solutions. Alcatel is the only vendor that can provide an entire end-to-end, global, optical network.

Alcatel`s Terrestrial Networks activities offer an integrated series of network elements and managed products to evolve from existing technologies and services (SDH/SONET) to full optical networking, focusing its development activity on core and metro DWDM, photonic and optical cross-connects, and data-centric network elements.

Alcatel is committed to designing highly innovative optical transmission networks. Its turnkey offering is based on the Optinex(*) family - a full range of transmission products developed and manufactured in-house. Optinex takes advantage of a unique 360-degree technology - SDH, SONET, DWDM, Ethernet, IP and ATM - portfolio so that the network can evolve from current technologies to full optical networking according to different requirements both in the backbone area and in the metropolitan/edge region. These systems operate with bandwidth efficiency up to 10 and 40Gbps. The Optinex family provides flexible solutions that guarantee cost-effective, full compatibility with the existing installed base, thus allowing support for future broadband demands through incremental investments. Thanks to these distinctive and enduring features, the Optinex product line offers reliable managed transmission networks to address operators` key needs.

The Optinex family includes optical Network Systems (backbone network, metro and enterprise applications), multi-service nodes and gateways. All these systems are managed by one common and fully integrated Network Management platform, enabling efficient traffic control and routing throughout all network levels, from local up to intercontinental links.

Further to the Optinex product portfolio, Alcatel offers a comprehensive range of solutions based on SONET technology. This range includes Multi-service network elements and Digital Cross-Connects, together with a comprehensive service package. All products feature modular architectures, and dynamic upgrades to meet new requirements.

Alcatel is the only vendor who can provide end-to-end networks, delivering every part of a global transmission network on a turnkey basis: all optical network elements and multi-vendor, multi-technology and multi-protocol network management platform with guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) for revenue-generating applications.

Alcatel relies on an extensive customer-base built by a truly global end-to-end system supply. The typology of telecommunications operators deploying Alcatel`s transmission systems - more than 200 customers in over 130 countries - is very comprehensive and includes incumbent operators which represent 42% of the customer-base, Backbone Service Providers (38%) and Competitive Access Providers/Mobile Service Providers and Internet Service Providers (20%). Currently, more than 50 optical fibre networks in the world are based on Alcatel DWDM systems and about 10 000 cross-connects, 140 000 ADMs and 1 300 Network Managers are implemented worldwide.

In point-to-point wireless transmission, Alcatel`s full-range catalogue includes high, low-medium capacity microwave radio systems - based on PDH (Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy), SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) and North American standard technologies - for business, mobile broadband distribution and private network applications. All the mentioned radio systems are managed by one common and fully integrated network management platform. Alcatel has to this date installed more than 250 000 radio networks in more than 150 countries.

Many home and business Internet applications are driving the move to broadband, including video-on-demand, private videoconferencing, e-purchasing, electronic documents exchange, etc. As a response to this challenge, Alcatel`s Optical Fibres manufactures and sells optical fibre, cables, and passive interconnection hardware to link all the active elements of an optical network. Alcatel manufactures three different types of fibre: Non-Zero Dispersion Fibres (NZ-DSF) under the brand name of TeraLight fibre; Singlemode fibres, including a new enhanced version for the urban environment; and Multimode fibres for local area networks.

Alcatel also produces Dispersion Compensation Modules (DCMs) and the specialty fibres which are the critical components of this modules. Furthermore, Alcatel manufactures complete ready-to-install cables for multipurpose and special applications, as well as complete fibre connectivity solutions for fibre management, assembly and maintenance.

Over the years, Alcatel has come up with many other technological breakthroughs. For example, in the area of coatings, its unique and proprietary AFC process improves fibre strength over time for higher reliability and low replacement costs. Also, by integrating the identifying colour into the coating, ColorLock saves cable makers production steps, and makes fibres easy to identify, even years after underground operation.

Alcatel`s TeraLight fibres have become a benchmark in the industry by allowing more channels in present and future bands to be sent at higher speeds and over longer distances. Both Ultra-long-haul and Metropolitan versions of this fibre exist for long-haul and Ultra long-haul networks, as well as for the expanding urban networks where bottlenecks are increasingly becoming a serious problem. TeraLight Metro fibre supports high-capacity, high speed backbone rings of 80 to 200 km without the need for Dispersion Compensating Modules (DCMs). This makes networks cheaper to construct and simpler to operate and upgrade.

The first undersea transmission systems supplied by Alcatel to customers in Africa date back more than 30 years when SAT-1 entered service, linking South Africa and the Cape Verde Islands. In 1992, we also completed the first optical fibre system to land in Africa. Many other systems have followed, including the next-generation SEA-ME-WE 3 that will link Africa to Asia and Europe.

Undersea solutions range from a coastal system serving a single country, like Libya or Mozambique, to vast intercontinental systems like Atlantis 2, built by Alcatel, between Portugal and Latin America via landfalls on mainland Africa in Dakar plus in the offshore islands of the Canaries and Cape Verde.

Alcatel, as the sole supplier for a EURO 239 million undersea cable project, is completing SAT-3/WASC to bring high quality international connectivity to many countries in Africa. This network in the Atlantic, will total nearly 14 000km and will comprise an express route between SA, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Portugal as well as a number of spurs, or branches, giving high speed access to Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola.

Alcatel is the global reference for delivering full turnkey submarine network solutions and services. In specifying, manufacturing, installing, operating and maintaining undersea optical fibre networks Alcatel is very well skilled in capacity or global reach.

Moreover, Alcatel`s offering extends from finance and business initiation services to billing and customer care on behalf of cable operators. Alcatel`s submarine network activity goes beyond the shore, taking the cable on to connect city to city, across an ocean.

Alcatel leads this industry in terms of: having the highest capacity sold of up to 8.4 Tbit/s for long-haul systems, using the latest dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology; handling its in-house manufacturing capabilities; operating a fleet of dedicated purpose-built vessels for tight control on the system delivery schedule.

Space solutions are being supplied by Alcatel through its subsidiary Alcatel Space to meet Africa`s needs in broadcasting and transmission with space systems and satellites.

With the WorldSpace system design and built under Alcatel Space prime contractorship, and its Africa-dedicated-satellite Afristar, hundred`s of radio programmes are available, in an audio digital quality in association with basic multimedia information, on portables receivers. It is a revolution for music but also for education, entertainment and information services through the radio media.

With high powered telecommunication satellites, built for regional operators such as Arabsat for the Arab Ligue (Arabsat 2A, 2B to Arabsat 3A), Nilesat for Egypt (Nilesat 101 to Nilesat 102) or Europe*Star with a spot coverage on South Africa, satellites from Alcatel Space offer broadband access, Direct TV and multimedia services for the African Continent.

With RascomStar-QAF, a private Company registered in Mauritius, Alcatel Space is in charge of implementing the first satellite telecommunication Project dedicated to the African continent, under an agreement with RASCOM, the pan African Regional African Satellite Communication Organisation.

The RascomStar-QAF Company encompasses two missions:

* the first is to lease transponder capacity to African operators for domestic inter-urban, intra-regional and international links, and to broadcasters for TV/audio services.

* In addition, the company will also sell satellite circuits to African operators, who in turn will, after having deployed the necessary ground infrastructure (gateways and satellite terminals), offer integrated communication services (telephone, fax, data and internet access) to individual subscribers at competitive rates. The current base case business model envisages that target charges to end-users will not exceed US$ 0.10 a minute for domestic calls and US$ 0.50 a minute for continental calls.

While RASCOM`s project is based on a geostationary concept, other Alcatel space solutions with low earth orbits are now on the horizon: Globalstar, for mobile phone service; and SkyBridge, for interactive multimedia applications like the Internet and the World Wide Web.

To communicate with satellites, countries like Madagascar and Angola have installed earth stations from Alcatel that provide remote areas with high-quality communications. Operators in Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mozambique and Tunisia also rely on similar Alcatel stations. In a related application, the ASECNA air navigation network supplied by Alcatel keeps air traffic controllers in 15 countries in Central and Western Africa plus Madagascar in touch with one another.

Alcatel has supplied many communications solutions for enterprises such as hotels and businesses across Africa. A luxury hotel in Ethiopia, for example, sports an advanced 3 000-line phone system with 250 mobile phones operating on the DECT standard.

Employees at the Tunis-Carthage airport in Tunisia benefit from the technology of another 3 000-line system including DECT terminals this one with bilingual voice mail. In Gabon, meanwhile, officials at the finance ministry can work more efficiently with a fully digital network that runs on 17 Alcatel voice communication systems. This technology features automatic call distribution and centralized voice mail, thus simplifying call handling and providing ministry officials with call mobility.

Alcatel OmniPCX Office

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office is a simple solution. Thanks to its "all-in-one" concept, the Alcatel OmniPCX Office is easy to purchase, install, manage and use. It is evolutionary; it can increase the capacity available allowing a simple extension to the existing system. It is also modular, with a whole range of various capacity charts. This makes it possible for the customer to purchase the correct configuration.

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office is an open solution, which means it can easily integrate solutions from third-party application providers based on standard protocols (CSTA, TAPI, IP). Finally, it is open for Application Service Provider solutions (service providers of application or ASP) such as the Internet Service Fax providers.

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office can be used as an "all-in-a-box" solution for Internet, voice and data, as well as like a traditional PBX voice system or a call waiting IP solution (configuration IP-PBX). The Alcatel OmniPCX Office also offers many advantages to the user. The LAN switch, is a professional local area network solution using Fast Ethernet technology. This technology improves the performance of the LAN, which allows the transfer of large files.

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office Internet Solution makes it possible for SMEs to use the Internet in a professional way. It offers fast, shared, safe and controlled access to the Internet with an electronic mail server and an application of unified transport.

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office voice solution, offers an unprecedented level of telephony functions, based on Alcatel`s long-standing, award-winning architecture. The call server facility manages IP telephony and traditional telephony at the same time, thanks to an integrated media gateway, and can also manage mobility solutions such as DECT. It integrates a voice messaging and CTI server too. All these tools make it possible for the company to improve the productivity of its employees at a very affordable price.

Alcatel has combined its global leadership in data and voice communications to deliver flexible, secure, adaptive networking products for enterprise customers. Coupled with Alcatel`s OmniPCX 4400, Alcatel`s Omni-family of data products offer a compelling voice/data convergence solution.

Alcatel OmniCore 5000 family

Alcatel`s OmniCore 5000 products feature IP performance up to 52Gbps, routing performance of 37Mpps with extensive routing capabilities, flexible connectivity options, a powerful parallel access shared memory architecture, and policy-based management simplifying network administration. Alcatel`s OmniCore 5000 provides a line of modular routing switches with various density and connectivity options. Available Alcatel OmniCore 5000 products include: OmniCore 5052, OmniCore 5022, and OmniCore 5010.

Alcatel OmniSwitch/Router (OS/R)

Alcatel`s OS/R is an advanced, multi-layer switching platform (layer two and three), equipped with a 22Gbps distributed switching fabric. A full breadth of interface options are available including token ring, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, ATM uplinks, WAN uplinks and packet-over-SONET. Alcatel`s OS/R features Switched Network Services, a technically advanced suite of switch services that help manage and control all corporate networks. These include address management, directory, security, multicast, QoS, and advanced management services.

Alcatel OmniSwitch

Alcatel`s OmniSwitch is an advanced, multi-layer switching platform providing integrated LAN and ATM switching, WAN connectivity, high-speed routing, virtual LANs and IP firewalls. Designed for scalability and performance, network managers can buy the capabilities they need in the OmniSwitch and migrate to next generation technologies when they are ready, all within a single chassis. These flexible options make the Alcatel OmniSwitch the right choice for any campus network, ideal for deploying in wiring closets for desktop and server connectivity.

Alcatel OmniStack

Alcatel`s OmniStack is a series of small Ethernet and 10/100 switches that deliver powerful Switched Network Services, Fast Ethernet uplinks, ATM uplinks, Gigabit Ethernet uplinks, WAN uplinks, and layer-three switching, all at low cost. What sets these switches apart from other small switches is Alcatel`s focus on power, flexibility, and network services.

Alcatel Secure VPN Solution

Alcatel`s secure VPN portfolio includes the 7132, 7133, 7134 and 7137 Secure VPN Gateways. The solution, centrally managed with an integrated public key infrastructure (PKI), is fully certified as IPSec-compliant by the ICSA. Customers can seamlessly integrate the dedicated VPN network equipment devices with any existing PKI to conduct highly secure communications over the Internet between multiple sites. Gateways can be remotely configured, monitored and audited from any location on the customer`s VPN using the Alcatel Secure VPN Remote Configuration Utility.

Creating value through end-to-end revenue generating applications

In today`s marketplace where new application-needs are constantly emerging, being able to offer differentiating, easy to customize and to deploy applications, are a key to success. Alcatel answers end-user and service providers needs with a dynamic and complete integrated applications portfolio enabling an increase of revenue streams and an optimisation of operational costs.

Alcatel`s approach is to provide pre-packaged solutions to service providers in order to reduce new applications deployment time and to minimize investment costs. Alcatel is integrating and customizing these packages to deliver turnkey solutions meeting precisely each service provider requirement.

Alcatel`s pre-packaged offers are a combination/integration of the following software solutions:

* IN (Intelligent Network) where Alcatel enjoys a strong position with applications like prepaid services, number translation services, VPN, messaging, call screening, alternative billing, etc.

* Value-added applications such as personalization, content and payment applications, location based applications, unified messaging and voice portals

* Full Operation Support Systems (OSS) which are the dedicated information systems on top of telecom network solutions enabling the management of infrastructure, applications, partners and customers.

Additionally, Alcatel offers also integrated tools to: a) improve customer relation management (CRM, Contact Center), b) retain profitable customers (Product Pricing), and c) minimize fraudulent activities with fraud prevention and security solutions.

At the heart of Alcatel`s network management solutions and to ensure end-to-end services, the Alcatel Management Platform (ALMAP) is providing full industry-standard functionality based on a carrier-class, scalable and open architecture.

Alcatel has significant experience in Africa in delivering and deploying revenue generating applications ranging from Intelligent Network solutions with more than 20 references in 15 countries to multimedia applications like portal solutions.

Alcatel offers a complete OSS portfolio to the African Operators. Alcatel`s Fraud Management System and prepaid CMI Marketing and CMI Contact offer have been especially successful. Alcatel helps the African operators protect their revenue with a secure billing chain and an innovative Fraud management System, develop their prepaid customer base and improve their network operations and incident resolution time via notably an effective Problem Management System. With around 15 references already in the Area, Alcatel has built a solid reputation of OSS provider.

Alcatel`s differentiating applications enabled by its integrated software solutions are flexible, open, offering easy deployment, scalability and future proof migration paths, allowing service providers to increase revenues and optimising costs today.

In today`s liberalised telecom-market, both carriers and large enterprises are looking for ways to increase their market share and revenues while optimizing operating costs. The situation is compounded by the strategic need to deliver better services for customers (end users) within ever-shorter time frames. Meeting these requirements calls for a high-level, broad service input from trusted suppliers.

Alcatel Services is widening and refining its services offer far beyond basic installation and maintenance. Our aim is to enable and empower customers by providing a host of professional services with greater added-value for businesses throughout the entire network lifecycle. They include a wide array of services in each network-lifecycle phase: project planning, solution design, turnkey network deployment and integration, and network operation including administration and maintenance right up to customer care and billing services.

Alcatel Services has gained vast experience in professional services and software integration worldwide. Our presence in 130 countries is a strong asset, supporting the delivery of complete, fully-tailored solutions that enable customers to maximise revenues, grow market-share and optimise network performance. Among recent Alcatel Services references:

Among recent Alcatel Services accomplishments:

* Proven service level compliance in the operation and maintenance of a complex multi-vendor and multi-country (25 cities in 11 countries) environment - ongoing and round-the-clock to ensure the smooth performance of a 10 000km long pan-European optical fibre network.

* Rapid mobilization of wide geographical expertise as prime contractor, to provide turnkey project management - building some of Europe`s largest optical backbone networks in record time; one was 90% completed in under two years, covering 14 000km and 50 cities in nine countries, integrating the latest technologies in DWDM transmission and operation support systems (OSS).

* Successful delivery on Brazil`s most modern 15 000km optical fibre network, integrating Alcatel OPTINEX DWDM and SDH products, satellite earth stations and signal transfer points, along with third party equipment and software - enabling the expansion of long-distance services for a new operator.

* Complete ground-up deployment of a major nation-wide digital wireless network in Mexico - working with third-party equipment and covering the installation of 844 sites within two years.

* Leveraging of strong local capabilities to clinch the end-to-end deployment of major mobile networks in Asia and Latin America: the first large-capacity GPRS network for Asia Pacific, plus a leading-edge network that will support 500 000 subscribers - both in South-East Asian countries, and another that will reach 830 000 subscribers in 70 cities of Brazil`s northern region.

In Africa, Alcatel Services has gained significant experience in building and deploying multi-vendor network on a turnkey basis for various operators in different countries like Camtel (Cameroun), Togo Telecom (Togo), TDM (Mozambique), Afronetwork (Benin), Gamtel (Gambie), Nitel (Nigeria), Sonatel (Senegal), C^ote d`Ivoire Telecom (C^ote d`Ivoire), Sotelma (Mali), Telma (Madagascar), PTC (Zimbabwe).