MTN, one of Africa`s leading telecommunication companies, has chosen Protek, the global provider for operational support systems, to supply a fully convergent Customer Care and Billing (CCB) system to support its growing Ugandan business.
MTN Uganda has expanded its operations from GSM pre-paid and post-paid into fixed-line, VSAT and ISP landline services and needed a new, integrated CCB solution to support the dynamic requirements of a multi-service segment environment. The contract went to international tender and after an extensive review process, MTN selected Protek to implement and maintain its convergent billing system. This implementation included the merging of two legacy billing systems from MTN`s mobile and fixed subscriber base.
"Protek offered the best solution for our unique requirements, together with a fast and effective rollout strategy. The impressive functionality and inherent flexibility of the Flagship technology made Protek the ideal choice for MTN Uganda," said Tom Bragaw, CEO, MTN Uganda.
Protek`s flexible solution will allow MTN to target specific groups within its customer base with tailored marketing offers for different services. The N-tiered client hierarchy of the system will allow MTN to flexibly configure its business model to integrate billing and provide customers with a single, combined monthly bill for multiple services.
97% of MTN`s business in Uganda is on a pre-paid basis, reflecting the country`s predominantly cash-based economy. Flagship`s ability to integrate with MTN`s IN prepaid platform will allow MTN to record call and usage information and manage the entire prepaid and post-paid subscriber base from a central repository (which was previously only available for post-paid customers). This will allow MTN to access valuable customer information that will facilitate comprehensive reporting analysis and effective marketing of new products and services to all types of customers.
"Our pre-integrated CCB software will reduce the issues of customisation during implementation and significantly lower operating costs, by enabling MTN to charge for multiple services on a single billing platform," commented Geoff Butcher, CEO, Protek. "We are delighted to be working with MTN Uganda and this project is a further endorsement of the Flagship CCB solution and its unique flexibility".
MTN and Protek are currently discussing a number of other potential projects across Africa (further announcements to follow).
Share
The Government of Uganda awarded the Second National Operator license to MTN Uganda on 15th April 1998. MTN launched full commercial service on 21 October 1998, just six months after signing the license.
MTN Uganda has currently deployed over 150 GSM sites in 24 districts across Uganda, from Gulu in the North to Kisoro in the Southwest, and Mbale in the East. Its two Switching Centres have been dimensioned to accommodate over 220,000 subscribers.
MTN recently expanded its offerings by installing Wireless Local Loop Technology and breaking ground on Africa`s first "Door to Door" Fiber Optic project.
The company`s Mobile, Fixed and Data subscribers currently exceed 150,000, making MTN the largest telecommunications provider in Uganda today.
Elsewhere in Africa the company`s shareholders have interests in networks in South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Rwanda, Cameroon and Nigeria. www.mtn.co.ug
Protek
Protek develops, markets and supports integrated software solutions for the end-to-end management of advanced and next generation communications networks. The Flagship suite of products provides solutions for order management, customer care, billing, rating, service provisioning, network security, asset management, mediation and multi-vendor network management.
Protek has designed the Flagship suite of products to enable its customers to become more responsive to their customers and to accelerate revenue growth. In offering a broad range of functionality, the Flagship suite of products provides customers with the benefits of a faster time to market, reduced business risk, improved customer service, scalability and ease of implementation; in addition to Protek`s usage-based pricing model.
Protek is headquartered in the United Kingdom, with offices in Austin (Texas), Scandinavia, South Africa, Russia, Southeast Asia and South America. Customers include BT, ntl, BUPA, VIAG EuroPlattform, Teracom, Telenor, KPN and Western Wireless International. Partners include Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Oracle, Remedy, Vertel, XacctTechnologies, Rational, Nortel and Marconi Communications
Editorial contacts