Hewlett-Packard has lifted the lid on a range of new
communications products and services, including a system that
unifies voice and data communications for business users, and an
upgraded platform for mobile telecommunications
operators.
A new offering in partnership with Sony Ericsson to provide
voice and data services for businesses will combine multiple
communications systems including voice services, such as voicemail,
and data services, such as e-mail and instant messaging, into a
unified product.
Mobile services will also be included, and employees will be
able to reduce the number of devices they use and can have a single
phone number for both mobile and fixed calling.
The HP unified communications product will use private branch
exchanges with new internet protocol-based technologies. The
product includes Ericsson communications applications, HP network
management software and HP servers running Windows or Linux.
The HP/Ericsson offering is expected to be available in Europe
during the second quarter and in the rest of the world by the end
of the year. In a test deployment in HP's 20 offices in Sweden, the
product linked mobile voice and data services with fixed office
services, enabling a single, consolidated inbox for voicemail and
e-mail.
HP reduced communications costs by 38%, by reducing the number
of PBXs, reduced end-user devices to one per employee and managed
more efficiently its wireless airtime costs with the local
operator.
HP also announced improvements in two mobile offerings, designed
to help mobile network service providers bring new services to
market. The offerings are designed to help mobile operators roll
out dozens of personalised mobile services to niche customer
groups, instead of "one-size-fits-all" mobile plans, said Joy King,
director of worldwide marketing for HP's network-services provider
group.
"We are seeing a move away from the search for the big killer
app," King added. "There isn't one. The next killer application is
going to be hundreds of services targeting small groups of
consumers and enterprises."
HP's improved mobile offerings include version 2.0 of the HP
mobile Service Delivery Platform (mSDP) and upgrades in elements of
the HP Integrated Service Management (ISM) platform, featuring
prepaid, real-time billing and enhanced fraud management. HP also
announced new mobility support services to help companies support
wireless local area networks and a new content billing system.
HP's announcements ahead of the 3GSM World Congress which takes
place in Cannes from 23-26 February.
Focused on the creation and delivery of mobile services, mSDP is
an integrated framework of software and tools, partner solutions,
carrier-grade hardware and consulting and integration services. The
new version of mSDP includes: a platform core that links all mSDP
components; adaptors for network management; location and billing
services; digital rights management; enhanced security controls;
and an improved web services creation environment.
HP ISM is focused on the use and management of communications
services. By automating systems such as billing, network
management, customer care and fraud management, support system
operators can reduce costs and improve the quality of service.
HP's new Content Mediation and Charging (CMC) product enables
mobile operators to manage, instantaneously, the processes needed
to facilitate mobile data transactions between prepaid customers,
the content provider and the mobile operator.
The system manages content charging and payments, real-time
content rating and mobile commerce. CMC will allow content
providers to keep track of payments owed to them, which should
drive more content creation for mobile devices, said Phil McKinney,
chief technology officer for HP's network and service provider
solutions.
"It's one of the areas that we think is holding back a much
broader availability of rich media content," he added. "We're
bringing forth a solution ... that addresses the ability for people
to get paid."
HP also announced an upgrade to its fraud management solution,
designed to protect operators from the new and more dynamic fraud
schemes emerging with next-generation voice and data services.
Grant Gross writes for IDG News
Service