|
Newsletters
|
|
|
|
|
|
WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
First Hop Launches Wireless BrokerTM
Geneva - October 13, 2003 - At the ITU Telecom2003 exhibition, First Hop Ltd today launches Wireless BrokerTM, the next-generation middleware product allowing Operators and Service Providers to manage the complete process of provisioning, delivering, and charging of a large, dynamic service portfolio over all wireless channels, such as SMS, MMS, WAP Push, WAP, and HTTP.
The mobile service environment is becoming increasingly complex, while end user demands are more focused and segmented. Service lifetime will get shorter and shorter. To succeed in the rapidly growing wireless content business, Operators need to fulfil segmented end user demands with a wide service offering and react quickly to evolving needs. In parallel, Operators need to manage the complexity of SMS, MMS, and WAP/HTTP traffic management without redundant investments. Maintaining such a dynamic service bundle will set completely new middleware requirements on rapid service enrolment, multi-channel traffic flow, billing, Service and Content Provider management, and business reporting. Free Internet browsing" introduced by WAP and WP-HTTP capable phones risks Operators losing application revenues and becoming bitpipes or mobile ISPs. Operators will need to reinvent their value in the open wireless content business, exploiting their network and billing capabilities and thus making the service much more meaningful, easy to use, and chargeable, compared to free content.
Content delivery through all wireless channels
The foundation of First Hop product development is not only to understand what capabilities our customers need to run their Value Added Service (VAS) business successfully. It is perhaps even more critical for us to understand how these capabilities integrate into a complete service infrastructure. The key capabilities that we offer to boost the multi-channel VAS business include:
· Simple and fast SMS/MMS/WAP/HTTP application connectivity
· Generating billing data on any mobile transaction
· Routing & controlling traffic based on infinitely adaptable business logic
· Service provisioning and external content provider management
· Performance enhancement of GPRS and wireless Internet traffic
· Business support and reporting
These capabilities are integrated with billing, user authentication, location, DRM, and other real-time systems and databases that are essential to implementing a comprehensive product for wireless content business management - introducing First Hop Wireless BrokerTM.
Wireless BrokerTM, the new centrepiece of First Hops offering, is a middleware product that allows Operators and Service Providers to manage the complete business process needed for wireless content. The product allows the provisioning, delivering, and charging of a large, evolving service portfolio over all wireless channels, including SMS, MMS, WAP Push, WAP, Email, WP-TCP, and HTTP. First Hop Wireless BrokerTM also provides direct delivery MMS, WAP gateway, and virtual SMSC capabilities. Furthermore, First Hop Wireless BrokerTM significantly improves the mobile Internet experience for the end user and optimises data traffic across wireless channels.
Covers the complete wireless content delivery process
By providing a flexible workflow model for the service enrolment process, First Hop Wireless BrokerTM connects in-house applications and multiple external Service Providers with rapid launch capability. The Operator controls the overall process by registering Service Providers and by defining their service enrolment rights. At the same time, the Operator defines the business model and the service level parameters that are available for each Service Provider.
First Hop Wireless BrokerTM provides a single service-provisioning scheme for SMS, MMS, WAP Push, and rich content download, as well as for WAP/HTTP browsing services. The multi-channel product connects and routes the application traffic in a multi-vendor infrastructure. First Hop Wireless BrokerTM also controls the routing and billing options of all in-house applications, hosted third-party content, and external Service Providers.
First Hop Wireless BrokerTM provides full support for multi-channel services. For example, subscribers may order downloadable content via SMS and receive the delivery with MMS or WAP Push -initiated download. First Hop Wireless BrokerTM provides the tools to manage the complete cross-bearer download process.
Adds value into wireless content transactions
Through its capability connectors, First Hop Wireless BrokerTM allows the integration of all content services with the Operators billing systems; subscriber, location, and service databases; and additional real-time systems. All these capabilities can be fully utilised when defining the business logic and traffic routing rules.
Single window into the wireless content business
First Hop Wireless BrokerTM provides service-level business reporting facilities to enable greater accuracy in business decisions related to wireless content services. For example, Operators can query the most important aspects of the system, such as the number of consumers per service and the usage breakdown per service or per external Service Provider. External Service Providers can access a real-time information base on the usage of their particular services. Single transaction details can be likewise viewed with a Web interface by, for example, customer care personnel.
Modular architecture allowing a point solution or an integrated wireless data middleware solution
First Hop Wireless BrokerTM consists of an SMS/MMS message gateway, routing and direct delivery middleware, WAP/HTTP content delivery, and download. Furthermore, it includes a multi-channel provisioning and business management layer and traffic optimisation. The products can be deployed as stand-alone for a specific purpose, or as an integrated solution.
World leading customers and production proven performance
First Hop is a forerunner and proven leader in delivering carrier-grade mobile application management middleware solutions. First Hop is privileged to work with many of the worlds most innovative and successful mobile operators and service providers, which is a vital pre-condition for us to gain an insight into market development. Built by leveraging and integrating existing First Hop modules, First Hop Wireless BrokerTM is being deployed and used by the likes of Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, and Sonera zed. With view on their input, First Hop is able to strengthen its leadership position in mobile middleware for wireless content business management.
About First Hop
First Hop, a proven leader in mobile middleware, provides scalable messaging management and wireless connectivity and optimisation products for mobile operators and service providers. First Hop generates immediate business benefits by shortening content services time-to-market, providing flexible application charging schemes, and simplifying multi-vendor infrastructure management while providing a clear evolution path to future technologies. Addressing the rapidly growing space for mobile Internet content, First Hop enables operators and service providers to drive up the ARPU with large multi-channel application portfolios that target increasingly segmented end user interests. Founded in 1997, First Hop is a privately held company headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, and with sales and support operations in Singapore, UK, and Spain. For further information, please visit www.firsthop.com.
|
|
|
