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Alcatel has agreed to purchase GGSN (GPRS Gateway Support Node) specialist WaterCove Networks
January 30, 2004
PARIS -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) has finalized an agreementto buy Boston (USA)-based WaterCove Networks, a specialist in next generation mobile networkingequipment called GGSN (GPRS Gateway Support Node). This asset acquisition will allow Alcatel,the world market leader in mobile prepaid solutions, to reinforce its portfolio for mobile operators’growing needs for flexible and reliable real time content charging solutions.
WaterCove Networks develops and offers the "intelligent GGSN" technology which is one of themost powerful GGSN solutions available on the market today. WaterCove Networks’ solution wasselected by Orange UK in 2002, becoming the first "intelligent GGSN" commercially operationalworld-wide.
With WaterCove’s GGSN technology and Alcatel’s software technology in the same piece ofequipment, the GGSN offers the best routing performances and the opportunity for operators tocharge their subscribers according to the type of content they wish to access or the way they prefer toaccess this content. For example, an operator can choose to charge a different price for sportsresultsmultimedia messages than for traffic-warning multimedia messages, or different prices forinstantaneous access versus delayed access to the results of a sports event.
This acquisition of assets builds upon the OEM agreement that Alcatel and WaterCove Networkssigned in July 2003 and that has proved mutually beneficial to both companies.
"The skill set of WaterCove Networks is highly complementary with that of Alcatel", said MarcRouanne, chief operating officer of Alcatel’s mobile activities. "Blending our skills together will allowAlcatel to answer service providers’ growing needs for sophisticated user-centric new billingsolutions."
"WaterCove Networks’ team is proud to be part of the Alcatel family", stated Jayesh Patel, founderand chief executive officer of WaterCove Networks, and now head of the intelligent GGSN activitywithin Alcatel. "Looking ahead, Alcatel’s worldwide footprint, financial strength and strong customerbase create the ideal fit to accelerate the path we have each been on."
Alcatel SA
WaterCove Networks Inc.
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