LISBON, Portugal -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU - News) today announced that it has completed the deployment of a real-time charging solution for mobile messaging for Vodafone Portugal. The advanced mobile messaging solution helps Vodafone Portugal better manage prepaid customer accounts, and more easily track and charge for all services in real-time. The solution is also helping the operator streamline its operations, reduce its operating costs and deliver more flexible payment options to its subscribers. Vodafone Portugal is the first operator to offer this unique capability for Portuguese prepaid users.

Under the agreement, Lucent supplied Vodafone Portugal with a customized hardware and software solution and the necessary network integration services to deploy the real-time charging capability. Following Vodafone Portugal's specific requirements, it creates an interface between Vodafone Portugal's existing Lucent MiLife® SurePay® Real-time Rating and Charging Engine, its existing billing system and its multi-vendor network infrastructure. Lucent's services organization was selected as the network integrator for the project, providing the deployment and network migration services to help Vodafone Portugal introduce the new capabilities on its multi-vendor network. It is based on Lucent's Short Message Service Center (SMSC) Gateway built over third party hardware.

"We wanted our prepaid users to benefit from the same service regardless if they are in Portugal or roaming abroad," says Jorge Bento, Intelligent Network & Network Services director at Vodafone Portugal. "Lucent Technologies provided us a convincing technical solution and they integrated it into our network environment within a very short timeframe," he adds.

"The success of the project demonstrates our ability to address complex challenges for our service provider customers, and deliver the most innovative, multi-vendor solutions to help our customers better serve their subscribers," says Uwe Klingebiel, Vice President, Lucent Worldwide Services, Europe.

Lucent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: LU)