First MMS Between Asia and Europe,
Enabled by GRXs From Sonera and Aicent
June 12, 2002--Hong Kong CSL Ltd., Sonera Corp., and Aicent, Inc. today
jointly announced the launch of the world's first commercial
inter-operator Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) over Aicent's and
Sonera's GPRS Roaming Exchange (GRX) networks. The service opens a new era
in mobile messaging: Now mobile users in Hong Kong and Finland can send
MMS messages, including voice, text and images, to each other; and they
can access their home MMS services while visiting each other's network.
Regarded as a key driver of the 2.5G and
3G mobile data market, MMS is the latest focus of many GPRS operators
around the world, and is strongly supported by the GSM Association. Last
February, Sonera became the first operator to show that inter-operator MMS
works in practice. Since then both CSL and Sonera have launched MMS in
their respective markets, with CSL in March as the first in Asia. Sonera
launched its MMS service earlier today, with a wide range of MMS services
from numerous content providers.
Roaming and interconnection are key
issues for MMS, as a significant portion of the messages will be exchanged
by mobile users served by different operators. For MMS, these
inter-operator exchanges are enabled by GRX, the only managed mobile IP
data network connecting multiple GPRS operators. In the case of CSL and
Sonera, the MMS messages are transited via two GRXs -- Aicent's and
Sonera's -- through a mutual peering arrangement.
"We are pleased to launch
intercontinental MMS with Sonera. This commercial launch is the result of
our continuous collaboration, and marks yet another significant milestone
in our effort to provide world-class mobile data services to our mobile
customers," said Hubert Ng, chief executive officer of CSL. "We held our
first MMS Conference in Hong Kong this May and received encouraging
response from developers as well as customers. We are confident that MMS
will continue to boost data usage in both personal and corporate markets,
and is a natural progression to the next generation of mobile
communications."
"We have previously teamed up with Hong
Kong CSL to provide the world's first GPRS roaming demonstration and, long
before that, the first GSM roaming between Europe and Asia," said Timo
Levoranta, senior vice president, Sonera Services. "Today, we are proud
once again to be the first in the commercial implementation of MMS roaming
-- across two continents. Furthermore, this event validates the role of
GRX as a centralized, flexible, end-to-end managed IP network that
benefits all GPRS/UMTS operators."
"GRX is already an integral part of the
global GPRS mobile data network," concurred David Zhang, CTO and VP of
Engineering of Aicent, "and it's destined to play an ever-increasing role
beyond simple data roaming because of its manageability, security, and QoS,
which are all key requirements for tomorrow's mobile data services. The
successful MMS inter-connectivity over GRX between CSL and Sonera is an
important step in migrating towards next-generation GRX services that
promise to deliver even more value to mobile operators."
About the Companies
CSL is a pioneer in the mobile
communications market in Hong Kong. The Company launched its mobile
services early in 1983 and today operates a world-class GSM/Dual Band
network through its mobile brands: 1010 and One2Free. Pioneer to introduce
HSCSD, GPRS and MMS, the Company is also committed to deploying
cutting-edge technologies and building a world-class 3G infrastructure
after awarding a 3G Mobile Service License in Hong Kong in 2001. CSL is a
joint venture of Telstra (60%) and PCCW (40%). For more information,
please visit the Company's website at www.hkcsl.com.
Sonera Corp. (HEX:SRA) = is a leading
provider of mobile and advanced telecommunications services. Sonera is
growing as an operator, as well as a provider of transaction and content
services in Finland and in selected international markets. The company
also offers advanced data solutions to businesses, and fixed network voice
services in Finland and neighboring markets. In 2001, Sonera's revenues
totaled EUR 2.2 billion, and profit before extraordinary items and taxes
was EUR 0.45 billion. Sonera employs about 9,000 people. www.sonera.com
Aicent provides 2.5G/3G mobile data
solutions and services to mobile operators and enterprises globally.
Aicent's current product and service offerings include GRX services,
mobile messaging services, and mobile office services. Aicent recently
announced the largest commercial, GRX-based GPRS roaming network in Asia,
serving more than a dozen leading mobile operators with a collective
subscriber base of over 135 million, or around 70 percent of GSM/GPRS
users in the Asia Pacific region. Aicent is based in San Jose, Calif., and
has regional operation centers and offices in major Asian cities. For more
information about Aicent, visit www.aicent.com.
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