Calling party pays - somewhat on topic. Does anyone know if LU will be offering this feature in its cdmaOne networks?
AG Communication Systems and Lucent Technologies
Will Jointly Market an Intelligent Network
Platform-Based Calling Party Pays Solution
Service Gives Wireless Carriers Control Over Cost of Service, Billing Process
MURRAY HILL, N.J., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- AG Communication Systems and Lucent
Technologies today announced that AG Communication Systems' Intelligent Network & Wireless
business unit will integrate its network-based INgage Calling Party Pays (CPP) solution into
Lucent's intelligent network platform. The CPP solution will be integrated into the wide range of
services already available on Lucent's Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) platform.
Currently, receivers of a wireless call have to pay for a call whether they want to or not. Service
providers using AG Communication Systems' CPP solution and Lucent's WIN platform can now
have the calling party pay for the call instead of the person receiving the call. The combined solution
will allow Lucent and AG Communication Systems to develop, customize and deliver
network-grade revenue-generating business and residential applications for wireline and wireless
service.
''A capable Calling Party Pays system effectively increases wireless network traffic, but wireless
carriers historically have been unwilling to invest much in it because of the cost of offering it through
local exchange carriers and the lack of control over customer support and billing,'' said Carl
Glaeser, AG Communication Systems' vice president and general manager for the IN & Wireless
products group. ''INgage Calling Party Pays addresses these issues with a cost-effective
network-based solution that is easy to install and administer.''
Currently, Lucent's WIN portfolio includes services like stand-alone home location register,
over-the-air activation, short message service, wireless prepaid, voice activated dialing, wireless
number portability and flexible alerting. Other Lucent intelligent network applications include
complete wireline and Internet services. The addition of AG Communication Systems' Calling Party
Pays solution to Lucent's WIN platform strengthens the end-to-end solution that both companies
can offer a customer.
''Our partnership with AG Communication Systems demonstrates Lucent's continuing commitment
to deliver end-to-end intelligent network applications for wireless networks and our commitment to
open interfaces that allow third-party partners, such as AG Communication Systems, to develop
applications on our platform,'' said Curtis Holmes, intelligent network vice president for Lucent's
Communications Software Group. ''Our combined solution provides a single, open platform that
can run a wide range of wireless, wireline and Internet services. This further strengthens our
leadership role and continuing commitment to serve the needs of the service providers in the global
marketplace.''
INgage Calling Party Pays takes care of all administration, from advising callers of airtime charges
to tracking elapsed call-time and generating a billing record. The application operates on an SCP
utilizing SS7 signaling for centralized operation and consistent coverage throughout geographically-
dispersed networks. The initial application package uses a triggerless implementation via ISUP
messaging and requires no specialized software on the mobile switches. The service provides the
call control and monitoring at the home or gateway switch before the call completes to the CPP
subscriber.
INgage Calling Party Pays is one of several value-added network solutions AG Communication
Systems offers through its INgage product line. Other products include complete wireline and
wireless portability services, authorization call routing equipment, network-based wireless prepaid
services, enhanced toll-free services and wireless 800 services.
With more than a century of customer service, AG Communication Systems (http://www.agcs.com)
is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced telecommunications products and services,
including access, wireless and intelligent network products. AG Communication Systems'
GTD-5(R) EAX digital switching systems service more than 17 million customers worldwide in
business, industry and government, as well as subscribers serviced by the public telephone network.
Annual revenues for the fiscal year ending September 1997 were $400 million.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs, builds and delivers a wide range
of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems,
business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and
development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit the
company's web site at lucent.com.
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