Logica signs four TDMA mobile solutions contracts

Four TDMA wireless carriers have sign up for Lexington, MA-based Logica Inc's Telepath short messaging service center (SMSC) and its over-the-air activation platform (OTA) to provide enhanced wireless features for their subscribers. Dobson Cellular, Midwest Wireless, Cellular South and Centennial Wireless selected the mobile networking solutions for the worldwide SMS market leadership, stability, and TDMA deployment expertise.

"Logica's OTA and Telepath SMSC will enable these four carriers to take part in the wireless data craze that is taking hold in the United States. As the carriers continue to look for other wireless data opportunities, the platforms will migrate to offer features such as interworking SMS between carrier networks and SMS to interface with e-mail," said Phil O'Neill, general manager and executive vice president, Logica Mobile Networks.

Centennial Wireless is the latest carrier to select Logica for both its OTA and SMS solutions. A key driving factor for offering SMS features to customers is the anticipated demand from their customers, said Phil Mayberry, president, domestic operations, Centennial Wireless.

An important market segment for SMS is the business customer. "Having access to information via their wireless phone provides a competitive edge for our business customers," Mayberry said. "Wireless access to information improves response time to their customers and provides immediate information to their employees—wherever they may be."

Under the new agreement with Logica, Dobson Cellular Systems (Oklahoma City, OK) added the OTA platform to its Logica product portfolio. The carrier acquired Logica's Telepath SMSC when it purchased Sygnet Communications two years ago. A year later in 1999, Dobson selected Logica's e-mail gateway to allow subscribers to send a short message from a mobile phone to a recipient's e-mail. The OTA functionality will streamline its new subscriber activation process, eliminate manual activation errors, and provide additional revenue opportunities.

Jackson, MS-based Cellular South, also a current Logica customer with OTA deployment since last year, added the Telepath SMSC capability to its current portfolio. The SMS capability will enable the carrier to provide its subscribers with short messaging capabilities. The SMSC provides a transparent migration path to its e-mail gateway and Interworking SMS Gateway to support short message delivery outside of a carrier's native network and enable SMS with other carriers.

Midwest Wireless recently added the OTA platform after selecting the Telepath SMSC. The OTA system will allow the carrier to activate new customers' wireless service more efficiently and accurately while making it easier to change the programming of existing customers' handsets when the need arises. The system also makes it possible to make global changes to company's Intelligent Roaming Data Bases, resulting in significant home roamer savings.

Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online