The Telcordia Real-Time Charging solution offers Unitech Wireless a flexible, affordable convergent charging solution that can handle the demands of prepaid-postpaid, voice-data-content, and circuit-packet convergence. While reducing time-to-market for new advanced services, the solution will also help Unitech Wireless reap major cost savings and drive revenue by consolidating charging on a convergent platform while increasing customer loyalty, usage and retention.

"India continues to experience exceptional rates of subscriber growth and communication service providers (CSPs) will look to attract new subscribers and increase service use to boost revenue by differentiating their service offerings," said Anuj Kapur, Country Head -- India, Service Delivery Solutions, Telcordia. "This marks the fourth CSP in India to select Telcordia for real-time charging and is indicative of the value and much needed service differentiation that Telcordia brings CSPs in a highly competitive market by enabling value-added, personalized and interactive services."

"The order placed with Telcordia is one of the major orders for equipment and solutions placed by Unitech Wireless this year. Leveraging existing competencies in the infrastructure and services space will be central to our strategy to reduce time-to-market and ensure a swift and cost-efficient rollout of our services in the Indian market," said Rohit Chandra, Chief Operating Officer at Unitech Wireless.

Independent of network equipment suppliers, Telcordia provides CSPs, such as Unitech Wireless, with solutions that enable rapid scalability of large networks as well as reduce integration costs and complexity with an open, flexible convergent charging platform.

Telcordia Real-Time Charging makes it easy to create and deploy customer-specific rules for rating, discounting, promotions, and settlements, and enables CSPs to differentiate their service offerings and personalize the mobile experience for its customers.

Building off its ongoing relationship with IBM, Telcordia built its comprehensive solution on the IBM BladeCenter and engages IBM to provide local support. The Telcordia solution also uses Telesoft Technologies OKEFORD media platform technology.

For more information about Telcordia please visit www.telcordia.com. For more information about Telcordia's presence in India visit www.telcordia.com/news_events/presskit/india-snapshot.html.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Telcordia

Telcordia, a global leader in the development of fixed, mobile and broadband communications software and services, enables Communications Service Providers (CSPs), enterprises, suppliers and government entities to successfully deploy innovative and advanced services that help our clients realize operational efficiencies, drive revenue, and maintain a competitive edge in the new era of services-dominated communications. Telcordia has globally trusted expertise in software and services to meet the needs of customers and partners, including, consulting, next-generation OSS, network and application interconnection, service delivery and charging solutions, industry research and new technology development. Telcordia is headquartered in Piscataway, N.J., with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Central and Latin America. (www.telcordia.com)

Subscribe to Telcordia RSS press release feed at: http://feeds.telcordia.com/TelcordiaPressReleases.

Contact:
Sharon Oddy
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
+1 732-699-4203
oddys@telcordia.com

Being the market leader, Hewlett-Packard was the first MNC in India to have established a manufacturing facility in the country to cater to the growing demand for HP products across the nation while reducing the product delivery time. HP has the widest portfolio of technology products spanning consumers and commercial segments and has been ranked no. 1 in the Indian PC market across all product categories quarter on quarter by IDC. During 1Q 2009, HP India retained the top spot in the overall India Client PC (Notebooks and Desktops combined) market with a market share of 18.2% by unit shipment.

Congratulating the team on achieving this milestone, Shalyn Lee, Vice President, Supply Chain, Personal Systems Group, HP Asia Pacific and Japan, said, “Today India represents a strategic market for HP and our facility in the country reiterates our commitment to serve our customers in the region. The world class HP facility at Pantnagar is a progression to the next level of hardware manufacturing for HP India.”

Ravi Swaminathan, President, Personal Systems Group, HP India, further added, “With strong infrastructure and favorable government policies, we see Uttarakhand emerging as a key manufacturing hub for the IT sector.”

Being the technology leader in the industry, the HP facility is designed for excellence and optimizes use of technology as a key differentiator at each step of the manufacturing process. Process control, quality control, IT application, and packaging excellence are brilliantly built into the entire system. This results in a manufacturing process that lends a geometrical precision to the technological competence of its products. The technology at the facility adopts the latest best practices using real time onsite upgrades of operating system software and other crucial internal and external benchmarks. Meticulous audits are undertaken to streamline and optimize the manufacturing process; internal and external process controls lead to zero tolerance for manufacturing defects. Thus it comes as no surprise that HP’s manufacturing facility has been recognized by the industry through various certifications such as the ISO 9001 certification since July 2007.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

IDEA has recently released its new TVC which shows its Brand Ambassador Abhishek Bachchan playing a Doctor this time, who discovers how people can get fit by simply ‘Walking while Talking’ and advocates this idea to the general public. While responding to a journalist’s query on whether technology was making people lazy and unfit; the Doctor responds by saying that people can be fit by just ‘Walking & Talking’. Soon, this message sweeps the country through TV, making it a mass movement.

According to Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, IDEA Cellular “IDEA brand campaigns have always celebrated Champion Ideas which have the power to change the society and the way we live. This time, the Champion Idea is around ‘Walking & Talking’ for staying fit. The communication has been designed to appeal to the masses and classes, on a critical subject such as Health & Fitness. We expect the new theme campaign to initiate a wave of awareness on fitness, across the country.”

IDEA’s new campaign suggests that if ‘Talktime’ equals ‘Walktime’ for mobile users, their fitness scores can go up. IDEA has planned a range of innovative Outdoor and Digital initiatives as well, on this campaign.

IDEA campaigns have been fresh and imaginative and carry a touch of social relevance while exploring the power of category. ‘Walk when you Talk’ is fifth in the series of IDEA’s brand campaigns with its Brand Ambassador, Abhishek Bachchan. The preceding campaigns around ‘Participative Governance’; ‘Education for All’; ‘Championing a world in which no one suffers from the disability to communicate’; and ‘Championing a world without Caste’ have been huge hits amongst the audiences, making its tagline ‘What an Idea, Sirji!’ a popular metaphor.

The new campaign has been developed by IDEA’s creative agency, Lowe.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IDEA Cellular Ltd.:

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a leading GSM mobile services operator with over 45 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It has licenses and spectrum to operate in all 22 service areas of India, with commercial operations in 17 service areas, currently. IDEA is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India’s first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 125,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. More information on the company is available at: www.ideacellular.com and on the group at: www.adityabirla.com

The Blue ID Portfolio (5 variants with varying levels of security) is set to unveil a new era in the telecom and financial transactions space. Card transaction verification, online banking, session control, biometric access, rural financial inclusion and identity management are the key areas that would be revolutionized through the adoption of this technology. Blue IDs cutting edge technology has the advantage of interoperability with legacy platforms, existing technologies and standards in the financial sector including Scosta, EMV and 8353 among others. Blue ID solutions, which are fast, safe &easy to use, is controlled by users own mobile.

Commenting on the new technology, G S S Dutt, CEO, Business & Computer Systems Division, Kores (India) Limited, said “The key to today’s market is to give the customer what he needs and to keep it very simple. With Phone as an Authenticator, we believe the Blue ID 2 has massive potential in the immediate term as a mechanism to authenticate every transaction as stipulated by RBI that comes into force on August 1. The Portable Biometric Reader which is a part of Blue ID 5 has tremendous potential in India for financial inclusion mandates as well as Identity Tools for remote villages”.

According to Goutam Chatterjee, Senior General Manager – Banking & New Business Development, Kores (India) Limited, “Authentication and Security are a tough sell to any financial institution or bank. The architecture of the technology which creates zero disruption in the customer’s IT infrastructure is what makes the Blue ID unique. With our credibility in the banking sector, our strongnetwork of branches all over India and a strong product like Blue ID, we look forward to crafting a success story”. Further, he said Sachin Paithankar, SBU Head – BPO and IT, shall drive the Blue ID sales at Kores.

Highlighting customer value of the technology, Anuradha Bansal, Managing Director, Verity Technologies, said, “At the lowest level of security Blue ID allows a person secure his access to an online session via username on the web coupled with a PINCODE on a mobile device. With the risk of online fraud, phishing and identity theft removed, online banking or e-commerce is made safe, easy and a mass market phenomenon. At the highest level of security Blue ID allows the person to gain Biometric Access, presence based password and total session control.” Further, she pointed out, Blue IDs ultra pervasive technologies (mobile and Bluetooth) are highly versatile and cost effective. In remote villages with low internet penetration it provides a portable biometric reader with server access through mobile internet connectivity. This is expected to provide large scale implementation of social projects which are expected to operate at a staggering scale.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Verity Technologies is a Mobile Services Company in the domain of Authentication and Identity Services. It has historically been a provider in the Mobile Value Added Services and credited with participating in the setting up of the world’s largest and most sophisticated Data Service vending mechanism at Reliance Communications, India. Telecom, Financial Services (Electronic Commerce + Plastic Money) and Entertainment are among the 3 fastest growing market segments. Verity is positioned to harness the power of the mobile medium to deliver customer value around Entertainment and Financial Services. It has access to over 200 million mobile subscribers in India through its Mobile Operator Relationships. Also its content Brand ‘Mocazo’ is the first of its kind initiative that uses the power of Social Networking. Its ongoing relationship for service offerings with leading organizations across the globe reiterates Verity’s technical expertise and domain knowledge encompassing both mobile & internet technologies. For more details on Verity log on to http://www.veritytech.com

The tie-up will provide BSNL customers a world-class shopping experience with superior service and easy access to all BSNL products. BSNL provides comprehensive range of telecom services in India: Wire line, CDMA Mobile, GSM Mobile, Internet, Broadband, Carrier Service, MPLS-VPN, VSAT, VoIP Services, IN Services etc.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Rajiv Agarwal, CEO & Director, The Mobilestore Limited said, "It's our privilege to be associated with one of the largest telecom service provider of the country. Through this partnership, we aim to provide customers with the entire bouquet of BSNL services ranging from Fixed Lines, Internet, CDMA & GSM Mobile Connections, Recharges and more. BSNL customers at The Mobilestore will get a wide choice of handsets including BlackBerry phones and other 3G enabled handsets."

Mr. Chandra Prakash, CGM - Maharashtra Circle, BSNL said "The Mobilestore, being country wide organized chain of retail stores dealing in telecom related services with presence in over 200 towns in India will ensure that our products and services are more accessible to our customers. Now a customer can buy a BSNL connection or recharge his prepaid connection in any of The Mobilestore outlets even in Mumbai, irrespective of where his number is obtained from."

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

The Mobilestore, promoted by the Essar Group, is a one stop mobile solution shop which offers Telecom Products like Mobiles, Mobile Accessories, Mobile Connections & Recharges, Mobile Bill Payments, Value Added Services, Mobile Repairs, Mobile Exchange, Music & Gaming Devices and DTH, all under one roof, in a world class shopping ambience.

The Mobilestore is India's largest telecom retailer, with over 1300 Company Owned - Company Operated stores, spread across 200 cities.

"Enterprises recognize the power of unified communications - the challenge is how to get there from here," said Joel Hackney , president, Enterprise Solutions, Nortel. "Step one is deploying a powerful, high-performance data network, because without it, the infrastructure won't support video and real-time apps critical to unified communications. The new family of Nortel Ethernet switches we are introducing today are designed to not only deliver that performance needed to today, but to accommodate the evolving needs and capacity unified communications will require in the future. This confirms Nortel's commitment to the needs of the enterprise market as we continue to develop and deliver solutions designed to increase competitiveness and decrease operating costs."

The Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 5600 portfolio is available now with a limited period offer. To accelerate and give your network a decisive edge when it comes to communications, register here

http://www.nortel.com/corporate/global/asia/india/ers5600/

The Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 5600 has been designed as a cost effective and reliable switch not only suitable for deployment in the data center, but advanced features also enable the switches to be used in the edge, distribution and core layers of the network. The 5600 switches are stack-compatible with the existing ERS 5500 switches, allowing a mix of port speeds and densities to meet any application while preserving existing investments. The new models are all with integrated with industry-leading 10 Gigabit uplink capacity. The 5600 also includes a model with support for up to 96 Gigabit power over Ethernet ports. This power over Ethernet capacity in a stackable switch allows for cost-effective, high-density UC deployments - and is only available from Nortel. Nortel data solutions are third-party proven to deliver 20 times the performance, seven times the resiliency at 50 percent of the total cost of ownership compared to the primary competition.¹

"This is more than a new line of stackable switches for traditional deployments. Given the performance and resiliency they bring to the data center environment, this new line offers enterprises flexibility at a very aggressive price point," said Zeus Kerravala, senior vice president, Yankee Group **. "This bolsters Nortel's unified communications solution portfolio, but more importantly, it demonstrates that Nortel is moving forward in designing new products that represent strong offerings and commitment to the enterprise market."

This new line of high-end, stackable Nortel switches was designed and engineered from the ground up to be a break from the evolutionary approach to building data products to deliver real-time unified communications with market-leading performance and features. The five switches in the new ERS 5600 series offer up to 18 times the stacking performance, up to twice the capacity, and up to seven-times the resiliency of the stackable switches from the primary competition, at a fraction of the expense.

"Nortel's solution provides the base for unified communications and simplifies our network infrastructure, providing industry-leading functionality and performance combined with excellent throughput, reliability and affordability," said Allen Frost, network architect, Novell **. "It also requires less equipment and that translates to savings in terms of capital and operational costs. The ERS 5600 switches proved to be simple to deploy, and we anticipate significant productivity enhancements as well as ongoing cost savings with this data networking solution.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Nortel

Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com . For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news .

Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as "could", "expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "targets", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see Nortel's Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

*Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.
**This is a 3rd party link as described in our Web linking practices.
Use of the terms "partner" and "partnership" does not imply a legal partnership between Nortel and any other party.
¹The Tolly Group Report Number 208298, July 2008, reported the results of a power consumption evaluation of six Nortel converged data network products consisting of large and medium core and wiring closet Ethernet Routing Switches (ERS), enterprise branch office routers, and IP phones compared to similar Cisco products on the basis of power consumption and heat dissipation, and five-year operational cost. See also the Tolly Group Report Number 208275, January 2008, and Info-Tech Research Group Report (January 30, 2008).

The second phase of Nielsen Consumer Experience Mobile Test program is scheduled to commence soon and will include an expanded scope of markets and features.

“The first phase of the survey found stark variation in Data network performance between Market Leader and Market Average, creating opportunities for differentiation particularly in Tier I markets.” said Shankari Panchapakesan, Executive Director, Telecom Practice Group, The Nielsen Company.

Nielsen has also completed the test of the data networks in the top 8 metros in India, which reveals an even starker picture of Data network performance in the country. The variation in performance of Data network performance between the market leader and the market average in the Tier I markets creates a bigger and better opportunity for differentiation, especially given the upcoming roll out of 3G networks and the big effort from operators to increase revenues from VAS.

When the top 8 metros were assessed for average performance against the six most important data network performance metrics, it was observed that Ahmedabad had some of the best average performance rates.

Consumer’s voice

According to the Nielsen Consumer Insight survey, conducted in the Top 41 Indian cities, which measures customer attitudes and behaviors towards mobile operators, 3 out of 4 mobile users (76%) in India cite ‘network’ or ‘price’ as the primary reason for choosing their service provider. The same is true for recent acquirers as well – who have entered the category in the last 6 months.

“Nielsen’s Consumer Insights data showed that overall satisfaction is a function of, but not limited to network coverage. Markets show both positive and negative overhang of perception versus actual performance.” continued Panchapakesan.

Though CDMA technology has an edge over GSM in both Voice and Data network performance in India, only about 62 percent of new acquisitions (acquired in the last 6 months) among CDMA players are likely to consider their existing service provider as their next choice. More importantly a third of them (33%) are likely to consider a GSM brand as their first choice as according to the respondents it delivers better on both network and price.

“This trend in perception between GSM and CDMA operators will have an implication on driving customer acquisition, retention and usage initiatives like VAS and 3G which will be used as a means of differentiation. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will further catalyze this impending market sentiment. The CDMA operators should leverage their inherent network advantage to drive consumer perception of their network.” said Panchapakesan.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

The Radio station, along with its partners continues to pay respect to the 'King of Pop' after his death was confirmed today. HIT 95 FM has been urging fans from Delhi to celebrate the legacy left behind by the genius that was Michael Jackson, since this morning.

Mr. Atul Chaturvedi, Chief Operating Officer-Delhi, IDEA Cellular said, “We are shocked about this sad incidence in the history of World Music. We join Delhites and other fans of the King of Pop in paying tribute through “THE TRIBUTE CONCERT” on HIT 95 FM”.

The radio station is paying tribute the way it knows best, by playing loud and clear the music that made the world move to Michael Jackson’s groove, and since the MJ experience is so personal for those who grew up with his music and his attitude, listeners are also being encouraged to share their fondest MJ memories.

"I grew up listening to him," said RJ Sarthak. I was enamored…I even bunched up the white socks I used to wear, just like he did in those fantastic music videos, for Billie, Jean, Thriller, Bad, Black or White…and though musically times moved on, MJ has very much been an integral part of my music space.” He said he followed Jackson's career right from the time the 12 year old made his mark with “The Jackson 5”

"His music was happiness, fun times," he said. "It makes you think about the good times." Jackson changed the world of music. And it is only proper that a tribute to him be made as musical as possible.

The ‘IDEA Michael Jackson –The Tribute Concert’ will culminate with the 5 finalists performing at the Sports Bar, Central Mall Gurgaon on Sunday, June 28, 2009.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Sterlite’s current facility of 6 Million-Km is already under expansion to 12 Million-Km, which would get established in the current fiscal. The enhanced capacity of 20 Million-Km that would be functional by 2011, would require a capex outlay of Rs. 250 Crores (US$ 52 Million).

The expanded facility would be capable of manufacturing the Company’s existing range of optical fiber products, as well as have the intrinsic capability to manufacture new products that would cater to high bandwidth applications required by global markets. The expansion would be done by through a combination of brown-field expansion at its existing facility in Aurangabad, and a green-field setup at a location that would soon be finalized.

Partly towards meeting the cost of this project, the board also approved the issue of up to 73,00,000 warrants on preferential basis to the promoters and entity / entities of promoter group, at a price to be determined in accordance with the ‘Guidelines for Preferential Issues’ contained in Chapter XIII of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Disclosure and Investor Protection) Guidelines 2000, entitling the warrant holders to apply for equivalent number of fully paid equity shares of the Company subject to approval of the shareholders at the General Meeting of the Company and other necessary statutory approvals. Each Warrant will be convertible in one equity share of Rs 5 each within a period of 18 months from the date of allotment. The proceeds of such warrants, as converted, would be used towards these growth projects and for general corporate purposes.

Says Dr Anand Agarwal, CEO & Director - Sterlite Technologies, “Sterlite continues to be bullish on the optical fiber industry in Asia and globally. We would continue to leverage our global customer relationships and global presence, as well as the unique knowledge, expertise and infrastructural base created over the last 15 years in this business, to enhance our global market share in the growing optical fiber market.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Sterlite Technologies Limited (formerly, Sterlite Optical Technologies Ltd) is a leading global provider of transmission solutions for the telecom and power industries. It is India's only fully integrated optical fiber producer and among the Top 5 global manufacturers of power conductors. Sterlite Technologies Limited is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Stock Exchanges at Mumbai. For more information, please visit www.sterlitetechnologies.com

The Vodafone Zoozoo DVD contains all the 29 Zoozoo ad films on the various Value Added Services offered by Vodafone in India and a complete guide to download the Zoozoo VAS offerings. Vodafone customers can now download Zoozoo wallpapers, greetings, screensaver, Ecards and Zoozoo emoticons via their computers or their GPRS enabled phones.

The Vodafone Zoozoo DVD is available across India at all Vodafone stores till the stocks last.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Over the years, Vodafone Essar, under the Hutch brand, has been named the ‘Most Respected Telecom Company’, the ‘Best Mobile Service in the country’ and the ‘Most Creative and Most Effective Advertiser of the Year’.

Vodafone Group is the world’s leading international mobile communications corporation. It currently has equity interests in 27 countries across 5 continents and 40 partner networks with over 303 million proportionate customers worldwide. The Essar Group is Vodafone’s principal partner in India.

The Essar Group is a diversified business corporation with a balanced portfolio of assets in the manufacturing and services sectors of Steel, Energy, Power, Communications, Shipping Ports & Logistics, and Projects. Essar employs more than 50,000 people across offices in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.

**Figures from Cellular Operators Association of India, May 31, 2009.

The current mobile VAS industry is estimated at Rs. 5,780 crore which is expected to touch Rs.16,520 crores by end June 2010.

With a contribution of 9 % to the operator's revenue Mobile value added services currently have become a growth area and is expected to reach 12% by June 2010. This will also help the operator to maximise revenue and grow their ARPU'S as well. The VAS segment of telecom industry is attracting wireless operators, handset manufacturers, content developers, music & film companies, cartoon artists, game makers and musicians for ring tones, music, gaming, sports, mobile imagery, WAP, wall papers, logos, SMS based contests and streaming audio & video.

The Conferencecum Exhibition will necessitate executives from the mobile Value Added Industry to get together and share ideas and insights into leading edge issues relating to development in this sector of the telecommunications industry.

Participants in the conference will be able to examine what types of innovative service offerings are most appealing to Indian consumers, develop marketing strategies in order to incite the user to use advanced data services, develop innovative marketing tools for boosting the penetration of Mobile VAS usage in smaller cities and rural areas, define the potential for mobile content and entertainment in India. The participants will also be able to understand new areas in Mobile gaming - location tracking - mobile banking - mobile advertising - content – VAS as well as understand Worldwide Trends in VAS & the implications for India.

Discussion forums will discuss the Role of Aggregators, Labels & third party content providers. Mobile Operators in delivering mobile content and future Models for mobile content commerce & distribution. VAS Asia 2009 will also seek to understand the role of Network Equipment Vendors - who need to understand what features service providers need and tune themselves in the Indian Environment, role of Banks and VC'S for identifying and developing VAS providers with a sustainable business model?

VAS Asia 2009 will offer a useful & powerful forum for the organizations to examine VAS as a tool for improving customer & brand loyalty. 3G as a tool for boosting Mobile VAS usage in India. Expectations from Handset Manufacturers for introducing innovative Mobile VAS service offerings.

Key speakers at the conference include delegates from Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & IT Government of India, OnMobile Asia Pacific Pvt. Ltd, AudioCodes, Dialogic Corporation, Buongiorno (Hong Kong) Ltd, Comviva, Donjin Communication Tech Co. Ltd, IBM Software Solutions, Spice, Telenity inc, WaveNET, One97 Communications, Nuance, Netxcell Limited, Motorola Inc. USA, Tele DNA, Contara, Telesoft, Symway, Tonse Telecom, Mofirst, Telecom Watch, Telecom Era, South Asian Wireless Communications, GSA, ISPAI, ICA, ITU – APT foundation of India , TUG, AUSPI

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Bharat Exhibitions

Headed by Mr Shashidharan, Bharat Exhibitions brings with it seasoned professionals with informed minds attuned to local sensitivities and various fields of corporate promotion. The company organizes intiernationally recognized exhibitions and conferences in the areas of Telecommunications, Broadcast & Multimedia, Satellite & Space Technologies, Computing & Networking and Banking Technologies. Some of the events include VAS Asia, 3G India, IMS India, Broadband Tech India, NGN India, IPTV India, WiMax India, VoIP India, Network Security India, Mobile TV India & Managed Services India. For further details, please visit http://www.bharatexhibitions.com

Waves Telecom specializes in meeting the demands of equipment manufacturers for semiconductor and telecommunications products. Through this partnership, Waves Telecom will provide distribution and value-added services for Octasic's products throughout India.

"We cater to the ever-growing needs of our telecom customers," said Ms Sangeetha, technical director for Waves Telecom. "Since so much of our demand is for high-performance and highly-efficient solutions for VoIP and media gateway solutions, our agreement with Octasic is fulfilling a true requirement for the Indian market and allows us to expand our portfolio of world-class products."

Octasic's products -- including the Vocallo product family for voice, video and wireless applications -- are based on its unique clock-less Opus DSP core architecture that provides the highest performance-to-power ratio in the industry. Coupled with Octasic's pristine voice and video quality algorithms, developers can significantly reduce their system cost while enhancing total solution quality.

"India is clearly a huge market for telecommunications products and is among the fastest growing in the world," said Fabio Gambacorta, vice president of sales and business development at Octasic. "Our agreement with Waves Telecom extends the reach of our leading media gateway solutions to a highly desirable set of customers."

The agreement with Waves Telecom follows the recent announcement of a distribution partnership with Hakuto Co., Ltd., a distributor of electronic components and semiconductor devices in Japan. Through these two new distribution arrangements, Octasic continues to expand globally and grow its local support infrastructure in order to meet and support the demands of its customers.

Octasic's product family includes its Vocallo BTS, a fully integrated digital signal processor sub-system optimized for Layer 1 GSM/EDGE basestation applications, the award-winning Vocallo MGW, a media gateway solution that increases system density while reducing system cost by delivering the lowest power per channel, and the OCT6100 series of carrier-grade echo cancellation and voice quality enhancement devices.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Octasic Inc.

Octasic Inc. is a global provider of media and wireless modem processing silicon and software solutions for the converged carrier, enterprise and end-point communication equipment markets. The company's leading quality VoIP and multi-standard wireless basestation DSP solutions are based on Opus, a unique clock-less DSP architecture. Octasic allows next-generation equipment manufacturers to significantly reduce system costs by offering unmatched performance in terms of density and power consumption. Founded in 1998, Octasic is a privately-held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

About Waves Telecom Inc.

Waves Telecom Inc. is one of India's leading industrial representatives and distributors of electronic parts, wire line communication and telecommunication infrastructure products, creating a vital link in the technology supply chain.

In addition to its core distribution services, Waves Telecom Inc. markets, adds value and creates demand for the products of the world's leading electronic component suppliers. Waves Telecom Inc. brings a breadth and depth of service capabilities, such as supply-chain and design-chain services, logistics solutions, product assembly and integration.

Waves Telecom Inc., with its innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, and its passion for customer service, assures customers and suppliers that they have chosen the right partner to accelerate their success.

Octasic Contact:
Joyce Radnor or Bree Clidence
SVM Public Relations
+1-617-787-5192 or +1-760-754-7025
joyce.radnor@svmpr.com or bree.clidence@svmpr.com

Waves Telecom Contact:
Ms Sangeetha - Technical Director
Waves Telecom
+91-80-42051790
Sangeetha@wavestelecom.com

The BOLT mobile browser, built to be used on a wide range of mobile phones from simple “feature” phones to more advanced devices such as BlackBerry smartphones, has averaged greater than 50 percent growth in usage each month since the application made its public debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this past February. Since its introduction, BOLT users have consumed more than 22 terabytes (22,000 gigabytes) of data from 61 million web pages.

“It’s been fascinating to see the similarities in how BOLT is being used by people all over the world, despite different geographies, languages and cultures,” said Anna Chagnon, president and CEO of Bitstream. “For example, social networking is extremely popular all around the world. In some countries Facebook is the number one website visited by BOLT users, while in other countries Orkut leads. Even though the web destinations may be different, the usage patterns are strikingly similar all over the globe.”

BOLT users worldwide are discovering that BOLT’s enhanced browsing experience leads them to spend more and more time surfing the web from their mobile phones. More than 20 percent of BOLT users spend 30 minutes surfing the Internet per session, with more than half of those – a figure that continues to grow – spending more than an hour per session. In addition to social networking, search, web-based email and video websites are top ten destinations all around the world.

BOLT features unrivaled speed – consistently at least 25 to 50 percent faster than competing mobile browsers. Built with proprietary compression, navigation and rendering technologies, BOLT enables users to find and read information quickly and easily. Once users have navigated to the specific section of the large web page they are viewing, they can then zoom in to display clear text and images that look crisp on even small mobile phone screens.

People are particularly enjoying the video streaming feature of the BOLT browser – the only mobile browser that lets people enjoy streaming videos on average mobile phones from such popular video services as YouTube, vids.myspace.com, video.yahoo.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, metacafe.com and more. Of the total bandwidth used by all BOLT users surfing the Internet, nearly one third was consumed by streaming video.

BOLT’s feature set includes:

• Fast, secure, desktop-style web browsing on both high-end and low-end handsets
• Streaming video capabilities
• Split screen and full screen modes for easy navigation and viewing
• Ability to easily add and select favorites and view browsing history
• Intuitive keystroke shortcuts for easier navigation and content selection
• Protection against spyware and malicious or faulty add-ons
• 23:1 compression, which uses less data than competing browsers

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About BOLT:
The BOLT mobile browser, compatible with the majority of the world’s 4 billion mobile phones, offers unrivaled speed and desktop-style web browsing including the ability to stream video. A patented split-screen viewing and intuitive keystroke shortcuts make navigating web pages simple. Download BOLT for free at http://boltbrowser.com – the mobile Internet has never looked this good on your phone.

Bitstream Inc. (NASDAQ: BITS) is a software development company focused on bringing unique software products to a wide variety of markets. The company’s core software products include award-winning fonts and font rendering software, mobile browsing and messaging software and variable data publishing and web-to-print software for personalized marketing. For more information visit www.bitstream.com.

The portal can be accessed at www.digiumindia.com. Digium is the innovative force behind the world's most widely used open source telephony platform called Asterisk. Digium India website would provide world class features, synonymous with Digium, to enterprises in the Indian region. This portal hosts useful tools to facilitate faster data fetching related to Digium Cards or Switchvox equipment.

Says Ankur Sharma, VP Marketing, Drishti "Businesses in India are yet to explore the full potential of Digium and Asterisk. Having a dedicated portal with country specific collaboration in a market like India will help Digium strengthen its presence. This portal would not only provide Digium users with relevant information, but also serve as a platform for collaboration."

Through this website, a Digium user can get information on Digium products and submit his queries, which would get automatically assigned to the nearest Digium reseller. Digium India is also a knowledgebase for Asterisk in which application developers and solution providers can collaborate and share their ideas.

Continues Mr. Sharma "The idea is to bridge the gap between authorized resellers and Digium users in the country." Drishti's future innovations may include making a reseller zone on Digium India where they can view queries and respond accordingly. Customers would also be able to figure out the right telephony device using the manuals and guides available on the website. The feature to download tools and scripts would make the website a hub for information on Digium products.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Digium

Digium® is the innovative force behind Asterisk®, the world's most widely used open source telephony platform. In addition, Digium develops the software, hardware, and other components you'll need to create a unified communications solution for a small or medium business.

About Drishti

Drishti provides Contact Center Software and Enterprise Communications Solutions. The Company creates innovative Communications technologies for next-generation Enterprises, empowering them to dynamically manage their Business Processes. Drishti's customers enjoy significant benefits in terms of increase in efficiency levels, reduction in operational costs, flexibility to grow, consistent user experience and a demonstrable ROI.

Drishti's innovative solutions are running successfully at hundreds of client locations across the globe. The Company has been awarded the NASSCOM Innovation Awards 2008, IP Contact Center Technology Awards 2008, Member's Choice Award 2008, and the BPONews Best Contact Center Solution 2007. Drishti is also among the Deloitte Fast 500 Company in APAC, and a Red Herring finalist.

IDEA’s ‘The Michael Jackson This Is It Challenge’ will kick off with a Call for Entries in the form of teasers, entry promos, trivia capsules, shock jocks, jock mentions and tune-ins, inviting listeners of HIT 95 FM to exhibit their singing prowess on-air. The participants will sing their favourite Michael Jackson record on the IVRS for a duration of 30 secs. HIT 95 FM jury will select the best performers and run their promos on-air, requesting Delhi listeners to vote for their favorite singer.

Five short listed participants chosen by the listeners will be invited to the Radio Station to sing for the listeners and get voted for their performance. Three finalists will then be selected for a performance at a high voltage, on ground show amidst a huge gathering of Delhites at The Sports Bar, Gurgaon, on 28th June 2009.

Additionally, IDEA subscribers interested in participating in the Contest will get a special chance to be able to ‘Jump the Queue’ and head straight for the final selection, without undergoing the first round of selection process.

‘The Michael Jackson This Is It Challenge’ presented by IDEA is expected to be high-octane rock show where contestants will get a chance to pay tribute to The King of Pop by singing their favourite song from Michael Jackson’s albums. Two best performers of the show, adjudged by judges and audience will get an all expenses paid trip for two, for the Michael Jackson Concert coming up in London in July 2009.

Speaking about the program, Mr. Atul Chaturvedi, Chief Operating Officer-Delhi, IDEA Cellular said, “Music is Universal, and has always been at the core of IDEA’s innovative Value Added Services portfolio. IDEA’s musical talent hunt show, ‘The Michael Jackson This Is It Challenge’ on HIT 95 FM, will help us connect with the youth of Delhi who has always aspired to do something unique and make a mark in the society. We are hopeful that IDEA subscribers and other Delhites will come out in large numbers to exhibit their talent and gain a lifetime opportunity to attend Michael Jackson’s show”.

According to Ms. Neetu Puri Mathrani, Programming Head, HIT 95 FM in Delhi, “HIT 95 FM has always given Delhi and our partners, a unique blend of programming. We are happy to partner with IDEA to present ‘The Michael Jackson This Is It Challenge’ – another unique music show for our listeners. Our offerings such as ‘IDEA presents The Ultimate Santana Challenge’, ‘Live Earth’, the global warming concert across 7 continents played Live on the station, and ‘Live & Loud’ wherein listeners were taken to international locations to enjoy the true spirit of live music with Music Greats, have been very successful in the past, and we hope to witness similar fervor for our latest initiative”.

This is the biggest initiative from IDEA and HIT 95 FM in the months of June and July 2009 to celebrate the King of Pop’s last performance.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IDEA Cellular Ltd.:

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a leading GSM mobile services operator with over 45 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It has licenses and spectrum to operate in all 22 service areas of India, with commercial operations in 17 service areas, currently. IDEA is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India’s first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 125,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. More information on the company is available at: www.ideacellular.com and on the group at: www.adityabirla.com

HIT 95 FM

HIT 95 FM is a 24 hour Radio station in Delhi that plays International, Fusion, and Hindi Music appealing to listeners in the age group from 16 – 44 years, SEC A & B. This is the only radio station that has a clutter free Ad breaks policy, 06 minutes per hour and has a high listenership in Delhi & NCR. It is regarded as a listener endorsed station.

HIT 95 FM highlights the need for a vibrant Delhi to have specialized content developed to their liking and listening habits. HIT 95 FM has been giving its listeners the popular morning show with the award winning morning personality RJ Sarthak with “Adam” to Ten Hits in a Row, Top 8 at 8 Countdown show, making this a completely listener endorsed Radio Station.”

“I am sure Biswarup will play a key role in our journey towards creation of a great place to work in an engaged work environment,” said Mr. Arun Kapur, Group President – Quippo & Managing Director – QTIL. “We are confident that with his proven track record and strong leadership skills, he will contribute significantly in the journey of transforming this organization to the world’s number one tower company as well as placing it amongst the ‘most admired company’ to work for,” he added.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Quippo

Quippo, sponsored by the Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance, operates an Infrastructure Equipment Rental Company, servicing the high-growth verticals of construction, oil and gas, telecom and energy. QTIL is the pioneer in India in the Shared Passive Telecom Infrastructure industry. Earlier this year, QTIL announced its partnership with Tata Teleservices Ltd. (TTSL) with the merger of their passive infrastructure businesses.

Kaul, a Post Graduate in Business Management, has been an absolute turnaround manager possessing excellent capabilities to develop & realize business objectives in 30 years of his cross functional experience in organizations like Spice Communication Ltd. as CEO, Samsung SDS Infotech Pvt. Ltd. as CEO, Modi Xerox Ltd. and Modi Telstra Ltd. His last stint was with Essar Telecom Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. as Chief Executive Officer.

“Navin is an accomplished professional and a master in achieving long term business success through his holistic and proactive approach. We are glad to have him as part of our team,” said Mr. Arun Kapur, Group President – Quippo & Managing Director – QTIL.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Quippo

Quippo, sponsored by the Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance, operates an Infrastructure Equipment Rental Company, servicing the high-growth verticals of construction, oil and gas, telecom and energy. QTIL is the pioneer in India in the Shared Passive Telecom Infrastructure industry. Earlier this year, QTIL announced its partnership with Tata Teleservices Ltd. (TTSL) with the merger of their passive infrastructure businesses.

Mr. Kulkarni further added, “The application provides auto capturing support. After capture, captured calls can be played back and analyzed in time and spectral modes using a commercial sound card, built-in high fidelity speakers, and audio viewing software such as Adobe Audition or Goldwave. CCA software works in conjunction with the CMU (Call Management Utility), to automatically identify captured calls and calls being captured. Users can listen to calls that are in progress. The CMU is especially helpful when a large number of calls are captured such as over a weekend or on many trunks”.

• Automatic or manual initiation of call recording
• Real-time display of signaling bits for all channels in both directions
• 'Scan' or 'Channel' mode for call initiation detection and capture
• User specified record time
• Automatic termination of recording, or Manual termination
• PCM data captured to two synchronized disk files (east and west directions) for post processing

• Call recording for post analysis
• Analysis of single/dual tones, DTMF and MF digit analysis (frequency, power, duration)
• Analysis of call quality (speech levels, noise levels, echo return loss, speech clipping, impulse noise, and other impairments)
• Call activity, call density, and call volume analysis

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Founded in 1986, GL Communications Inc. is a leading supplier of test, monitoring, and analysis equipment for TDM, Wireless, and VoIP networks. Unlike conventional test equipment, GL's test platforms provide visualization, capture, storage, and convenient features like portability, remotability, and scripting.

GL's TDM Analysis & Emulation line of products includes T1, E1, T3, OC-3, STM-1, analog four-wire, and analog two-wire interface cards and solutions. Capabilities include voiceband traffic analysis and emulation across all traffic types (voice, digits, tones, fax, modem), all protocols (HDLC, ISDN, SS7, CAS, GSM, GPRS, CDMA), and with capacities up to thousands of channels.

GL's VoIP products generate / analyze thousands of calls simultaneously with traffic types such as voice files, digits, tones, noise, and fax using G.711, G.729, AMR, EVRC, and GSM codecs. Additional features include visual analysis, real-time listening, recording, and voice quality assessment using ITU algorithms PAMS, PSQM, and PESQ.

GL's Wireless Products perform protocol analysis and voice quality assessment on GSM, CDMA, UMTS, and CDMA 2000 networks. Connections can be made to any wireless phone with automated call control, GPS, mapping software, and real-time signal measurements.

GL's Echo Canceller testing solutions provide the broadest range of simulation and analysis, including compliance testing per G.168 and G.160.

GL's Network Surveillance and Monitoring products include Probes for TDM, VoIP, ATM, and Wireless networks. An open standards based approach provides a scalable, feature rich, real-time access to network intelligence. Centralized or distributed access, efficient transport and database loading allow compatibility with 3rd party and standards based monitoring systems.

Pluses: quality of life, jobs, advantage for Europe as a business location

R&M CEO Martin Reichle: “Fiber To The Home is no pipe dream. It is the logical consequence of the growth in Internet applications. FTTH means quality of life. For instance, it allows users to upload four gigabyte vacation movies onto the Internet just as fast as they can download full-length feature films - in less than 20 minutes.” Ultimately only a high quality FO infrastructure can offer the bandwidth, security and transmission quality needed to use several multimedia computers, game consoles, HDTV sets with Internet access and further network systems within a single household.

An Ovum study presented in February at the Congress of the FTTH Council Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark, says FTTH and ultra broadband infrastructures can benefit the education and health care system, teleworking, the housing industry, services and public administration. In a study conducted for the EU Commission in 2008, the German-based consulting firm WIK-Consult says expanding the broadband networks in Europe could create as many as two million new jobs by the year 2015. Broadband expansion and the use of online applications must be actively pushed to achieve sustainable growth, for rural regions in particular. Roland Kohler, Head of the R&M Business Unit Public Networks, sees his own views substantiated: “A powerful FO network will be the key infrastructure in the future for each business location. R&M is convinced that FO connections for residential and business buildings will be the next mass market after the DSL boom.”

Modularity: the answer to the diversity of network designs

But each country, each city and region has different conditions and a separate set of expansion plans. The task calls for expertise, innovation and flexible cabling technology, just the strengths R&M offers. The Swiss family company considers itself a leading supplier capable of supporting all current concepts and protocol systems for broadband and ultra broadband transmission. R&M has solutions for the complete installation of FO networks and hybrid networks and for successive migration from copper and coax to FO.

A modular range of copper and FO cabling is what makes this possible. It covers the communication path from the switching and computing centers through the network nodes and distributors outdoors to the building and user connection and also includes in-home networking. Using the modular principle, network operators can plan their FTTH projects in accordance with their own strategies, investment capabilities and local conditions and develop their market flexibly to meet requirements and the competitive situation.

R&M is currently investing massive amounts in developing new products and in accelerating installation and servicing and making them safer and more reliable. R&M has increased its investment in the development of new FO product solutions by ten percent this year as compared with 2008.

Standards: Swiss approach is exemplary

R&M considers Switzerland to have a good starting position along with frontrunners Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy. The Swiss four-fiber model for FTTH connections at the end customer is considered an international model. It was created in collaboration with an FTTH working group initiated by the Swiss Federal Office of Communication (OFCOM). This model promotes cooperation and competition alike. Network operators can cut costs on things like interfaces and outlets with cabling collaboration and joint standards. Users can easily switch providers if multiple cables are in place. This would ensure open access, i.e. unbundling and competition at the network access.

No other country in Europe has taken an approach so attractive for network operators. In R&M’s experience, there are not even national standards right now for the point at which service passes into households. Other obstacles are the unresolved regulation issues at the level of the EU Commission and the national authorities.

And yet authorities in the Netherlands have found a solution for regulating competition in access networks that has already triggered a boom in FO network growth. R&M expects Scandinavia, the Baltic region, Eastern European states, Austria, France and Portugal all to see an upsurge in FTTH over the next five years. Business locations will progress especially far where local suppliers and small network operators act quickly and in step with the market, where local and regional policymakers apply a certain degree of pressure and where local demand for bandwidth and Internet access that is more reliable is expressed on a massive scale.

Owing to its international activities, R&M is familiar with FTTH strategies on markets from Europe to the Far East. In recent times, R&M has acted as a consultant and supplier of connection and distributor equipment in a number of major projects. Martin Reichle: “R&M understands how to push FO networks into the most varied locations efficiently and at a reasonable cost, be they industrial parks, accommodations or housing and business buildings.” The current issue No. 36 of the R&M customer magazine Connections provides decision-making tips and background information and can be downloaded from the R&M Internet site at www.rdm.com.

Last hurdle: home wiring

R&M emphasizes an important point: “For all the euphoria about FTTH, it is important to remember that home wiring itself often falls short of broadband requirements." The broadband range has to be unrestrictedly available to consumers within their homes, like water, heat and electricity, in order to gain acceptance and be fully beneficial. R&M advises end-to-end solutions to prevent the section between distribution point and home applications from becoming a bottleneck. Switzerland is considered to have an advantage over other business locations in this respect, too. Leading providers offer upgrading of home distribution systems to home and apartment right along with their services.

Costs are manageable, says R&M. A multimedia home network can be installed with an investment as small as a few hundred Euros. Andreas Klauser, R&M System Manager for Home Cabling: “We have defined a scenario for each typical building situation, especially older structures. These scenarios can be called up by electricians, planners and homeowners.” Innovative FO cables for older structures are already available on the market. Ultra-thin and easily bent, they can be installed without risk even where space is at a premium.

For new buildings and renovations, R&M recommends the home wiring system with structured cabling in compliance with EN50173-4. It enables professional broadband and multimedia service plus high performance data transmission for all home applications. That means the service provided at the FTTH home access can be flexibly used in each room.

Standards: Swiss approach is exemplary

R&M considers Switzerland to have a good starting position along with frontrunners Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy. The Swiss four-fiber model for FTTH connections at the end customer is considered an international model. It was created in collaboration with an FTTH working group initiated by the Swiss Federal Office of Communication (OFCOM). This model promotes cooperation and competition alike. Network operators can cut costs on things like interfaces and outlets with cabling collaboration and joint standards. Users can easily switch providers if multiple cables are in place. This would ensure open access, i.e. unbundling and competition at the network access.

No other country in Europe has taken an approach so attractive for network operators. In R&M’s experience, there are not even national standards right now for the point at which service passes into households. Other obstacles are the unresolved regulation issues at the level of the EU Commission and the national authorities.

And yet authorities in the Netherlands have found a solution for regulating competition in access networks that has already triggered a boom in FO network growth. R&M expects Scandinavia, the Baltic region, Eastern European states, Austria, France and Portugal all to see an upsurge in FTTH over the next five years. Business locations will progress especially far where local suppliers and small network operators act quickly and in step with the market, where local and regional policymakers apply a certain degree of pressure and where local demand for bandwidth and Internet access that is more reliable is expressed on a massive scale.

Owing to its international activities, R&M is familiar with FTTH strategies on markets from Europe to the Far East. In recent times, R&M has acted as a consultant and supplier of connection and distributor equipment in a number of major projects. Martin Reichle: “R&M understands how to push FO networks into the most varied locations efficiently and at a reasonable cost, be they industrial parks, accommodations or housing and business buildings.” The current issue No. 36 of the R&M customer magazine Connections provides decision-making tips and background information and can be downloaded from the R&M Internet site at www.rdm.com.

Last hurdle: home wiring

R&M emphasizes an important point: “For all the euphoria about FTTH, it is important to remember that home wiring itself often falls short of broadband requirements." The broadband range has to be unrestrictedly available to consumers within their homes, like water, heat and electricity, in order to gain acceptance and be fully beneficial. R&M advises end-to-end solutions to prevent the section between distribution point and home applications from becoming a bottleneck. Switzerland is considered to have an advantage over other business locations in this respect, too. Leading providers offer upgrading of home distribution systems to home and apartment right along with their services.

Costs are manageable, says R&M. A multimedia home network can be installed with an investment as small as a few hundred Euros. Andreas Klauser, R&M System Manager for Home Cabling: “We have defined a scenario for each typical building situation, especially older structures. These scenarios can be called up by electricians, planners and homeowners.” Innovative FO cables for older structures are already available on the market. Ultra-thin and easily bent, they can be installed without risk even where space is at a premium.

For new buildings and renovations, R&M recommends the home wiring system with structured cabling in compliance with EN50173-4. It enables professional broadband and multimedia service plus high performance data transmission for all home applications. That means the service provided at the FTTH home access can be flexibly used in each room.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Facts & Figures

IBM is investing to create technology in its labs that bring simple, easy-to-use services to the millions of people who have bypassed using the personal computer as their primary method of accessing the Internet, and instead use their mobile devices for managing large forces of enterprise field workers, conducting financial transactions, entertainment, shopping, and more.

Through this effort, IBM is aiming to drive new intelligence into the underpinnings of the mobile web to create new efficiencies in business operations and people’s daily lives. The three focus areas for IBM’s research investment are: emerging market mobility, mobile enterprise enablement, and enterprise end-user mobile experiences. Analytics, security, privacy and user interface, and navigation will be concentrated on across the Research effort.

“In today’s interconnected world, mobile device are gradually becoming ubiquitous and helping us transcend many boundaries – geographical, economic, and social, among others," says Dr. Guruduth Banavar, director of IBM Research - India and global leader of the IBM Research mobile communication initiative. "With high penetration, simple user interface, and significant cost advantage for end users, mobile telephony holds the future of communication and exchange of information for the enterprise.”

Emerging Market Mobility

For the 83 percent of the world that does not have easy access to the Web since via PCs, IBM is helping mobile phone users become more productive. In these locations, there is a dearth of skills, such as technological and language literacy; a lack of infrastructure, such as reliable electrical power; as well as limited availability of smartphones.

In one such project, IBM Research – India has established a pilot program that allows people, including farmers, repairmen, small business owners, and consumers, to post, retrieve or exchange timely information via voice on cellphones. Content – such as weather and ocean conditions, grain prices, advertisements, bus schedules, news, class schedules, product catalogues, health information and available services appointments – is created and updated by entrepreneurs and municipalities.

Mobile Enterprise Enablement

Low cost, high bandwidth, wireless access, and PC-like information processing power are accelerating the promise of the mobile phone as a compelling platform for accessing information services. Mobile phones now outnumber traditional telephones, and the opportunities for growth in mobility are enormous. According to IBM's Institute for Business Value, the number of mobile users will have grown by 191 percent from 2006 to 2011 to reach approximately one billion users.

A glimpse of the possibilities of mobility can be found in a recent pilot performed as part of IBM’s first-of-a-kind (FOAK) program which used a technology titled “BlueStar” to develop automated mobile devices and application management services for insurance claims processing. The pilot enabled an insurance enterprise to significantly reduce the amount of time required to process claims by leveraging mobile technology to locate and dispatch the most appropriate and available claims adjusters for each case. IBM’s FOAK program pairs IBM's scientists with clients to explore how emerging technologies can solve real world business problems.

Enterprise to End-User Mobile Experience

“Mobility and the associated analytics will change virtually every enterprise business process,” said Paul Bloom, chief technology officer, IBM Telecom Research. “It will change the relationship between enterprises and their customers, their employees and their partners.”

One example of how mobility will change the relationship between enterprises and the end user can be found in a project at IBM’s Haifa Research Laboratory with Taiwan Mobile, the second largest telecommunication company in Taiwan. Here IBM is analyzing customer information to get manageable business intelligence based on evolving user preferences, users context and transaction history.

IBM Research comprises approximately 3,000 scientists in eight major laboratories around the globe. IBM also has more than 20,000 software developers in 75 development labs in 18 countries. IBM has earned the most U.S. patents for 16 consecutive years, and five of its researchers have been the recipients of the Nobel Prize.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

ContactlessMobile Payments are seen as a key growth area of the future – however, theindustry has been plagued by the necessity to enhance Point of Sale terminalsand to replace the entire install base of more than three billion mobile phonesthat are currently in the market. Despite significant investments, the industryhas largely been at a pilot stage due to the Catch 22 of investment interminals vs. mobile handsets. AcCells' mID is capable of identifying anymobile handset using only near field GSM signaling and, when connected withauthentication and billing servers, allows users to make mobile paymentsdirectly and securely from their handset. AcCells’ revolutionary mobileidentification device allows the industry to achieve fast, simple, and securemobile payments and transactions for all mobile phone owners without upgradingthe existing installed base. “The partnership with mChek enables us to useAcCells’ core technology to launch a unique payment solution with exceptionaldesign and performance for mobile consumers”, said Eduardo Shoval, CEO ofAcCells. “This will allow us to reach the key markets in India and Sri Lanka and to establish afoundation for mobile commerce applications which can benefit mobile handsetusers worldwide. We are very excited to have this opportunity.”

ThemChek platform enables banking-grade security through a SIM Toolkitapplication, enabling banks to issue Visa Debit, Credit or Prepaid cards forsecure remote payments – the service is widely deployed in India by Bharti Airtel and in Sri Lanka by Dialog Telekom. Todate more than 25Million SIM cards have been shipped with the mChek applicationand leading banks in India – ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Corporation Bank, StandardChartered Bank – are already issuing Visa cards on mChek – and several otherbanks and MNO’s around the globe are in various stages of deployments. “We arepleased to work with AcCells and extend the reach of mChek to ContactlessOver-The-Counter payments without any change to the widely deployed mChekservice”, said Sanjay Swamy, CEO of mChek. “Banks, MNO’s, retailers andconsumers can now benefit from contactless payments with a minimum ofinvestment”.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About AcCells

AcCellswas launched by seasoned and prominent technologists to commercialize abreakthrough innovation that lays the foundation for a new paradigm in mobilepayments. Our vision is to create an infrastructure which will stimulate thegrowth of mobile payment applications worldwide. AcCells will pave the way forindustry growth by sidestepping the enormous cost of upgrading while expandingthe potential end user market. Visit websites at www.accells.com

About mChek

Bangalore-basedmChek (www.mchek.com) provides patent-pending, mobile-based, security andpayment services enabling users to transact through their mobiles forwide-ranging day-to-day requirements including payment of utility bills andinsurance policies, movie & travel ticketing, prepaid recharge andpost-paid bill payment. Consumers can sign up at www.mchek.com or by sending asms ‘AIRTEL’ to 543219 (toll-free) from their Airtel phones. The mChekapplication is available by default on all Airtel SIM cards. mChek is certifiedPCI-DSS1.2 and ISO 27001. The mChek on Airtel service was the winner of theBest Billing and Customer Care Solution from the GSM Association at the 2009Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

IMEXmobile unites Telecom Express’s 20 year track record in the delivery of interactive services to media clients with IMImobile’s proven service delivery platform. Telecom Express currently provides services to the UK’s leading media companies including News International, the BBC and Telegraph Media Group, whilst IMImobile provides mobile technology platforms and services to network operators and media companies such as Vodafone, Airtel, Virgin Mobile, Yahoo! and Reuters in 40 countries around the world and has offices across Asia, Europe, LATAM and the Middle East.

IMEXmobile removes the need for media owners to work with a host of small and disparate suppliers. The company provides a complete service that incorporates the expertise, relationships and technology necessary for successful campaign and product development, implementation and account management, with a single partner. IMEXmobile delivers the tools that enable its partners to significantly increase mobile revenues whilst reducing the cost of service management.

Commenting on the launch, CEO of Telecom Express, Damon Russell, said: “IMEXmobile was created from the ground up to meet the demands and address the opportunities of our media partners. The established response mechanism will always have a place in consumer interaction, but mobile offers huge opportunities if it’s imaginatively and efficiently exploited.”

CEO of IMImobile Vishwanath Alluri, added; “IMEXmobile provides a great opportunity for media owners in the UK to harness the benefits of our globally proven DaVinci service delivery platform. Businesses which effectively embrace mobile are able to create truly personal relationships with the end user and benefit from the associated revenue such a relationship can bring. This joint venture is an exciting development in IMImobile’s European expansion strategy following the take-over of Music2You from Nokia Siemens Networks and acquisition of dx3.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IMEXmobile (www.imexmobile.co.uk)

After an excellent consumer response to Idea Mumbai Indians campaign, comes IDEA’s latest offering in digital space in the form of a virtual character called ‘Dada’. Dada’s apparent resemblance with a person hailing from East India is a deliberate attempt to create visibility for IDEA amongst the youth community on the internet, as the company rapidly expands its operations in the eastern parts of the country. Dada’s apparent speech impediment, which either comes naturally or is caused by the ever-present beetle nut leaf in his mouth, instantly connects with audience from the East.

The viral film revolves around theno-win situation ‘Dada’ is faced with in Orissa, and the subsequent transformation that he undergoes – thanks to an ‘idea’ that he gets! IDEA has created a portal www.dadakiduvidha.com which will carry interesting stories about Dada.

In the first film, Dada plays a Tour Guide who is not well aware abouthistory, current affairs, and general informationabout the city of Puri in Orissa, but makes up for it with his affable nature.

Launching the first viral in the digital space, Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, IDEA Cellular said, “We are hopeful that the beloved character of Dada will engage a large number of people in the digital space, thus helping us gain mindshare and establish connect with our TG.

“We see the digital space as a good way to engage with the youth, and expect to create strong connect”, added Mr. Shrivastava.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IDEA Cellular Ltd.:

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a leading GSM mobile services operator with over 45 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It has licenses and spectrum to operate in all 22 service areas of India, with commercial operations in 17 service areas, currently. IDEA is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India’s first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 125,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. More information on the company is available at: www.ideacellular.com and on the group at: www.adityabirla.com

As a leading telecom service provider, we are committed to enable our customers with reliable, and manageable broadband connectivity, anytime, anywhere”, said Mr. Haridev Khosla, President- Network, Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited. “We have chosen Wavion’s Wi-Fi solution because of their powerful beamforming technology and their architecture solution that enables a cost-effective, carrier-grade network coupled with superior service and security standards.”

Wavion’s WBS-2400 spatially adaptive beamforming base stations provide extended range, improved indoor penetration and better interference resilience.

“We are proud to be selected by Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited for their first, large-scale metro Wi-Fi deployment”, said Tal Meirzon, CEO of Wavion. “A carrier grade, end-to-end solution, was deployed and made operational in record time.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited:
Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited is India's premier telecommunication service provider licensed to provide telecommunication services in Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and Goa. It focuses on all market segments, i.e. commercial, residential and public telephony. Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited has over 7 million customers in Maharashtra and Goa. These include reputed corporates, SMEs and residential customers. The company was recently rated the No. 1 wireless operator in terms of overall customer satisfaction across Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and Goa, in surveys commissioned by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) (Scrip code-532371) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) (Scrip symbol – TTML).

About Wavion:
Wavion is transforming the metro Wi-Fi and rural markets with a new category of spatially adaptive base stations. The company’s digital beamforming and SDMA technologies are the first and only to resolve the significant performance, penetration and profitability challenges facing large scale metro and rural deployments. Wavion is privately held and backed by world-class investors including Tel Aviv-based Elron Electronic Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: ELRN), and BRM Capital. Wavion headquarters are located in Yoqne’am, Israel and the company has offices in Miami, Florida US, San Paulo, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Moscow, Russia and New Delhi, India. To learn more, please visit Wavion at www.wavionnetworks.com.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Virad Kaul, Chief Operating Officer – Uttar Pradesh West, IDEA Cellular said, “UP West is a strategic market for us and we see great potential here. The introduction of this special STD tariff will give an opportunity to our customers to make calls across India at extremely affordable rates. There is a perception that STD calls are expensive and we hope that through this limited offer our customers will be able to make STD calls to their near and dear one regularly. Also this is in line with our overall strategy of providing affordable and innovative mobile services, and will help us grow our marketshare further, in UP West.”

With over 4.2 million subscribers, IDEA Cellular is one of the largest GSM mobile operators in UP West.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IDEA Cellular Ltd.:

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a leading GSM mobile services operator with over 45 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It has licenses and spectrum to operate in all 22 service areas of India, with commercial operations in 17 service areas, currently. IDEA is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India’s first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 125,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. More information on the company is available at: www.ideacellular.com and on the group at: www.adityabirla.com

The 10th IDEA IIFA Awards ceremony to be held on June 13th, will be telecast on Star TV on July 5th, 2009.

Speaking on IIFA’s success over 10 years, IIFA Brand Ambassador, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan said, “The 10th year of IIFA holds a special significance for the Indian film industry, establishing the success of the IIFA phenomenon. We present an unforgettable weekend this year, ensuring that IIFA continues in its tradition of the grandest celebration of India.”

IIFA Weekend will host the FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum presented by IDEA Cellular. The Forum will showcase the best talent in the ‘business of business’ with attendance of heavyweights from China, Hong Kong, Macau and the Indian business fraternity, addressing the issue of the Global Financial Meltdown: Turning Crisis into Opportunity through enhanced cooperation between India and China. Day two will also see film briefings for upcoming movies ‘Jail’ and ‘Do Knot Disturb’. The day will culminate with the ultimate in style with the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.

A special IIFA Film Workshop with the legendary AR Rahman and Anil Kapoor will also be organised. Film briefings for forthcoming films ‘Kaminey’ and ‘Shortkut’ will also take place. The day will conclude with the grand 10th IDEA IIFA Awards ceremony, that will showcase the best of the best, that the Indian Film Fraternity has to offer.

The IDEA IIFA Awards night will witness performances by the graceful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the dynamic Abhishek Bachchan. Sonam Kapoor is set to perform in what will be her maiden LIVE performance. After overwhelming the audience with their hilarious antics last year, Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh will once again host this mega event, along with Lara Dutta.

IIFA’s longest standing partner, IDEA Cellular will offer a range of value added services and exciting contests, designed on the theme of 10th IDEA IIFA Awards for over 45 million subscribers across the country.

Taking their association forward again this year, Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, IDEA Cellular said, “IDEA IIFA Awards offer a unique platform to showcase the significance of mobile technology in the entertainment arena. Our relationship with IIFA will facilitate a unique experience for our customers by bringing them the IDEA IIFA Awards, for another 3 years.”

Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd. Director, Sabbas Joseph said, “IIFA entering its tenth year is a testament to its popularity and the 10th anniversary celebration is undoubtedly special. The 10th IDEA IIFA Awards will comprise stunning performances by the biggest stars from Indian cinema. Additionally, the Videocon IIFA Weekend will witness a congregation of the most influential business personalities from India and China, the legendary ZAIA by the Cirque du Soleil and the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza. We are confident of presenting a sensational edition of IIFA that reflects the magnitude of a decade of magic.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IDEA Cellular

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a leading GSM mobile services operator with over 45 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It has licenses and spectrum to operate in all 22 service areas of India, with commercial operations in 17 service areas, currently. IDEA is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India’s first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 125,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. More information on the company is available at: www.ideacellular.com and on the group at: www.adityabirla.com

About IIFA

The International Indian Film Academy, conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.is supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity. IIFA is the most respected South Asian film academy and its main highlight, the IIFA Awards is India's biggest media event. With a viewership of almost 600 million worldwide, the IIFAs are among the world's most-watched annual entertainment events.

From a one night celebration in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London, the last nine years have seen the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) movement grow into a cine-packed weekend of film-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases, global business forums and sporting events, all of which climaxes into the IIFA Awards. The IIFAs have been celebrated in London, Sun City, Johannesburg, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Amsterdam, Yorkshire and the last edition was hosted by Thailand in the amazing city of Bangkok. This year, IIFA celebrates its 10th anniversary scheduled for June 2009 at The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel in China. IIFA 2009 vows to be a virtuoso, enthralling Weekend; while the IIFA Awards will seek celebrate A Golden Decade in Indian Cinema.

To avail of this service subscribers simply have to type ‘TAXI’ /‘Auto’ followed by the ‘meter reading’, and send it to 58282 for e.g. ‘TAXI 1.20’, to get the correct day and night fare. For the next available train schedule one has to simply type ‘TRAIN’ followed by the ‘(source & destination)’ and send it to 58282 for e.g. ‘TRAIN Andheri Dadar’. Each SMS will be charged Rs. 3.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shashank Pore, General Manager, Marketing, Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) limited said, “It is our firm belief that our customized services set us apart in this fiercely competitive industry. Our constant endeavour at launching meaningful services, in the geographies we operate in, has always been our strength. Mumbai is known as the city with the most robust public transport system and Mumbaikars are known for their extensive use of the same. In a bid to ease the average Mumbaikars everyday life, we chose to launch this service which ensures peace of mind – an extreme necessity in this maximum city. Commuters now have a powerful tool in their hand and can simply SMS their way to assurance!”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited is India's premier telecommunication service provider licensed to provide telecommunication services in Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and Goa. It focuses on all market segments, i.e. commercial, residential and public telephony. Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited has over 7.5 million customers in Maharashtra and Goa. These include reputed corporates, SMEs and residential customers. The company was recently rated the No. 1 wireless operator in terms of overall customer satisfaction across Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and Goa, in surveys commissioned by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) (Scrip code-532371) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) (Scrip symbol – TTML).

Inductive touch sensing's fundamental operating principles enable it to work through a front panel, such as plastic, stainless steel or aluminum. The technology also works through thick gloves and on surfaces where liquids are present. These characteristics make inductive touch sensing suitable for applications in the appliance market because of the possibility of a stainless steel front panel; the industrial market because of the technology's robustness; and the automotive market because of the technology's sleek aesthetics and ability to reduce accidental-touch triggers.

"Microchip's inductive-touch technology provides unique capabilities that complement our capacitive touch-sensing products," said Steve Drehobl, vice president of Microchip's Security, Microcontroller and Technology Development Division.

Drehobl continued, "With the MCP2036 AFE, we are continuing to make it easier and less expensive for engineers to make use of these unique features for applications requiring metal finishing and robust operation in wet environments."

Design support

Designers wanting to learn more about implementing touch sensing into their applications can visit Microchip's online touch-sensing design center at http://www.microchip.com/mtouch. This comprehensive Web site provides a host of application notes, source code and other technical resources related to developing touch-sensing designs.

MCP2036 AFE packaging & availability

The MCP2036 AFE is available in a 16-pin, 4 mm x 4 mm QFN package, as well as 14-pin PDIP and SOIC packages. Samples are available today at http://sample.microchip.com. Volume-production quantities are also available today at http://www.microchipdirect.com.

For further information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorised worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at http://www.microchip.com/mcp2036.

Microchip customer support

Microchip is committed to supporting its customers by helping design engineers develop products faster and more efficiently.Customers can access four main service areas at http://www.microchip.com. The Support area provides a fast way to get questions answered; the Sample area offers evaluation samples of any Microchip device; microchipDIRECT provides 24-hour pricing, ordering, inventory and credit for convenient purchasing of all Microchip devices and development tools; finally, the Training area educates customers through webinars, sign-ups for local seminar and workshop courses, and information about the annual MASTERs events held throughout the world.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com.

Note: The Microchip name and logo, dsPIC and PIC are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. mTouch is a trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

The IDEA IIFA Awards ceremony will see electrifying performances by Anoushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Lara Dutta and Riteish Deshmukh.

Leading designers like Rocky S, Manav Gangwani, Anamika Khanna, Farah Ali Khan and Hong Kong designer, Chris Chang will showcase their designs at IIFA Fashion Extravaganza on Day 2 of IIFA Weekend. The Extravaganza will feature show stoppers like Hrithik and Suzanne Roshan for Farah Ali Khan and the always-chic Sonam Kapoor for Anamika Khanna amongst others. The IIFA Fashion Extravaganza will be hosted by the stylish duo, Zayed Khan and Sophie Choudhury. Adding glamour to the evening, international singing sensation, Peter Andre will perform at the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza held at The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel.

Following the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza is the exhilarating IDEA IIFA Awards that will showcase the best of the best that the Indian Film Fraternity has to offer.

The IIFA Fashion Extravaganza has a special significance as it supports the IIFA Foundation which was set up in 2003. It is a charity organization set up by IIFA to support families of the film industry workers who have been adversely affected during the production of films. Each year at the IIFA Weekend, IIFA hosts charity celebrity events that are supported by eminent cine stars.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd. Director, Sabbas Joseph said, “The IIFA Foundation was initiated to support families of Indian film industry workers. We will host the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza to showcase the best of Indian and Chinese fashion, while contributing to a cause that we feel strongly about. The IIFA Fashion Extravaganza receives overwhelming support every year, and once again top designers have lined up to stand by this significant initiative. The IDEA IIFA Awards ceremony at CotaiArena will be the grand finale of the weekend.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular said, “IDEA IIFA Awards offer a unique platform to showcase the significance of mobile technology in the entertainment arena. Our relationship with IIFA will facilitate a unique experience for our customers by bringing them the IDEA IIFA Awards, for another 3 years. This year, we look forward to the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza that will set the tone for the glamorous Awards night.”

IIFA’s longest standing partner, IDEA Cellular will offer a range of value added services and exciting contests for over 44 million subscribers across the country.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IDEA Cellular Ltd.:

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a leading GSM mobile services operator with over 44 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It has licenses and spectrum to operate in all 22 service areas of India, with commercial operations in 17 service areas, currently. IDEA is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

IDEA Cellular is an Aditya Birla Group Company, India’s first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 125,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. More information on the company is available at: www.ideacellular.com and on the group at: www.adityabirla.com

About IIFA

The International Indian Film Academy, conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.is supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity. IIFA is the most respected South Asian film academy and its main highlight, the IIFA Awards is India's biggest media event. With a viewership of almost 600 million worldwide, the IIFAs are among the world's most-watched annual entertainment events.

From a one night celebration in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London, the last nine years have seen the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) movement grow into a cine-packed weekend of film-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases, global business forums and sporting events, all of which climaxes into the IIFA Awards. The IIFAs have been celebrated in London, Sun City, Johannesburg, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Amsterdam, Yorkshire and the last edition was hosted by Thailand in the amazing city of Bangkok. This year, IIFA celebrates its 10th anniversary scheduled for June 2009 at The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel in China. IIFA 2009 vows to be a virtuoso, enthralling Weekend; while the IIFA Awards will seek celebrate A Golden Decade in Indian Cinema.

Announcing the offer, Mr Ajai Puri, Director and CEO-DTH, Bharti Airtel said, “Our offer of Magic Dekho Talktime Pao delivers on the promise we made at the time of the launch of our DTH service i.e. to bring the benefit of a One Airtel experience to our customers and offer them loyalty benefits of being an Airtel customer. This exclusive offer for our existing Prepaid Mobile customers also gives us an opportunity to increase our share of the customer’s wallet.”

To avail the offer, a customer needs to follow a simple 3-step process. First, Airtel Prepaid Mobile customer purchases a digital TV connection from any Airtel digital TV retail outlet. Second, he calls 1800 102 8080 to register his new connection and share his Airtel Prepaid Mobile number. Thirdly, talktime is credited on his Airtel Prepaid Mobile account within 7 days of activation of his digital TV connection.

digital TV from Airtel uses the latest MPEG4 standard with DVB S2 technology, which translates into exceptional picture clarity and consistent high-quality audio for the customer. It brings many firsts to the DTH segment in India including a Universal Remote which operates both the Set Top Box and TV set as well as Interactive Applications which give customers the freedom to book movie tickets, travel package and shop for branded products, among others. Users can also access city-specific news and update themselves on the latest stock news. We are also the only one to offer our customers the pleasure of listening to ad-free Worldspace Satellite radio. All this is backed by 24x7 customer care available in 8 different languages and a team of 800 professionally trained service engineers.

For further details, visit www.airtel.in/digitaltv

About Bharti Airtel Limited:

Bharti Airtel Limited, a group company of Bharti Enterprises, is Asia’s leading integrated telecom services provider with operations in India and Sri Lanka, with an aggregate of 100 million customers. Bharti Airtel Limited has been voted as India's most innovative company, in a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal.

Bharti Airtel is structured into three strategic business units - Mobile services, Telemedia services and Enterprise services. The mobile business offers services in India and Sri Lanka. The Telemedia business provides broadband and telephone services in 95 cities, DTH services and has recently forayed into the IPTV services. The Enterprise business provides end-to-end telecom solutions to corporate customers and national and international long distance services to carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand. Airtel’s high-speed optic fibre network currently spans over 101,337 Rkms covering all the major cities in the country. The company has two international landing stations in Chennai that connects two submarine cable systems - i2i to Singapore and SEA-ME-WE-4 to Europe. For more information, visit: www.bhartiairtel.in

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For further information please contact:

Sibarshis/Rupali

sibarshis@spacedesigns.net/rupali@spacedesigns.net

Mobile: +919880327606/+919886039119

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire