Taiwan Telco To Deliver GPRS Wireless Net Services

SINGAPORE — Taiwan’s KG Telecommunications Co. Ltd. has selected Openwave Systems, Inc. to expand its current gateway capacity to offer a wider range of innovative mobile Internet services over its GSM 1800 network. The telco will also deploy Openwave’s Mobile Access Gateway 5.0 to support its GPRS network.

KG Telecom is said to be Taiwan’s fastest growing cellular provider. It is a subsidiary of Taiwan’s largest business conglomerate, the KOOS Group, which is aggressively expanding its business in satellite, CATV, wired and wireless broadband communications systems in Taiwan.

Established more than four years ago, KG Telecom launched its M-Mode service, a comprehensive data communications service integrating mobile Internet and mobile commerce, in December 1999. Less than a year later, it launched its nationwide GPRS network to further strengthen its position as a wireless broadband access and platform aggregator providing personalized services at any time, anywhere in the region.

Now, KG Telecom has licensed Openwave’s Mobile Access Gateway to “rapidly deploy new revenue-generating services while providing subscribers a more compelling, easy-to-use and personalized mobile Internet experience.” It is expected to deploy the next generation Openwave Mobile Access Gateway 5.0, which provides support for GPRS networks and increased personalization capabilities.

The telco has also licensed the WAP-based Openwave Provisioning Manager to centrally manage its provisioning and administration functions, improving efficiency in customer and network management while lowering its operating costs.

Said Don Listwin, president and chief executive officer of U.S.-based Openwave Systems, a provider of IP-based communications infrastructure software and applications, “KG Telecom and Openwave are proud to be working together to advance the mobile Internet with the delivery of enhanced services over KG Telecom’s 2.5G network.

“The Openwave Services OS platform allows KG Telecom to immediately deliver meaningful applications for its current customers while its scalable architecture provides a solid foundation for next generation, innovative services.”

NTT DoCoMo, which recently took a 20 percent stake in KG Telecom, will work with the Taiwan telco to combine the successful business model and marketing expertise of i-mode-like services with the Openwave Services OS WAP-based platform.

KG Telecom is the latest of NTT DoCoMo’s four global partners to employ this combination of content strategy and best-of-class technology. According to company officials, Openwave’s proven scalability, reliability and rapid time to market, enabled by its consulting services team, were key factors in KG Telecom’s decision.

Said Jimmy Yau, KG Telecom’s president and chief operating officer, “KG Telecom values the importance of friendly alliances to bring the best of innovations to their customers. With Openwave’s technology, DoCoMo’s wireless data expertise, and its local market footprint, KG Telecom has the winning formula to rapidly roll out sophisticated i-mode-like services to the fast growing, high ARPU Taiwanese market.”