REACH Upgrade and Expands Implementation of Ascade's Carrier Cockpit(TM)

STOCKHOLM, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascade, the global market-leader in advanced Routing & Trading, Billing and Quality solutions for the Interconnect market, today announced that REACH, the Hong Kong based global wholesale carrier, has awarded an upgrade contract for the latest release of Carrier Cockpit(TM). Additionally, REACH has also agreed to acquire Ascade's market leading quality management modules and test services. REACH has for several years used Carrier Cockpit(TM) as a central part of its advanced business decision and management environment. The decision to upgrade the mission critical implementation of Carrier Cockpit(TM) is a result of growing volumes of voice traffic, increased business complexity and preparation of additional growth.

With Release 6.0 of Carrier Cockpit(TM), REACH will further strengthen its end-to-end business process for wholesale and interconnect services and set the general operations team in a solid position to handle expected growth in the years to come. Furthermore, the additional integrated Quality Management functionalities in Carrier Cockpit(TM) will enable REACH to offer an increased granularity of differential and innovative quality products to its customers.

Based on a range of continuous intrusive and non-intrusive quality measurements of it's vast network of international routes, REACH will be able to deliver exact and documented quality levels of services. In the highly competitive international carrier business, there is a fast growing demand for services to follow-up on committed QoS levels in SLAs. REACH will also benefit from Ascade's unique Global Test Network(TM), which enables carriers to test for the successful delivery of Caller Line ID in 200 mobile networks across the globe. The delivery of Caller Line ID (the ability to display the correct number of a calling party on a mobile handset) has a great impact on the roaming revenues of mobile operators, which is the key customer segment for REACH. The Global Test Network(TM) will also enable carriers to verify the correct delivery of SMS, MMS and Video Calls.

The CEO of REACH, Mr. John Wright explains: "The international telecommunications market for voice is becoming more competitive and demanding, and as such, we must continue to improve our capabilities to ensure we are exceeding customer's requirements. REACH is focused on continuous improvements in terms of efficiency, operational excellence and flexibility. We are dedicated to expanding our capabilities and service for our ever increasing traffic volumes and customer expectations. We have chosen to continue and expand our relationship with Ascade based on their demonstrated responsiveness to our requirements, and ability to deliver the enhanced functionality and capabilities that will enable us to meet our objectives. Our expectation is that the upgrade to release 6.0 of Carrier Cockpit and the implementation of the Global Test Network(TM) will provide us with the tools to continue to grow our international voice business in 2008 and beyond."

Mr. Henrik Anderberg, CEO of Ascade contributes: " REACH is one of the largest global carrier's in the market, and we see REACH's upgrade and implementation of our flagship product as a clear stamp of approval of Carrier Cockpit(TM)'s performance and market relevance. Release 6.0 of Carrier Cockpit(TM) is the product of more than 10 years of global market experience and it's great to see the combined benefits it brings to the operations of our customers."

About REACH

REACH is headquartered in Hong Kong, with a significant presence in Australia and substantial businesses across Asia, North America and Europe.

REACH is the premier provider of international voice and satellite services in Asia and has interests in more than 40 submarine cables and international satellite systems.

REACH has established commercial relationships with more than 400 carriers across the globe, facilitating access to more than 240 countries and territories. One of the cornerstones of REACH's success is the reliability of its global network. REACH has built strategically located world-class operations centres where it monitors and manages customers' traffic flows 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About ASCADE AB

Ascade is the global market-leader of Interconnect Solutions for Carriers and Mobile Operators. Our software, Carrier Cockpit(TM) Suite, enables customers worldwide to increase profitability and revenue growth. It optimizes and automates all aspects of the Interconnect Business including route quality testing and integrated interconnect billing, while providing management with real-time business planning and steering capabilities.

Carrier Cockpit(TM) Suite is the most advanced, mature and widely used Interconnect Solution for managing the wholesale business worldwide. Customers include Reach, Telenor Global Services, SingTel, Telekom Malaysia, Etisalat, Allstream, Elisa, Gateway, TEO, Rostelecom, PT Telekom, Korea Telecom, Hrvatski Telekom, Telekom Serbia, Lattelecom, Bell Canada, Sunrise, Telekom Austria, MobileOne, VSNL, TeliaSonera IC and more.

Ascade AB is a privately held company owned by founders and leading Nordic investment firms CapMan, listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange, and SEB Venture Capital, the venture capital division of Nordic financial services group SEB, listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Through its presence in Sweden, US, Dubai, and Singapore, Ascade provides support to its customers worldwide.

For more information please visit: http://www.ascade.com

    
    Contact: Patrik Ferlenius, Ascade AB
    Email: patrik.ferlenius@ascade.com
    Ascade AB Fax: +46-8-545-90-427
    Stockholm, Sweden Tel: +46-8-616-73-00