AIRCOM International Wins Lucrative Partnership Deal From O2





Leatherhead, UK -/Wi-Fi Technology News/- Independent network planning and optimisation consultancy, AIRCOM International, has been selected by O2 in the UK to supply ASSET, the worlds number one radio network planning and optimisation tool, from AIRCOM?s ENTERPRISE tool suite.

AIRCOM was selected after winning O2?s highly competitive RFQ, which was issued to the industry?s leading radio planning tool vendors. O2 required a planning tool solution that was both scalable and flexible enough to support its future network growth and optimisation. AIRCOM was selected because it was able to build additional functionality into its ASSET tool to meet O2?s demanding requirements.

Nigel Purdy, Head of Technology Engineering at Telef?nica O2 UK said ?We operate in an extremely competitive and fast changing market. Customers tell us that the quality and reliability of their mobile phone network is crucial. Having a great radio planning tool helps us deliver this quality efficiently. After a comprehensive bid process and detailed strategic cost analysis, it was obvious that AIRCOM?s tools offered the best overall solution to our needs.

ASSET is currently deployed by more than 175 customers worldwide, making it the leading industry planning tool for mobile operators. It works across multiple technology mobile networks - including WiMAX, HSDPA, 2, 2.5 and 3G - and features both static and dynamic simulators. This makes it powerful enough to analyse the most complex network deployment and capacity scenarios.

Commenting on the deal, Margaret Rice-Jones, CEO at AIRCOM International said: ?Signing a deal with an operator such as O2 - the largest GSM / UMTS operator in the UK - confirms ASSET?s status as the world?s number one network planning and optimisation tool. By deploying a comprehensive single, multi-user platform into the network, we will be able to generate sophisticated network statistics and reports to O2?s engineers and ensure the radio network provides maximum quality and capacity while minimising OPEX spend.?

The implementation of ASSET into the O2 network has already begun, with a scheduled completion date set for December 2008. O2 has also taken the option to purchase further licenses for ADVANTAGE, AIRCOM?s automatic cell planning (ACP) tool, later in the year.


About AIRCOM International (http://www.aircominternational.com)

AIRCOM International is a leading independent provider of end-to-end network optimisation consultancy and tools for IP and cellular networks. AIRCOM specialises in fields such as network planning, sharing, outsourcing and OSS.

Working with many the worlds? largest operators, AIRCOM leverages its objectivity to view network quality and efficiency from the consumers? perspective. This enables its consultants and engineers to track market behaviours and trends to ensure networks achieve optimum performance.

Headquartered in the UK with offices in 18 countries, AIRCOM has more than 10 years? experience across 131 countries for half of the world?s mobile operators, including more than 3.45 million hours working on 3G networks alone. It continues to grow its customer base each year, offering objective yet pragmatic advice, training and support services, backed by high-performance tools designed to deliver real benefits for both subscribers and operators.


About O2

? Telef?nica O2 UK Limited is a leading communications company for consumers and businesses in the UK, with over 18.4 million mobile customers and over 130,000 fixed broadband customers as at 31 March 2008.
? Telef?nica O2 UK Limited is part of Telef?nica Europe plc which is a business division of Telef?nica S.A. and which owns O2 in the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic, and has 42.8 million customers.
? In 2006 Telef?nica Europe acquired Be, the UK fixed broadband provider, and in October 2007O2 launched its broadband service using the Be network.
? O2 is the naming rights partner of The O2, the world-class entertainment venue.
? O2 was ranked the 6th best place to work in the Best Companies to Work for 2008 List and has been awarded a three-star accreditation denoting an ?extraordinary? company.
? O2 was launched on 1 May 2002 and now has more customers than any other UK mobile network.
? O2?s UK mobile network covers 99% of the UK?s population. O2?s 3G network covers 80% of the UK population and is fully HSDPA-enabled, providing speeds of up to 1.3 MBps for customers with an HSDPA-enabled device.
? Telef?nica Europe also owns 50% of the Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk joint venture businesses in the UK and Germany.
? For b-roll footage of O2, please visit www.thenewshub.co.uk
? For further press information about O2 go to http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk