STARHOME launches the FIRST Signalling based Preferred Network ROAMING CONTROL FOR MOBILE OPERATORS


20th February 2004 /Wi-Fi Technology News/- Starhome, a leader in roaming technology and value added solutions, has launched its ?Intelligent Preferred Network Tm? ? a suite of solutions which offers various single elements to a complete integrated Intelligent Preferred Network solution for mobile operators.

Starhome will enable operators to select any combination from its three solutions from the Intelligent Preferred Network range to best suit its business strategy from both marketing and technical perspective.

Starhome?s Intelligent Preferred Network Tm technology is controlled by an intelligent application and friendly user provisioning tool allowing operators to configure the behaviour of the selected solution to its marketing and technical strategies. The range consists of:

Network Signalling Control, Handset-independent ? comprised of an IntelliGate-based application integrated to the operator?s network as a Signalling Relay. The Starhome ?IntelliGate Tm? controls the registration process of the handset to the visited network and is able to either relay (accept) registration requests or reject (deny) them, thereby triggering the handset to resume the network selection process.

Network Control, Handset-operated ? comprised of an IntelliGate-based application integrated to the operator?s network and controlling the SIM using integrated OTA (Over The Air) capability or via the operator?s existing OTA server. The IntelliGate automatically detects roaming events and can download updated country-specific Preferred List as well as trigger a SIM application to refresh the handset network selection processing.

Integrated SIM and Network Signalling Control ? combines the above two solutions i.e. the IntelliGate-based remote registration control with the ability to download updated country-specific Preferred Lists as well as triggering the handset to resume the network selection process at any time rather than just during registration attempt to network. The integrated solution provides a better response to the user and lower signalling traffic to and from the visited network.

Alon Barnea, VP of Business Development at Starhome, said: ?We have witnessed a demand for Preferred Network Tm roaming control solutions from many of our over 55 mobile operator?s customer, Network operators wish to have the means to dynamically direct the handsets of their outbound roamers to preferred networks whenever they roam in foreign countries. Some operators already deployed such service and are now experiencing the limitations of traditional solutions.

Preferred Network selection solutions must be flexible enough to allow Dynamic network redirection at any time independently of the handset and with minimal interruption. Starhome?s suite of Intelligent Preferred Network Tm solutions offers maximum flexibility coupled with superior technical capability delivering roaming cost optimization and best service levels to operators and their customers.?

About Starhome:
Starhome is a leading Roaming Technology and Value Added solutions provider of services and solutions for mobile operators. Starhome's expertise in mobile technology and networks coupled with a unique global service environment empower a rich portfolio of inbound and outbound roaming services, as well as specialized VAS applications.

55 leading mobile operators and groups on 5 continents-with 175 million users-leverage Starhome's experience to overcome the challenges of introducing new services, offering quick deployment with minimal technical and financial risks.

Founded in 1999, Starhome is an affiliate of Comverse Technology, Inc., an S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 Index company, a world leader in multimedia telecommunications applications.

For additional information, visit Comverse Technology?s web site at http://www.cmvt.com, Starhome's web site at http://www.starhome.com.


For further information, please contact:
Sandy Hammer
Starhome
Tel: + 41 1 380 6777
Sandy.Hammer@starhome.com