News Briefs August 2005

Service provider Access One Inc. has hired two new executives. Jonathan Mitch Mitchell will serve as vice president of operations, responsible for the network and operations departments. He will provide technical and service direction for Access One and manage its network. Mitchell will take Access One through its transition from a switchless reseller to a facilities-based provider. AccessOne also has appointed William J. Major III as its director of network. The newly created position tasks Major with overseeing the deployment, operation and maintenance of Access Ones future softswitch.

Wholesale prepaid conferencing company NetworkIP is offering its customers services from minutes trader Arbinet-thexchange Inc. NetworkIP says its customers can access the Arbinet-enabled service to get pricing from 375 carriers so they can reduce cost of service, improve route quality and increase sales by reaching new markets. NetworkIP says prepaid providers who transfer their switching and billing to NetworkIP will no longer need to negotiate rates with hundreds of carriers around the world, interconnect them with their platform or switch, and manage routing and rate negotiations.

MobilePro Corp. subsidiary CloseCall America has signed a commercial agreement with VoIP wholesaler CommPartners Inc. to offer digital phone service to CloseCall America broadband users. CommPartners VoIP services and local telephone numbers are available in major metro areas across the United States. The wholesaler provides VoIP facilitation services such as subscriber endpoint control, connectivity to the PSTN, long-distance and subscriber management.

Visage Mobile, which provides technology and services to enable MVNOs, and OSS/BSS company Convergys Corp. say they are ready to support ESPN Mobile, the MVNO from ESPN scheduled to launch early 2006. In 2003, Visage and Convergys partnered to integrate each others technologies to create an MVNO platform. This lets MVNOs shorten their time-to-market, minimize upfront investment and deliver differentiated mobile experiences, the companies say. Under the agreement, Visage Mobile provides the back-office platform, including its carrier gateway, and Convergys is the billing services provider, operating its Infinys Billing and Rating software.

TelePlus Wireless Corp., an MVNO subsidiary of TelePlus Enterprises Inc., has signed a wireless service agreement with the E-Mobile group of companies in Dallas. TelePlus Wireless will resell wireless airtime minutes to E-Mobile, and E-Mobile will sell those services under its brand name. TelePlus has announced a licensing agreement with E-Mobile, allowing E-Mobile to use its wireless handsets equipped with the TelePlus Billing Control System. TelePlus says it expects E-Mobiles purchases of wireless airtime services to exceed $1.5 million annually.

Wholesale hosted VoIP provider New Global Telecom (NGT) has released version 3.4 of its 6DegreesIP VoIP product. New developments include: availability of LineSider Communications SecureVoIP voice-encryption technology; front-end order entry and provisioning capability for customers; and a limited-time promotion around NGTs integrated TelPack Toolbar, which allows end users to make and accept telephone calls, and change telephone settings from Microsoft Corp.s Outlook and Internet Explorer. Release 3.4 also includes additional functionality at NGTs proprietary customer Web portal.