TOTAL TEL BROADENS MOBILE MARKET WITH STRATUS-BASED PREPAID PHONE
SERVICE
Marlboro, Mass., September 29, 1997 - Australian telecommunications
provider Total Tel Limited together with major carrier, Network
Vodafone, has launched Australia's first prepaid mobile phone service.
Designed to attract a previously neglected market segment, Total Tel
PrePaid Mobile is implemented using a continuously available server
system from Stratus Computer, Inc.
The innovative nationwide offering targets those who are unable or do
not desire to sign a standard postpaid mobile contract. This
fast-growing market includes the estimated 20,000 Australians who are
turned away each month due to unsatisfactory credit.
The new service does away with credit checks, contracts, and monthly
bills. Customers simply purchase a Total Tel PrePaid Mobile Starter Pack
providing a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a mobile phone
number, prepaid outbound calls, and unlimited inbound calls for 12
months. Compatible with any digital mobile phone, the SIM connects users
with the GSM network operated by Network Vodafone.
Total Tel expects that 100,000 Australians will opt for a PrePaid Mobile
Starter Pack in its first year on the market. According to Peter
McMillan, Total Tel's Director of International Business, sales are
currently outpacing these projections. Well over 10,000 Starter Packs
have been activated so far.
Prepaid mobile has been introduced in the UK, the US, Italy, South
Africa, Switzerland, and other countries worldwide over the past year.
This pay-as-you-go service has proven extremely popular everywhere. In
Italy alone, some 1.5 million subscribers currently use prepaid mobile
services.
Sophisticated Call Handling and Account Processing
The Total Tel service relies on custom-created technology that is fully
integrated within Vodafone's exchange. It incorporates a "front-end"
call-handling and voice-processing system from Steadycom Pty. Limited
and a database server residing on a fault-tolerant Stratus® Continuum®
Series 425 computer. Application software was developed by Cooee Phone
Company (a major shareholder in Total Tel Ltd.).
Linked directly to Vodafone's mobile switching center, the front-end
technology provides vital call processing, call routing, and interactive
voice response capabilities. A TCP/IP connection over a fully redundant
100MB Ethernet link allows for split-second interchange of customer
account information with the Stratus server.
When a customer dials a number, the Continuum database is instantly
queried as to account validity and how much connect time remains on the
prepaid account. As the call proceeds, the system performs real-time
monitoring of the customer's credit. The front-end voice system can send
special tones to let the customer know how many call minutes have been
consumed, or warning tones as the credit runs down.
The system also enables customers to check on their account balances
whenever they wish by dialing a four-digit number from their mobile
phones. A recorded voice message announces the current account balance.
Continuously Available Carrier-Grade Service
Mr. McMillan stressed the importance of uninterrupted availability for
these vital call handling and account processing functions. "Because our
equipment is installed within Vodafone's exchange, we needed a
carrier-grade solution that would deliver the same high quality that
customers expect from other Vodafone services," he said. "If the system
goes down, calls will not be put through correctly, or customer call
charges will not be processed accurately. So absolute reliability was a
must. After looking at several vendors' fault-tolerant products, it was
clear that the Stratus Continuum was our best choice."
Total Tel had initially considered software-based, "high availability"
redundancy schemes. But these were rejected because of their complex,
time-intensive coding requirements. "We were operating on a tight
schedule and didn't want to get bogged down in a protracted development
effort that might cause us to miss the market," Mr. McMillan said.
Mike Summerfield, Stratus' Manager of Telecommunications Sales for
Australia and New Zealand, said the Continuum platform gives Total Tel
both a cost-effective immediate solution and flexible options for future
growth.
"The Continuum 425 delivers all the power and performance they need
right now - at entry-level pricing. As the service's popularity grows
and the system's current capacity is exceeded, Total Tel can easily
upgrade to a more powerful Continuum processor, or they can connect
additional 400 Series systems in a cluster configuration. They could
even put another Continuum system 500 miles away in Sydney for
geographical load sharing and redundancy in case of an emergency," Mr.
Summerfield said.
Technology and Business "Partnership"
Stratus has worked closely with Total Tel from the project's inception,
providing technical support and helping the service provider explore new
business opportunities. As members of the technical team, Stratus database
and performance specialists based in the US as well as Australia played
a key role in activities such as prototyping, benchmark testing, quality
assurance, and installation and implementation. Their participation helped
the team complete system development within an extraordinarily short
three-month timeframe.
"When it comes to technical support, Stratus has been far more than a
vendor. They've been a true partner," Mr. McMillan said. On the business
side, Stratus is supporting Total Tel's efforts to offer similar
Continuum-based prepaid mobile services in additional markets. The
computer company is sharing contact information and helping open doors
to new Total Tel business opportunities across Asia. "Telecommunications
industry players throughout this region recognize Stratus' position as a
leader in continuously available solutions," Mr. McMillan said. "We
certainly see this business relationship as a positive for our company."
Total Tel's future plans include migrating to a Stratus-based
intelligent network (IN) platform. This would enable carriers to realize
immediate revenue by implementing prepaid mobile today, then
cost-effectively deliver additional IN-based subscriber services to meet
new marketplace demands tomorrow, Mr. McMillan said.
About Total Tel and Stratus
Total Tel Limited is an Australian-owned telecommunications company
specializing in prepaid mobile phone services. The company has been
formed by executives from Unidial Australia, a major phonecard supplier.
Based in Melbourne, Total Tel has developed the technology to handle the
real-time processing of all customer accounts, enabling it to offer the
first seamless, prepaid mobile product in Australia.
Based in Marlboro, Massachusetts, Stratus Computer, Inc. (NYSE:SRA) is
the premier supplier of computer systems and services where continuous
availability is a critical need. Stratus and its subsidiaries offer a
broad range of continuously available computer platforms, application
software, middleware, and professional services. The company markets its
systems and solutions to a range of industries in more than 60
countries. Stratus posted revenue of $609.3 million in fiscal year 1996.
For more information, see Stratus on the Internet at
http://www.stratus.com.
Stratus Contact:
Lynette Gutcho
Stratus Computer, Inc.
Tel: 508-490-6430
Fax: 508-485-6603
email: lynette_gutcho@stratus.com
Editors Note: Stratus, the Stratus logo, and Continuum are registered
trademarks of Stratus Computer, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
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