Globe taps US firm to beef up customer services

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom has tapped US-based telecom software and services firm Amdocs Ltd. to provide it with customer experience systems software.

The announcement was made at the Amdocs Asia-Pacific InTouch Business Forum, an industry gathering of Amdocs customers and executives, dedicated to addressing the needs of Asia-Pacific service providers in the connected world.

Amdocs is a provider of software and services for billing, customer relationship management (CRM), and operations support systems (OSS) with customers in over 60 countries.

Its clients include telecom firms such as AT&T Mobility, AT&T U-Verse, Cable One, Cablevision, Sprint-Nextel, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Bell Canada, and Rogers Communications.

The NYSE-listed company earned revenues of $2.86 billion in fiscal year 2009.

Globe has deployed Amdocs jNetX Convergent Service Platform to streamline the rollout of new applications and customer promotions. Amdocs jNetX provides the core element that enables a step-by-step evolution toward a Service Delivery Platform (SDP).

The company has also deployed Amdocs jNetX Service Broker and can now offer its prepaid customers access to new applications such as multimedia messaging, regardless of the charging platform.

“Globe is competing in a rapidly developing, dynamic marketplace with a predominantly young population, many of whom are prepaid subscribers,” said Mario Domingo, Globe head of product design and creation.

“The Amdocs jNetX Convergent Service Platform allows us to quickly respond to this population’s needs and ensure greater prepaid subscriber loyalty. Globe is committed to providing its customers with innovative communication applications, quickly and efficiently in this fast-paced market,” Domingo said.

Amdocs’ jNetX Convergent Service Platform enables service providers to expose both telecom and IP components in the network to offer convergent network, IT and Web-based services to all of their customers.

Amdocs’ jNetX communications applications include more than 120 rich telecom applications that run on the Amdocs jNetX Convergent Service Platform. This approach benefits customers by enabling faster time-to-market and the monetization of next-generation services.

Globe-Mobily tie-up

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can expect to pay lower rates for calls and text messages to family and friends in the Philippines, thanks to a recently inked partnership between Globe Telecom and Saudi Arabia-based mobile operator Mobily.

Mobily is Saudi Arabia’s second largest mobile operator with a market share of about 40 percent. It is the brand carried by Saudi telecom firm Etihad Etisalat.

Mobily partnered with Globe to launch the Mabuhay Kababayan prepaid SIM, a new service that gives Mobily subscribers special rates for calls and text messages to the Philippines.

With the Mobily Mabuhay Kababayan prepaid SIM, calls to Globe, Tattoo and TM in the Philippines will be charged 99 halala (0.99 Saudi riyal or about P12.01) per minute, and 30 halala (0.30 Saudi riyal or about P3.66) per text message.

“We value the hard work and sacrifices of our OFWs and we know how important it is for them to stay in touch with their loved ones back in the Philippines. You can expect a lot more from this major partnership with Mobily,” said Kimmie Moreno, Globe marketing head for overseas Filipino communities (international).

“We have partnered with a reputable telecommunication company like Mobily to allow our kababayans in Saudi to keep in touch with friends and family at reduced rates, giving them more talk time. This is a key milestone for Globe since this is the first of such partnership in the Middle East,” said Rychie Albert, Globe international business development head for Middle East and Europe.

There are an estimated 1.1 million Filipinos living and working in Saudi Arabia.