Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Digicel reaches over two million customers in the Caribbean with the launch of VoluBill’s Charge-it solutions
06-20-2006

PARIS, France: VoluBill, a leading supplier of real-time charging, control and monitoring applications for IP-based mobile services, on Monday announced the successful launch of its latest versions of Charge it™ for Browsing, Charge It™ for Delivery and Charge it™ for IP solutions in Digicel’s mobile network operations in Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti. Through the installation of VoluBill’s products Digicel is now able to support pre-paid charging for mobile data, content and messaging services for millions of wireless subscribers across its expanding pan Caribbean GSM network of 20 Caribbean markets.

“Digicel is the first customer to use our enhanced Charge it solutions and the results of the implementation have exceeded expectations,” explains John Aalbers, VoluBill’s CEO. “This is due to the solutions’ cutting edge, real-time technology, which enables Digicel to seamlessly and cost-effectively apply revenue enhancing pre-paid charging plans. VoluBill’s solutions achieve this objective by measuring and charging mobile data, content and messaging services accessed by Digicel’s two million plus subscribers on pre-paid tariffs. The results are greater revenue streams and reliable, non-labour intensive network maintenance.”

Founded in 2001, Jamaica-based Digicel is the leading and fastest-growing GSM network provider in the Caribbean. The company has played an important role in the advancement of cellular communications in the region, offering innovative, competitively priced products and services as well as superior customer care to over two million subscribers. VoluBill’s advanced and well proven solutions enables Digicel to successfully manage its growing subscriber base and offer excellent network coverage as it continues its development across the Caribbean islands.

“VoluBill’s proven reputation, combined with industry experience and excellent customer references, were key factors for selecting the Charge-it technologies for our pan-Caribbean expansion,” explains Mario Assaad, Digicel Group Chief Technology Officer (CTO). “By using the network hubs based in Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti, both of which are equipped with VoluBill’s technologies, Digicel can now effortlessly connect traffic from its various island operations to the network system. We are extremely pleased with the results and hope to continue our relationship with VoluBill as our business goals grow with our success.”

Thanks to Charge it’s flexibility, Digicel’s Trinidad & Tobago operation is also successfully supporting the company’s latest data services, including those recently gained through Digicel’s acquisition of France's Bouygues Telecom Caraibe, a leading cellular operator in the French West Indies. The purchase of BTC, recently re-branded to Digicel French West Indies, has provided Digicel with additional GSM networks in Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana and over 160,000 new subscribers.

VoluBill’s Charge it™ browsing solution enables Digicel to analyse all WAP and HTTP traffic in order to perform access control and to charge for associated data services. The Charge it™ IP product offers real-time analysis and control that enables Digicel to provide a large variety of Enterprise/Corporate and Mass market services.

The Charge it™ delivery solution provides Digicel with the ability to support the successful end-to-end completion of WAP download services, therefore enabling the operator to charge customers only on successful delivery to the mobile device rather than on content requests.

“VoluBill is proud to be part of Digicel’s historic business growth in the Caribbean,” said Aalbers. “Our association with a tier-one provider reinforces our position as the global leader in next generation, IP based charging applications and we look forward to working with the company again as it increases its subscriber numbers and roles out new services.”

Since its creation five years ago, Digicel has changed the face of mobile telecommunications in the Caribbean through its offer of excellent nationwide coverage, affordable rates and handsets, quality services and 24/7 customer care. Digicel is also an innovative provider, being the first to launch new technologies and services.

Future plans for the company -- which are also compatible with VoluBill’s technology -- include greater international roaming services and the first ever Caribbean launch of WiMax, a standards-based wireless technology that offers high broadband connections for services such as VoIP over long distances.

Digicel currently has operations in 20 Caribbean countries, covering a total population of over 15 million people. Incorporated in Bermuda and currently operating in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Curaçao, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago.

The company is the lead sponsor of Caribbean sports teams including the West Indies Cricket Team, Special Olympics teams across the Caribbean and is title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Football Union Cup, which involves over 30 Caribbean countries and is an important qualifier towards the CONCACAF Gold Cup.