Stratus® Technologies, Inc. announced today that Marcatel, one of Mexico’s largest residential and business telecom service providers, has selected Stratus’ ENTICE converged application server solution as its platform of choice to meet the regulatory requirements under Mexico’s number portability, as mandated by La Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL) . The solution runs on Stratus’ ftServer® continuously available product line and allows Marcatel to offer number portability service now, while positioning it to offer VPN, free fone, least cost routing and other converged services in the future.
Stratus’ sale to Marcatel was facilitated by Stratus Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V. based in Mexico City, Mexico since 1993. This installation leverages Stratus’ long history in providing Number Portability solutions in Europe and Asia, and extends Stratus already long reach around the world into Mexico. The win also positions Stratus to take advantage of recent deregulation in Central and South America which is driving demand for converged Number Portability solutions.
Founded in 1996, Marcatel offers domestic and international long distance, toll-free, prepaid cards, private enterprise lines and dedicated Internet access, and other services. The company has a 2,500 kilometer fiber optic network connected by main switching centers located in three major Mexican cities; its services also cross the U.S. border to McAllen, Texas.
“The Stratus solution strategy gives Marcatel the ability to comply with portability requirements within Mexico. That benefit, combined with the proven reliability of Stratus equipment and applications, made their converged application server the best choice,” said Tim Heaney, Director of Engineering and Operations of Marcatel.
“Stratus was able to uniquely meet Marcatel’s needs in this specialized application due to the combined strengths of both its ftServer and ENTICE product lines,” said Ali Kafel, Stratus vice president, telecommunications sales and business development. “As Mexican telecoms work to meet the July 5, 2008 number portability deadline, they are also seeking ways to increase their service capabilities that can drive new revenue steams. The Stratus converged solution is part of the ENTICE solution suite that is able to accomplish this.”
Mexican telecoms are expected to implement Number Portability, which enables phone service customers to take their phone number with them when changing carriers, on July 5, 2008. Mexico will be the second Latin American country to implement number portability after Puerto Rico.
“Marcatel subjected the Stratus platform to extremely rigorous testing. The ability of the Stratus converged application server to operate with Marcatel’s Sonus softswitch and Siemens legacy switch proved to be a deciding factor,” noted Javier González Gasque, Director of Business Development, Stratus Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V. “Stratus technologies offer smooth interoperability combined with world-class reliability—two factors that are important to any infrastructure solution.”
About Stratus Technologies:
Stratus is a provider of complete VoIP and other converged services for Telecommunications Service Providers. By helping its customers connect their world using innovative solutions that they can trust and backing it with people they can count on, the Stratus Technologies Telecommunications Group is making convergence simple. Stratus Technologies solutions are installed in 14 of 20 of the worlds largest carriers. Stratus has 27 years of expertise in server and services technology and has been a trusted solutions provider to customers in telecommunications, manufacturing, life sciences, financial services, public safety, transportation & logistics and other industries.For more information, visit www.stratustelecom.com.
About Marcatel:
Marcatel, established in 1996, made a breakthrough in the history of telecommunications in Mexico by becoming the first telecommunications company to obtain a long distance concession. The company managed to successfully break the monopoly in the industry and open the market for free competition. Marcatel serves business and residential markets nationally through its high capacity fiber optics network, with an approximate length of 2,500 kilometers that covers the entire Mexican territory. Within its telecommunication services, Marcatel offers voice, data and infrastructure products. Included in their portfolio of voice services are local and long distance telephone solutions, 800 numbers, prepaid and postpaid cards with worldwide coverage, audio conferencing, hosted IPPBX and virtual telephone lines, among others. Data services include internet access in different varieties: DSL, dedicated, wireless, dial-up and VPN connections. Other services include private lines, lambdas, colocations and frequency leasing. Marcatel also has contact center solutions available to complement their telecommunication services, offering the best communication package for any kind of business.
Contacts:
Kell Benson
847-415-9348
kbenson@sspr.com
