MACH, The Leading Provider of Hub-Based Mobile Communications Exchange
Solutions, Unveiled Today a New Strategy

LUXEMBOURG , Oct. 15 /CNW/ - MACH, the leading provider of solutions to simplify and accelerate the creation and operation of the mobile communications supply chain, today unveiled a new strategy which will see the company extend its reach throughout the wireless roaming and messaging markets, and paves the way for further expansion into the mobile content and applications market.

At the GSMA BARG No. 74 event, which MACH is hosting in Copenhagen , the company announced its intention to play a key role in the execution and analysis of every transaction in the new "connected" world, allowing Communications Service Providers (CSP's) to build, deliver and optimise customer-centric services and applications.

"To be in every transaction in a connected world, MACH will be the leading global provider in all three areas of the mobile value chain - interconnectivity, interoperability and settlement," said Lodewijk Cornelis, MACH CMO. "We are already well-positioned within each of these areas. Our SMS services already interconnect operators. Our Link2One hub, Inter-Standard Roaming services and Data Clearing business enable interoperability, and our market-leading Financial Clearing services provide settlement solutions for operators all over the world."

CSP's serve an increasingly sophisticated mobile consumer, while managing growing supply-side fragmentation and complexity. The new generation of mobile consumers is accustomed to immediate, low cost and reliable communications solutions, and demands seamless, open and flexible access to the growing constellation of mobile internet-based applications. The rapidly growing provider population, including network operators, internet application providers, social networks, and enterprise messaging operations, complicate service creation and delivery, and increasing technological complexity imposes a further obstacle on the delivery of CSP business models.

To meet the evolving demands of a burgeoning market, CSP's must establish and formalise the right partnerships to build innovative new applications and to bring them to market. They must streamline inter-provider business processes to deliver services reliably, seamlessly and efficiently, and they must optimise business performance by being first to market with new opportunities and innovative delivery options.

MACH's new strategy is founded on the industry's first hub-based mobile communications exchange, called HUB-XC(R). HUB-XC(R) is a unique suite of integrated hubbing applications and managed services that connect any provider of any mobile application over any technology to build, deliver and monetise customer-centric mobile business models. It automates high volume transactions flows to accelerate time to market, to increase service reliability and to reduce operational costs. Because MACH's hubbing applications are at the heart of the mobile value chain, providing many-to-many hub-based interconnectivity, interoperability and settlement services through a single connection, they can capture and analyse transactions data to provide real-time insight that drives business optimisation.

"The hub-based infrastructure announced by MACH today will play a key role in supporting existing business models and in advancing the pace of innovation in the mobile market," said Angela Stainthorpe, Senior Analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media. "By pulling together managed service solutions that allow diverse providers to connect, do business together and settle inter-operator liabilities, MACH is building on its core expertise to enhance both the efficiency of the market and the experience of the mobile consumer."

HUB-XC(R) today offers hubbing applications for business processes including roaming, SMS traffic, business intelligence, partner management, testing, clearing and settlement, revenue assurance, and network interconnect.

"MACH's long and deep experience enabling mobile operator businesses forms the foundation for the strategy we have announced today," said Guy Dubois , President and CEO, MACH. "For the very first time, our hub-based exchange offers providers of all kinds a conduit through which to execute innovative, customer-focused business ideas - eliminating complexity so that they can get on with delighting their customers."

"It is a conduit which unites providers so that they can build new services and bring them quickly to market," Mr Dubois went on to say. "It connects providers so that they can deliver those services to optimise the customer experience. And it empowers providers to seek out new business opportunities, to realise those opportunities, and to protect revenue and maximise profitability. Today marks the beginning of a very exciting future for MACH and for the mobile market."

MACH is the world's largest provider of clearing and settlement solutions, and serves 650 customers with market-leading roaming, messaging, content and interconnect services. MACH already handles the majority of the world's roaming invoices and processes the majority of all Near Real-time Roaming Data Exchange (NRTRDE) files globally. MACH's Link2One roaming hub is the largest fully-operational, global coverage roaming hub in the world.

About MACH

MACH is the leading provider of hub-based mobile communications exchange solutions, uniting the global telecommunications marketplace. MACH solutions accelerate operators' and providers' time to market, optimise service delivery to the mobile end-user, and accelerate the settlement of inter-operator financial liabilities.

MACH HUB-XC(R), a unique suite of integrated hubbing applications and managed services, connects any provider of any mobile application over any technology to build, deliver and monetise customer-centric mobile business models. HUB-XC(R) connects Communications Service Providers (CSP's) at every stage of the mobile application value chain and enables the efficient flow of mobile traffic, of service validation, delivery and billing information, and of settlement transactions.

MACH solutions unite CSP's to expand their service offerings and to extend their reach. They connect CSP's for the reliable, seamless, cost-effective delivery of mobile services, and they empower CSP's to optimise performance and to identify new market opportunities.

MACH is the largest provider of data and financial clearing solutions for wireless roaming, and more than 50% of the world's roaming calls are processed through MACH systems. 15 out of the 24 members of the GSMA executive committee use MACH's clearing services.

MACH operates the world's largest open connectivity roaming hub, Link2One, and more than 60% of all NRTRDE files are processed and verified in MACH's NRTRDE hub.

Founded in 1987, MACH today incorporates the experience and expertise of market-leaders such as Dan Net , Cibernet, End2End and PROGRATOR/gatetrade.

Headquartered in Luxembourg , MACH has offices in 12 countries and employs more than 1,000 people worldwide serving over 650 mobile network operators (MNO's), as well as technology providers, fixed network operators, application stores, SMS aggregators, and supply chain management customers in nearly every country in the world. http://www.mach.com

For further information: Enquiries: MACH, Helle Auken Lygum, global Marketing Project Manager, MACH, E-mail: [email protected], Tel: [phone]