BERN, Switzerland, July 2, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Siminn - Iceland Telecom to partner with TOGEWAnet AG and its WeRoam(r) Services to deliver WLAN roaming based on SIM technology. This major step enables Siminn to offer global mobile broadband data services to all of their existing and future customers simply by accessing one of the many WeRoam(r) enabled hotspots around the world. Siminn is the latest company to join the growing number of TOGEWAnet partners benefiting from the advantages of WeRoam(r).
Siminn the major telecom operator of Iceland can provide access to all its corporate and private customer to the extremely fast-growing number of WLAN hotspots worldwide through the partnership with WeRoam(r). These WLAN hotspots are part of a global network of secure access point by the unique features of WeRoam(r). By using WeRoam(r) Siminn positions itself to meet the growing demand of business customers to obtain secured and reliable broadband connections to corporate networks using VPN technology. Customer Care, provisioning and billing are running on the existing infrastructure of Siminn without any major investment or the need for new processes. For the user of the services nothing changes in his normal interaction with Siminn (his home operator) as all WLAN roaming connections are listed in the monthly GSM invoice.
WeRoam(r) provides a service bureau and aggregation service for Wireless ISPs and Mobile Operators wishing to enter the WLAN market. WeRoam(r) builds on its association with Comfone' GSM SS7, billing and clearing service, to enable a similar range of roaming services for the WLAN market. Through WeRoam(r), WISP' may gain connectivity with the networks of Mobile Operators, and vice versa, so that a common roaming platform is created with an extensive worldwide footprint. This is done with minimal up front cost and maximum use of existing network resources.
WeRoam(r) enables network roaming using the existing SS7 inter-operator signaling infrastructure. The end-user experience is akin to using a mobile phone -- whichever network he or she is on, the laptop or PDA will authenticate with the "home" network, and create a billing record in the home network. The user does not have to intervene with username, password, or any other such complication. The use of a SIM card (in fact a type of smart card) gives the operator the proven security of GSM phones and enables WLAN users to be provisioned and managed in the same way as mobile phone users. The system also supports users who do not have a SIM card or cellular account by interconnecting with existing RADIUS based billing and authentication systems. In this case, the benefits of cellular to WLAN integration are reduced but existing subscribers and "walk-in' customers may still use the hotspots.
According to TOGEWAnet CEO, Toni Stadelmann, "We are deeply satisfied by the partnership with Siminn not only by having the major telecom player of Iceland using the WeRoam(r) Services, but also by the easiness of connecting their GSM core network infrastructure to the WLAN roaming platform of WeRoam(r). This underlines once more that SIM based authentication is key for WLAN roaming by automatically supporting all relevant procedures for roaming, fraud prevention, billing and clearing. It also confirms the technological leadership and readiness of the standards implemented in WeRoam(r)."
About Siminn - Iceland Telecom
Iceland Telecom Ltd. was founded in the year 1906 and is today, one of the most dynamic companies in Iceland. Iceland Telecom provides full telecommunication services for residents and corporations in Iceland.
It has a wealth of human resources, powerful technology and a diverse service portfolio. It is on these merits that Iceland Telecom Ltd. will continue to evolve and ensure good returns on the capital deployed in its investments, in the interests of its customers, shareholders, employees and others who benefit from the company's operations.
In 1994, a new submarine cable, Cantat-3, was opened. Most of Iceland's international telephone calls now go via this cable along with a great volume of data, such as for the Internet. Now Iceland Telecom Ltd. is preparing a new submarine cable Farice 1 together with the Icelandic government and other telecommunication companies in Iceland and Fareo Islands.
The enormous progress that has taken place in telecommunications over the last few decades and years has created business opportunities and increased cultural exchanges, bridging the distance between Iceland and the rest of the world. Icelanders are quick to adapt to innovations, and this was especially true of mobile telephones. The NMT system went into operation in 1986, and the GSM system in 1994 and now 93% of the Icelandic population has access to mobile phones. In 1998, the broadband was put into operation. For more information please visit http://www.siminn.is
About TOGEWAnet
The Swiss company TOGEWAnet AG, established in 2001 and owned by TOGEWA Holding, specialises in mobility management and roaming optimisation solutions for the mobile and wireless telecommunications sector.
TOGEWAnet' WeRoam(r) service facilitates the seamless integration of WLAN and GSM network technologies, enabling global roaming for WLAN services and thereafter facilitating automatic and secure roaming between WLAN, GSM and GPRS. Key solutions found in GSM technology have been adopted to make up the WeRoam(r) service, which provides secure authentication (based on GSM SIM and Radius), signaling conversion, clearing and settlement services (based on TAP - Transferred Account Procedure) and management of contractual roaming agreements. The subscriber will benefit from greater roaming coverage and the convenience of swapping between different standards with the additional advantage of having a single identity, thus receiving only one bill from his home network operator despite having visited a number of operators and countries and having used different mobile standards.
Close ties with its' sister company, Comfone AG, also founded by the umbrella company of TOGEWA Group, allow TOGEWAnet to benefit from Comfone' depth of experience in offering a wide range of roaming services to GSM operators. For more information, please visit http://www.weroam.com