Telefónica has entered an agreement with Ericsson and Indra, a leading Spanish IT multinational.The agreement includes transfer of Telefónica’s complete pre-paid billing assets, related operations support systems together with about 500 employees that develop, operate and maintain the solution that today serves about 100 million subscribers in the Telefónica Group. The assets will be transferred to Ericsson and Indra, effective October, 2010.
Ericsson says the agreement will strengthen its position within systems integration and within the areas of business support systems (BSS) and operation support systems (OSS). It is also said to be an important complement to Ericsson’s billing and charging portfolio, providing it with opportunities to further develop and expand capabilities for the BSS solution with possible commercialization to other customers.
Of the 500 employees joining Ericsson and Indra, approximately 400 come from Telefónica I+D in Spain and about 100 come from Telefónica I+D in Brazil.
A Telefónica spokesperson said: “Pre-paid is an important component in our group’s offering and we are happy to have Ericsson and Indra managing our solution. The agreement offers a unique opportunity for the development and the operational efficiency of the billing solution, together with the Telefónica I+D organizations that the two companies are taking over.”
Magnus Mandersson, Head of Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson, said: “This is an exciting agreement, strengthening our relationship with Telefónica and spurring our work within innovation and new business models with our customers. The partnership with Indra will also open the door for new business opportunities, thanks to their leadership in IT solutions and IT systems integration.”