solutions for the mobile Internet, today announced that VimpelCom, a leading provider of telecommunications services in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), is to deploy the Volantis Mobile Content Storefront™ platform. Storefront is being deployed in order to simplify complex legacy systems, drive the adoption of mobile content and increase VimpelCom’s Value Added Service (VAS) revenue share.

The platform will initially be used by VimpelCom to manage content offered by its Russian carrier, Beeline, which has an active subscriber base of more than 42m subscribers. The solution will be seamlessly integrated into VimpelCom’s six other operator properties in CIS countries (Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia) at a later date, with a group reach of 80m subscribers.

Storefront is a platform for wireless carriers and content providers to manage, market, sell and distribute digital content through a variety of mobile devices and channels including WAP, SMS, IVR and USSD. The platform will enable VimpelCom to introduce new content, such as full track downloads, and allow competing content providers on its portal.

“The market for mobile content is maturing quickly in the CIS and VimpelCom is at the forefront of deploying new and compelling applications and services that will attract a broad audience of new consumers,” said Aleksey Lobanov, Senior Project manager, VimpelCom. “Not only will this deployment enable us to simplify a range of complex legacy systems, but it will also provide a stable platform from which we can offer a range of new services to our subscribers in the future.”

“As the leading operator in the CIS, it is strategically important that VimpelCom remains ahead of the curve when developing new propositions for their subscribers,” said Mark Watson, Volantis’ CEO. “VimpelCom will now be able to take greater control of the content offering on its portal, allowing it to provide premium services, such as music and downloadable applications that will enable it to further increase its non-voice revenues.”

Storefront will integrate into a number of supporting billing and monitoring systems, and those of external content providers, enabling new content interfaces in Cyrilic script and a better user experience on the VimpelCom portal. The system architecture combines several integrated solutions, which provides a best-of-breed automatic adaptation of audio, video and image content.

The rollout of Storefront will facilitate a combination of comprehensive menu management options and promotional tools, and allow content to be made available to the consumer at an appropriate time, site position and optimized for their devices. The Volantis device database covers over 5,200+ devices.

About Volantis

Volantis software is protected by the following granted and pending patent applications: United Kingdom: 2371896, European Patent EP 1320972 (Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland), pending European Patent Application EP 1641211 (designating Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom), Hong Kong: HK1049046, Japan: 2002-531257, Singapore: 95431, 200301776-9, India: 325/DEL/03, South Korea: 7004318/03, People's Republic of China: ZL01819526, US: 10/381802.

About Vimpelcom

The VimpelCom Group is a telecommunications operator, providing voice and data services, covered through a range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies. The Group includes companies operating in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia, in territories with a total population of about 250 million. VimpelCom was the first Russian company to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Information Source:    Business Wire