Single SIM card offers Greater China roaming

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- International travelers may now have one less complaint about incompatible mobile phone networks. Roamware, Inc., a global provider of voice and data roaming systems, has announced that it is providing its new SIMM service to Hong Kong CSL, enabling subscribers across the Greater China region to use multiple local mobile numbers in multiple destinations with one SIM card.

John Hoffman, Roamware CEO, said he believes that roaming services are moving away from an era where the availability of services has been key to driving uptake and usage, to an era where capability is driving the services.

Hoffman said the SIMM (Single IMSI Multiple MSISDN, a single SIM card with multiple numbers), solution marks significant progress in value-added voice and data roaming solutions. For subscribers that frequently travel between multiple regions and countries, Roamware’s SIMM solution will enable them to not only access local numbers without changing SIM cards, but also enable other callers to access them more easily with a local number.

The SIMM card also delivers the capability to make or receive calls on multiple mobile numbers and send and receive SMS on more than one number, while only using one SIM card.

"Our new SIMM solution will enable CSL to offer more flexibility to its subscribers," Hoffman said. "Not only does the solution enable subscribers to save costs on roaming call charges and the convenience of carrying only one SIM card, but it also ensures that subscribers can still use all the other value-added services offered by CSL."

Our new solution embodies seamless communications and enables CSL subscribers to be reached anywhere, anytime on one number," Hoffman said. He add that Roamware has plans to roll this new service out across Asia and other regions.

CSL is introducing a JustOne Card service in anticipation of an increasing demand. "By managing mobile numbers from different jurisdictions on a single SIM card, our JustOne Card service, riding on Roamware’s SIMM platform, eliminates the need to swap SIM cards and enables customers to enjoy a range of convenient features and special savings on roaming services. The new service brings an unprecedented experience to our customers," said Richard Midgett, Director of International & Wholesale at CSL.added Midgett.

Roamware's business is to enable mobile operators to design and deploy a new generation of cost-optimizing and revenue-generating services with an attractive ROI promise, leading to increased profitability, reduced churn and strategic competitive differentiation. These new generation services are built around a core technology footprint called the Roamware Service Delivery System (SDS), which allows operators to unify critical subscriber information for design and deployment of intelligent personalized services.

Hoffman said Roamware’s initial suite of services, built on Roamware SDS, are focused on addressing the problem of acquiring and retaining roamers, driving ARPU from roaming via new services, and optimizing operational costs while delivering enhanced roaming services. They enable operators to attract and retain roamers via differentiated services, leading to increased high-margin roaming revenues.

Roamware is headquartered in Cupertino, Calif. with its European office in Brussels, Belgium, an Asian office in Hong Kong with a global development center in Mumbai, India.

Last September, Roamware announced an agreement with AT&T Wireless to provide enhanced roaming services to millions of global GSM subscribers visiting the USA. The agreement will allow International visitors using a tri-band GSM phone to access enhanced wireless services when roaming on AT&T Wireless‘ Next Generation GSM/GPRS network.

Roamware’s Short Codes with CLI delivery will give international visitors access to their voice mail and other short codes the way they do on their home network. The Smart Call service from Roamware lets visitors bypass special international dialing patterns and make calls the way they would in their home country. This also eliminates the need to change their existing phone book entries to call people at home or in other countries, the company said.

Visitors roaming onto the AT&T Wireless Next Generation network will receive a welcome text message from the operator advising them of the services available and in particular outlining the short code service for voicemail access and customer care.