Business/Technology Editors

BOSTON & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2001

Netonomy, the leading provider of self-service e-Care and e-Commerce solutions for the wireless communications industry and EHPT, the market leader in convergent software applications for communications service providers, have joined together to offer a complete customer care and billing solution specifically for the next generation of wireless operators. The integrated Netonomy/EHPT solution is based on the expertise that both Netonomy and EHPT have gained from working with companies that will be first to market with 3G services. It will enable operators to roll out value added services in a cost effective manner, reducing reliance on the traditional call center to support subscribers.

A wide selection of value-added services will be provided to customers on UMTS networks. Customers will want to change and configure these services "on-demand", and so a self-service support strategy is the best approach, giving customers immediate access to their service provider. At the same time, the increased level of customer interaction can only be supported by the service provider via the self-service channel. At present, with current wireless services, between 1-2% of the customer base calls the customer service center every day. The introduction of 3G will significantly increase the number of customer interactions. It is estimated that many UMTS users will contact their service provider up to10 times per week. This type of interaction cannot be supported with traditional CRM-based, call center focused solutions.

The combined Netonomy/EHPT solution will enable 3G operators to generate revenue faster by allowing customers to manage their relationship with the service provider - a CMR-based (Customer Managed Relationships), customer-focused approach. The solution will deliver a complete customer care portal that can be accessed anytime via any device, such as the UMTS handset, PDA, PC or interactive TV, offering subscribers an easy-to-use interface that will enable them to select the services they want, whenever they want. At the same time, the direct communications channel with the subscriber base will enable the operator to provide more comprehensive support on a 24 x 7 basis.

"There has been enormous investment in 3G licences, therefore the pressure on service providers to show revenue growth and profitability will be enormous. The sooner operators can roll out their services, the sooner they can start to show impatient investors the road to profitability. The MyNetonomy CMR-focused e-Care and e-Commerce application tightly integrated with the EHPT's flexible 3G-based NextGen billing solution will enable operators to launch their services faster, and deliver a more comprehensive portfolio of services, at a lower cost to the operator," commented John Ball, Chief Executive Officer of Netonomy.

"Speed to market will be a key success factor in determining those that will succeed and those that will fail in the 3G marketplace. The EHPT/Netonomy solution will enable operators to rapidly put in place a flexible platform that will enable them to rate and bill virtually any service that they can dream-up, and roll out and support those services very efficiently and profitably through a self-service sales and customer service portal. Our joint solution has already proven to be a competitive weapon for innovative 3G carriers," said Hans Hjertqvist EHPT's Executive Vice-President for Billing and Customer Care.

About Netonomy

Netonomy is the market leader in e-Care and e-Commerce solutions for innovative wireless communications service providers. The MyNetonomy(TM) solution, built specifically for the global communications market, enables service providers to increase revenue, improve customer services, and reduce both subscriber churn and operating costs. With dual headquarters in Boston and Paris, and sales offices in London and Rotterdam, Netonomy partners with industry leading systems integrators and other telco-specific solution providers to produce complete solutions for the global telecommunications sector. For more information, visit www.netonomy.com.

About EHPT

EHPT is a global IT business, developing software applications for telecom operators and service providers around the world. EHPT's product portfolio is built on an open and modular architecture for use in both fixed and mobile communications and the Internet. The company was founded in 1993 as a joint venture between Ericsson and Hewlett-Packard. EHPT is represented around the globe, with its Head Office in Sweden and a total of over 1,000 employees. For more information, visit www.ehpt.com.