Awards + Certifications

Awards

Best Roaming Product or Service - 2007
Over-the-Air Local Prepaid Roaming Service

A challenge for network operators in developing and/or remote markets and regions worldwide is enablement of services for users that roam into their network. In instances where roaming agreements have not yet been established between the user's home network and the local operators, users will experience a loss of service, and operators have lost revenue opportunity. Typically the only option for a mobile user is to purchase a local SIM card for his mobile phone.

Tecore's Over-the-Air (OTA) Local Prepaid Roaming Service provides an avenue to capture these potential subscribers via a dynamically allocated prepaid service profile. OTA Local Prepaid Roaming leverages the capabilities of the existing prepaid system and SMS to allow temporary services to roaming subscribers from operators that do not have local roaming agreements in place. The benefit of OTA Local Prepaid Roaming is continuity of services to roaming users. It can be leveraged by operators in developing regions and by new operators that are still in the process of developing their roaming agreements.

OTA Local Prepaid Roaming avoids the problems created by the inherent limitations of conventional prepaid services to address these subscribers. By and large, the prepaid systems deployed in GSM networks today are CAMEL-based and typically require previous knowledge of the subscriber and coordination of profile and services with the Home Location Register. OTA Local Prepaid Roaming is an extension of the standard prepaid system offered by Tecore to address these subscribers who would otherwise be denied service.

The service works as follows: when a roaming user first enters the local network and attempts to perform a location update, rather than being rejected, he is allowed to access the system. He is then allocated a temporary number (MSISDN) which is sent to the user via SMS as part of a "welcoming" message. Once the user receives this message he is able to receive inbound calls to the assigned number. To enable the use of outbound calls and other services, the user would purchase a Top-up card from a local retailer and apply it to their account. The service supports wireless and wireline calling, including origination, termination and short message services.

OTA Local Prepaid Roaming enables roaming in cases where roaming services would not otherwise be provided to users, thus improving the overall experience of the mobile user. The simplicity of the OTA Local Prepaid Roaming allows the network operator to leverage its own prepaid system and Top-up cards to localize service delivery. The feature is integrated with Tecore's mobile core network systems, and does not require the operator to deploy any additional equipment or systems.

Further, the service does not interfere with any existing roaming agreements that the network operator has in place. In cases where there is a roaming agreement between operators, the user would be authenticated on the network and the OTA feature does not activate.

Best Radio Access Product or Service - 2006*
AdaptaCell SuperCapacity base station (BTS) using Adaptive Array (AA) software

As GSM continues its explosive growth, adding capacity for more subscribers, while improving their data throughput and call quality, is a major challenge, especially when additional spectrum, sites, and other scarce resources are unavailable.

The SuperCapacity base station is the solution for adaptive array technology available for GSM/GPRS/EDGE. For the first time in GSM, "N=1" frequency reuse is enabled, meaning every available frequency may be re-used in every cell.

This product can result in a substantial improvement of coverage, call quality and data rates in urban areas. This results in better economics, contributing to GSM being made available to many more subscribers, especially in underserved, emerging urban markets.

Best Technical Innovation - 1998*
GSM infrastructure development

The award was bestowed pioneering work in GSM infrastructure development, which resulted in a commercially available Base Station Subsystem (BSS) capable of providing concentrated capacity and distributed coverage in a low-cost tiered network architecture.

This award is especially significant in that it is the first time Best Technical Innovation has been awarded for GSM infrastructure and the first time a North American company has won for any technical product. The award selection was determined by a prestigious jury representing more than 2,500 industry participants at the World Congress. GSM, supported by 256 network operators in 110 countries and used by over 60 million subscribers, is the most prevalent digital wireless communications technology in the world.

* - as AirNet Communications

Certifications

ISO 9000 at Tecore Networks

ISO 9000 is the International Organization for Standardization's family of standards for Quality Management Systems. The standards are intended to enhance customer satisfaction through assurance of conformity to customer and regulatory requirements, and demonstrated consistency in an organization's ability to provide products and services.

Tecore was officially registered to the ISO 9001:2000 standard by BSI in January 2002. In addition to a regular internal audit program conducted by trained employees, the company is assessed by BSI on a semi-annual basis to ensure continuing compliance with the requirements stated in the ISO 9000 standard. Tecore earned an upgraded certification to ISO 9001:2008 in October 2009. Tecore has developed and implemented documented procedures to monitor all aspects of its business processes, from development of new products to servicing of deployed networks. Through collection of key quality metrics and data, the company is constantly refining its products and operations to continually improve the design, production, deployment, and on-going support activities.

Download Tecore's Certificate of Registration (PDF)

TickIT at Tecore Networks

The TickIT project started in 1991 with the principal aim of stimulating software system developers to think about what quality really is in the context of the processes of software development, how quality may be achieved, and, how quality management systems may be continuously improved. A further major objective was to provide industry with a practical framework for the management of software development quality by developing more effective quality management system certification procedures.

The objectives of TickIT certification are to:

• improve market confidence in third party quality management system certification through accredited certification bodies for the software sector,
• improve professional practice amongst quality management system auditors in the software sector,
• publish authoritative guidance material for all stakeholders.

Approximately 1,200 ISO 9000 TickIT certificates have been issued worldwide by the 13 certification bodies accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and the Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (SWEDAC).

By implementing a quality system and gaining certification, an organization is demonstrating management's commitment to quality and is sending a clear signal to users and competitors that the delivery of quality is a principal management objective. The TickIT logo indicates that the certificated organization is involved in software development and that TickIT guidance and certification procedures have been followed.

Tecore received its original TickIT certification for its software development processes in 2002. In accordance with the TickIT standard, Tecore has been re-certified every three years, with the most recent occurring in 2008.