Usha Comm In Strategic Pact With Cisco

Usha Communications Technology (UCT), the Portland (Oregon, US)-based software arm of the Usha Martin Group, has entered into a strategic alliance with communications and IT major Cisco.

UCT, which is into telecom and related software, is now a Cisco Eco System Partner.

The partnership is one of the major technology tie-ups for UCT which has around 16 strategic alliances with global software and telecom majors like Lucent, Compaq, Microsoft, Oracle, Ericsson and others.

As result of this tie-up, UCT will have access to Cisco's research & development (R&D) and adapt its products on Cisco's platforms.

The tie-up with Cisco opens floodgates for joint marketing and a whole range of product development, especially in the Internet protocol (IP) market, UCT sources said.

UCT is close to launching a new telecom billing product which will take care of telecom and IP requirements and handle post- and pre-paid subscribers from a single platform.

The company has already launched a slew of billing, customer care and mediation products internationally, including a high-end telecom intelligent network (IN) system. The IN system will offer a complete network solution by providing an intelligent platform, especially for telecom start ups.

The range of mediation, provisioning, customer care and billing software systems is currently marketed under UCT's brand Medusa and Unicorn for which it has entered into alliances with majors in the field.

As a next step, UCT will provided add ons and make its products available on the Internet, company sources said.

UCT has posted a turnover of $11.6 million during 1999-2000 and expects to post a 100 per cent growth during the current year. It is trying to position itself as a middle-ware company focused on billing, customer-care and mediation software.

The company offers a portfolio of Operations & Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) for startup, rural, emerging and established telecommunications operators around the world.