Irish middleware player Iona Technologies is to deploy mission-critical IT for 3 in Italy, a division of Hutchison Whampoa. Iona’s Artix technology will be used to help achieve interoperability between 3’s multiple packaged and home-grown middleware systems.
The new infrastructure will better enable 3 Italy to leverage its IT assets to support the introduction of new product offerings and customer service initiatives.
3 Italy was the first provider to launch universal mobile telephony system (UMTS) services in Europe.
Critical to 3’s strategy is its ability to introduce new 3G services while optimising network performance and maintaining a high quality of service. 3 selected Artix for its high performance, small footprint and integrated security capabilities. These qualities allow 3 to integrate disparate systems with its existing IT infrastructure, while satisfying high-volume transaction requirements and maintaining the highest quality of service.
“The very nature of a carrier’s infrastructure is complex,” said Georges Perez, chief technology officer of 3 Italy. “It may include switches from different suppliers, multiple legacy customer databases, subscriber authentication systems and billing platforms.
“It can require enormous labour and maintenance resources to ensure smooth operation. By using a platform-independent and standards-based integration solution like Artix, we plan to reduce the overall complexity of our IT infrastructure while at the same time leveraging it to build and deploy new business applications,” he said.
The news should provide a serious bolster to Iona Technologies which in its recent second quarter results blamed losses on less-than-anticipated demand for its new family of Artix technology.
By John Kennedy
