Dublin headquartered network operator software vendor Openet has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese telecoms giant Huawei’s mLAB to jointly explore opportunities in the burgeoning mobile broadband market.
The key to the partnership is the quest for new business models in the mobile broadband space.
The business models being explored include enabling operators to optimize network resources, offer differentiated services to end users and increase sales revenues.
“Huawei’s mLAB aims to be open to research innovative and profitable MBB solutions and products,” said Dai Jisheng, Huawei Wireless Network Business Unit Director for MBB Solutions.
“Openet shares our commitment to meeting the challenges of a rapidly evolving telecommunications industry,” Jisheng said.
In June it emerged that Openet, a provider of high-performance transaction management software for network operators, completed a US$21m (€16.9m) funding round, potentially priming it for an IPO.
NS Solutions, the Japanese IT solutions provider and a subsidiary of the industrial giant Nippon Steel, led the latest funding round. Existing investors in Openet, including Balderton Capital, Cross Atlantic and Kreos Capital, also participated in the round. The financing includes US$16m in equity funds and US$5m in long-term debt.
Huawei is the largest telecoms equipment maker in the world having overtaken Ericsson and employs 140,000 people worldwide.
Determining tomorrow’s mobile broadband business models
Huawei’s mLAB is a mobile broadband solution research laboratory that facilitates close cooperation with industry players. It will benefit from Openet’s deep understanding of business innovation and rich telecoms industry experience.
Openet will provide its leading Policy and Charging Control (PCC) solutions working with Huawei’s wireless and EPC networks to determine tomorrow’s most valuable mobile broadband business models.
“Openet is pleased to work with Huawei in mLAB,” Apollo Guy, Openet global vice president explained.
“This joint effort will give us the opportunity to complement each other in the areas both are best. We will be able to effectively explore and hatch future MBB business models,” Guy added.
“We firmly believe that our software, with the ability to quickly adapt to new business requirements, will innovate new business use cases in mLAB.
“The end results will give both Huawei and Openet a chance to present to the outside world what the future mobile broadband business models entail.”
