Business services support (BSS) solutions provider CSG Systems International (Nasdaq: CSGS) has bulked up its global presence and "firmly establishe(d) its global leadership position in the telecommunications wholesale marketplace" by acquiring independent Swedish software company Ascade for about $19 million in cash, the Englewood, Colo.-based company said.
CSG was particularly interested in getting Ascade's trading and routing solution, Ascade7, which it will integrate with its Wholesale Business Management Solution (WBMS) as a way to expand its global presence and place product specialists and support resources closer to the company's 300-plus wholesale customers, the news release said.
Wholesale, on top of every other demand, was a key reason for the acquisition and a growth area of the BSS business, the company said.
"For many carriers, their wholesale business has always represented a significant component of their overall growth. As their business models evolve to address growth in areas such as digital content and M2M services, the wholesale component becomes more complex," Karl Whitelock, director of OSS/BSS Strategy for Stratecast at Frost & Sullivan said in the news release. "This means communications service providers are increasingly looking for sophisticated, scalable technologies that can deliver wholesale transactions with accuracy, timeliness and with a high level of service quality."
CSG pointed to the importance keeping pace with telecom carrier partnerships that are expanding and becoming more complex as VoIP carriers and third party content owners grow their wholesale relationships. CSG said its product portfolio is built to deliver "best-in-class customer service" to this marketplace by providing increased automation and "assurance for both their retail and wholesale revenue streams."
"Our acquisition of Ascade will help us continue to deliver market-leading solutions that help our clients operate nimbly and efficiently," CSG President-CEO Peter Kalan said in the news release. "Our combined offering and global presence ensures that operators of all types—fixed, mobile, wholesale, broadband, MVNOs and ISPs—have a partner in CSG with the breadth of functionality and flexibility in delivery models to meet their current and evolving wholesale needs."
For more:
- see this news release
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