News Releases

Bytemobile's Macara™ Platform Deployed By Orange UK to Further Optimise Access to the Internet over GPRS

EAST SUSSEX, England - October 8, 2002

Bytemobile, the company dedicated to accelerating the growth of the wireless data market through significantly improving the user experience and operator efficiency, today announced that it has signed a software licensing and support services agreement which will see Orange UK use its Macara platform. The Macara platform, an optimisation service node (OSN), further increases the speed of Orange's GPRS services, significantly enhancing Internet access performance for customers.

"At Orange, we are seeking the best performance and services for our customers, and the Macara platform plays an important part in helping us deliver optimised services via GPRS," said Graham Baxter, head of Network Design at Orange.

Real-time improvement in mobile data delivery

The Macara platform further optimises the delivery of applications and content such as web pages over wireless IP data networks, while improving overall network utilization. As a result of this optimisation, Orange customers experience even faster application performance and web page downloads.

The Macara platform also incorporates advanced networking technology that enables carriers to build intelligence into their wireless data network. Additional services may include: subscriber service, enterprise support and advanced networking solutions.

According to analyst Mark Blowers of The Butler Group, "optimising mobile networks today is critical for European carriers to succeed in the short-term and effectively position for 3G. Implementing technology that creates a 3G-quality end-user experience with current infrastructures drives wireless data adoption and revenues while at the same time reducing costs for the carriers."

"By deploying the Macara platform in their GPRS network, Orange will further maximise the use of its spectrum and network by regulating the flow of data," said Chris Jenkins, managing director for Bytemobile. "Orange is a key innovator in the mobile world. The selection of Bytemobile underscores Orange's customer commitment to provide the most advanced and highest quality service available."

About Bytemobile

Bytemobile delivers on the promises of mobile data by enabling the way people really want to work and play in the wireless world.

Bytemobile's end-to-end solution — a unique suite of compression, acceleration and network connectivity technologies and services combined with IP packet networking, mobile cellular, applications and client device expertise — allows mobile operators and enterprises to significantly improve the user experience and security of current and future wireless data networks. This facilitates market development for both service providers and enterprises and ensures returns on existing and future mobile infrastructure investments are maximised.

Announced customers include Vodafone UK, Nextel Communications, Orange Denmark, Orange UK, Sprint, and T-Mobile UK. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in East Sussex, England and Tokyo, Japan.

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About Orange

  • Orange, wirefree and any other Orange product or service referred to in this release are trademarks of Orange. Orange provides a broad range of personal communications services, including Orange GSM 1800 services and other digital cellular telephone services.
  • In August 2000 Orange plc was acquired by France Telecom, leading to the creation of Europe's second largest mobile operator. The new Orange has operations in 22 countries across Europe and beyond, and aims to have a presence in markets covering 1.5 billion people worldwide by 2005.
  • As at the end of June 2002, Orange had over 12.8 million customers in the UK, 18.6 million in France and approximately 41.4 million controlled customers worldwide.
  • The Oftel network performance survey, published in June 2002 showed that on a percentage basis, Orange had more calls which were successful overall than any other operator. In the survey, which was audited by BABT, Orange was shown to have an overall call success rate of 97.8% of calls connected and completed successfully. Other networks' comparable figures were Vodafone 97.5%, O2 97.3% and T-Mobile 95.1%.
  • In May 2002, the fifth annual J.D. Power and Associates UK Mobile Customer Satisfaction Study showed that Orange ranks as the number one telephone service for customer satisfaction in the contract sector. Orange has ranked number one for customer satisfaction for both contract and prepay customers in every J.D. Power and Associates UK Mobile Customer Satisfaction Study since 1998.
  • Orange provides high quality coverage to 99% of the UK population and over 80% of the geographic area. Coverage is based on hand portable, unlike some other operators which choose to base their coverage on boosted car kits.
  • Orange UK now offers roaming in 123 countries on 274 networks.
  • Information about Orange can be found on the Orange website at
    www.orange.co.uk and media information can be found at
    www.orange.com.

Orange Contact:

  • Orange Media Centre
    +44 (0) 20 7984 2000
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