bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

As new telecommunication services are deployed in Asia, consumers are fast becoming more sophisticated and demanding more value-added services.

 One company hoping to benefit is Centigram Communications, which makes the Series 6, a messaging system that allows telecom companies to provide services such as voice and fax messaging.

 South Korean mobile phone company Shinsegi Telecomm is using the Series 6 to provide its one million subscribers with features such as call screening - which allows only designated callers, identified by the originating phone number, to ring through to the subscriber - or fax storing and forwarding, which stores faxes on a network server and prints them to the user's nearest fax machine.

 The Series 6 hardware acts as the platform on which different software applications are built.

 Core messaging applications are developed in-house, but the company works with third-party developers on additional applications.

 For instance, the Chinese-language interface for the company's short-message system was developed by SAR company, Innovative Technology.

 To help it service the Asian market better, Centigram last week opened three expanded offices in the region. It has offices in Hong Kong, the mainland, India, South Korea and Australia.

 Vice-president for international sales John VerMeulen said the Asian market was the company's best opportunity for growth.

 High demand and low penetration of telecommunication services in many regional markets meant the telecom sector in Asia would continue to grow.

 With eight technical staff, Hong Kong operates as regional headquarters, providing technical support to the branch offices.

 'We only have so many resources, so we decided to invest in the markets that will have the most growth,' he said.

 There are no dedicated sales staff in the Hong Kong office. Mr VerMeulen said the market already was too saturated.

 While the company does have some local users, they are all multinational corporations, who use the Series 6 for in-house messaging systems. They include Agfa and the British consulate.

 Instead of focusing on the Hong Kong market, the company ranks the mainland, India, South Korea and the Philippines as its main regional markets.

 Centigram came to Asia in 1994, when its regional revenue totalled US$1 million. By last year, revenue had grown to $10 million, and Mr VerMeulen forecast it would continue growing about 50 per cent per year.



Centigram aims to meet demand for telecom add-ons