Nokia selected for five-year deal with Hutchison Essar

Nokia has
reached a five-year managed services agreement to run Hutchison Essar's
network operations in nine circles in India. Nokia will assume the operation of
Hutchison Essar's networks in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai,
Uttar Pradesh (East and West), Rajasthan, Haryana and West Bengal, thus allowing
the operator to better focus on its customers and core activities.

The agreement, for which
documentation is being finalized, calls for Nokia to provide an array of
solutions from its extensive services portfolio, including network planning,
project manage­ment, configuration and opti­mization, network opera­­tions
and maintenance and the administration of third party ven­dor contract manage­­­ment.
Nokia will also welcome over 600 Hutchison Essar staff into its services
business unit.

The
contract deepens already strong ties bet­ween the two companies - Nokia is
the sup­plier of GSM network equip­ment to nine of Hutchison Essar's 13
circles, making it the largest network vendor for the operator.

Nokia's managed services
business is a key part of its services business unit, and a core part of the
company's drive to help operators enhance their service offe­rings and reduce
costs. To date Nokia has 36 managed services contracts in 28 countries, and it
expects this figure to grow in the coming years.

Nokia's opera­tions in
India include networks and ter­minals sales divisions, three research and
development facilities and an upcoming manu­facturing facility in Chennai that
will produce both terminals and GSM infras­tructure equipment.

DQW News Bureau Mumbai, Jan
31