Third joint project with SaskTel International for provisioning and plant management
MANKATO, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2007--HickoryTech Corporation (Nasdaq:HTCO) today announced that Kenora Municipal Telephone System (KMTS), Kenora, Ontario, Canada has signed a multi-year contract for billing and customer care through its SuiteSolution®product. The agreement also includes the integration with SaskTel International's MARTENS® Suite for provisioning and plant management. Implementation for KMTS will occur the fourth quarter of 2007.
KMTS provides voice, long distance, fiber, wireless, and Internet services to 11,000 customers. KMTS is owned and operated by the city of Kenora, which is comprised of three former communities, forming northwestern Ontario's second largest city center. "The most important fact for KMTS is that HickoryTech and SaskTel International are both operating communications companies," stated Dennis McCaffrey, KMTS General Manager. "The fact that both companies believe enough in their products to use them to service their own customers was a major influence in this business decision for KMTS."
HickoryTech's SuiteSolution enables service providers to offer complex bundled services to customers including IP, voice, wireless, Internet, and video. SuiteSolution bills for any combination of usage and non-usage based wireline, wireless, Internet protocol, or broadband products and services including carrier access billing. SaskTel International's MARTENS(R) Suite provides automated, flow through provisioning for customer services fully integrated with the provisioning and activation processes.
"Customers have documented evidence that SuiteSolution and MARTENS Suite is a powerful solution," stated Lane Nordquist, president of HickoryTech's Information Solutions Division. "Not only because it's affordable, but the operational efficiencies gained by having a unified view of the customer, the enforcement of well defined workflow processes, and automated provisioning provide an immediate return on investment. This combination is very valuable for communications providers offering next-generation services."
HickoryTech's SuiteSolution® is a web-based modular system combining customer relationship manager, back office manager, work flow manager, plant records, trouble reporting, message processing, batch process manager, and carrier access billing (SECABS compliant) to process monthly billing for IP, wireline, Internet/broadband, video, data, or wireless services. SuiteSolution®, which is available as a service bureau or a hosted deployment, allows the user to define and enforce procedures for every task an employee performs.
About HickoryTech: HickoryTech Corporation is a diversified communications company headquartered in Mankato, Minn., with operations in Minnesota and Iowa and has approximately 400 employees. In its 110th year of operation, HickoryTech offers a full array of telecommunications products and services to business and residential customers. The Telecom Sector offers local voice, long distance, Internet, Broadband services, Digital TV, and IP networking. The Enventis Telecom Sector provides IP-based voice and data services and network solutions on a statewide SONET-based network. The Information Solutions Sector develops telecom and carrier access billing solutions. To learn more about HickoryTech Corporation, visit the company's Web site at www.hickorytech.com.
About SaskTel International: SaskTel International provides engineering consulting, project management, and software solutions around the world. SaskTel International is a wholly owned subsidiary of SaskTel, the leading full service communications company in Saskatchewan, offering complete wireline, wireless, Internet and e-business solutions over a state-of-the-art, digital network. The website for SaskTel International is www.sasktelinternational.com.
CONTACT:
HickoryTech Corporation
Jennifer Spaude
507-386-3765
SOURCE:
HickoryTech Corporation