Service providers around the world are being inundated with spam via SMS messaging. Tekelec(NASDAQ: TKLC), a leader in core multimedia session control, announced a leading mobile operator is taking action against these new-age spammers with the TekMedia Anti-Spam Firewall solution.
Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited, better known as Mobilink GSM, has deployed Tekelec's TekMedia AntiSpam Firewall Solution to combat SMS spam attacks on its subscribers. Mobilink is the largest telecommunication service provider in Pakistan, with more than 31 million subscribers using its network. With the TekMedia solution, Mobilink now has better control over spam impacting its network and is able to help protect its customers from unsolicited, unwanted SMS messages.
"SMS spam is a growing problem around the world and it's directly affecting our customers today," said Yousaf Allah Dad, senior manager of engineering at Core Value Added Services Group. "We've chosen Tekelec's SMS Firewall solution to help us fight the problem because it allows us to use rules-based filtering to stop the delivery of unwanted messages, and protects our network and customers from costly viruses, flooding and spoofing attacks."
Today, text messaging is the most widely used mobile data service, with 72% of all mobile phone users worldwide being active users of SMS. Mobile SMS spam, spoofing and other SMS-related scams are a global problem. Spam messages detract from the benefits of SMS by bombarding customers with irrelevant messages, causing other important messages to be lost or forgotten. Spam also has the potential to create an effective denial-of-service condition by filling up the SIM card's memory on a cell phone. TekMedia can be configured to detect different spoofing techniques and can adapt to new techniques. Spoofing brings the risk that soon SMS service will suffer as much from spam as e-mails do today.
"SMS spam is quickly becoming the next big problem for service providers. There has been rapid development of technology that allows relatively cheap ways to send SMS spam using the Internet," said Wolrad Claudy, Tekelec's senior vice president of global sales. "We've worked directly with Mobilink to deploy an anti-spam solution that will not only meet their demands for more efficient network operations, but also provide a better experience for their customers."
Mobilink has been a Tekelec customer since 2004, when they first deployed the EAGLE 5 Integrated Signaling Solution, Performance Management, Number Portability, Equipment Identity Register (EIR:EIR) and Map Screening solutions. To monitor network activity, Mobilink also chose Tekelec's IAS Monitoring solution. With the addition of the TekMedia Anti-Spam Firewall Solution, Mobilink continues to enhance its customer relationships by improving their network for both SMS and mobile communications.
TekMedia SMS is an innovative, modular solution which enables operators to deliver advanced messaging without costly network over-engineering or overhaul. Carriers can grow capacity and capabilities incrementally or create a complete, end-to-end SMS solution. TekMedia SMS provides improved network routing, advanced network security, enhanced network performance and increased revenues for operators by simplifying the deployment and offering of SMS solutions.
About Tekelec
Tekelec leverages its global leadership in core multimedia session control and network intelligence to ensure scalable, secure and highly available communications. The company's leading signaling solutions enable the interworking of different network applications, technologies and protocols, providing a smooth transition to next-generation networks. Corporate headquarters are located near Research Triangle Park in Morrisville, N.C., U.S.A., with research and development facilities and sales offices throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.tekelec.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made in this press release are forward looking, reflect the Company's current intent, belief or expectations and involve certain risks and uncertainties.The Company's actual future performance may not meet the Company's expectations. As discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2007 (the "2007 Form 10-K") and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), the Company's future operating results are difficult to predict and subject to significant fluctuations. Factors that may cause future results to differ materially from the Company's current expectations, in addition to those identified in the Company's 2007 Form 10-K and its other filings with the Commission, include, among others, changes in the market price of the Company's common stock and changes in the Company's financial results, financial condition and cash requirements.The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.