AimQuest Announces Availability of INFRAWARE, Infrastructure Software to Enable Internet Service Providers to Offer Global Value-Added Services; AIMS Component of INFRAWARE Enables Internet Service Providers to Expand Service Offerings.MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1997--AimQuest, the leader in global Internet roaming Accessing your own ISP locally when traveling abroad. Organizations such iPass have alliances with ISPs around the world that let international travelers access the Internet by dialing up a local telephone number. , and founder of the largest worldwide Internet Service Provider Internet service provider (ISP) Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. (ISP (1) See in-system programmable. (2) (Internet Service Provider) An organization that provides access to the Internet. Connection to the user is provided via dial-up, ISDN, cable, DSL and T1/T3 lines. ) alliance, the Global Reach Internet Connection (GRIC GRIC Global Reach Internet Connection GRIC Government Relations Institute of Canada (industry association) ), today announced the availability of a new category of software, INFRAWARE. INFRAWARE is infrastructure software that installs at an ISP Network Operations Center See NOC. Network Operations Center - (NOC) A location from which the operation of a network or internet is monitored. Additionally, this center usually serves as a clearinghouse for connectivity problems and efforts to resolve those problems. to help them manage their business and expand their standard service offerings. INFRAWARE is a suite of scaleable, customizable software applications that includes the AimQuest Internet Management System (AIMS), AimTraveler, and AimFax. AIMS is an Oracle-based client/server system that helps any mid to large-size ISP deliver the widest range of standard and value-added services A value-added service (VAS) is a telecommunications industry term for non-core services or, in short, all services beyond standard voice calls and fax transmissions. to their customers, enabling ISPs to grow and stay competitive in today's market. AimTraveler is the roaming The ability to use a communications device such as a cellphone or PDA and be able to move from one cell or access point to another without losing the connection. server software that allows ISPs to offer global Internet roaming as a service to their subscribers via the worldwide GRIC network. Similarly, AimFax is the faxing server software that allows ISPs to offer low-cost, Internet-based faxing as a service to their subscribers via the same network. Both the GRIC network and AIMS software are platforms that will allow ISPs to offer additional applications in the future. "Competition in the ISP industry demands that ISPs begin offering value-added services," said Christophe Culine, VP of Sales and Marketing for AimQuest. "INFRAWARE makes this possible by replacing small, inadequate PC-based management systems with the key tools they need to handle significant growth while adapting to the new types of value-added services and pricing schemes that are emerging. "The critical role that INFRAWARE can play in an ISP's ability to grow and succeed through additional services has been highlighted recently by many ISPs announcing that they would be providing value-added services beyond their flat rate offerings. AimQuest provides a software platform to connect IP networks together to offer these additional services." The cornerstone cornerstone Ceremonial building block, dated or otherwise inscribed, usually placed in an outer wall of a building to commemorate its dedication. Often the stone is hollowed out to contain newspapers, photographs, or other documents reflecting current customs, with a view to of INFRAWARE is AIMS. AIMS is a fully integrated, Oracle-based business management package, providing comprehensive order-taking, account set-up, billing, help desk, report generation, and customization features, as well as an interface to value-added service data collection. AIMS allows for easy creation of customer records by the Sales team, tracks sales orders The sales order, sometimes abbreviated as SO, is an order received by a business from a customer. A sales order may be for products and/or services. Given the wide variety of businesses, this means that the orders can be fulfilled in several ways. , and automates customer account information creation and server account creation (PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) The most popular method for transporting IP packets over a serial link between the user and the ISP. Developed in 1994 by the IETF and superseding the SLIP protocol, PPP establishes the session between the user's computer and the ISP using , e-mail, shell, ftp, etc.). Each day, the Billing module collects usage information from the servers, and each month generates a consolidated statement that includes all services. Subscribers are also able to query usage information via the World Wide Web. The integrated Help Desk module automatically generates trouble tickets that are forwarded to either Customer Service or Technical Support and can be escalated for resolution as necessary. Most important, AIMS is customizable to unique ISP requirements and new value-added services can easily be integrated into the system. Since the preliminary introduction of AIMS, in 1996, over 10 ISPs and telcos worldwide have adopted AIMS as their solution to managing their Internet services. AIMS customers include leading ISPs and telcos such as Dream Train Internet, a division of Mitsubishi, Jitong Communications of China, AUNet (invested by UUNET (UUNET Technologies, Inc., Fairfax, VA, www.uunet.net) Founded in 1987, UUNET was the first commercial Internet service provider. Originally offering e-mail and news, it became a full Internet service organization providing dial-up and leased line accounts as well as archive space for ) in Asia, Telecom Malaysia, and Aimnet in U.S. "AIMS is ideal for our business. It helped us to grow very rapidly," said C. Imamichi, President of Dream Train Internet. "It meets our needs now, and at the same time, we're prepared for the new services and price models coming in the future. One significant advantage of AIMS compared to other billing solutions is that the value-added services we offer in conjunction with other GRIC members are integrated seamlessly with AIMS." AIMS and the other INFRAWARE applications allow GRIC members to implement the new GRIC-based value-added services easily and bill their customers for the services on a single statement. "The GRIC infrastructure relies on a sophisticated centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. billing and settlement solution for all GRIC members," said Culine, "INFRAWARE creates a seamless front end for GRIC members to bill their customers and reconcile settlement data coming across the GRIC network." Although INFRAWARE is ideal for GRIC members, ISPs do not have to be GRIC members to take advantage of the sophisticated management capabilities of the AIMS software. Practical Details AIMS runs on Solaris 2.x servers with 64Mb memory and supports English, Japanese and Chinese language versions. The database is Oracle 7, with easy-to-use interfaces that are fully customizable. AIMS is available and can be purchased from AimQuest directly. AimQuest Corporation AimQuest Corporation is committed to developing infrastructure software and services enabling worldwide, seamless communications over the existing Internet infrastructure. AimQuest, with the assistance of its sister company, Santa Clara Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.-based ISP Aimnet Corporation, has been developing Internet technologies since February 1994. The company's INFRAWARE technologies and Global Reach Internet Connection (GRIC) enable ISPs to offer a new class of value-added services to their customers, including global Internet roaming and Internet faxing Using the Internet to send faxes. Fax servers accept an incoming fax message and route it to a fax server in the same locality as the destination fax machine. The fax server then makes a local telephone call to send the fax. . Today, GRIC has more than 50 ISP and telco members establishing worldwide coverage. For news on latest GRIC developments, please check out the AimQuest web site at http://www.aimquest.com . The company has major venture capital funding from leading companies such as H&Q Asia Pacific, Vertex Management, Singapore Technology Telecom, Acer Acer trees of the family Aceraceae. Acer rubrum ingestion of wilted or dries leaves of this tree causes acute hemolytic anemia characterized by red urine, jaundice, anemia and methemoglobinemia in horses. , and others. The company is headquartered in Milpitas, Calif. AimQuest's sister company, ISP Aimnet, is headquartered in Santa Clara. -0- Note to Editors: INFRAWARE and GRIC are registered trademarks of AimQuest Corporation. CONTACT: AimQuest Corporation Stuart Froman, 619/431-2233 stuart@aimquest.com or Dave & Bairey Communications Suzy Bauter, 415/343-9748 suzy@dbcomm.com |
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