Apr 5, 2001 12:00 PM,

Network Telephone makes connection with BellSouth

Amalia D. Parthenios

Network Telephone came closer to its goal of improving productivity in its provisioning group with the announcement that it will make a connection with BellSouth for flow-through provisioning using DSET’s ezLocal gateway. Network Telephone will begin production next week.

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“We expect somewhere in the area of about 30% improvement in that particular piece of the provisioning process by putting in this gateway,” said Vincent M. Oddo, executive vice president and chief information officer for Network Telephone.

The gateway will help fulfill two basic categories of service orders: requests for local number portability (LNP) loops, which deal with facilities-based orders and non-LNP loops, which deal in a resale-type environment, Oddo said.

“In total, Network Telephone tested for 23 different types of orders with BellSouth to ensure that everything worked fine,” he said.

Last year, Network Telephone purchased a suite of software from DSET to interface with incumbent local exchange carriers and other third parties. The ezLocal gateway is the first implemented component of the suite.

“It represents probably three-quarters of the actual productivity improvements from the full suite,” Oddo said. “This one piece gives us the biggest bang for the buck. That’s why we did it first.”

Network Telephone plans to install four other network gateways: one for e911; one for CNAM and LIDB; one for a dialogue with Sprint local; and one for dialogue with Verizon.

In addition to the gateway, DSET also provides services such as program management, installation, configuration, interoperability and training.

The Network Telephone contract helps DSET remain the market leader for building interconnection trading partner networks, said Jeffrey Gill, DSET’s vice president of professional services.

“We’re giving them the flow-through efficiencies that they need to make sure that they can stay viable,” he said.

Other parts of the suite will be rolled out during the next several months, Oddo said.