iPhone activation pays off for Synchronoss

A week after AT&T’s and Apple’s big launch of the iPhone, Synchronoss Technologies, the company responsible for coordinating the activation of those phones between the iTunes interface and AT&T’s back office systems, was rewarded with a multi-year contract.

Despite much-publicized grumbling by die-hard Apple fans and frustrated AT&T customers over problems activating some devices, the companies were pleased enough with the performance of Synchronoss’ software—the ConvergenceNow platform—to make sure it would continue supporting the iPhone activation process into the future.

Synchronoss’ ConvergenceNow platform automates, synchronizes and optimizes the electronic service fulfillment and order management of advanced converged devices across disparate networks including wireless, IP, and wireline.

Stephen Waldis, president and CEO of Synchronoss, said that self-activating services though an interface like iTunes a paradigm shift from the traditional process at wireless retail stores today. Mark Winther, group vice president and general manager of Worldwide Telecommunications at IDC, said this new capability that allows customers to activate their devices when and where they want, dramatically changes the current customer experience and that service providers who can introduce automation to the activation process while significantly improving the customer experience will have a competitive edge in the race for the digital home.

Neither AT&T nor Apple provided data on the number of iPhones sold over its inaugural weekend, but estimates were as high as 500,000. Waldis said the number of exceptions—orders that “fall out” or do not flow through the system automatically—was even far fewer than the companies had anticipated.