APEX Voice Communications & ACTEL Communications launch video services with Etisalat Egypt

APEX Voice Communications, a global provider of Service Delivery Platforms and Application Servers for voice, video, text/SMS and USSD enhanced services, and ACTEL Communications, a leading service provider of mobile value-added services (VAS) in the MENA region, recently announced the availability of Video IVR on the Etisalat Egypt network.

Based on the APEX Service Delivery Platform (APEX SDP), and its core component the OmniVox3D Application Server, the APEX Video IVR utilizes the video calling capabilities inherent in 3G networks and phones to present interactive content visually to subscribers.

Instead of choosing a single application to launch, ACTEL and Etisalat have chosen the long tail approach to marketing the new video services, offering a number of services to create traffic rather than a single, static killer application. Initial services are based on video calls made to subscribers with content coming from a leading television station (news, music, and entertainment); recording, uploading, and viewing videos on social networking sites such as YouTube; video dedication to friends; and special call center care for 340,000 deaf and mute users. With this new service, the deaf and mute are better able to communicate with businesses and service providers with the help of the Etisalat video call centers which provide translation and communication services.

"APEX and Actel not only created the VAS applications we originally agreed on, they also recreated and replaced a customer service application platform for the deaf and mute we had deployed with another vendor," said Camille Taraboulsi, Sr. Team Leader at Etisalat Egypt. "We are pleased to add Interactive Video to the list of services we have deployed with Actel on their APEX Service Delivery Platform."

Applications deployed on the APEX SDP are initially designed and developed with the OmniView Service Creation Environment, which defines all data access, telephony integration, IN integration, web services and the interfaces into the customer OSS/BSS. Regardless of the type of application, voice, video, text/SMS or USSD, OmniView handles all applications in the same environment and manner. With APEX's native web services, applications can easily be tied into internet applications and social networking sites.