Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Vodafone & KPN join GSMA and Jibe Mobile to Demonstrate the Power of Globally Interconnected IP Messaging at Mobile World Congress 2015

BARCELONA, Spain and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Jibe Mobile www.jibemobile.com, the Cloud Communications Company for Mobile Operators, today announced that leading mobile operators Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Vodafone, KPN and leading device manufacturers are teaming together with Jibe at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015 to demonstrate their ability to interconnect IP messaging, calling and video across networks on Jibe's IP Communications Cloud and RCS Hub.  Jibe's end-to-end IP Communications Cloud platform, RCS Hub, and messaging clients are based on GSMA's  Rich Communications Services (RCS) specification, enabling carriers to rapidly launch and interconnect IP services globally.

Many operators have now launched IP Communication services to their own subscribers and are in advanced stages of launching on native devices as OEMs bring RCS enabled smart phones to market. The next phase of ubiquity and global reach will come as mobile operators around the world interconnect with each other in order to provide consumers with the same seamless access provided by global interoperability — that SMS delivers today — for this level of rich messaging including group chat, video calling, and large media-file sharing.

"This is an important new phase for mobile consumers and the industry as leading Carriers such as Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Vodafone and KPN are now able to demonstrate the ability to connect their IP services providing seamless access to their subscribers across networks over the Jibe Hub," said Amir Sarhangi, CEO Jibe Mobile. "As carriers now move to interconnect their IP services Jibe's RCS Hub makes it easy for them to connect once to interoperate with every other operator on the Hub. With new device OEM's native RCS support of smart phones, innovative new IP services will get a tremendous boost as the default messaging experience for consumers."

MWC "Global interoperability" Demo of new interconnected IP messaging capabilities using Jibe Mobile's IP Communications Cloud and RCS Hub will be featured in the GSMA Innovation City, Hall 3 in Barcelona, March 2-5. Attendees will experience "first hand" how mobile consumers are able to communicate across networks regardless of their mobile operators — using video calling, group messaging, as well as sharing of their favorite photos and videos — on iPhone®, Android™ applications and native embedded RCS devices. Leading mobile operators demonstrating and interconnecting their IP messaging services using Jibe's hosted communications services include: Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Vodafone and KPN. OEMs, such as Sony Mobile, will demonstrate how they are working with Mobile Operators to enable SMS/IP communications as the native messaging experience on the newest smartphone devices.

"The GSMA's Network 2020 programme is driving an All-IP communications agenda to accelerate the adoption of IP Communication Services such as VoLTE and Rich Messaging ensuring that devices and networks deliver a native, interoperable and global service – and so we warmly welcome today's news," said Henry Calvert, Head of Network 2020 Programme, GSMA. "Ultimately, we want to deliver the 'Green Button Promise' which describes rich and reliable IP Communication Services with ubiquitous reach that works regardless of device or network."

Customer Adoption

At last year's Mobile World Congress, Deutsche Telekom announced it would deploy RCS services hosted by Jibe in European markets to benefit from the fast, efficient roll-out via Jibe's Cloud to their regional operating companies. Deutsche Telekom's regional operating companies in Romania and Slovakia launched joyn services developed by Jibe Mobile and delivered over the Jibe IP Communication Cloud in Q2 2014.  Deutsche Telekom will expand the service to regions throughout Europe and begin interconnecting over Jibe's RCS Hub later this year.

"We have found Jibe's hosted service model to be particularly well suited to expanding carrier-delivered rich communications services to Deutsche Telekom's national companies and have a pipeline of other markets to launch in 2015, including plans to interconnect with other local and international carriers via Jibe's Cloud and RCS Hub," said Kobus Smit, Head of Voice and Messaging, Deutsche Telekom and Chair of GSMA Network 2020 Programme. "This centralized approach has brought a new level of speed and efficiency to the introduction, scaling and continuous improvement of our innovative, customer-driven rich services throughout Europe."

Leveraging Jibe's end-to-end cloud, RCS Hub and white label messaging client, Sprint launched its Messaging Plus RCS service powered by Jibe Mobile in the United States in late 2013, and now preloads the Messaging Plus client on most new Android-powered smartphones. Sprint's Messaging Plus service lets Android and iPhone consumers use a single application to connect with family and friends on any wireless carrier in the United States via text, instant messaging, group messaging, and video chat, as well as sharing of photos and videos.

"Bringing all messaging capabilities into one easy-to-use application has made it simple and convenient for Sprint customers to connect with friends and family," said Wayne Ward, vice president-Business and Product Development, Sprint. "We are focused on continually improving our customers' messaging experience and interconnecting with other carriers so that messaging is a fun, easy, and seamless part of their everyday conversations."                

"Jibe's hosted end-to-end RCS cloud platform and integrated iOS/Android client helped us to significantly speed up the time to put the IP network in place to deliver rich new communications services," said Stephan Rutten, mobile products, KPN.

To explore interconnectivity over the Jibe Cloud and RCS Hub:
http://www.jibemobile.com/company/contact/

Jibe's RCS Hub
Jibe's RCS Hub addresses the challenge facing the telecom industry, how to quickly connect and interconnect carriers with established RCS communications services — hosted or in-network, to deliver the most innovative IP communications services to the world's more than 6 billion mobile subscribers.

Jibe RCS Hub's carrier-grade interconnection platform provides access to the global community of RCS and joyn carriers via a single interconnection. Instead of each carrier building a complex web of interconnections directly against their own network, a single connection to Jibe's RCS Hub gives carriers access to all other Hub-connected carriers.The Jibe RCS Hub reduces both the technical complexity of interconnection and the level of fragmentation across the telecommunications industry, resulting in significantly reduced cost & time-to-market for carriers.

Jibe's IP Communications Cloud
Jibe is the first client developer to receive full joyn Blackbird drop 1 accreditation for its Android client and 'accreditation ready' status for Jibe's Public and Private Cloud - enabling carriers to rapidly launch and interconnect IP services integrated with SMS throughout the world. The company's end-to-end IP Communications Cloud —  Jibe Public Cloud, Private Cloud, brandable Communications Client, RCS Hub, and Telco-Web Gateway — helps to eliminate technology fragmentation both within and across mobile carriers. Jibe's Cloud enables carriers to launch their rich new RCS/joyn messaging services in 6 to 10 weeks vs. traditional implementation times of up to 18 months and then iterate their service features in 2-3 week innovation cycles to continually enhance service value to their subscribers. The Jibe Cloud provides complete localization of language, brand and color, and features for each specific market.

About Jibe Mobile
Jibe Mobile, the Cloud Communications Company for Mobile Operators, provides an open end-to-end technology platform enabling carriers to rapidly launch and efficiently deliver the most innovative IP communication services to mobile consumers globally. Bridging the worlds of traditional standards-based telecommunications and Silicon Valley-style innovation, Jibe's Communications Cloud supports industry standards (including WebRTC, RCS, joyn™) and interoperability enabling carriers to seamlessly deliver rich IP-based communications services — high quality video calling, group chat and large media-file sharing — as part of mobile consumers' everyday conversation, regardless of network, device, or region. Jibe Mobile headquarters is in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in London and Dusseldorf. http://www.jibemobile.com.

Jibe Mobile Marketing:
Dan Seyer, VP Marketing
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Jeff Lettes
Global Media Strategy Communications
[email protected]
+1 (408) 406-1161

SOURCE Jibe Mobile

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