14 DAY TRIAL // A few days ago Ericsson was chosen to upgrade Vodafone Spain's network, The Swedish company signed another substantial contract: KPN, an important Dutch mobile telecommunications company, has selected Ericsson to manage their access networks in the Netherlands. The five-year contract, effective June 1, 2007, accredits Ericsson to take care of all the field maintenance activities related to KPN's networks. Also, more than 40 workers from KPN will be transferred to Ericsson.
By choosing Ericsson to manage its access network activities, including the Traxys and Semafonie networks, its GSM/DCS access and UMTS access, KPN will be able to concentrate more on the expanding telecommunications market. Additionally, the operational expenses will be reduced.
The Executive Vice President and Head of Business Unit Global Services at Ericsson, Mr. Hans Vestberg, stated: "We are honored that KPN has chosen us as managed service partner for its access network. This announcement means a lot to us because Ericsson has had a relationship with KPN and its predecessors from the start. This contract demonstrates the long-term trust KPN has in Ericsson and in our competence to provide high-quality network services as well as attractive employment conditions for transferred employees."
KPN's General Manager, Jaap Postma, said: "The Netherlands, KPN's most important market, remains one of the most competitive in Europe. KPN has managed to keep its leading position in all the main segments. We see the transformation of the sector from traditional to new services as a challenge, and will take the lead in developing new customer services as well as maintaining and improving our leading position in the traditional market. This contract enables us to focus on our strategy, while Ericsson guarantees the quality of our access network. At the same time, our highly skilled staff will have jobs within Ericsson."
Earlier this year, Ericsson was selected to maintain another mobile network in the Netherlands, the Orange network. No wonder, as the Swedish company provides quality networking solutions in more than 140 countries.