Bharti Airtel Awards $150 Million Services Deal to IBM

India's Bharti Airtel awarded a six-year services deal valued at US$150 million to IBM to help bring a unified customer experience across its services, including beaming television content over the Internet. Working with IBM, Bharti plans to launch IPTV and DTH (direct to home)

broadcasting offerings and penetrate into prepaid rural market segments. Through its partnership, IBM will implement IT systems that will enable it to launch differentiated services in these new thrust areas. To improve customer satisfaction and provide seamless services, IBM said it will work with Bharti Airtel in areas including LCR (Least Cost Routing), GIS, Auto Discovery, Auto Provisioning and Auto Activation. These applications will help to bring in enhanced efficiencies and cost savings, besides improving service delivery. This agreement was signed in December of 2007.http://www.ibm.com