CGI Group Inc. (CGI) (TSX: GIB.A; NYSE: GIB) has completed a licensing agreement with the International Institute of Telecommunications’ research arm (IIT-R) to integrate Tapestry into its cutting edge, wireless and wireline networking environment as it establishes a broader business and operations support systems infrastructure to support next generation IMS/3G/4G service innovation, testing, and research & development. Terms of the agreement include annual product license fees.
“Tapestry significantly expands our end-to-end environment for evaluating advances in Wireless and IMS infrastructure and services,” said Louis Brunel, President and CEO of the IIT. “Our members can now explore both the possibilities and implications of these advances on key business and operations support systems.”
“Our membership in IIT-R is clearly a win-win for both parties,” said Nazzic Turner, Senior Vice-President of CGI. “CGI gets the opportunity to continue the evolution of Tapestry and a state-of-the-art environment to leverage with our partners and customers. IIT gets to improve the breadth of its capabilities and services to its diverse membership.”
Additionally, CGI will integrate the IPCentricITy Service Delivery Solution (SDS), CGI’s open standard, feature rich service delivery architecture and associated portfolio of applications. SDS accelerates the introduction of new services and leverages installed networks in an evolving convergent services market. SDS provides a formalized, innovative approach to define, design and deliver next generation, revenue-producing IMS compliant IP services – preparing communications clients to gain agility and improved business results.
About the IIT and the IIT-R
The International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT) and IIT-Research (IIT-R) make up one of Canada’s top industrial centres with respect to telecommunications and information technology. IIT and IIT-R have a common goal, which is to play a major role in the development of the telecommunications/ICT industry. With over 70 members, they have assembled the industry’s main players: large telecom organizations, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), venture capital companies and universities. Focusing on the basic needs of the industry, IIT and IIT-R offer a variety of complementary services designed to meet them. As a training centre for the telecom industry, providing state-of-the-art consulting services in telecommunications/ICTs, IIT also offers essential support to innovative SMEs by helping them with the critical steps involved in marketing and financing. IIT-Ris an industrial research consortium focusing on wire-based and wireless telecommunications pre-competitive research. It is called upon to play a major Research and Development (R&D) role, for both large organizations and SMEs. Visit the IIT’s Web site at www.iitelecom.com for more information.
About Tapestry
Tapestry is a modular rating, billing, and order management solution suite designed to dramatically improve time-to-market and quote-to-cash performance. Installed and proven with innovative, high-volume providers in Europe and North America, Tapestry meets the evolving demands of a dynamic communications market. Tapestry has been IPDR certified since 2002. Tapestry is a registered trademark and is covered by U.S. patents. For more information: http://www.cgi.com/Tapestry. CGI delivers the solutions and expertise to deliver, manage, and profit from the innovative wave of next generation IP-centric services required to compete in today’s dynamic market.
About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is one of the largest independent information technology and business process services firms in the world. CGI and its affiliated companies employ approximately 25,000 professionals. CGI provides end-to-end IT and business process services to clients worldwide from offices in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific as well as from centers of excellence in North America, Europe and India. CGI’s annualized revenue run rate stands at $3.6 billion (US$3.1 billion) and at December 31st, 2006, CGI’s order backlog was $12.6 billion (US$10.9 billion). CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB) and are included in the S&P/TSX Composite Index as well as the S&P/TSX Capped Information Technology and MidCap Indices. Website: www.cgi.com.