Martin Dawes Systems Targets Number One Position with New Global Telecom Revenue Assurance & Fraud Detection Business

Martin Dawes Systems, a major international provider of end-to-end billing, customer management, MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) and revenue assurance solutions, today announced its acquisition of Visual Wireless, a Stockholm-based leading supplier of telecom revenue assurance and fraud management solutions; and the formation of a new international revenue assurance business.

The acquisition of Visual Wireless follows Martin Dawes Systems’ purchase of US-based revenue assurance company, Lavastorm Technologies, in July 2005. Visual Wireless and Lavastorm will be merged to create a major force in business assurance software, encompassing revenue assurance, fraud management and trading partner cost validation. The integration will provide highly advanced solutions in the wireline, cable, data and wireless converged markets.

The combined resources and complementary product sets of the new division provides clients with a solution that improves visibility and control of their business operations, enabling increased revenues, lower operating costs and enhanced asset utilisation.

The new division will have a global footprint that includes customers in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Its client list boasts some of the industry’s leading tier-1 carriers, including: BellSouth, Comcast, TeliaSonera, Telstra and Vodafone.

Dewi Thomas, managing director, Martin Dawes Systems, said:
“Our acquisition of Visual Wireless is the progression of our strategy to extend our product portfolio and global reach. Martin Dawes Systems is committed to bringing world-class business solutions to the international market that help companies achieve their business imperatives. The combination of Lavastorm and Visual Wireless creates an industry-leading Revenue and Business Assurance division within the Martin Dawes group. This move further strengthens our position in the communications software industry and will significantly contribute to our aggressive growth plans.”

“Lavastorm and Visual Wireless are a perfect business combination that puts Martin Dawes Systems on course to be the leading revenue assurance provider by the end of 2006. The combined strengths of Lavastorm and Visual Wireless immediately set us apart from the competition by leveraging a global customer base of telecommunications operators in every major region of the world, powerful market leading technology and uniquely rich and extensive expertise in solving the most challenging revenue assurance issues for emerging, convergent and traditional providers.”

Drew Rockwell, the current CEO of Lavastorm, will head up the new larger business assurance division of Martin Dawes Systems. Lavastorm Technologies will be headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with its European operations based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Commenting on the merger, Drew Rockwell said:
“This merger brings together technology and expertise unrivalled in our industry and enables us to create powerful assurance solutions that tackle business critical issues for our clients – namely improving revenue & operational integrity and preventing fraud. Clients will benefit from our combined solution that simplifies the capture of complex business rules, easily deals with any format or volume of data and quickly adapts to changing business conditions.”

David King, CEO, Visual Wireless added:
“There is a great fit between our companies, enabling us to bring the benefits of the merger to our customers in a very short time frame, and set in motion the development of compelling new assurance and fraud solutions.”
The new division will extend and enhance core software components from Lavastorm and Visual Wireless utilising Lavastorm’s market-leading BRAIN technology coupled with Visual Wireless’ highly flexible data reading, analysis and reporting assets.

Visual Wireless is a privately held company – backed by three venture capital firms, Vision Capital, InnovationsKapital and Scope Venture Capital. Martin Dawes Systems is backed by venture capital company Hummer Winblad, Lehman Brothers, Oak Investments and Telus Ventures.