Ericsson strengthens Managed Services capabilities in the IT area

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced an extension of its global capabilities in the IT domain. Ericsson already has a strong presence in Managed Services and Systems Integration, and now further capabilities are established - enabling increased focus on managed services and hosting in the IT domain. This comes with the first anniversary of the Global Services Delivery Center in Bucharest, Romania, which acts as a global competence center for managing IT environments on behalf of operators.

Through further focus on the IT area, Ericsson addresses the increasingly interdependent and complex crossroads of telecom and IT, leveraging its telecom expertise. The Systems Integration and Managed Services IT offering means that Ericsson can design, integrate and manage the IT parts of the telecom operator environments - covering the service layer, business support systems and operations support systems, including services such as billing, messaging and content delivery.

Fredrik Strand, Vice President and General Manager Service Delivery and Operations, Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson, says: "The operator environment is becoming more and more IT-oriented as the number of end-user services and applications grow. As a systems integration and managed services partner, Ericsson supports telecom operators in this environment in creating, deploying and managing networks and services with a holistic approach, ultimately benefiting the operators' customers through increased quality of service."

Since the opening of the center in Romania one year ago, the center has employed highly skilled, multi-lingual graduates recruited from several universities in Romania, as well as very experienced staff. The main focus of the center is solution and application development and maintenance with global partners, support and lifecycle management, testing, front and back office operations, project management, and planning and design for global, regional and local customers.

Alan Triggs, Vice President Managed Services IT and Head of Global Service Delivery Center Romania, Ericsson, says: "We already have considerable experience in managing IT for telecom operators. For example, we are managing a range of service layer and revenue management applications and systems from a large number of vendors, and we also have a great heritage from our systems integration competence in this area. With the center in Romania, we're establishing a global footprint for Managed Services in IT and that is something we're proud of. By outsourcing not only their telecom networks but also the IT environments to Ericsson, operators can ensure seamless service management, faster time to market, and reduced cost."

The expanded managed services offering and Ericsson's focus on managed services in the global center in Romania further proves Ericsson's ambition to grow and develop the services area. Ericsson's services organization employs about 29,500 professionals worldwide, all working with the same global process, methods and tools. About 7,500 of these employees work across 21 Global Services Delivery Centers, ensuring business readiness in serving Ericsson's customers around the world.

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 195 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on the Stockholm and NASDAQ stock exchanges.

For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi .

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About Ericsson's Managed Services offering

Ericsson has the telecom industry's most comprehensive managed services offering. It ranges from designing, building, operating and managing day-to-day operations of a customer's network, including end-user services and business support systems, to hosting service applications and content, as well as providing network coverage and capacity on demand. As the undisputed leader in managed services, Ericsson has officially announced more than 100 contracts for managed services with operators worldwide since 2002. In all current managed services contracts, excluding hosting, Ericsson is managing networks that together serve more than 195 million subscribers worldwide.

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