Syniverse Technologies said Saudi Telecom Company (STC) will implement the most advanced roaming fraud protection available almost a year ahead of a GSM Association's (GSMA) October 2008 deadline for member companies.

STC will deploy Syniverse DataNet, a solution developed in conformance with the GSMA's Near Real-Time Roaming Data Exchange (NRTRDE) initiative, to ensure data records that track subscriber roaming activity are exchanged more rapidly between home and visited operators.

Replacing the existing, outmoded High Usage Reports (HUR) system with the NRTRDE standard reduces data record exchange time from 36 to 4 hours, enabling operators to spot fraudulent activity much more rapidly and reduce potential fraud losses by up to an estimated 90 per cent.

'STC plays a leading role in the growing Middle Eastern mobile market, and we have been proactive in providing the most secure roaming environment that we can for subscribers,' said Mohamed Alageel, general manager of Information Technology at Saudi Telecom, Aljawal, STC.

'Syniverse was the clear choice for this vital project because it has the necessary roaming systems experience coupled with an outstanding roaming fraud solution developed to be the new benchmark for anti-fraud excellence.'

Syniverse Technologies is a leading provider of technology and business solutions for the global telecommunications industry.
 
The NRTRDE standard was developed by the GSMA to effectively combat the growing threat of International Revenue Share Fraud and to help operators the world over benefit from a far more accurate and timely view of how their networks are performing against fraud.

With NRTRDE, the visited (roaming) network will be required to forward call data records to the subscriber's home operator within four hours of the call end time, closing the roaming fraud window that currently is open on operator networks that use HUR.

If the visited operator is unable to get this information to the home operator in time, the
visited operator will be liable for any fraud associated with those calls.

Eugene Bergen, executive vice-president, EMEA, Syniverse, said reducing revenue lost due to roaming fraud leads to corresponding one-to-one increases in operator profitability for STC and, equally important, a more secure roaming environment for its subscribers.

STC, which has been a Syniverse customer since 2004, chose Syniverse due to its technology leadership, commitment to customer service and understanding of operators' business needs.

'STC clearly understands that time matters when it comes to combating roaming fraud, and that the sooner an NRTRDE solution is implemented, the better protected both STC and subscribers will be when they are roaming,' Bergen said.

'We see other GSM operators globally are quickly following STC's lead and implementing NRTRDE in accordance with the GSMA's guidelines to remain competitive as other operators worldwide upgrade their fraud detection capabilities.'

Syniverse, whose DataNet NRTRDE solution ensures operators are in full compliance with the new GSMA standard, has played a leading role in the creation of industry standards for fraud prevention.

Syniverse chairs both the GSMA Transferred Account Data Interchange Group  (TADIG), which is responsible for NRTRDE technical specifications, and the NRTRDE Interworking Group (NRTIG), which is responsible for NRTRDE interworking procedures between vendors.

Syniverse is the official author and editor of TD.35, a key technical specification that ensures NRTRDE data can be quickly and easily actioned by operators who are eager to reduce fraud.

STC also relies on Syniverse's ACCESS S&E(R) GSM Clearinghouse Services to ensure all data records are cleared between STC and its many roaming partners in a rapid, accurate and cost-effective manner;

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