Accanto Systems Named in Stratecast’s “Rat Pack” Top 10 OSS/BSS Companies to Watch in 2010

Accanto is recognized for its agility, innovation and leadership in the global OSS/BSS market.

HELSINKI, Finland, March 23, 2010-Accanto Systems, a leader in Customer Service Assurance solutions for today's converged networks, announced today that it was recently selected by Stratecast as one of their Top 10 OSS/BSS Companies to Watch in 2010. Chosen because they disprove the adage that “bigger is better” these small companies display powerful combinations of agility, hunger and charismatic leadership. Stratecast, a division of Frost & Sullivan, acknowledges how this arrangement allows for unprecedented success in the global telecoms space and likens the 10 companies to the ever popular 1950s Hollywood Rat Pack.

“In our report, ‘Rat Pack’ companies share a number of characteristics with the original Rat Pack,” said Karl Whitelock, Senior Analyst with Stratecast. “The group of OSS/BSS vendors listed in this report contains solid performers who work well, both individually and as an ensemble, through partnerships, to satisfy service provider needs.” According to Stratecast, Rat Pack companies stand out because they can identify trends in the telecoms marketplace and are able to respond and adapt quickly and decisively. Most notably, this has occurred in customer service assurance, an area in which Accanto Systems has established itself as a leader.

Recognition is given to the executives of the Rat Pack companies, who ensure success through their knowledge and expertise of the industry, as well as a solid understanding of the problems that service providers experience and the technical solution. “In addition to delivering functionality to satisfy current business needs, these vendors bring years of experience to assist CSPs with process, staffing and organizational issues,” said Whitelock.

“We are pleased to be a member of this particular Rat Pack,” said Michele Campriani, CEO of Accanto Systems. “In their time, the members of the Hollywood Rat Pack were true originals---talented, consummate and daring. In these economically challenging times, Accanto has thrived because of those same attributes. We have been swift to innovate and our strong belief in a customer-centric approach to our business model and solutions has enabled us to break new ground in the customer service assurance sector."

Stratecast notes that Rat Pack status does not excuse these new players from the usual expectation that service providers have for their vendors. These companies, while noted for their forward-thinking strategies, create customer trust through the more established industry requirements of carrier-class scalability, product reliability, interoperability, financial stability, a dedication to ongoing research and development and the ability to form partnerships for pre-integration and global support.

About Stratecast
Stratecast assists clients in achieving their strategic and growth objectives by providing critical, objective and accurate strategic insight on the global communications industry. As a division of Frost & Sullivan, Stratecast’s strategic consulting and analysis services complement Frost & Sullivan's Market Engineering and Growth Partnership services. Stratecast's product line includes subscription-based recurring analysis programs focused on Business Communication Services (BCS), Consumer Communication Services (CCS), Communications Infrastructure and Convergence (CIC), OSS and BSS Global Competitive Strategies (OSSCS), and our weekly opinion editorial, Stratecast Perspectives and Insights for Executives (SPIE). Stratecast also produces research modules focused on a single research theme or technology area such as IMS and Service Delivery Platforms (IMS&SDP), Managed and Professional Services (M&PS), Mobility and Wireless (M&W), Multi-Channel Video Programming Distribution (MVPD), Network Infrastructure and OSS (NI&O), Secure Networking (SN) and Unified Communications (UC). Custom consulting engagements are available. www.stratecast.com.

About Accanto Systems
With solutions deployed to 180 customers in over 60 countries, Accanto Systems is a leading supplier of advanced Customer Service Assurance and troubleshooting solutions to communications service providers. Accanto’s probe-based Customer Service Assurance solutions provide in-depth monitoring, analysis and troubleshooting capabilities, helping operators overcome the massive challenges associated with migration to converged, next-generation telecom architectures. Their solutions can be utilized by any level of the organization, from the NOC to Marketing, and scale easily for use by new technicians all the way to technical experts. Accanto’s team of OSS and Operations consultants allow each Accanto solution to be optimized and fully integrated into the organizations’ operational and business processes. Visit www.accantosystems.com .