BT Wholesale take over control of VMs fixedline phones

[popper]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/hotStocksNews/idUKWLB426520071207?rpc=401&
"BT in support deal with Virgin Media

LONDON (Reuters) - BT Group (BT.L: Quote (http://uk.reuters.com/stocks/quote?symbol=BT.L), Profile (http://uk.reuters.com/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=BT.L), Research (http://uk.reuters.com/stocks/researchReports?symbol=BT.L)) said on Friday that it had signed a 98 million pound contract with Virgin Media (VMED.O: Quote (http://uk.reuters.com/stocks/quote?symbol=VMED.O), Profile (http://uk.reuters.com/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=VMED.O), Research (http://uk.reuters.com/stocks/researchReports?symbol=VMED.O)) for fixed-line voice network management.

BT Wholesale will manage the operation and maintenance of Virgin's UK fixed-line voice switching network and existing support contracts with third-party suppliers for transmission equipment, BT said.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim, Editing by Erica Billingham)"

[Hugh]

BT Wholesale are taking over "the operation and maintenance", which is completely different from "management and control".

[Toto]

Apparently, BT has a lot of network parts needed for many of VM's switching network so I have been told, so this is a maintenance deal.

I'm sure somebody with a better understanding of VM's telephony network can throw some light on this.

[King Of Fools]

More here:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/145833/virgin-media-hands-bt-its-fixed-line-switching-network.html

"Our telephony switching network remains an important asset within Virgin Media, and by utilising BT Wholesale we gain operational cost efficiencies ahead of the network's eventual upgrade to Voice over Internet Protocol technology, whilst keeping guaranteed levels of service for our customers," says Paul Weir, managing director of networks for Virgin Media.

Virgin Media's voice switching network supports about a fifth of all landline phones in the UK, and the deal will see 184 Virgin Media employees transferred to BT Wholesale.

[cybernetic_tiger]

A large number of VM staff have been TUPE'd to BT Wholesale so operationally there is very little difference. The only real difference is that there is a fixed cost contract so that budgeting is easier for the increasing number of bean counters within VM.

[sollp]

Yes this has been going for months, it's basically a maintenance contract,all the switch tech's and backroom staff have been tuped over.

Basically VM will be working on a VOIP solution so within 5-10 years ish' the Switches will be phased out.

Now i dont know the full terms of the contract but that is the basics of it.

The part of VM developing the VOIP solution is another matter, who will pay for it, who will maintain them?

[Horizon]

....vm will.

Soft switch gear has been bought and is being phased in over the next 2 years. So, voip won't be 5-10 years away, but for most 2 years away, if not sooner...

[injuneer]

I had heard that the VOIP project has been put on the back burner for a while in favour of pushing ahead with introducing faster broadband speeds.

[BenMcr]

Soft switch gear has been bought and is being phased in over the next 2 years

Does that mean everyone will finally get Caller Display? ;)

I had heard that the VOIP project has been put on the back burner for a while in favour of pushing ahead with introducing faster broadband speeds.

I thought it was the off-net IPTV, not VOIP, that was the casualty of the refocus

[weesteev]

The new soft switch system has been on going for some time now. When it goes live it will give all customers (ax NTL and TW) the same phone services and features and more advanced services like true online billing and more competitive call charges due to the over all cost savings of the new network.

And yes everyone will have caller ID available to them!

If VM can launch a system similair to Vonage but with the same call quality as its existing system then it will be a true market competitor for fixed telephony for change!

[Maggy]

BT had better not have to much to do with it..Their maintenance record and crap service was what made me leave them in the first place to go with a cable phone.:(

[xspeedyx]

its amazing seeing vm and bt work close shame sky cnt do this

[tweetypie/8]

I had heard that the VOIP project has been put on the back burner for a while in favour of pushing ahead with introducing faster broadband speeds.


i for one wouldnt be surprised ;)

[injuneer]

Heard from a reliable source that BT are now offering all the voice network engineers transferred from Virgin, voluntary redundancy, that didn't take them long! :erm:

[Pierre]

Heard from a reliable source that BT are now offering all the voice network engineers transferred from Virgin, voluntary redundancy, that didn't take them long! :erm:

It's true, they've been royally shafted.

[sollp]

Can't say i've heard the same from my resident Switch Tech, i'll ask him tommorow.

[bonzoe]

I've been told from a workmate (who now works for BT) that BT have a policy of not making staff compulsorily redundant, so all's not doom and gloom!

[sollp]

After talking to resident Switch Tech i can confirm that it is correct that they have been offered voluntary redundance.