Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has signed a seven-year managed services agreement with leading Romanian operators Romtelecom and Cosmote, both subsidiaries of OTE, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Group of companies. Ericsson will manage the operators' wireline and wireless networks in Romania. The agreement extends Ericsson's footprint in managed services in Romania, with a new agreement with Cosmote Romania and an extension of the partnership with Romtelecom.

Ericsson will assume responsibility for network operations and maintenance of wireline and wireless access, transmission, core and IP domains, as well as network operations for operations support systems, for Romtelecom and Cosmote Romania.

Around 730 employees will join Ericsson's Global Services organization.

Nikolai Beckers, Chief Executive Officer Romtelecom & Cosmote Romania, states: "The Managed Services concept represents a business model aimed at improving focus on core activities while obtaining increased cost efficiency. Our continuous endeavor to operate better, faster and more efficient, while offering customer excellence, determined us to go with this option".

Jean-Claude Geha, Vice President and Head of Managed Services at Ericsson, says: "Romania is a very important market for Ericsson, which is why the country hosts one of our four Global Service Centers. This agreement will increase our knowledge of the Romanian market, and in turn we will help these operators improve network quality, overall quality of service and customer experience - thereby promoting end-user loyalty."

Ericsson's Global Service Centers - situated in China, India, Mexico and Romania - house Global Network Operations Centers that, in combination with local and regional centers, provide managed services for networks that serve 1 billion subscribers. The Global Service Centers also develop competence to support regional service-delivery organizations to provide professional services in Information and Communications Technologies, such as consulting, IT, systems integration, network rollout and customer support.

Source: Ericsson