Starhome awarded European patent for mobile home short code

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Starhome, the leading provider and acknowledged driving force of roaming services for mobile network operators, today announced that it has received a long-awaited patent for its Home Short Code solution.

In 1999, Starhome applied for a patent for the Home Short Code solution, one of the first and most basic solutions of the VHE (Virtual Home Environment) concept. The Home Short Code is a seamless, feature-rich solution that converts unrecognized home short codes into valid international formatted numbers and provides the mobile operator with a basis to increase its revenue potential from both the inbound and outbound roaming markets.

In addition, the Starhome Home Short Code solution supports CLI delivery for both inbound and outbound roamers and is not bound to a specific international carrier.

Shai Ophir, Starhome’s Intellectual Property Manager added: “It has taken 10 years for Starhome to receive a patent for the Home Short Code solution. The prolonged process involved extensive examination before the patent could be granted.”

More than 100 of Starhome’s customers have already deployed the Home Short Code solution that allows both inbound and outbound roamers seamless access their home VAS (Value Added Services). Mobile network operators can quickly expand their earning potential by continuing to serve their subscribers whenever and wherever they travel and also by attracting inbound travellers for the duration of their visits and encouraging the use of further Value Added Services and international airtime.

When an inbound international traveler dials a short code that has not been defined as a valid local short code in the mobile operator’s MSC (mobile switching center), the call is transferred to the visited Starhome IntelliGate platform for processing.

The IntelliGate analyzes the validity of the short code in relation to the caller’s home country and HPMN (Home Public Mobile Network) and with respect to the roaming network short codes and dialling rules. Finally the IntelliGate converts the dialed short code into an internationally formatted number and routes it back to the visited network MSC.

The Home Short Code is a complete service that supports postpaid and prepaid market segments for both CAMEL and Non CAMEL. The solution can also be used for one roaming segment only.