Cingular

全球领先的应用基础结构软件供应商BEA系统有限公司日前宣布，美国第二大无线运营商Cingular无线公司选用BEA Weblogic企业平台，作为该公司的标准应用平台。在首批由BEA平台驱动的应用中，包括零售系统、基于Web的激活服务和员工门户。

Cingular是SBC和BellSouth的合资公司，为超过2100万客户提供无线语音、文本和Internet服务。Cingular在仔细考察了若干个应用结构平台后，选择了BEA Weblogic。Cingular做出该选择，乃是看重BEA Weblogic的统一的、简便的和可扩展的体系结构，能确保与企业及第三方的系统无缝、低成本的集成，同时Cingular还看重BEA Weblogic产品的易于管理、极具可扩展性和实用的可靠性。

Cingular的首席信息执行官Thaddeus Arroyo说：“在BEA WebLogic上实现标准化，意味着我们可以在基础结构上节省资源，而投入更多的资源来使我们的业务与众不同。实际的结果是我们减少了日常的开支，能更快地部署新的应用，更有效地获得新客户。BEA Weblogic为我们带来了适应需求变化以及技术革新所需要的灵活性。”

Cingualr在BEA Weblogic Server上已投产的应用包括POSablilities 和XML 票据交换所。POSabilities是Cingular零售商的一个零售点解决方案，让零售点职员可以注册新的电话，并在很短的时间内激活客户服务。XML票据交换所使Cingular的合作伙伴能够在他们的Web站点上注册新客户。这个系统还可校验基于客户住宅电话区号的服务计划的可用性，以及对账户激活、电话号码分配和信用验证进行管理。

下一个准备开展的主要应用是Cingular的员工门户。此门户被设计用来加强员工间的协作和交流。Cingular将采用BEA WebLogic Potal来实施这一战略性的项目，这是因为它提供了一个全面的门户框架，能够简化门户开发和管理，同时降低成本，便于将业务信息扩展至客户、合作伙伴和雇员。体现WebLogic Potal性能的全面性的一个例子是其能够支持多设备的无线扩展通讯。

Cingular Wireless LLC是美国最大的移动电话公司，总部设在美国乔治亚州的亚太兰大。在2001年Cingular Wireless（新格勒无线）由现在的AT&T（当时的SBC）和贝尔南方合资创办，这一合资也创造了全美国内第二大的电信公司。构成的Cingular的一共包括了11家地区性的公司。在2004年2月宣布与AT&T无线公司的价值419亿美元的巨资收购合并，此合并在当年10月16日最终完成。合并后的公司靠着4千6百万的用户量而使Cingular成为了全国最大的无线业务服务提供商。

Cingular运营着包括数种科技的网络。最广泛使用的一种技术便是GSM（全球移动系统）。在GSM网上之上他们还运行着一个叫作GPRS（全局分组无线服务）的数据网络和能提供更多的速度的升级产品，叫作EDGE（改进数据率GSM服务）。Cingular同时支持原先的TDMA及模拟的网络。

Cingular Wireless LLC is the largest United States mobile phone company, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Cingular operates a network of multiple technologies. The most widely used of these technologies is called Global Systems for Mobile, or GSM. On top of their GSM network they run a data network called GPRS (general packet radio service) and an upgrade for faster speeds called EDGE (enhanced data rates for global evolution). Cingular supports their legacy networks of TDMA and Analog. Former networks include various paging services and the Cingular Interactive division that became Velocita Wireless.

History

Cingular Wireless was formed in 2001 as a joint venture of SBC Communications (now AT&T) and BellSouth. The joint venture created the nations second largest carrier. Cingular grew out of a conglomeration of 11 regional companies. these companies include BellSouth Mobility, BellSouth Mobility DCS, Cellular One, Houston Cellular, BellSouth Wireless Data, Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, Nevada Bell, Ameritech Cellular, SNET and SBC Wireless. With the exception of Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS, the digital network consisted of TDMA Technology. The Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS networks used GSM technology on the PCS frequency (1900 Mhz). In 2002 Cingular began an initiative called "Project Genesis" which the code name for the GSM/GPRS overlay of the entire network. Project Genesis was completed by the end of 2004.

AT&T Wireless merger

After a bidding war with Britain's Vodefone PLC, Cingular announced in February, 2004 that they would purchase AT&T Wireless for 41 Billion dollars. The merger was completed on October 16, 2004. The combined company had a customer base of 46 million people which placed Cingular as the largest wireless provider in the United States.

Universal Telephone Service UMTS high-speed network known as "BroadbandConnect", the first to utilize High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA), to counter Verizon Wireless and Sprint's EV-DO networks. UMTS was launched on December 6, 2005 in Seattle, Portland, San Fransico, Salt Lake City, San Jose, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and Washington D.C. Cingular is expected to launch UMTS in all major metropolitan areas by the end of 2006.

The Cingular Wireless logo prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, which is still used in some contexts.

GSM Facilities

In California, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, eastern and coastal Georgia, northern New Jersey and New York City, Cingular and T-Mobile USA maintained and shared a GSM-1900 network prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, through a joint venture known as GSM Facilities. The network sharing agreement allowed Cingular to offer local service in northern New Jersey and New York City and T-Mobile to offer service in California and Nevada. On May 25, 2004, Cingular and T-Mobile USA announced their intention to dissolve the agreement contingent on Cingular's successful acquisition of AT&T Wireless.

First announced on June 23, 2005 Cingular Wireless announced the intention to divest its Caribbean and Bermuda operations and licenses which it acquired from the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, to Bermuda-based Digcel Group under undisclosed financial terms.

Cingular outsources some of their Customer Care to companies in Canada and overseas.

On August 25, Cingular was removed from the New York Better Business Bureau because of a large number of complaints that were not handled in a timely manner. The company is in the process of restructuring its customer care procedures and has appealed the decision. It remains a member of the BBB in other states in which it operates.

In 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported logging more than 14,000 complaints (or 289 per million subscribers) against Cingular Wireless. The most common of which included number portability issues, over billing, poor customer support and network reliability.

Possible Name Change

On 20 November 2005, Ed Whitacre, CEO of the newly-merged SBC/AT&T, announced plans to market the service under the AT&T banner. [6] BellSouth spokesman Jeff Battcher countered that the terms of the joint venture allow either party to sell the service under another name, and that he believes they will be using the brand to market to business customers. Cingular president Stan Sigman concurred with BellSouth's position, indicating that the Cingular brand would continue but be sold under the AT&T brand where offered in packages with other AT&T services, such as data and wireline telephony.

Adelante

Recently, Cingular has launched a new ad campaign "Adelante". In Spanish it means literally "forward". It is aimed at the Hispanic and Spanish speaking communities in the U.S. to boost sales and consists of newspaper ads, commercials, and magazine ads. Also, part of "Adelante" is to now start offering bilingual support at its stores for English and Spanish.

Trivia

In 2005, Communications Workers of America, the union which represents over half of Cingular's employees, specifically recognized Cingular for excellence as a union employer, in direct contrast to competitor Verizon, which CWA singled out as an aggressive union-buster.

A sales boost is expected following January 2006, when RadioShack (the top wireless retailer in the US) will no longer sell Verizon phones and instead will sell Cingular phones.

Cingular Wireless is the wireless carrier of the street racers in Electronic Arts' street racing video games Need for Speed Underground 2 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It is used to receive SMS messages from other racers.