GBET - Global Business Exchange for Telecom

GBET (Global Business Exchange for Telecom) is a global consortium of carriers cooperatively working to define standards for the electronic exchange of voice and data in international wholesale with an aim of reducing administrative cost and the ambiguity of various transactions (e.g. commitment agreements, disputes, invoices, etc). As a result companies can focus on their core strengths, maximizing revenue benefit from new opportunities and better managing present and future challenges and opportunities.

The explosion of voice and data traffic, as well as next generation networks, have created information overload and extra complexity with data exchange inefficiencies that cost our industry $6 billion every year (source: Yankee Group Report “Dirty Data Diminishes Profitability,” 2008). We all know how long and how much it costs to get signed and verified quotations and contracts. The time has come to develop protocols that allow our back offices to directly interface with one another.

By the way: ICSS already provides industry-leading levels of automated support for its voice business through its founding membership in iXLink and its award-winning self-service portal, Global Access Telecom Environment (GATE), for voice port orders.

Open to the entire wholesale community, GBET was initiated by major players of the industry, including Verizon, TeliaSonera, Deutsche Telecom, PCCW, iBasis, and Telarix. Margaret Morosi, Global Services, ICSS, and Chairperson of GBET, confirms: “GBET is a perfect platform to shape best practices on the market and be the key vehicle by which we share, educate, and channel ideas on automation and streamlining cross-company ‘wholesale processes’ throughout the industry. ICSS has taken an active role in driving the initiative as this is an excellent opportunity to participate in finding common industry standards that help further improve business efficiency. We look forward to welcoming new members that will get involved and support our industry concerns!”

Operators and service providers who join GBET will have a unique opportunity to participate in an industry-wide effort to simplify and create best practices for the electronic exchange of voice and data business information among the international wholesale carrier community. They will also have the opportunity to take part in focus groups, engage with key standards bodies to drive toward ‘open standards,’ and participate in the beta tests of new services. GBET membership is free of charge and comes without any commercial obligation.

The GBET consortium has also just launched its own Website. Learn more about GBET at www.gbetcommunity.com.