Building a New Mobile Broadband Service

Client: Peregrine Network, a private-label provider of mobile data services.

Challenge: Develop a commercially viable, hosted support infrastructure and subscriber experience processes quickly on a limited budget.

Solution: Provide technical and business skills along with an innovative financial model to help create and manage a mobile data Internet-access service that Fortune 100 corporations can resell to customers and individuals can use.

Results: Peregrine Network’s launch of its pre-paid mobile broadband network service.

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by Jenny Mangelsdorf

Even though it sometimes seems like the mobile world is old hat, it was only seven years ago that the IEEE approved 802.20, the standard for broadband wireless access in a mobile environment. Since then mobile users have been multiplying fast.

In 2010, the number of mobile broadband users passed fixed broadband subscribers, according to Infonetics Research, which forecasts that mobile broadband subscribers will total 1.8 billion by 2014.

Those statistics spell opportunity, seriously motivating organizations to create innovative solutions. In early 2011, Peregrine Network did just that — launching the first private-label mobile broadband service, which operates on Sprint’s Nationwide Network.

The service is now available on HP’s business notebook lineup through the HP DataPass mobile broadband service. It’s also available through “2 Go Connect,” Peregrine’s own pay-as-you-go high-speed, mobile-broadband service.

The new private-network, white-labeled mobile data service lets individual users and businesses for the first time wirelessly access and use the Internet with their computers on a pay-as-you-go basis, and not be tied to monthly contracts or have to rely on available WiFi.

Users can purchase megabytes as they need them through the service, which includes estimation tools to help predict use and select a usage plan, and a real-time use meter to monitor remaining megabytes.

Bringing an idea to life

When Doug Sobieski, Peregrine’s chief executive officer, envisioned the service, he needed an IT provider who could quickly respond and help develop the concept and architecture, and provide deep systems integration and telecommunications expertise as well as an innovative financial platform that would make his vision market-ready.

“I chose some interesting technology, and with CSC, we took it from a concept to a product in record time,” says Sobieski. The new product enables established brands to offer a service in their name and leverage their distribution channel. This gives them a potential new source of revenue and, just as important, lets them continue their contact with customers that previously ended at the point of sale.

“HP DataPass powered by Peregrine Network provides industry leading performance and unprecedented functionality,” says Dan Forlenza, HP vice president and general manager for Business Notebooks. “DataPass is the ideal solution for customers who require periodic mobile connectivity, or anyone who wants mobile broadband without being tied down by contracts, hotspots and set-up fees.”

To make the Peregrine service market-ready, CSC helped Peregrine complete the architectural framework and test the operational and business support systems. We also helped define the customer subscriber experience processes, which included signing up for the mobile broadband service, prepaying for it and adding megabytes or time to continue using it. CSC also built the Internet portal where customers sign in for the service and integrated the provisioning services to the network.

“Operating on the 3G Sprint Nationwide Network, the Peregrine Network Pay-as-You-Roam technology allows users to forget about searching for a coffee shop to use WiFi, to stop paying for hotel Internet services and avoid the hassle of long-term contracts and monthly bills,” says Matt Carter, president, Sprint Wholesale Solutions. “The prepaid mobile broadband services designed for business customers and powered by Sprint and delivered by Peregrine Network is perfect for busy people or anyone who needs wireless Internet access and wants to pay only when they use it.”

Innovation’s more than technology

“This project involved integrating technologies with new business models to meet the demands of the market,” adds Katherine Kisovec, CSC Technology and Consumer senior program director. “Everyone thinks technology when they think of innovation. However, for this project we developed an innovative partnership to help Peregrine achieve its goals, without breaking the bank.”

CSC applied both its traditional systems integration expertise and telecommunications capabilities to help Peregrine blend technologies with new business models to establish the new service. This included an understanding of communications technologies in both the wireless and mobile broadband space — a CSC legacy that traverses continents and major federal and private telecommunications providers.

“CSC has been a wonderful partner on many fronts — its ability to adapt to very progressive technology, integrating many next-generation software development ideas, integrating new applications, and its ability to work with us to create a financial vehicle that enables a small start-up to service Fortune 100 companies,” says Sobieski.

Leveraging our services

Today, we continue to support Peregrine’s applications and infrastructure from our locations in the United States and Vietnam. Peregrine uses CSC to manage its applications and infrastructure through our hosting services, which includes storage, back-up and managed services. This gives Peregrine the flexibility to rapidly increase or decrease its data-service offerings depending on customer needs.

Our support also provides the assurance of a highly secure environment and, like its customers, the freedom to pay for only the services it needs. Besides supporting and maintaining Peregrine’s current production and business-operation reporting systems, CSC is also helping architect and implement new market entries.

“We like your bench strength,” says Sobieski. “If we need a set of skills, CSC has a pool of talent that has just been phenomenal."

JENNY MANGELSDORF is a writer for CSC's corporate office.