Syniverse

Last updated

Syniverse Technologies
Company type Private
Industry Telecommunications
Founded1987 (as a division of GTE)
February 15, 1989 (as an independent company)
Headquarters8125 Highwoods Palm Way, ,
United States
Key people
Andrew Davies, CEO
Products List
Owner The Carlyle Group
Twilio
Number of employees
1,400+ (2024)
Website Syniverse.com

Syniverse is an American communications technology company with a focus on 5G roaming, communications platform as a service (CPaaS), A2P Messaging, roaming clearing and settlement, IPX, fraud prevention, mobile identify and authentication solutions, IoT, Private Networks and other emerging technologies leveraged by global enterprises and telecommunication carriers.

Syniverse processes over $35 billion in transactions, 5.5 exabits of data and over a trillion messages per year, connecting 7.4 billion mobile devices across nearly 200 countries and territories. [1]

Syniverse was the first to adopt and support the Billing and Charging Evolution (BCE) standard for wholesale roaming billing and has deployed Universal Commerce for 90% of BCE-compliant international mobile operators. [2]

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Syniverse has offices in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Luxembourg, India, China, the United Arab Emirates and Japan. Today it is primarily owned by The Carlyle Group and Twilio and led by Andrew Davies, CEO.

History

Syniverse was established in 1987 as a GTE business unit, GTE Telecommunication Services Inc. (GTE TSI). [3] Soon after, the company launched voice clearing, settlement and exchange, post-call validation, and message rating services. During the following years, it established several call delivery, fraud and roaming products. In 1993, it developed the first wireless SS7 network to support intelligent network-based services.[ citation needed ]

In 1998, the company began to offer its services globally, providing interoperability services to Australia, China, Japan and Korea. It received an international leadership award two years later for expansion between Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and North America.[ citation needed ]

In 2000, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon Information Services Inc. In 2001, the company changed its name from GTE TSI Telecommunication Services Inc. to Verizon Telecommunication Services Inc. That year, the company introduced some services. One was a global GRX service for GPRS users to access mobile Internet services. Another was a suite of mobile data services, including international SMS interoperability.

In 2002, TSI became an independent, private corporation after being acquired by a private investment group changing its name again to just Telecommunication Services Inc. In 2004, the company changed its corporate name to Syniverse Technologies. [4]

On Feb. 10, 2005, Syniverse became a public company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SVR. [5] Also in 2005, the company developed a platform to distribute wireless AMBER Alert messages about missing children in the United States; [6] offered the first 1xRTT/1xEV-DO solution to enable mobile data roaming for CDMA subscribers; [7] and became a founding investor, board member and technical participant of dotMobi, the registry for the .mobi domain. [8]

In 2006, Syniverse acquired Interactive Technology Holdings Limited (ITHL), expanding the company’s customer base in Asia Pacific and adding new products. [9] The following year, Syniverse was appointed to provide wireless number portability services to both Singapore [10] and Canada, [11] and acquired the wireless data and financial clearing business of Billing Services Group Limited (BSG). [12]

In 2009, Syniverse became part of Standard & Poor’s Midcap 400 under the Global Industry Classification Index (GCIS) Wireless Telecommunications Services Sub-industry index [13] and was selected as one of two companies selected to provide mobile number portability in India. [14] Syniverse also acquired Wireless Solutions International (WSI) in 2009 [15] and VeriSign, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:VRSN) Messaging and Mobile Media Services. [16]

Syniverse began delivering text messages free of charge to pregnant and expecting mothers with the Text4baby initiative in 2010. [17] In that same year, the company was chosen by CTIA - The Wireless Association to support the Latin America common short code (CSC) initiative. Syniverse uses its web-based platform to incorporate registry, CSC search and payment functionality. [18]

On January 13, 2011, Syniverse became a private corporation after being acquired by an affiliate of The Carlyle Group for approximately $2.6 billion. [19] At Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain, Syniverse unveiled its Mobile Video Broadcast Service, a video communication solution[ buzzword ] that claims to be interoperable across platforms, devices and networks. It claims to enable people to send live video to mobile handsets, PCs and social networks and deliver live peer-to-peer video communication. [20]

On March 1, 2021, Twilio invested $750 million to become an owner of minority stake of Syniverse. [21]

On March 17, 2021, Syniverse announced the appointment of Andrew Davies as CEO. He previously served as the company's chief and financial administrative officer. [22]

On Jun 23, 2021, Bloomberg reported that Carlyle-backed Syniverse was in talks to go public through a merger with M3-Brigade Acquisition II Corp., according to people with knowledge of the matter. [23] [24] On August 17, 2021, Syniverse agreed to a merger with special-purpose acquisition company M3-Brigade Acquisition II Corp. Upon completion of the deal, Syniverse will become a publicly traded company on the NYSE. The merger values the combined company at $2.8 billion. [25]

On 27 September 2021, Syniverse informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of a hack to its Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) systems, affecting "approximately 235 of its customers". [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ericsson</span> Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, commonly known as Ericsson, is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company sells infrastructure, software, and services in information and communications technology for telecommunications service providers and enterprises, including, among others, 3G, 4G, and 5G equipment, and Internet Protocol (IP) and optical transport systems. The company employs around 100,000 people and operates in more than 180 countries. Ericsson has over 57,000 granted patents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional Bell Operating Company</span> U.S. regional telephone company created by 1984 break of AT&T

A Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) was a corporate entity created as result of the antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice against the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1974 and settled in the Modification of Final Judgment on January 8, 1982.

Neustar, Inc. is an American technology company that provides real-time information and analytics for risk, digital performance, defense, telecommunications, entertainment, and marketing industries, and also provides clearinghouse and directory services to the global communications and Internet industries. Neustar was the domain name registry for a number of top-level domains, including .biz, .us, .co, .nyc, and .in until the sale of the division to GoDaddy in 2020.

Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the divisions Verizon Consumer and Verizon Business, and stopped using the Verizon Wireless name. Verizon has 114.8 million subscribers as of March 31, 2024. It currently has the largest network in the United States with their LTE network covering 70% of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vodafone</span> British multinational telecommunications company

Vodafone Group Plc is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SK Telecom</span> South Korean telecommunications company

SK Telecom Co., Ltd., abbreviated as SKT is a South Korean wireless telecommunications operator and former film distributor and is part of the SK Group, one of the country's largest chaebols. It leads the local market with 50.5 percent share as of 2008. SK Telecom is the largest wireless carrier in South Korea, with 27.019 million subscribers as of Q4 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alltel</span> Former American telecommunications company

Alltel was a landline, wireless and general telecommunications services provider, primarily based in the United States. Before its wireless division was acquired by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, Alltel provided cellular service to 34 states and had approximately 13 million subscribers. As a regulatory condition of the acquisition by Verizon, a small portion of Alltel was spun off and continued to operate under the same name in six states, mostly in rural areas. Following the merger, Alltel remained the ninth largest wireless telecommunications company in the United States, with approximately 800,000 customers. On January 22, 2013, AT&T announced they were acquiring what remained of Alltel from Atlantic Tele-Network for $780 million in cash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AirTouch</span> U.S. communications company

AirTouch Communications was an American wireless telephone service provider, created as a spin-off of Pacific Telesis on April 1, 1994. Its headquarters were located in the One California building in the Financial District of San Francisco, California. After a series of mergers, the company's vestiges are now part of Verizon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprint Corporation</span> Defunct American telecommunications company

Sprint Corporation was an American telecommunications company. Before being acquired by T-Mobile US on April 1, 2020, it was the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United States, serving 54.3 million customers as of June 30, 2019. The company also offered wireless voice, messaging, and broadband services through its various subsidiaries under the Boost Mobile and Open Mobile brands and wholesale access to its wireless networks to mobile virtual network operators.

Hawaiian Telcom, Inc., is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) or dominant local telephone company, serving the state of Hawaii. In 2005, Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc., was formed by The Carlyle Group, following its purchase of the Hawaiian Telcom Inc. assets of Verizon Communications. On July 2, 2018, Cincinnati Bell purchased Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. for $650 Million,

Leap Wireless International, Inc. was a telecommunications operator that provided wireless services to approximately 4.6 million subscribers, the 5th largest, through its subsidiary, Cricket Communications, Inc.. It was headquartered in San Diego, California. Leap Wireless and Cricket Wireless are now subsidiaries of AT&T.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile web</span> Mobile browser-based World Wide Web services

The mobile web comprises mobile browser-based World Wide Web services accessed from handheld mobile devices, such as smartphones or feature phones, through a mobile or other wireless network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Wireless</span> Canadian wireless communications company

Sierra Wireless is a Canadian multinational wireless communications equipment designer, manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It also maintains offices and operations in the United States, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, France, Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket Communications</span> American cell phone provider

Pocket Communications was a PCS CDMA 1xRTT and, EVDO provider of unlimited cellular phone service based in San Antonio, Texas, United States. It offered service plans similar to those of Cricket Communications and MetroPCS which mostly consist of unlimited local phone service without having to sign up for long-term contracts. It was merged with Cricket Communications in late 2010, with Cricket holding an initial 76% stake in the joint venture and Pocket holding 24%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom Mobile</span> Canadian wireless service provider

Freedom Mobile, a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider owned by Québecor, holds a 6% market share of the Canadian wireless market, primarily concentrated in urban areas of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba. As the fourth-largest wireless carrier in Canada, Freedom Mobile serves 2,290,497 subscribers as of November 30, 2022. In addition to mobile phone plans, Freedom also offers home internet and TV services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KORE Wireless</span> American telecommunications company

KORE Wireless Group specializes in Internet of Things (IoT) systems. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2021, KORE and Cerberus Telecom Acquisition Corp. announced a definitive merger agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company, which has a pro forma valuation of $1.04 billion, expects to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “KORE”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AT&T Mexico</span> Mexican division of the American telecom company AT&T

AT&T Mexico, S.A.U., also known as AT&T Mexico Wireless and AT&T Mexico Mobility, is a Mexican mobile telephone operator and subsidiary of AT&T. AT&T Mexico is headquartered in Mexico City. Its mobile network is available in 90% of Mexico, serving 13% of the Mexican wireless market. AT&T is the third-largest wireless carrier in Mexico, with 21.603 million subscribers as of December 2022.

Xura, Inc. , previously known as Comverse, Inc., was a technology company headquartered in Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States, in existence from 2013 to 2017, that offered a portfolio of digital services which enabled global communications across a variety of mobile devices and platforms. Xura marketed and sold to communications service providers (CSPs) and to enterprises.

References

  1. Rosie O’Connor (October 23, 2023). "Global Mobile Authentication Market". Juniper Research. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  2. "Syniverse Empowers Proximus Luxembourg with Universal Commerce for Wholesale Roaming Monetization".
  3. "SVR | iShares Silver Bullion ETF Hedged Overview". MarketWatch. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. Nobel, Carmen (March 1, 2004). "TSI Now Syniverse Technologies". eWEEK. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  5. "Syniverse completes IPO, begins trading". Tampa Bay Business Journal. www.bizjournals.com. February 10, 2005. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  6. "Wireless AMBER Alerts Up and Running", Wireless Week, May 17, 2005
  7. "Syniverse Signs Three More Wireless Operators for 1xRTT/1xEV-DO Solution; Syniverse Now Enables Mobile Data Roaming For More Than 115 million CDMA Subscribers Worldwide", TMC Net, September 27, 2005
  8. "Here comes dot.mobi", Telecom Redux, July 14, 2005
  9. "Syniverse acquires telecommunications business of ITHL", DQ Channels, June 23, 2006
  10. Victoria Ho, "S’pore on track for number portability" ZDNet Asia, December 26, 2007
  11. "Syniverse helps Canadians meet WNP deadline", Telephony Online, March 15, 2007 . Retrieved on March 16, 2009.
  12. "Syniverse expands international footprint with BSG acquisition", Telephony Online, April 2. 2007
  13. "Standard & Poor's Announces Change to U.S. Index", TMC Net, February 19, 2009
  14. "India Department of Telecommunications Selects Syniverse to Provide Mobile Number Portability", TMC Net, March 9, 2009
  15. "Syniverse Completes Acquisition of WSI", "Yahoo! Finance", May 15, 2009
  16. "Syniverse Completes Acquisition of VeriSign`s Messaging Business", "TMC Net", October 27, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009
  17. "Wireless industry targets pregnant women with m-health initiative", "RCR Wireless", February 4, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2010
  18. "CTIA-The Wireless Association Announces New Latin America Common Short Code Initiative", "Earth Times", March 23, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2010
  19. "Syniverse Technologies goes private with Carlyle Group deal", Tampa Bay Business Journal, Jan. 13, 2011
  20. "MWC - Syniverse delivers world’s first fully-interoperable mobile video communications solution to Korea Telecom", Mobile Europe, Feb. 15, 2011
  21. "Twilio to become minority owner in Syniverse Technologies with $750M investment". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  22. "Syniverse gets new CEO". St Pete Catalyst. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  23. "Carlyle-Backed Syniverse Said in M3-Brigade SPAC Merger Talks - Bloomberg". Bloomberg News . June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  24. "Syniverse Technologies SPAC Merger". USStock. June 23, 2021.
  25. Cridlin, Jay (August 18, 2021). "Tampa company Syniverse going public in $2.8 billion merger". Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  26. Franceschi-Bicchierai, Lorenzo (October 4, 2021). "Company That Routes Billions of Text Messages Quietly Says It Was Hacked". Vice.com . Retrieved October 4, 2021.