Europe : O2 operates a rigorous device acceptance programme to ensure the handsets they supply to their customers are of the highest quality. Testing the integrity of a new handset is not only about checking that it meets specifications or proving the latest new feature, but also how it works with established features, the network, and O2 specific services. New products are needed to introduce new technologies and applications, but adding new features and complexity to a product, by nature, adds effort and risk. Testing is a time consuming process, and getting it wrong can result in a very expensive device recall or a poor consumer experience.

Anite supplies their SAS Network Simulator to O2 for use in their device acceptance programme. Anite SAS reduces the time to test new handsets by providing O2 with a network simulator tool that can be easily programmed with scripts that recreate real-life network scenarios in a controlled test lab environment. Often, 80% of the time taken to solve issues during handset testing is down to reproducing the problem. In this instance, system simulation offers huge advantages over alternatives, such as testing on a model or real network.

O2 is able to provide its suppliers with a set of SAS scripts defined and certified by O2 and Anite for their device acceptance programme. Handset suppliers can then test against these scripts using SAS in their own development centres before submitting handsets to O2. By ensuring their device passes O2's provisional acceptance tests, the supplier can speed up acceptance of their device onto the O2 network. Furthermore, if O2 have any issues with the handset, they can send log information from their SAS to the handset supplier so that they can recreate the situation accurately in their own laboratory and resolve the issue.

"Our customers have told us that they bring products to market faster using SAS." said Dr. Rick Gelaky, Product Marketing Manager for Anite. "Bringing a handset to market, just a few days before competitors can be worth millions in revenue, which equates to improved competitiveness, higher sales and increased market share."

"O2 is working with Anite and its handset suppliers to bring new products to O2's customers as quickly as possible. Said Andreas Stach, Manager Device Accreditation, O2 (Germany). "We have witnessed that using Anite's SAS can bring significant improvements to the time required to validate new handsets whilst increasing the product quality. By pre-qualifying its devices against the O2 SAS scripts, a device vendor can accelerate the approval process up to one month."

Anite SAS supports all GSM 2G-based and W-CDMA 3G-based technologies. It can be used for advanced 3G features such as HSDPA and video telephony. Anite SAS has been proven in the market for 7 years.

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