Leading IT research and advisory company Gartner has identified Ericsson as a "challenger" in its Magic Quadrant for IT Services for Communications Service Providers (CSPs).
 
Gartner’s Magic Quadrant analyzes 14 leading vendors of professional IT services for telecom operations management systems. IT services providers are evaluated according to their ability to execute and completeness of vision, and the Magic Quadrant is intended to help CSPs identify which vendors best meet their service needs.
 
Paolo Colella, Head of Consulting and Systems Integration (CSI) at Ericsson, says: "Ericsson employs world-class consulting and systems integration professionals with extensive competence and experience in supporting operators with their business transformations. Our growth in IT is demonstrated by the fact that we signed three new significant contracts for operations and business support systems, service delivery platforms and data centers in the third quarter of this year. We are proud to be recognized as a challenger in the field of IT services for CSPs."
 
As mobile broadband and smartphones increase in popularity, consumers are fast becoming sophisticated users of a range of internet-based advanced communication services. The telecom and IT industries are increasingly converging, and Ericsson is using its expertise to help CSPs overcome challenges and make the most of opportunities. Ericsson does this by transforming and modernizing CSPs’ business processes and operations, management tools, networks and competence to ensure that business objectives and financial targets are met, and consumer experience expectations are fulfilled.
 
Ericsson currently employs 12,000 CSI professionals worldwide and has achieved its growth in ICT both organically and through acquisitions. Since 2004, Ericsson has acquired eight CSI-related companies worldwide: Audilog, TUSC, Teleca OSS, HyC, Bizitek, Pride S.p.A., inCode and Telcordia.
 
The acquisition of Telcordia, a global leader in the development of mobile, broadband and enterprise communications software and services, was completed on January 12, 2012. This acquisition increased Ericsson’s ability to be an end-to-end partner for CSPs, and positioned it as a leader in service fulfillment, service assurance, network optimization and real-time charging.