CSC nets $130m ICO contract

NEWS Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has won a $130m (£78m) contract to supply and run its Business Operations Support System (Boss) for ICO Global Communications. ICO also announced today that NEC and Mitsubishi will provide the handsets and telecoms infrastructure for its international satellite mobile communications service. A third supplier will be announced by tomorrow. A spokesman for ICO said the satellite service will "give customers the ability to make and receive mobile calls regardless of where they are in the world. They will no longer be restricted to localised GMS standards". The handsets will incorporate dual modes so they are able to work on satellite, cellular and PC networks. The spokesman added: "The service will principally be aimed at international business travellers; rural and remote communities, particularly in Africa and Asia; and specialist business sectors which operate from and across remote places, for example trucking and shipping companies, military, defence and international rescue services." CSC will use Hewlett-Packard hardware and an Oracle database system. NEC will provide the Satellite Access Nodes and will become a complete network supplier. The contracts put ICO on track for its commercial launch in August 2000.