OREANDA-NEWS. On 11 April 2008 was announced, that the 1188 directory assistance service has expanded its wide range of services in April of this year by offering information about more than 500,000 companies in Russia. The data come from the Russian telecommunications company MGTS. Callers to 1188 will be able to access interest about those companies in the neighbouring country which have posted their information in the MGTS database.

Statistics show that during the six months since 1188 began to offer international directory assistance services, the greatest number of requests in Latvia was for information about Germany – one-quarter of callers had such requests. Next on the list were our neighbouring countries of Lithuania and Estonia (19% and 13% respectively), and then the United States and Great Britain – 13% and 7% of clients respectively.

“According to client statistics, Russia is already the leader in international directory assistance services, and the largest number of questions have been about Russia. MGTS has joined the international association of directory assistance services, EIDQ, with its international database, and that allows 1188 to offer information about our neighbouring country in much greater scope and detail,” says Lattelecom BPO board chairwoman Ilze Zoltnere.   She said that this information, which is in line with international standards, will also help Latvian businesspeople in their work.

MGTS is one of the largest fixed communications operators in Russia. Its database contains information about nearly 500,000 companies, including some 120,000 which operate in Moscow. The MGTS database is constantly being updated to ensure quality and precision. MGTS, like the 1188 directory assistance service, is a member of the EIDQ, which means that the company observes the highest international standards for the profession.

The 1188 directory assistance service began to offer information about 27 countries last September. The service was made possible by an agreement between Lattelecom and the Dutch IT company AffinIT B.V. on the exchange of directory assistance data. Since that time, clients have had access to information about 27 countries – all but the United States and Australia are European countries. This month Russia became the 28th country on the list. The list of available countries can be viewed on www.1188.lv.

1188 directory assistance services are provided by Lattelecom BPO, a company in the Lattelecom Group. It is the leading client service provider in the Baltic States. Lattelecom BPO employs 500 people who handle more than 113,000 contacts each day. The 1188 directory assistance service is the most popular service of its kind, handling an average of 52,000 calls a day. 1188 directory assistance services are available by phone (1188), on the Internet at www.1188.lv or wap.1188.lv, by SMS, and in 1188 phone books.

Lattelecom BPO offers not just information services, but also various outsourced and information technology in services. In August 2007, for instance, Lattelecom BPO and Lattelecom Technology introduced a new ticketing system for the New Rоga Theatre. The Internet page of the 1188 directory assistance service was expanded to include the section www.biletes.1188.lv.

Lattelecom is the leading provider of electronic communications services in Latvia.   The company offers integrated electronic communications and IT services, as well as telecommunications, network design and installation services. Lattelecom also provides data transmission and IT infrastructure solutions, Internet and contact centre services, and outsourced business process services. The six companies in the Lattelecom Group are Lattelecom, Lattelecom Technology and its subsidiary, the Baltic Computer Academy, Lattelecom BPO, Citrus Solutions, and LSS.