Actix Appoints Amdocs Sales Supremo as New CEO

-- Alex Hawker Joins Actix to Lead Global Growth

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Actix, the recognized global leader for systems that enhance mobile network customer experience while reducing the total cost of ownership, today announced the appointment of Alex Hawker as Chief Executive Officer. Hawker joins Actix from Amdocs where he was responsible for global sales. The appointment completes a planned transition from founder CEO Rob Dobson, who will continue to serve as a non-executive director.

Prior to joining Actix, Hawker was a senior executive at Amdocs, a major company in the telecoms OSS space with US$2.48 billion in annual sales, 16,000 employees and an annual growth of 18% per year. Most recently he served as Amdocs’ Corporate VP and General Manager of Global Sales, managing both the sales and operations teams. Hawker was intimately involved with Amdocs’ five major acquisitions in the last 18 months, ran the Amdocs Clarify CRM business unit and has previously held senior management positions at companies that include Openwave and HP, where he was responsible for over US$2 billion of annual sales to HP’s largest carrier customers. He is also a visiting lecturer on Telecommunications and Media at the Oxford University’s Said Business School.

"When we began the search for a permanent CEO, we decided very early on that we needed someone who not only knows the industry and how to develop a global sales operation, but also someone who could build upon Actix’ existing position as the recognized leader in its market to create a uniquely valuable presence in the telecoms industry," said Rob Dobson, founder and outgoing CEO. "At Amdocs, Alex established himself as the company’s ‘acquisitor general’ leading five major acquisitions, and no-one knows better than him how to pick a winner and carry out due diligence before making a commitment. We are delighted to have secured Alex as Actix’ new CEO and pleased at the confidence he has shown in the potential of the business and the quality of our team."

Alex Hawker, CEO, Actix commented: "There are some companies in the world that are successful in their niche, and there are some that successfully elevate themselves to become leaders in their industry. As the recognized leader in the mobile OSS software space, with a customer base that includes over 200 of the world’s most sophisticated wireless carriers -- including 9 out of every 10 of the world’s 3G networks -- Actix is already firmly placed at the heart of the wireless industry. I am excited by the challenge of taking this robust, profitable business to the next stage of its growth and looking forward immensely to working together with the Actix team to achieve our goals."

About Actix

With new networks such as HSPA launching and operators trying to extract every last bit of value out of their existing networks, optimising their RF assets is a central priority for operators. UK-based Actix helps wireless carriers enhance revenue growth and improve operating margins by delivering intelligent, automated network optimisation and performance engineering systems. Actix solutions feature embedded wireless expertise, automating key processes and enabling very significant efficiencies in the deployment and operation of carriers’ networks. Over 5,000 engineers from more than 200 operators globally -- including Verizon, Vodafone, O2, Cingular and T-Mobile -- depend upon Actix software every day to improve their wireless operations. For more information, please see http://www.actix.com