CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL INC. /Englewood, Colorado If It's The Telecom Biz, You Better Be Flexible.(THE NEW AMERICA)

Byline: Amy Reeves

If you're in the telecom business, adapting to change is an everyday part of the job.

But for CSG Systems International Inc., which does billing services for cable providers, the last few years have been especially eventful.

The biggest change came in 1999, when AT&T Corp. bought Tele-Communications Inc. CSG had an exclusive $2 billion contract with Tele-Communications that ran until 2012.

But AT&T later bought MediaOne Group, which had its own exclusive contract with CSG rival Convergys Corp. A territorial dispute broke out, with lots of lawyer-rattling. In October, the two firms struck a deal.

Under the agreement, AT&T's broadband unit agreed to try and convert 90% of MediaOne's video and high-speed data customers to CSG's platform by the end of this year, with the remaining 10% to be converted by mid-2002.

AT&T Broadband also agreed to buy an expanded software license for CSG's call center and work force automation applications.