Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition comprising a biologically pure culture of plant growth promoting mutants of Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. The present invention also provides a method of treating a seed to promote plant growth, wherein the method comprises applying such mutants to the plant, to a part of the plant and/or to a locus of the plant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition comprising a biologically pure culture of plant growth promoting mutants of Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. The present invention also provides a method of treating a seed to promote plant growth, wherein the method comprises applying such mutants to the plant, to a part of the plant and/or to a locus of the plant.

Abstract: A platform is disposed between a subscriber and a telephony switch such as a Class 5 switch. The platform receives indications of calls placed to and by a subscriber and identifies a service type of each of the calls. The platform validates the subscriber as an active customer based on automatic number identification. The platform determines if the subscriber is eligible to receive or place a call, and/or employ calling features, by looking-up in a local platform database an account status of the customer. For a prepaid customer this includes establishing whether the subscriber has sufficient funds in a prepaid account to pay tolls related to a call. The platform routes an eligible call to or from the subscriber through the switch and a telephony signal system, creates a call detail record and updates subscriber information in the database upon completion of the call.