Post on 03-Jun-2018
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14thKeynote SIGOS Telecommunications Conference
Nuremberg, Germany
Revenue AssuranceActive testing of sophisticated tariffs androaming
Hans Banken
Mathias Stangl
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Complex Tariff Examples
Roaming Revenue Assurance
Managed Service
Agenda
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Tariff Examples
The challenge:
Markets become increasingly competitive, operators need todifferentiate themselves
Complex and fast changing tariffs are introduced and need to be
tested.
The Answer:
SITE Revenue Assurance
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Tariff Examples
Simple Tariffs: depending on service, time and destination
The Price Plan table defines a price per unit for:
a certain type of service (e.g. SPEECH, SMS, GPRS)
at a certain time (e.g. off-peak, peak)
to a certain destination (e.g. national, international)
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Tariff Examples
Dynamic Pricing: e.g. step pricing depending on call duration
The price can be calculated by any function.
The name of the function and the parameters can be set via GUI in the priceplan table.
New functions can be added by Keynote SIGOS at any time (no maintenancewindow required).
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Tariff Examples
Bonuses after Top-Up: e.g. 20 SMS valid for 10 days after 30 EURO top-up
The Recharging Test Case writes a Top-Up CDR with the top-up amount to thereference CDR table
This CDR is processed by the rating engine and the bonuses are registered andthen consumed by sub-sequent CDRs.
A tariff function is defined for the tariff that adds the bonus according to the
top-up-amount
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Tariff Examples
Tariff Change when a certain threshold has been reached
A different tariff applies, when a certain threshold either monetary or in units,has been reached.
A Variant:
Monetary Cap: e.g. costs for calls or data are limited to a certain amount
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Tariff Examples
Campaigns or Bundles activated by SMS or USSD
Campaigns are activated by the subscriber via SMS
In most cases a 2 step dialog is used:
subscriber sends a SMS to a service number.
a response requesting a confirmation is returned.
subscriber sends the confirmation to the service number.
a response indicating that the campaign is now active is returned.
After activation the subscriber has a certain amount of free or discounted
service usage for a certain time interval.
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Tariff Examples
Some properties of bundles
Bundles can include free (bonus) or discounted service usage for voice, SMS,
MMS or data.
One bundle may comprise benefit or discounts for a set of services, e.g. free
SMS and discount for voice.
Bundle usage can be valid for a specific interval, e.g. 1 day, 2 weeks.
Bundle usage can be restricted to certain destinations or time bands, e.g. on-
net calls from 20:00 to 06:00.
Different round-ups or price units may be applied (1 sec, 60 sec).
More than one bundle can be active at the same time. Priorities of different bundles need to be configurable, e.g. 100 minutes per
1 day has a higher priority then 500 minutes per month).
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Tariff Examples
Implementation of bundles
The test case that activates the bundle writes to CDR similar to a top-up CDR.
(Sub-) Accounts have to be defined and balances for the accounts need to be
tracked by the rating engine.
The price plan entries define the account to which a certain event shall be
charged.
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Complex Tariff Examples
Roaming Revenue Assurance
Managed Service
Agenda
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Roaming Revenue Assurance and domestic Revenue Assurancedo have a similar scope, but each of them comes with their own
challenges:
Roaming
Revenue
Assurance
Domestic
Revenue
Assurance
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Function:
-Rate CDRs according
Tariff Plans
Function:
-Collect raw CDRs
-MSC, SMSC, GGSN, etc
Switch Mediation Billing
RadioCustomer
Care
Function:
-Collect raw CDRs
-Convert raw CDRs to
Standard CDRs
Domestic billing chain:
All information is internally generated and under operators control !
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Roaming Billing Chain:
Operator relies fully on information generated by roaming
partners and clearing houses
Roaming Partner
Switch Billing
Your subscriber
Clearing
House
TAP3
Operator
Billing & Invoice
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Can you trust your Roaming Partners?
You Your RevenueYour Partner
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Roaming
The Main Challenge when testing roaming:
Make calls in the network of all your roaming partners you want to test
The Answer:
GlobalRoamer and GRP705 networks in 268 locations in 189 countries
Scheduled GRQ test can be used to create the CDRs
What else is needed?
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Typical Tariff patterns domestic:
Pay for outgoing services only
Pricing not affected by the subscribers location
Typical Tariff pattern roaming:
Pay for incoming services (usually calls)
Pricing determined by the subscribers location
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
The SITE billing engine is able to automatically detect that a subscriber is
roaming and rates accordingly
Roaming position determined according to 'Used Plmn Name'
call fromSIM card "de xyz"
roaming in "frxyz"
call to
SIM card "de xyz"roaming in "fr xyz"
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Generating CDRs out of the test calls:
Automatic creation of roaming position and roaming service type
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
How about incoming calls in roaming? One Testcall
automatically becomes two CDRs:
First entry is incoming roaming call
Second entry is domestic call
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Roaming Revenue Assurance
Calls are rated based on origination: Add the origination to the price plan table
Incoming calls are charged:
Create an additional reference CDR for incoming calls
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Complex Tariff Examples
Roaming Revenue Assurance
Managed Service
Agenda
R A
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Revenue Assurance
A fully managed service
Complex tariffs require
detailed planning
more than simple adhoc tests
test set-up and scheduling reporting & alarming
in-depth analysis
The full managed service for Revenue Assurance takes care of it!
R A
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Revenue Assurance
A fully managed service
Example Use Case for customer XYZ
Fully test and verify a prepaid tariff function (domestic) WeeklyBundle
Properties:
If there are top ups with certain amounts, there is a discounted pricetowards certain destinations (top up tariff modifier)
By sending an SMS to a service number, free units can be purchased(WeeklyBundle):
500 free minutes to on net destination
Valid for 7 days max
If both functions are active in parallel, SMS tariff modifier has higherpriority
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Complex Tariff properties
Default prices:
When no top up is performed or when top up is performed with less than $20
Top up with $20,$30 or $50 changes the rating for 30 days for all destinations
e.g. If Top up $20 is performed calls with up to 600s to On Net and calls with up to 120sto Off Net cost 45ct
WeeklyBundle only affects On Net, runs max for 7 days and has higher priority e.g. If Top up with $20 is performed and WeeklyBundle is purchased, calls to On Net are
for free whereas calls to Off Net cost 45ct for 120s
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Call Scenarios
Different scenarios are possible and must be tested Test all thinkable combinations and edges
WB
50
30
20-2020-WB
30-30 30-WB 30-30
50-50
days
Df
20
20-20Df-Df
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Call Scenarios
Different scenarios are possible and must be tested
Test all thinkable combinations and edges
WB
50
30
20-2020-WB
30-30 30-WB 30-30
50-50
days
Df
20
20-20Df-Df
Do not consume 500 free
minutes = Test if the validity
is one week
Consume 500 free minutes =
Test if subscriber really gets
500 free minutes
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Call Scenarios Testing Plan
Test plan reflects several jumps between
Default Tariff
Topped up with 20 $
Topped up with 20 $ + WB activated
Topped up with 30 $ Topped up with 30 $ + WB activated
Topped up with 50 $
Transform test plan into a SITE testing schedule
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Configuration & intelligent scheduling of all tests
Execution of test calls
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Assuring that all planned CDRs are generated
Daily Reports to RAS team about testing situation
Instant alarms
>> Re-execution of tests if necessary
Surveillance of tests
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Daily Reporting - Matching
Revenue Assurance Reports via email
Matching Report providing overview and details
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Daily Reporting - Rating
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Full Managed Service
Pre-Analyses of results as soon as exceptions have been detected
Regular conference calls to discuss results
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Use Case Findings
Are there really many issues in telecom networks billing
processes?
Just testing over 24 days with a sample size of 468 created CDRs
>> Matching & Rating issues have been found!
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Use Case Findings
Overview Matching Exceptions
>> 1 Speech CDR from live network missing
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Use Case Findings Speech
Details Matching Exceptions
Occurred during WeeklyBundle Revenue Loss of 150 (5 blocks of 30 seconds free units)
The call which created the CDR was a dropped call:
Call drop initiated by network after 120.18 seconds
Reason: CC Disconnect normal unspecified
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Use Case Findings Speech
Overview Rating Exceptions
>> 10 Rating deviations on the end of the Showcase
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WB 500 Free minutes consumed
Use Case Findings Speech
In the Live network, the WB seems to be reactivated on 30th
Live network
rates according TopUp 30
Live network
rates according WB again
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Live network rates differently for On Net Destination
WB
50
30
20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Rating Sigos
Rating Network
Use Case Findings Speech
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Prerequisites Full Managed Service
Just the following is necessary to start the service:
SIM Card with tariff provisioned
Subscribers CDRs from the network (e.g. the bill)
Information on the tariff properties
Do I need to own a SITE system?
Either on your own SITE system
or on GlobalRoamer
The Full Managed Service is fully flexible!
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Summary
Complex tariff can be tested
Automated roaming support
Full managed service: planning, execution, reporting, analysis
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Thank you!info@keynote-sigos.com