Analysys Mason Converged Billing Systems Jan2013 SampleToC RMA03
Billing Systems - Informatics knowledge Collection · PDF file09/04/2013 · Billing...
Transcript of Billing Systems - Informatics knowledge Collection · PDF file09/04/2013 · Billing...
Billing Systems
From Service to Bill
Billing Systems
Billing system basicsBilling systems structureReal-time billing needsNeed for flexibilityConclusions
Billing System Goals
„Telephone billing systems are the largest commercial transactionprocessing systems running currently on earth?”
Kari Pasonen, VP at Comptel
Tens of milions events processed daily !
Basic functionality
Service Usage Data
Previously CDR – Call Data RecordsOne Record Per CallVendor-specific formatTypical CDR data:
Calling Party; Called Party; Call Start; Call Duration; Service Type; ...
Currently Usage Data Records (not onlycalls, but all other services)
One record per service providedSimmilar format for interoperability
Service Usage Data Sources - examples
Landline telephonyLocal switches
GSM telephonyVoice calls – MSCSMS traffic – SMSCData traffic – GGSNMMS traffic – MMSCRoaming CDRs from business partners
Billing Systems
Billing system basicsBilling systems structureReal-time billing needsNeed for flexibilityConclusions
Billing Systems Structure
Billing Mediation
Rating Engine
Invoicing Engine
Business Support Systems
Billing system is just a part of BSSPayment ManagementCRMFraud detectionUsage data analysisOrder managementInter-partner revenue managementMany other applications…
Billing Systems
Billing system basicsBilling systems structureReal-time billing needsNeed for flexibilityConclusions
Pre-paid service scenario
Pre-paid billing needs
Real-time balance check and reservationReal-time billing (just after the service was provided)Online charging during the service usage(how long can client use the service)
Optional element, not always implemented
Pre-paid billing specific issues
Traditional billing systems usually operated inbatch mode.Pre-paid billing is usually a part of a pre-paidservice platform (separate from post-paidbilling system).New generation convergent billing systemsoffered (unified pre- and post-paid).
Billing Systems
Billing system basicsBilling systems structureReal-time billing needsNeed for flexibilityConclusions
Need For Flexibility
„Changing billing system is like replacingwings on Jumbo-Jet in mid-Atlantic”
LightReading, industry portal
New services constantly added - have to be integrated with existing billing system
Billing Mediation expansionNew tariff definition
Customers specific functionality
Billing Mediation Expansion
Development of adapters for new networkelements
New services provided (content-based, advancedservices)Equipment from another vendor (UDR formats not compactible)Each service platform has to provide UDRs (one record per service offered)
New Tariff Definition
Capability to rate UDRs for all types ofservicesTariff Definittion flexibility:
Charging for new servicesAdvanced charging scenarios (Cross-productdiscounts, bulk discounts, ocassional discounts)
Rule-based rating (currently state-of-the-art)
Customer specific functionality
Each implementation is a big deal for theBilling System vendor.Each customer has a set of specificrequirements.It is not uncommon for the vendor to implement customer-specific functionalityextension (especially for big customers).Smaller vendors are more willing to expandsystem funcionality.
Billing Systems
Billing system basicsBilling systems structureReal-time billing needsNeed for flexibilityConclusions
Conclusions
High data throughputTens of milions events rated daily
High operational flexibilityPostpaid and prepaid customersNew services offered every monthLack of billing system flexibility can severelyimpact operator’s business
Crucial for operators’ businessExtreme stability is a mustVery hard to replace
Main Software Vendors
AmdocsConvergysCSG SystemsIntecLHSPortal Software
Source: Yankee Group
Most Software Vendors (Oct 2004)
Amdocs Ltd. American Management Systems Inc. Anite CalculusAsiaInfo Holdings Inc. Billing Concepts Inc. Boston Communications Group Inc. Cerillion Technologies Ltd. ComArch SA Convergys Corp. CPqD Telecom & IT SolutionsCSG Systems International Inc. Daleen Technologies Inc. (now ViziqorSolutions) DST Innovis Inc. Formula Telecom Solutions Ltd. HighdealIntasys Billing Technologies Intec Telecom Systems Inc.
IntraISPLHS Telekom GmbHLiberate Technologies MaxBill Ltd. MetraTech Corp. Mind CTI Ltd. Nexus Telecom AG Orga Systems GmbHPortal Software Inc. Protek (now Viziqor Solutions) Rodopi Billing SoftwareSentori Inc. Teleknowledge Group Ltd. TeleSphereTelution Inc. UshaComm CommunicationsTechnology Inc. WeDo Consulting
Source: LightReading
References
LightReadinghttp://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=ngs&doc_id=61229&page_number=2Vanillaplus http://www.vanillaplus.com/Billing World and OSS Todayhttp://www.billingworld.com/Vendors marketing materials, whitepapersSudhir Dixit, Tao Wu: Content Networking inthe Mobile Internet