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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS |
Ensuring QoE for your 3G Subscriber
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Role of AAA in WiMAX The reference architecture, service flexibility and mobility supported by WIMAX demands a robust AAA server.
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Moving to Next Generation Networks
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Role of CSN and challenges addressed n WiMAX 802.16e Ecosystem
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Opportunities aplenty in the telecom space are you ready for it? Is your rating & charging adaptable to the changing customer needs?
| Changing market scenarios have paved way for the growth of Triple-play services, Quad play & Multiplay services, More and more telcos are now offering bundled voice, video and data services to retain their existing subscriber base and entice prospective customers. These service implementations face challenges in supporting flexible pricing plans and service bundles, and smooth switching between postpaid and prepaid payment types. Most legacy implementations are ill-equipped to meet the development of new services emerging out of next generation technologies. |
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| With opportunities aplenty, the main challenge providers’ face is with the integration of convergent rating and charging with other systems such as product management, customer management, balance management, voucher & recharge management, and billing. Integrating convergent solutions with a legacy can bridge this gap, delivering the benefits of true convergence between pre and postpaid subscribers to operators. |
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The Next Generation IP based Rating & Charging system |
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| Most existing providers are already deploying convergent systems to plug the great divide between prepaid and postpaid segments in order to benefit from the vast prepaid subscriber base. *Real Time charging systems are part of the telecom industry trend toward convergence. For example, Operators who offer triple play and quadruple play packages can use real-time systems to charge for services that span disparate networks and technologies, such as wireline, wireless, circuit-switched and Internet Protocol (IP)*. |
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| Next-generation services bring new levels of complexities to prepaid service access since the basis of pricing for basic data communication services moves from one based mainly on metering minutes to one based on volume and quality with rating on any basis. |
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Challenges in a dynamic market
- Delivering and charging for appropriate combinations of services, across possibly mixed network environments, to a range of different customer segments, supported by payment choice. Traditional IN Platform supports traditional Pre-paid Voice Services and Typically these systems lack functionality around multi session service management and non duration/data (bit based) event data records donot allow Service providers offer new types of pricing models, tailored to more specific user groups (families, organizations, small businesses, students, pensioners etc).
- Policy Control & Rating Operators are at a juncture where they've been successful in living upto customer's expectations through effective service delivery by Policy Control. However, the real challenge for them lies in generating new revenue streams by monetizing this differentiation by combining Policy Control with Rating.
- Deep Packet Inspection & Policy application: Next generation packet networks require DPI to identify the different traffic for each user and per-application basis, so that policies can be applied to accordingly and rating can be done based on the granular information received. DPI is an extremely critical feature for packet networks for both service control and network control. The DPI solution typically has to be integrated with AAA servers, policy servers, and billing systems, in the service provider’s network.
- Managing Product Catalog: Implementing real-time and pre-order rating of content services is one of the most arduous tasks in implementing a billing system. Content may come from various quarters bringing to fore the need for integration, and complexities in rating. The main challenge lies in integration of content systems with the service provider’s interfaces.
- Revenue Sharing & Credit Control: Over and above, any revenue sharing agreement, whether based on proportion of network functionality, distribution capabilities, customer care, or the value of the service or content itself, must be supported by a real-time credit control mechanism. The system also needs to take care of managing issues related to digital content ownership, partner settlements and revenue sharing agreements.
- Concurrent Rating: It also needs to look into the concurrency aspect of data transactions in real-time.
- Tax Calculation: In a multi-service environment, handling of tax-related issues is also a major problem. Taxes on vouchers meant for top-up of prepaid balance charge taxes at the point of sale. However tax rates may vary for different types of services in different countries. Managing diverse tax rates from one prepaid balance to another is quite complex.
- Migrating to IMS because at present, there are still few service types, and network QoS can be ensured via different services and a large bandwidth. In the future, there may be millions of different types of services with varying rates and QoS requirements.
CRESTEL IP based Rating Charging |
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| CRESTEL’S Convergent Rating & Charging system enables service providers to run their prepaid and postpaid operations as a single cohesive business using its real-time, high-volume event handling and seamless subscriber management capabilities. It provides a single platform with real-time rating & charging, balance management, integrated customer management and billing, enabling providers to offer the same levels of service to subscribers regardless of how they pay. |
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| Providers deploying CRESTEL have the opportunity to deliver all those services to prepaid subscribers that were earlier only available to postpaid users by assigning an appropriate plan based on their credit risk and usage pattern |
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CRESTEL Rating and Charging Features |
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- Prepaid / Postpaid Convergence - While prepaid subscribers are looking for more customized subscription, payment of voice calls in postpaid mode, more loyalty and recharge options, their postpaid counterparts look forward to advice for charges of new services, ability to control spending, automated notifications, and immediate use of bonus units.
- Network level - Access Agnostic Centralized EliteAAA & Policy Management which helps operators to bind a policy to a subscriber which can be deployed across any access network that a subscriber roams to, thus guaranteeing Quality of Service and subscriber satisfaction. This also enables providers to differentiate service offerings based on the modes through which services are accessed, the time and place of access.
- Service level - Charging Gateway & Global & service specific Rating Catalog
- Catalog level - Rating Catalog can be associated with Convergent Product Catalog
- Convergent Rating for Next Generation Service based on granular information Application based rating for (WAP, Streaming, Web, MMS, Email, FTP etc), time of day, discount structures, loyalty schemes, etc.
- Rating based on Volume, duration, destination IP, PORT, Service Type, QoS, Event, Roaming on, URL, MSISDN, IP address, SIP URI, Access Technology Type
- Managing Product Catalog: Implementing real-time and pre-order rating of content services is one of the most arduous tasks in implementing a billing system. Content may come from various quarters bringing to fore the need for integration, and complexities in rating. The main challenge lies in integration of content systems with the service provider’s interfaces.
- Rating for different applications having different bandwidth requirements, through different networks such as WiMAX, Wi-fi, CDMA 2.5G, 3G, IMS, Broadband
- Subscriber and Network level Policy Control - Generate new revenue streams by combining Policy Control with Rating
- Transaction based charging - VAS, Content & Entertainment
- On Demand Applications - Subscribers can be initially provisioned with the basic bandwidth requirement and then allow them to avail bandwidth on demand for resource-covetous applications
- Access & Service Agnostic Single Sign On, means Differential rating of Service with respect to type of access network
- Seamless integration of EliteAAA - Policy Management - Rating or Third party billing system
- Integration with Legacy Platforms - Helps protect investment in existing network
- Integration with Legacy Platforms - Helps protect investment in existing network
- Revenue sharing & credit control
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Improve Subscriber Stickiness |
| CERSETEL Convergent IP baserd Rating & Charging helps Telecom operators offer personalized service plans to thier customers. It offers an in-depth understanding of customer usage patterns, equipping service providers with the knowledge to deploy and use conflicting technologies profitably and offer services that match customer expectations. |
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| Example of this: |
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Offer Converged Services |
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Cross Selling |
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200 minutes to USA free with 2MBPS broadband connection |
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Triple Play - Voice, Data & Video |
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Data - 2gb Data Transfer / Month |
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Voice - 200 minutes free (anywhere) |
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Video - 10 movie downloads |
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Multiple Service Bundling |
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Voice & Broadband / Broadband and Video |
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CRESTEL Rating and Charging Benefits |
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| To Customer |
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Single sign-on for accessing enriched services |
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Enjoy seamless service reliability and quality experience irrespective of mode & medium of service access |
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Ease in Payment for different services, single bill for multiple services |
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Single point of contact for CRM for all services information needs |
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Avail guidance in form or real-time notifications at the right time |
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| To Service Provider |
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Improved Subscriber stickiness through bundled service plans and personalized offers |
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Centralized AAA across all data services |
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Differential Rating depending upon subscriber usage pattern |
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Optimum monetization on network resource usage based on multiple metrics |
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Provide differentiated services offerings depending upon subscriber profile |
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Reduction in subscriber churn through proactive notification and personalized subscriber experience |
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Faster rollout of services by Orchestrating Policies based on subscriber usage pattern, market conditions and upcoming socio-economic events |
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Provide appropriate QoS depending upon type of network and subscriber access preferences |
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Single Platform inclusive of mediation, rating & billing. |
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CRESTEL-Billing and
Revenue Management |
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