The proliferation of new accessible mobile services and the increasing number of mobile phones per household are contributing to a growing epidemic for postpaid mobile subscribers, typically referred to as “bill shock” – that time at the end of the month when you receive a bill that is way higher than your expectation, and certainly your budget…

Sometimes “bill shock” is driven by the teenager who thought conferencing eight friends throughout the weekend would fit in the monthly budget, or by your decision to take your iPhone (News - Alert) on that weekend trip across the border. But, the end result for the communications service provider is typically the same – an excessive charge that creates a negative customer experience, driving down customer usage patterns, increasing churn, and causing subscribers to take a step back in their acceptance of new mobile services.

This phenomenon is driven mainly by the postpaid charging model, in which consumers receive, review, and pay their mobile bills once a month. This model has also driven the technical implementation of postpaid charging – which uses offline processing of Call Detail Records (CDRs) to feed data into the billing systems. This is quite a different implementation from prepaid charging, which uses real time charging control via Intelligent Network (IN) or other service delivery protocols.

The use of real time service delivery protocols for prepaid subscribers enables service providers to notify the subscriber of excessive charges immediately, even allowing the real time prevention of additional services when the subscriber has reached his/her account limit. This is not an option for subscribers that are not on a prepaid service.

For non-prepaid subscribers, technical limitations of the network nodes impact the ability to innovate solutions for this problem. The existing usage of the same service delivery protocols for the delivery of other, non-charging related, real time Value Added Services (such as group call services, personal call management, personalized ring back tone, and others, exposes a technical limitations of the service delivery protocols that prevents interacting with additional real time platforms. As a result, these subscribers are unable to control and receive notifications on their usage and spending in real time.

So how can we offer real time control mechanisms over charging and user service consumption so that “Bill Shock” can be avoided, and these subscribers can gain a sense of security and assurance in controlling their personal expenses?

The answer lies in migrating the offline charging processes that are based on post processing of the Call Detail Records to online services that rate and charge in real time. The service broker is the network solution that provides the vehicle for doing that, enabling charging control and bill shock prevention to the entire subscriber base – whether on the prepaid system or not – while maintaining total service delivery. Service brokers provide integration between the existing rating, billing and revenue management systems, existing intelligent networkService Control Point platforms, and next generation application server platforms for a combined offering of services and real time charging control – enabling service providers to provide consumers with control over usage and cost when and where they need it, regardless of their plan type.

Oracle (News - Alert) Communications Service Broker is a highly scalable and central component of the overall Oracle Communications Service Delivery product family. Leading network operators use this offering to create new revenue opportunities while leveraging legacy investments by efficiently managing service interactions and composition between the services and charging platforms. With a versatile orchestration engine and productized portfolio of interworking modules, Oracle Communication Service Broker dramatically reduces the amount of time and risk associated with migrating from soon-to-be obsolete legacy – enabling service providers to launch innovative new services that blend legacy and IP networks with the IT domain, as well as consolidate service and charging platforms across multiple network types.

By adding a service independent real time charging control, the Oracle Communications Service Broker helps operators to quickly develop and integrate innovative new charging control applications, over the latest leading Java application servers. Such “Bill Shock” preventing applications include:

Ø       Parental control, providing parents with control and real time SMS alerts over their kids’ mobile usage, as well as thresholds that limit usage to desired patterns (only incoming calls, only in-family calls, etc.);

Ø       Personalized charging alerts, offering personalized in call, or SMS/e-mail/Web alerts in real time;

Ø       Sponsored calls and split charging for allowing cost and balance driven promotions.

For these solutions and others, on a per call or other mobile service basis, Oracle Communications Service Broker orchestrates the charging platform in real time using standardized diameter-based protocols – allowing providers to rate services and update subscriber balances in real time. In addition, it invokes services off existing SCPs and next generation application servers, seamlessly blending applications and charging into a unified controlled real time delivery system.

The end results? A network that is open to expanded innovation options that drive revenue growth, and a loyal subscriber base that is open to increasing usage and accepting new mobile services.