March 2002

You Owe Yourself A Good Billing System

BY MIKE VON WAHLDE

Bills � the word just smells of money, doesn�t it? When we think bills, we think of the exchange of services for money. Traditionally, billing was considered the last step to the paycheck, but with the development of new services, new manners of bill presentment and new software developed in order to consolidate services, bills not only allow the service-purchaser insight into their own usage and trends, but they also enable the service provider a total picture of what customers use, what is of most value, and what they are willing to pay the highest premium for. Customer management, system monitoring, call center support, bill generation, and usage information must all be managed by an effective billing solution. 

The ability to create effective billing strategies is the biggest benefit from using a converged billing system � by effectively using the collected usage data, companies can effectively squeeze every last bit of worth out of their network � allocating bandwidth and services where they are needed most.

AZONIC Integrated Communication Management System 
Azonic Solution Limited 
Rm 505, Wealth Commercial Centre, 
42-56 Kwong Wa St.
Mongkok, Hong Kong 
+852.2770.0013 
www.azonicsolution.com
Azonic�s product provides real-time service provisioning and billing, customer relationship management (through Web, CSR, IVR, etc.), multi-hierarchical business network management, and decision support tools and several added features, which enable the new convergent communications business.

ACE*COMM Corporation
704 Quince Orchard Rd.
Gaithersburg, MD
20878 USA
888-223-5250
www.acecomm.com
With an emphasis on hybrid environments, ACE*COMM�s Convergent Mediation solutions meet the network and data management needs of wired and wireless voice, data, and Internet communications providers. Convergent Mediation solutions capture, secure, validate, correlate, and augment data from all types of network elements, and warehouse and distribute that data in appropriate formats to all types of operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS) such as billing systems.

Rodopi 5.2 
Rodopi Software 
4660 La Jolla Village Dr., Suite 880
San Diego, CA 92122 
877-4-RODOPI 
www.rodopi.com
RODOPI is the worldwide leading NT solution for billing, provisioning and customer care automation software for ISP, Web Hosting, Telephony and Wireless companies. The robust, scalable, end-to-end solution is 100 percent Web-enabled and can provide automated VoIP management and flexible billing plans, as well as a completely integrated trouble-ticket system for automated 24/7 technical support. With its automation and integration strengths, service providers can generate immediate ROI and easily implement new revenue streams.

EventProcessor
Abiliti Solutions 
400 Chesterfield Center; Suite 200 
Chesterfield, MO 63017 
636-532-5300 
www.abilitisolutions.com 
Abiliti Solutions� EventProcessor is a Web-enabled, enhanced mediation and multi-event rating solution for the convergent carrier. This flexible rule-driven tool can convert, interpret, augment, merge and transport transactions of any type between OSS / BSS components. It can be used to perform aggregate rating, run margin analysis tests and consolidate guiding and rating of services from multiple components. EventProcessor transforms disparate events into strategic business information.

Software Suite 2.0
HighDeal
303 Twin Dolphin Dr.; Suite 500,
Redwood Shores, CA 94065
650-620-9970
www.highdeal.com
HighDeal Software Suite 2.0 is designed for the converging services of telecommunications (i.e., voice, mobile, IP, and value-added services), digital content (i.e., audio and video), and application services (i.e., xSP). The new version enables convergent payment options � prepaid or postpaid. This unique �reverse rating� capability extends prepayment to content and online services for the pricing of service packages that comprise usage, access, games, music, and subscription software. This enables service providers to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by inventing product bundles that link services together in terms of pricing. In addition, HighDeal Software Suite 2.0 allows customers to choose between the complete implementation of the product or to extend their existing OSS/BSS (operational support system/business support system) by integrating HighDeal Software Suite�s pricing and rating modules. HighDeal Software Suite is a lightweight Java application with a new connectivity framework that facilitates integration with existing billing systems.

Arbor/BP
Lucent Technologies
One Main St.
Cambridge, MA 02142 
617-225-2200 
www.lucent.com 
Arbor/BP software is a real time, multi-service billing product that currently bills for more than 60 different types of services for over 150 customers in more than 35 countries. Proven effective in mobile, IP, fixed, and broadband markets all over the world, and supporting 30 Tier 1 customers globally, Lucent�s advanced billing platform can help you maximize revenue opportunities in new markets and increase profitability.

IMS
Digiquant
1000 Abernathy Rd., Suite 1800
Atlanta, GA 30328
770-206-4600
www.digiquant.com
IMS� real-time rating functionality allows providers to attain accurate call management and to achieve maximum business efficiency with convergent pre-paid and post-paid VoIP service offerings. Additional features such as the integrated telephony numbering plan, rate plan management, and calling card management promote the VoIP providers� ability to manage this service offering. Along with its comprehensive functionality, IMS features an advanced distributed architecture, making it a highly scalable and extremely reliable service platform.

eBillit, Inc.
408-362-4100
www.ebillit.net
As a leading Payment Service Provider, eBillit offers a comprehensive suite of services including Registration, Validation and Fraud Control; Customer Management; Payment Platforms, including PhoneBill, DirectBill, WebBill, CreditCard, and ACH; and Customer Care. eBillit�s PhoneBill payment platform enables service providers to place Internet-based charges directly onto the subscriber�s local phone bill in more than 1,400 Telco regions, reaching more than 90 percent of U.S. households.

I-MASTER
ECI IP INC.
8160 Baymeadows Wy. W., Ste 220
Jacksonville, FL, 32256 USA
1-877-ECI-VOIP 
www.eciip.com
The I-Master server platform and application suite provides a mature service creation and management solution to address the diverse needs of next-generation and carrier markets. The applications support all the service creation, provisioning, operational support, real-time rating, reporting, and Web-based self-care functionality a service provider requires to offer prepaid internet, calling card, settlement, and internet phone services. I-Master simultaneously supports Cisco, Vocaltec, and dynamicsoft VoIP products for H.323, SIP, and converged networks.

iBillManager
MBG
370 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10017
212-822-4400
www.mbg-inc.com
iBillManager is a Web-based bill presentation and management system that presents an interactive view of monthly invoices. Users can view charges for all services (for example: Local, long distance, cellular, calling card, and VoIP) in one location via the Web. iBillManager can present data from multiple vendors, if desired. As a Cisco partner, MBG can effectively process and display Cisco�s VoIP data. With iBillManager, service providers and their customers benefit from efficient invoice presentation and management.

Debit-it BillMe � 
E-Mail Direct Billing Service
AmeriNet, Inc.
3 Center Pointe Dr., Suite 125
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
800-800-0467
www.debit-it.com
AmeriNet�s BillMe service is a direct payment billing solution and service for many industries and merchants such as utilities. Using the merchant�s billing schedule, AmeriNet e-mails billing reminders to the merchant�s customers. Next, via a direct link made available in the billing reminder, the customer is transferred to a custom-designed online payment site. At the payment site, the customer can view their personal and payment details and can pay their bill with a single click. When the payment transaction has been processed, the customer is automatically sent an e-mail confirming receipt of payment, with a thank you. In addition, BillMe technology automatically tracks customer responses and sends summary reports to the merchant.

Tapestry
American Management Systems (AMS)
12701 Fair Lakes Crcl.
Fairfax, VA 22033
800-255-8888
www.ams.com
Tapestry meets the convergent communications provider�s need for a technologically advanced, functionally rich suite of billing and customer care solutions. Tapestry provides a complete solution for customer service management, order management, real-time pricing, and bill rendering, with applications that can stand alone or work together to address a client�s business needs. Key features include: Superior modularity, ability to scale, built from scratch model, flexibility, a robust rating and pricing engine, and a state of the art provisioning module. Clients include providers such as BellSouth Long Distance and Arcor.

FusionWorks
Openet Telecom
11465 Sunset Hills Rd.,Suite 310
Reston, VA 20190
513-604-7494
www.openet-telecom.com
FusionWorks is a convergent mediation platform that is network and software independent. Suitable for convergent, IP, or circuit-switched applications, it provides a unified, real-time view of customer usage across any type of new or legacy network infrastructure. It offers unmatched flexibility and self-management capabilities so customers can easily administer business rules � decreasing vendor-service expenses and increasing new service deployment. FusionWorks improves billing accuracy, strengthens service penetration and, ultimately, helps increase revenues and bottom-line profits.

Amdocs Ensemble
AMDOCS
1390 Timberlake Manor Pkwy.
Chesterfield, MO 63017
314-212-7000
www.amdocs.com
Amdocs Ensemble provides end-to-end CRM, billing and order management solutions for voice-IP convergence. Amdocs Ensemble supports the full range of convergent prepaid and postpaid multi-service operations, including wireline, mobile and IP environments. Amdocs provides full integration between the front and back office with a single customer database and a unified customer view. This powerful ability enables communications providers to dramatically improve customer response times and rapidly launch the services their customer want, while reducing operating costs.

QuantumShift Solution
QuantumShift, Inc.
88 Rowland Wy.
Novato, CA 94945
www.quantumshift.com
QuantumShift, provides telecommunications management services. Their three-part solution includes a Web-based application that allows clients to order all products/services they desire and then view one bill online. The service also includes industry professionals who can trouble shoot service problems, keep QuantumShift clients updated on new technologies and audit their communications usage. QuantumShift Software consolidates and automates all the processes used to manage multiple communication services into a single, end-to-end procurement, service, accounting and reporting platform. Not only is your staff freed to focus on business-critical issues, but, for the first time, you can also reduce your cost of managing communications.

Sentori IP System
Sentori
14401 Sweitzer Ln.
Laurel, MD
240-568-6201
www.sentori.com
The Sentori IP system meets the unique provisioning, mediation, customer care and billing needs of IP communication service providers offering services such as VoIP, Internet access, broadband, and multi-media content. Built using an object oriented, three-tiered and Web-based technology platform, the Sentori IP system features a modular architecture allowing for flexible configuration, and integration with multiple external interfaces via APIs and XML. Specific features include: Quick service provisioning via the Sentori Open Mediation Manager (OMM); credit control applications; IPDR data collection and transaction-based, real-time rating for single or multiple services; reconciliation functionality to manage revenue sharing across the content supply; accounting for incremental QoS billing; and multi-service billing options including online billing (EBPP) and self care.

[ Return To The March 2002 Table Of Contents ]