Post on 19-May-2015
description
Truly Convergent Billing
Asia Billing and Revenue Assurance 2010Doug Newdick 09 March 2010
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The Promise of Convergence?
The single software package view of convergence
• “I hear you have billing problems – our billing software will solve them.”
• A promise that is unlikely to be fulfilled.
We need to move to a complete view of converged billing architecture.
• One that encompasses the totality of billing.
• One that is likely to deliver on the promise.
3
Convergent Architecture
A view of what a truly convergent billing architecture might look like• One that uses Enterprise Architecture best
practice.
• One that uses industry standards.
• One that builds on practical experience both at delivering - and failing to deliver - convergent billing.
• The good news: it is achievable!
• The bad news: there is no silver bullet, no magic billing application.
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What is Convergence?
The customer view:• The ability to use, access, purchase or
experience as one, something that previously had to be used, accessed, purchased or experienced separately.
The operator’s view:• Those things that we must do and be in order
to provide convergence to the market place.
• If there is no customer impact, there is no meaningful convergence.
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Different Kinds of Convergence
One BillOne View of the
Customer
Service Charging Convergence
Prepaid/Postpaid Convergence
Full Product Convergence
Real Time Postpaid Mobile Charging
Real Time Fixed Line Charging
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How Did We Get Here? A Hypothetical Billing Landscape
PSTN RatingPostpaid Mobile Voice, Data and
SMS Rating
Prepaid Mobile Voice and SMS
Rating
Broadband Rating
MMS RatingCorporate
Customer Rating and Billing
Invoice Printing Accounts Receivable
Dialup Rating
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Converging The Billing Landscape: This Is Not The Answer!
Convergent Billing Application
PSTN RatingPostpaid Mobile Voice, Data and
SMS Rating
Prepaid Mobile Voice and SMS
Rating
Broadband Rating
MMS RatingCorporate
Customer Rating and Billing
Invoice Printing Accounts Receivable
Dialup Rating
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How Did We Get Here? Convergence Anti-Patterns 1
Business Problem Business SolutionLeads to
Technology Problem
Technology Solution
Leads to
Su
pp
ort
s
Constrains
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How Did We Get Here? Convergence Anti-Patterns 2
Business Problem Business SolutionLeads to
Technology Problem
Technology Solution
Leads to
Su
pp
ort
s
Solves
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Architectural Levels
Business View
Business Processes, Organisational Structure, Business Entities
System View
Logical Applications, Logical Data Model
Technology View
Hardware, Software Packages, Physical Data Model
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Architectural Levels: Cycles of Problems and Solutions
Business Problem Business SolutionLeads to
Technology Problem
Technology Solution
Leads to
Su
pp
ort
s
Creat
es
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What’s Architecture Got To Do With Convergence?
Each level can be convergent or divergent independently.
• Divergent higher level views can be supported by convergent lower levels.
• Convergent higher level views can be supported by divergent lower level views – though this isn’t easy!
Truly convergent architecture is when all levels align on a convergent model – supporting a truly convergent customer experience.
How convergent you become should be determined by business capacity for investment and desire for convergence.
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Convergence at Different Levels
Business View
System View
Technology View
Charge for Broadband
Charge for Mobile Data
Logical Usage Rating
Online Charging Software
Charge for Bundle
PSTN Rating
PSTN Charging Software
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Considering All of Billing
System View
Mediation RatingBill
CalculationAccounts
ReceivableInvoice
ProductionCollections
Business View
Technology View
Billing Business
Processes
Billing Software
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The Extended Enterprise or Telco 2.0
The boundaries of the enterprise are no longer rigid.
The effects of the enterprise extend outwards beyond the traditional borders of the enterprise.
• Into traditional suppliers and partners
• Out to customers
Convergence is a key enabler of the extended enterprise.
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Billing and LTE
LTE produces no new challenges.
LTE does intensify existing challenges.• The commodification of data
• Cannabilisation of voice revenue
• Increased importance of VAS
• Potential for “bill shock”
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Convergence: LTE and the Extended Enterprise
The challenges for billing from LTE and the Extended Enterprise are similar.
• Real time charging and postpaid credit limits can prevent bill shock and reduce financial risk for the service provider and any partners.
• Real time charging of VAS gives partners certainty.
• Converged charging makes management of charging for partners simpler.
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Telecom NZ: A Case Study In Convergence
•Telecom NZ is undergoing a significant programme of business transformation.
•We’ve recently launched a new 3G WCDMA mobile network.
•Billing has been a key aspect of these initiatives.
•The billing architecture team has identified convergent billing architecture as central to allowing us to deliver the required business capabilities.
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Telecom NZ: Where We Are
Key features of rating convergence:• Prepaid and postpaid mobile rated on the one
platform in real time: Voice, SMS, Data, VAS.• Fixed line broadband rated on the same platform.• Other products and services rated on other
platforms.
One bill for all products and services.
Bill calculation split between two platforms.
Postpaid A/R in the one platform.
Convergent offerings without necessarily convergent technologies.
Logically separate billing for each business unit.
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Telecom NZ: Areas of Architectural Development
Build on convergent rating by adding additional services.
Focus on convergent A/R and balance management to support one view of the customer.
Build capability once and re-use across product lines, customer segments and business units.
Converge as much as possible within the system and technology levels, leaving non-convergence at the business level.
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Thank You
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