06 WS TC2013NUE Revenue Assurance

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14thKeynote SIGOS Telecommunications Conference

Nuremberg, Germany

Revenue AssuranceActive testing of sophisticated tariffs androaming

Hans Banken

Mathias Stangl


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2013 Keynote SIGOS GmbH

214thKeynote SIGOS Telecommunications ConferenceNuremberg, Germany

Complex Tariff Examples

Roaming Revenue Assurance

Managed Service

Agenda


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Tariff Examples

The challenge:

Markets become increasingly competitive, operators need todifferentiate themselves

Complex and fast changing tariffs are introduced and need to be

tested.

The Answer:

SITE Revenue Assurance


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Tariff Examples

Simple Tariffs: depending on service, time and destination

The Price Plan table defines a price per unit for:

a certain type of service (e.g. SPEECH, SMS, GPRS)

at a certain time (e.g. off-peak, peak)

to a certain destination (e.g. national, international)


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Tariff Examples

Dynamic Pricing: e.g. step pricing depending on call duration

The price can be calculated by any function.

The name of the function and the parameters can be set via GUI in the priceplan table.

New functions can be added by Keynote SIGOS at any time (no maintenancewindow required).


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Keynote SIGOS Telecommunications ConferenceNuremberg, Germany

Tariff Examples

Bonuses after Top-Up: e.g. 20 SMS valid for 10 days after 30 EURO top-up

The Recharging Test Case writes a Top-Up CDR with the top-up amount to thereference CDR table

This CDR is processed by the rating engine and the bonuses are registered andthen consumed by sub-sequent CDRs.

A tariff function is defined for the tariff that adds the bonus according to the

top-up-amount


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Tariff Examples

Tariff Change when a certain threshold has been reached

A different tariff applies, when a certain threshold either monetary or in units,has been reached.

A Variant:

Monetary Cap: e.g. costs for calls or data are limited to a certain amount



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Tariff Examples

Campaigns or Bundles activated by SMS or USSD

Campaigns are activated by the subscriber via SMS

In most cases a 2 step dialog is used:

subscriber sends a SMS to a service number.

a response requesting a confirmation is returned.

subscriber sends the confirmation to the service number.

a response indicating that the campaign is now active is returned.

After activation the subscriber has a certain amount of free or discounted

service usage for a certain time interval.



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Tariff Examples

Some properties of bundles

Bundles can include free (bonus) or discounted service usage for voice, SMS,

MMS or data.

One bundle may comprise benefit or discounts for a set of services, e.g. free

SMS and discount for voice.

Bundle usage can be valid for a specific interval, e.g. 1 day, 2 weeks.

Bundle usage can be restricted to certain destinations or time bands, e.g. on-

net calls from 20:00 to 06:00.

Different round-ups or price units may be applied (1 sec, 60 sec).

More than one bundle can be active at the same time. Priorities of different bundles need to be configurable, e.g. 100 minutes per

1 day has a higher priority then 500 minutes per month).



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Tariff Examples

Implementation of bundles

The test case that activates the bundle writes to CDR similar to a top-up CDR.

(Sub-) Accounts have to be defined and balances for the accounts need to be

tracked by the rating engine.

The price plan entries define the account to which a certain event shall be

charged.



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Managed Service

Agenda



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Roaming Revenue Assurance and domestic Revenue Assurancedo have a similar scope, but each of them comes with their own

challenges:

Roaming

Revenue

Assurance

Domestic

Revenue

Assurance


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Function:

-Rate CDRs according

Tariff Plans

Function:

-Collect raw CDRs

-MSC, SMSC, GGSN, etc

Switch Mediation Billing

RadioCustomer

Care

Function:

-Collect raw CDRs

-Convert raw CDRs to

Standard CDRs

Domestic billing chain:

All information is internally generated and under operators control !


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Roaming Billing Chain:

Operator relies fully on information generated by roaming

partners and clearing houses

Roaming Partner

Switch Billing

Your subscriber

Clearing

House

TAP3

Operator

Billing & Invoice


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Can you trust your Roaming Partners?

You Your RevenueYour Partner


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Roaming

The Main Challenge when testing roaming:

Make calls in the network of all your roaming partners you want to test

The Answer:

GlobalRoamer and GRP705 networks in 268 locations in 189 countries

Scheduled GRQ test can be used to create the CDRs

What else is needed?


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Typical Tariff patterns domestic:

Pay for outgoing services only

Pricing not affected by the subscribers location

Typical Tariff pattern roaming:

Pay for incoming services (usually calls)

Pricing determined by the subscribers location


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The SITE billing engine is able to automatically detect that a subscriber is

roaming and rates accordingly

Roaming position determined according to 'Used Plmn Name'

call fromSIM card "de xyz"

roaming in "frxyz"

call to

SIM card "de xyz"roaming in "fr xyz"


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Generating CDRs out of the test calls:

Automatic creation of roaming position and roaming service type


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How about incoming calls in roaming? One Testcall

automatically becomes two CDRs:

First entry is incoming roaming call

Second entry is domestic call


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Calls are rated based on origination: Add the origination to the price plan table

Incoming calls are charged:

Create an additional reference CDR for incoming calls


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Managed Service

Agenda

R A


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Revenue Assurance

A fully managed service

Complex tariffs require

detailed planning

more than simple adhoc tests

test set-up and scheduling reporting & alarming

in-depth analysis

The full managed service for Revenue Assurance takes care of it!

R A


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Revenue Assurance

A fully managed service

Example Use Case for customer XYZ

Fully test and verify a prepaid tariff function (domestic) WeeklyBundle

Properties:

If there are top ups with certain amounts, there is a discounted pricetowards certain destinations (top up tariff modifier)

By sending an SMS to a service number, free units can be purchased(WeeklyBundle):

500 free minutes to on net destination

Valid for 7 days max

If both functions are active in parallel, SMS tariff modifier has higherpriority


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Complex Tariff properties

Default prices:

When no top up is performed or when top up is performed with less than $20

Top up with $20,$30 or $50 changes the rating for 30 days for all destinations

e.g. If Top up $20 is performed calls with up to 600s to On Net and calls with up to 120sto Off Net cost 45ct

WeeklyBundle only affects On Net, runs max for 7 days and has higher priority e.g. If Top up with $20 is performed and WeeklyBundle is purchased, calls to On Net are

for free whereas calls to Off Net cost 45ct for 120s


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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Call Scenarios

Different scenarios are possible and must be tested Test all thinkable combinations and edges

WB

50

30

20-2020-WB

30-30 30-WB 30-30

50-50

days

Df

20

20-20Df-Df


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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Call Scenarios

Different scenarios are possible and must be tested

Test all thinkable combinations and edges

WB

50

30

20-2020-WB

30-30 30-WB 30-30

50-50

days

Df

20

20-20Df-Df

Do not consume 500 free

minutes = Test if the validity

is one week

Consume 500 free minutes =

Test if subscriber really gets

500 free minutes


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Call Scenarios Testing Plan

Test plan reflects several jumps between

Default Tariff

Topped up with 20 $

Topped up with 20 $ + WB activated

Topped up with 30 $ Topped up with 30 $ + WB activated

Topped up with 50 $

Transform test plan into a SITE testing schedule


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Configuration & intelligent scheduling of all tests

Execution of test calls


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Assuring that all planned CDRs are generated

Daily Reports to RAS team about testing situation

Instant alarms

>> Re-execution of tests if necessary

Surveillance of tests


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Daily Reporting - Matching

Revenue Assurance Reports via email

Matching Report providing overview and details


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Daily Reporting - Rating


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Full Managed Service

Pre-Analyses of results as soon as exceptions have been detected

Regular conference calls to discuss results


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Use Case Findings

Are there really many issues in telecom networks billing

processes?

Just testing over 24 days with a sample size of 468 created CDRs

>> Matching & Rating issues have been found!


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Use Case Findings

Overview Matching Exceptions

>> 1 Speech CDR from live network missing


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Use Case Findings Speech

Details Matching Exceptions

Occurred during WeeklyBundle Revenue Loss of 150 (5 blocks of 30 seconds free units)

The call which created the CDR was a dropped call:

Call drop initiated by network after 120.18 seconds

Reason: CC Disconnect normal unspecified


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Overview Rating Exceptions

>> 10 Rating deviations on the end of the Showcase


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WB 500 Free minutes consumed


In the Live network, the WB seems to be reactivated on 30th

Live network

rates according TopUp 30

Live network

rates according WB again


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Live network rates differently for On Net Destination

WB

50

30

20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Rating Sigos

Rating Network



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Prerequisites Full Managed Service

Just the following is necessary to start the service:

SIM Card with tariff provisioned

Subscribers CDRs from the network (e.g. the bill)

Information on the tariff properties

Do I need to own a SITE system?

Either on your own SITE system

or on GlobalRoamer

The Full Managed Service is fully flexible!


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Summary

Complex tariff can be tested

Automated roaming support

Full managed service: planning, execution, reporting, analysis


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Thank [email protected]

06 WS TC2013NUE Revenue Assurance

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