Chapter 1 Introduction
- 1.1 The shift towards convergence requires an appropriate billing infrastructure
- 1.2 The move towards multimedia content brings added complexities
- Figure 1.1: Mobile content value chain
- 1.3 The role of convergent billing
- Figure 1.2: Content delivery in fixed-mobile convergence
- 1.4 Network operator challenges
- 1.5 The opportunity and threat of IMS and FMC
- 1.6 Aims and focus of this report
Chapter 2 Overview
- 2.1 Defining billing
- Figure 2.1: Simplified billing model
- 2.2 Components of billing
- 2.3 Multiple billing scenarios
- 2.3.1 Traditional billing
- 2.3.2 From voice to data
- 2.4 IP billing
- 2.4.1 IP networks require new business models
- Figure 2.2: Packet network with IP billing
- 2.4.2 IP-based services bring considerable billing challenges
- 2.4.3 Considerations and recommendations for an efficient IP metering mechanism
- Figure 2.3: IP billing architecture
Chapter 3 Billing Market Drivers and Barriers
- 3.1 Wireless multimedia content
- Figure 3.1: Data ARPU as % of total ARPU is selected markets
- 3.1.1 Multimedia is making significant demands on communications subsystems
- 3.1.2 Service differentiation between consumer and enterprise markets
- 3.1.3 Challenges associated with multimedia content
- 3.1.4 Geography
- 3.1.5 Creating a successful business model
- 3.2 The Wireless Internet
- Figure 3.2: he first step towards convergence
- 3.2.1 Challenges for wireless Internet
- Figure 3.3: The multi-network wireless domain
- 3.3 Convergence
- Figure 3.4: Convergence between fixed and mobile services
- 3.3.1 Access convergence
- Figure 3.5: Various access technologies
- 3.3.2 ISDN
- 3.3.3 Cable
- 3.3.4 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
- 3.3.5 FTTC/FTTH
- 3.3.6 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC)
- 3.3.7 Satellite
- Figure 3.6: Fixed-mobile convergence
- 3.4 Network convergence
- 3.4.1 IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
- 3.4.1.1 IMS service enablers and layers
- Figure 3.7: IMS for SIP-based communications
- 3.4.1.2 IMS brings the advantage of billing convergence
- 3.4.1.3 Customer care is an important component of convergent billing
- 3.4.1.4 Billing difficulties with FMC
- 3.4.2 Payment convergence
- 3.4.2.1 The aims of payment convergence
- 3.4.2.2 The advantages of payment convergence
- 3.5 QoS in IP
- 3.5.1 End-to-end QoS with NGN
- Table 3.1: Typical QoS values
- 3.5.2 Billing for IP services requires different levels of QoS
- 3.6 Partnering
- 3.6.1 Partnership management in convergent billing
Chapter 4 Todays Billing Model and its Weaknesses
- 4.1 A mixture of legacy and NGN
- 4.2 Mobile Operator Revenue Models
- Table 4.1: Billing models and their characteristics
- 4.3 Weaknesses with legacy billing systems
- 4.3.1 Heterogeneous BSSs
- 4.3.1 Current billing systems require greater flexibility for future services
- 4.3.2 Purchasing data services through multiple accounts
- Table 4.2: Summary of billing systems weaknesses
Chapter 5 Key Billing Trends
- 5.1 Content and network convergence present a complex problem for billing
- 5.2 Integrated prepay/postpay systems
- 5.2.1 Technical and political barriers are beginning to erode
- 5.3 The real-time charging platform
- 5.3.1 Fraud control
- 5.4 Charging/packaging
- 5.4 More innovative charging policies are around the corner
- 5.5 FMC is a reality
- 5.5.1 FMC implies a significant new role of core billing
- 5.5.2 Rapid service launch and termination
- 5.5.3 True FMC systems require that billing takes a new dimension
- 5.6 Revenue sharing
- 5.7 Alternate payment options
- Table 5.1: 12 key billing trends
Chapter 6 What FMC and Other Operators Look for in a Billing Platform
- 6.1 Billing platforms need to focus on building profitable value chains
- 6.2 Consolidated billing
- 6.3 Bill Accuracy
- 6.4 Churn reduction
- 6.5 Customer retention and Revenue augmentation
- 6.6 Bill Consolidation with Individual Flavor
- 6.7 Intelligence and Pattern Identification
- 6.8 Tools for Enterprise users
- 6.9 Flexible Accounting Mechanism
- 6.10 Rapid Service Deployment and Adjustment
- 6.11 Real-time Billing
- 6.12 Satisfactory Customer Experience
- 6.13 Encompassing Critical Business Dynamics
- 6.14 Usage Specific Information Gathering
- 6.15 Handling Multiple, Concurrent Transactions
- 6.16 Transaction Granularity
- 6.17 Unified Billing
- 6.18 Appropriate Revenue Sharing
- 6.19 Multiple Payment Options
Chapter 7 Technical and Business Issues for Next-Generation Billing Solutions
- 7.1 FMC billing is characterised by multifaceted demands
- 7.2 FMC billing from an operators perspective
- 7.2.1 Billing for prototype services
- 7.2.2 How to meet operators convergence aspirations
- 7.3 A component-based architecture approach
- 7.4 Real-time Control over Services and Billing
- 7.5 Peer-to-peer threat
- 7.5.1 Flow -Based Charging
- 7.6 Billing with CRM and Service Provisioning
- 7.7 Consumer-Driven Payment Options
Chapter 8 Billing for 3G Data Services and Beyond
- 8.1 Mobile transactions are taking an increasingly financial dimension
- 8.2 The need for a flexible platform
- 8.3 B2B revenue assurance
- 8.4 Issues to address with integrated prepay/postpay billing
- 8.5 Finding the charging parameters to cater for the multiplicity of sub-segments
- 8.6 Providing greater advanced services support to the prapay segment
- 8.7 Tackling fraud control
- 8.7.1 Operator are taking a proactive role
- 8.8 Capturing market share through an effective QoS offering
- 8.9 Improving service time-to-market with new billing mechanisms
- 8.10 Unified Billing platform for m-commerce eco-systems
- 8.11 Billing issues with the move to HSDPA and 4G data
- 8.11.1 Roaming across 802.XX and multiple cellular technologies
- 8.11.2 The search for network agnostic billing systems
- 8.11.3 IMS adoption will overtake early attempts at proprietary solutions
- 8.11.4 Billing in UMA and mobile IP
- 8.11.5 Billing from a WiMAX perspective
Chapter 9 Revenue Leakage and Revenue Assurance
- 9.1 Revenue leakage
- 9.1.1 Revenue leakage is not a new phenomenon
- 9.1.1 Leakage costs the industry billions
- 9.1.2 The problem has become more complex
- 9.1.3 Leakage affects all players in the value web
- 9.1.3.1 Risk factors with offline charging
- Table 9.1: Quantifying risk factors in various network environments
- 9.1.4 Why Revenue Leakage Occurs
- Table 9.2: Reasons for revenue leakage
- 9.1.4.1 Leakage permeates the entire chain
- 9.1.4.1.2 Revenue leakage occurs even with successful downloads
- 9.1.4.1.3 Premium SMS
- 9.2 Revenue Assurance
- 9.2.1 Successful revenue assurance calls for new partnerships
- 9.2.2 RA measures
- Table 9.3: Revenue Assurance approaches from a billing perspective
- 9.2.3 Three steps to guaranteeing revenue
- 9.2.4 Real-time delivery validation
- 9.2.5 A single view of the mediation process
- 9.2.6 Rules-driven RA
- 9.2.7 Varying the levels of billing "trust"
- 9.2.8 Real-time billing
- 9.2.9 Centralised systems
- Figure 9.1: Revenue assurance strategies
Chapter 10 Costs and Revenues
- 10.1 Billing platform costs
- 10.1.1 Upfront costs - smaller is not necessarily less
- 10.1.2 Functional scope of delivery impacts the cost per subscriber
- 10.1.3 Migrating from legacy to NGN platforms
- Table 10.1: Associated costs based on multiple billing system implementation
- scenarios
- 10.2 Revenue Sharing
- 10.2.1 High commission rates can lead to radical alternatives
- 10.2.2 Revenue share models in the billing world
- Figure 10.1: Revenue sharing in the billing value chain
- 10.2.2.1 Fitting off-line content providers into the equation
- Figure 10.2: FMC billing forecast, 2005-2010
Chapter 11 Competitive Landscape
- 11.1 VoluBill
- 11.1.1 Billing Suite
- Figure 11.1: Mastering charging paradigms with Charge it
- 11.1.2 Salient Features
- 11.2 Convergys
- 11.2.1 Billing suite
- 11.2.2 Salient features
- 11.3 Portal Software
- 11.3.1 Billing Suite
- 11.3.2 Salient Features
- 11.4 LogicaCMG
- 11.4.1 Billing Suite
- 11.4.2 Salient Features
- 11.5 Intec Telecom Systems
- 11.5.1 Billing Suite
- 11.5.2 Salient Feature
- 11.6 Accipia
- 11.6.1 Billing suite
- 11.6.2 Salient Features
- 11.7 Telcordia
- 11.7.1 Billing Suite
- 11.7.2 Salient Features
- 11.8 Upaid
- 11.8.1 Solution and salient feature
- 11.9 Celona Technologies
- 11.9.1 Solution and Salient Features
- 11.10 Bango
- 11.10.1 Billing suite
- 11.10.2 Salient Features
- 11.11 Amdocs
- 11.11.1 Billing Suite
- 11.11.2 Salient Features
- 11.12 CGI
- 11.12.1 Billing Solution
- 11.12.2 Salient Features
- 11.13 CSG Systems
- 11.13.1 Strategy
- 11.13.2 Major product/solution
- 11.14 Comverse
- 11.14.1 Billing suite
- 11.15 LHS Communications
- 11.15.1 Strategy
- 11.15.2 Billing suite
- 11.16 Ushacomm
- 11.16.1 Billing suite
- 11.16.2 Salient features
- 11.17 MindCTI
- 11.17.1 Billing suite
- 11.18 Qpass
- 11.18.1 Billing suite
- 11.18.2 Salient features
- Table 11.1: Billing vendors and their customers and geographic penetration
Appendix A Lead Authors Profile
Appendix B About visiongain
Appendix C Report evaluation form
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