Billing Mediation Platform
Encyclopedia
A billing mediation platform is a system used to convert data of certain datatypes to other datatypes, usually for billing purposes. Billing Mediation Platforms are used mostly by telephone companies
, who typically need to process UDRs (Usage Detail Records). In call scenarios UDRs are most often known as CDRs (Call Detail Record
s), and among broadband carriers
they are often referred to as IPDR
.
The CDR/UDR datatypes could hold data such as NPX,NPA,Call Duration,peak time flag,call length and this data may be represented in binary formats. The billing mediation platform typically reads this data and converts into common normalized format.
Billing Systems and all other downstream systems, in turn, converts this data to component[its own] understandable format.
Billing mediation platforms get their name from their behavior: they "mediate" between a variety of other systems. In the typical telephone company scenario, the upstream systems (those providing data to the mediation platform) are network elements, such as telephone switches
, and the downstream systems (those receiving data from the mediation platform) perform accounting, auditing, archiving, or bill-generation functions. The mediation system collects, collates and prepares data for consumption by the downstream systems, which often accept data only in a limited set of formats.
Typically a mediation platform is used for the following tasks:
In a telecom billing scenario, mediation is the first step after receiving a CDR. The mediated CDR is forwarded to a rating engine, which calculates the charge associated with the CDRs.In today's world Rating Engines
are more becoming necessary for the telecom billing system to meet the growing variant customer needs for different services.
Despite the name, not all of the data transferred via billing mediation platforms is actually used for billing purposes. For instance, the mediation software might generate traffic volume statistics based on the number and origin of the records passing through it. Those statistics could then be used for capacity planning, as part of a network monitoring procedure, or for any other business intelligence applications.
Sophisticated Billing Mediation software from various providers serves end to end functionality for Telecom Operators. Mediation software performs various operation from Collection to Downstream Distribution to modules like Retail Billing, Interconnect Settlement
, Business intelligence
, Fraud Detection
, Revenue Assurance
, Test Call Generation
. Following list of activities provides an insight on Mediation software activities
Complementary to Billing Mediation functions, comprehensive mediation platforms also provide functionality dedicated to Service Provisioning (the two areas frequently intermix as services configured and used by the end customer result in usage data records generation in the network).
Mediating between the systems is not the only job that Mediation Platform can do. Actually this can be used as a provisioning agent. The basic provisioning commands can be configured within the mediation system and whenever we get a request for the system which does the provisioning, the request can be converted into a file , in which mediation can append the service provisioning commands and send it to HLR for activating any request. This of course , load dependent but can come very handy when there is a crisis in the other system.
At core Mediation involves data transfer between various systems with or without modification of data starting Network elements to OSS/BSS
systems.
Mediation platforms for Telecom Practice supports various systems:
Telecom operators offer Voice, video, data, fax and internet services to subscribers and partners on various product lines.Mediation products are tuned to provide solutions for complex business challenges.
Some suppliers of Billing Mediation solutions are following:
Telephone company
A telephone company is a service provider of telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many were at one time nationalized or state-regulated monopolies...
, who typically need to process UDRs (Usage Detail Records). In call scenarios UDRs are most often known as CDRs (Call Detail Record
Call detail record
A call detail record , also known as call data record, is a data record produced by a telephone exchange or other telecommunications equipment documenting the details of a phone call that passed through the facility or device...
s), and among broadband carriers
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
they are often referred to as IPDR
IPDR
In telecommunications, an IP Detail Record provides information about Internet Protocol -based service usage and other activities that can be used by Operational Support Systems and Business Support Systems...
.
The CDR/UDR datatypes could hold data such as NPX,NPA,Call Duration,peak time flag,call length and this data may be represented in binary formats. The billing mediation platform typically reads this data and converts into common normalized format.
Billing Systems and all other downstream systems, in turn, converts this data to component[its own] understandable format.
Billing mediation platforms get their name from their behavior: they "mediate" between a variety of other systems. In the typical telephone company scenario, the upstream systems (those providing data to the mediation platform) are network elements, such as telephone switches
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
, and the downstream systems (those receiving data from the mediation platform) perform accounting, auditing, archiving, or bill-generation functions. The mediation system collects, collates and prepares data for consumption by the downstream systems, which often accept data only in a limited set of formats.
Typically a mediation platform is used for the following tasks:
- Collection and validation of CDRs
- Filtering out of non billing-relevant CDRs
- Collating
- Correlation of different input sources CDRs
- Aggregation of partial CDRs related to the same call
- Format change and CDRs normalization
- Business transformation of data
In a telecom billing scenario, mediation is the first step after receiving a CDR. The mediated CDR is forwarded to a rating engine, which calculates the charge associated with the CDRs.In today's world Rating Engines
Telecommunications rating
In telecommunications rating is the activity of determining the cost of a particular call. The rating process involves converting call-related data into a monetary-equivalent value....
are more becoming necessary for the telecom billing system to meet the growing variant customer needs for different services.
Despite the name, not all of the data transferred via billing mediation platforms is actually used for billing purposes. For instance, the mediation software might generate traffic volume statistics based on the number and origin of the records passing through it. Those statistics could then be used for capacity planning, as part of a network monitoring procedure, or for any other business intelligence applications.
Sophisticated Billing Mediation software from various providers serves end to end functionality for Telecom Operators. Mediation software performs various operation from Collection to Downstream Distribution to modules like Retail Billing, Interconnect Settlement
Interconnect agreement
An interconnect agreement is a business contract between telecommunications organizations for the purpose of interconnecting their networks and exchanging telecommunications traffic...
, Business intelligence
Business intelligence
Business intelligence mainly refers to computer-based techniques used in identifying, extracting, and analyzing business data, such as sales revenue by products and/or departments, or by associated costs and incomes....
, Fraud Detection
Phone fraud
Whether in the form of the consumer attempting to defraud the telephone company, the telephone company attempting to defraud the consumer, or a third party attempting to defraud either of them, fraud has been a part of the telephone system almost from the beginning....
, Revenue Assurance
Revenue assurance
Revenue assurance is a niche business activity most commonly undertaken within businesses that provide telecommunication services.The activity is the use of data quality and process improvement methods that improve profits, revenues and cash flows without influencing demand...
, Test Call Generation
Test call generator
Test call generators are revenue assurance solutions that replicate events on a telecoms network to identify potential revenue leakage and to help achieve regulatory compliance...
. Following list of activities provides an insight on Mediation software activities
- Collection and Archive
- Decoding/Encoding
- CDR Normalization (Common Format)
- Filtering
- Conversion
- Validation
- Record Enrichment (Using Complex Reference Data)
- Duplicate Record Detection
- Aggregation or Correlation
- Buffering
- Cloning
- Sorting
- Downstream Format Mapping
- Header and Trailer generation
- Downstream Distribution
- Error Messaging and Alarms
- Auditing and Reports
- Reconciliation
- Reference Data Configuration
- Provisioning services for the subscription.
Complementary to Billing Mediation functions, comprehensive mediation platforms also provide functionality dedicated to Service Provisioning (the two areas frequently intermix as services configured and used by the end customer result in usage data records generation in the network).
Mediating between the systems is not the only job that Mediation Platform can do. Actually this can be used as a provisioning agent. The basic provisioning commands can be configured within the mediation system and whenever we get a request for the system which does the provisioning, the request can be converted into a file , in which mediation can append the service provisioning commands and send it to HLR for activating any request. This of course , load dependent but can come very handy when there is a crisis in the other system.
At core Mediation involves data transfer between various systems with or without modification of data starting Network elements to OSS/BSS
Operations support system
Operations support systems are computer systems used by telecommunications service providers. The term OSS most frequently describes "network systems" dealing with the telecom network itself, supporting processes such as maintaining network inventory, provisioning services, configuring network...
systems.
Mediation platforms for Telecom Practice supports various systems:
- Retail Billing
- Wholesale Billing - National and International
- Network Traffic Management
- Data WarehousingData warehouseIn computing, a data warehouse is a database used for reporting and analysis. The data stored in the warehouse is uploaded from the operational systems. The data may pass through an operational data store for additional operations before it is used in the DW for reporting.A data warehouse...
- Reconciliation system
- Fraud ManagementPhone fraudWhether in the form of the consumer attempting to defraud the telephone company, the telephone company attempting to defraud the consumer, or a third party attempting to defraud either of them, fraud has been a part of the telephone system almost from the beginning....
- Provisioning Feed to Sub-systems
Telecom operators offer Voice, video, data, fax and internet services to subscribers and partners on various product lines.Mediation products are tuned to provide solutions for complex business challenges.
Some suppliers of Billing Mediation solutions are following:
- AlepoAlepoAlepo is a privately held software company with corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1994, Alepo designs, develops, and supplies enabling infrastructure for telecommunications service providers in the United States and internationally...
- AMDOCSAmdocsAmdocs Limited is a provider of software and services for billing, customer relationship management , operations support systems...
- BassetBassetBasset , also known as barbacole and hocca, is a gambling card game that was considered one of the most polite...
- ComarchComarchComarch is an international software house and systems integrator based in Kraków, Poland. Comarch provides services in areas such as Telecommunications, Finance and Banking, the Services Sector and to Public Administration...
- ComptelComptelComptel Corporation is an international software company specialising in telecommunications. Comptel was founded in Helsinki, Finland in 1986, the trade register entry was made on 30th June. Initially company was a system development and IT subsidiary of Helsinki Telephone...
- Comverse
- DigitalRouteDigitalRouteDigitalRoute is a provider of embedded and standalone mediation and data integration software. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. DigitalRoute has offices in Malaysia, Singapore and the US....
- EricssonEricssonEricsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
- EtisalatEtisalatEmirates Telecommunications Corporation, branded trade name Etisalat is a UAE based telecommunications services provider, currently operating in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa...
-Technologia - HP
- Intec Telecom Systems
- LogiSense
- OpenetOpenetOpenet is a multinational company that provides service optimization software to communication and media service providers worldwide, enabling them to control, monetize and increase visibility into the usage of services and network resources...
- OracleOracle CorporationOracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
- RedkneeRedkneeRedknee Solutions Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada and is a global provider of OSS/BSS software products solutions and services to the telecommunications industry. Redknee’s solutions enable communications service providers to rate, charge, bill and manage voice and data services...
- SicapSicapSICAP - International Symposium "Research and Applications in Psychology" is an annual symposium organized by the Faculty of Psychology of the Tibiscus University of Timisoara, Romania....
- SunTec Business Solutions
- Ventraq