Convergent billing system IN@Voice - a solution for telecom business expansion.

YEREVAN, September 21, /ARKA/. Daniil Fedotov, product manager at the Russian software developer Bercut, which has been the technological partner of companies in digital transformation for more than 27 years, speaks about the possibilities and the role of the convergent billing system IN@Voice in creating competitive digital products and operator ecosystems.

The modern world is in constant change, placing more and more new demands on the range of services and quality of digital services. Today, subscribers perceive the operator as a single point of purchase of all kinds of digital services, which requires a high degree of flexibility from the operator. To remain competitive in the market and to increase the profitability of the business, operators must regularly maintain and meet the demand of the end consumers. In other words, the telecom operator must be ready to provide maximum opportunities at a moment's notice, regardless of the circumstances and the subscriber's planned activities.

In one of Accenture company’s telephone surveys, providers of digital products and services shared the opinion that the factors that most often constrain the agility in creating and providing new services are infrastructure constraints, in particular, the capabilities of the billing system.

Sixty percent of respondents said the availability of convergent billing (single billing system for all services provided) was the key condition for the development of telecom business in the highly competitive and volatile market.

Daniil Fedotov:

"The IN@Voice Bercut converged billing system is a comprehensive BSS (Business Support System/Operation Support System) solution. IN@Voice provides service billing, stores subscribers, plan and service information, handles numerous transactions related to billing and invoicing processes, and also assists with mutual billing with partners and service providers. "

Bercut’s partners are the largest integrated providers of digital products and services, serving millions of end users every day. In this regard, the solution is primarily meant for tier 2, tier 1 service providers, which implement their business in triple-play and quad-play concepts. However, the modular architecture of IN@Voice allows one to configure and deliver a unique billing solution tailored to the needs of tier 3 and tier 4 service providers, making it a universal solution for operators of different Tier Classification levels.

IN@Voice integrates into the operator's IT landscape, supports out-of-the-box integrations and contains a set of additional modules. BSSs build an entire vertical of services around the core, which is the billing system.



The Bercut billing system is a high-load scalable solution capable of supporting all kinds of convergent operator offers. Based on IN@Voice, telecom providers segment the subscriber base, select optimal billing  plans and personalized offers for a particular segment, create unique popular services, such as additional bundles of minutes and GB (when the basic package is exhausted), transfer/exchange and sale of unused traffic, group discounts for subscribers and many others.

Tariff -constructor

One of the advantages of the IN@Voice Bercut billing system is the "Tariff-Constructor" feature - the ability to charge for cell phone, broadband Internet access, digital services of the operator and its partners within a single tariff plan.

Daniil Fedotov:

‘Tariff-constructor" allows one to cover the needs of different segments of the target audience and expand the ecosystem of digital products provided to the subscriber based on one tariff plan. The system provides opportunities for configuring various dependencies using artificial intelligence (AI).’

Artificial intelligence aggregates data on subscribers, which is then taken into account when selecting the optimal offer. Based on a number of attributes (gender, age, consumption profile, region of the subscriber's presence, etc.) the operator can form a CJM (customer journey map) and build hypotheses about what actions the subscriber will take in the future.

Examples of AI use:

1. During 6 months, the subscriber used a number of services within his tariff plan. Having analyzed the subscriber's behavior model, the system identified a number of patterns, allowing to conclude that he needs more data traffic and less voice communication. The customer was offered to switch to a rate plan that corresponds to his consumption pattern. The parameters by which the optimal rate offer is determined can be individual. The operator can analyze the subscriber's monthly expenses for communication services, the regularity with which the subscriber tops up his balance, and which services he uses or subscribes to more often.

2. Based on the behavior model of current subscribers, the operator can prepare an offer for a new customer. Based on the same attributes, the billing system analyzes which segment the new subscriber belongs to and selects a tariff plan developed by the operator for this segment.

For example: A new student subscriber who lives in a certain territory. The operator can offer him a set of useful unlimited services, 15 GB of Internet and 300 SMS for the optimal cost, taking into account the average market price for the segment "students".

Daniil Fedotov:

‘The use of artificial intelligence is useful not only in terms of selecting personalized offers, but also for evaluating the overall efficiency of an operator's business processes. AI can be used to segment the subscriber base, forecast revenue, predict churn, and also build the operator's long-term strategy based on these forecasts.’

The architecture of the IN@Voice Bercut convergent billing system includes a convenient web interface for easy service sales and a Business API. The API allows the operator to connect any external application (personal account or mobile application) to the billing system, which simplifies interaction with the subscriber. The possibility to choose and activate operator's services via a user-friendly mobile application will enrich the customer experience and positively influence the subscriber loyalty index. BSS Bercut's own PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function) will ensure quality of service (QoS) management. 

Providing speed and flexibility for the operator

For those who need fast results, BSS/OSS Bercut includes an intelligent platform, which allows for quick deployment of ready telecom products on the operator's network. The possibility of custom modifications of the billing system will provide the operator with additional room for maneuver.

A large number of customization points allows the operator to modify business processes using its own resources, without involving the vendor. Not so long ago, one of Bercut partners spoke in the media about how he used this opportunity:

"Several years ago, the operator offered its subscribers an incredible product at the time of its launch - resource sharing. Both the standard features of the billing system and In-house solutions were used in its development. It had a revolutionary effect on the market. Many wanted to replicate this digital experience - giving subscribers the ability to manage their own minutes/gigabytes/ SMS balance in real time, as well as to create personal content for their tariff plan, but for a long period of time the operator remained the only mobile provider that created such a product."

"This case is not the only example of unique products launched based on the IN@Voice billing system. When we meet with our potential new clients, we are ready to talk in detail about each of them and how developed variations of custom punch-in and open source solutions allow operators to reuse Bercut's developments to create new products and services," comments  Daniil Fedotov, IN@Voice product manager at Bercut.

Look to the future and pre-empt the expectations of the most demanding and advanced subscribers with the convergent billing system IN@Voice Bercut -0-

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14:37 09/21/2022