The next-generation telecom billing systems come from established players and newer vendors. They may be written in C/C++ and offer Java interfaces. They can follow accepted standards for information models and interfaces. They can have databases that are de-coupled from the rating and billing processes from the earliest design stage. Most importantly, next-generation billing systems come from suppliers that are interested in operating primarily as product companies while still leveraging their services expertise.
Sure, many of these "new" attributes were the promise of "next-generation" OSS/BSS solutions back in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. What's different now is that the technology of newer billing systems and the way that the vendors are packaging and pricing their products is starting to come into line with other IT applications, including those sold to companies in other industries.
And, in 2008-2009 we've seen the IT industry return to the idea of delivering their technologies in a subscription format: cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS) and, to a certain extent, business process outsourcing. Along the way, computing and communication have become accepted costs of operations to businesses within virtually all vertical industries. At this intersection of events, the idea of telecom billing is starting to make sense to IT suppliers and partners, as well as their customers in retailing, finance, transportation and other industries.
The key feature of telecom billing that makes it appealing is rating. IT and Internet players have built businesses around flat rate and single transaction relationships with their customers.