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Sigma Releases Two New Products
Sigma Systems launched Release 3.2 of its broadband IP service management solutions. The release contains industry best practices for OSS service management and relevant order management, service authorization, resource management, provisioning/activation and self-care of HSD/ISP, VoIP and digital video services. These solutions may be deployed for network technologies including DOCSIS, PacketCable, DSL, FTTx, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and two-way satellite.
Release 3.2 offers 16 preconfigured solutions that support more than 70 pre-built network, application and device-related systems. The third generation of Sigma’s solutions have been deployed, or are planned for deployment, at Charter, TELUS, Echostar, Suddenlink, Cable One, Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications, TV Cabo and Jupiter Communications—@Net Home Japan.
In other news, Sigma recently launched its Commercial Voice Service Package. The product is an OSS service management solution for provisioning and can maintain hosted commercial voice services on both TDM and IP networks. The product allows for optimizing and automating operational processes for voice services. It can create new bundles of commercial services, including hosted voice, voice mail, unified messaging, and Centrex and IP-Centrex call features. In terms of fulfillment, the underlying service management platform is designed to shorten order intervals, reduce order fallout and resolve problems quickly. It is currently in deployment at three major service providers in North America.
InfoVista and Wipro Expand Partnership
InfoVista has expanded its partnership with Wipro Technologies to include support for Carrier Ethernet implementations. InfoVista will combine its performance management and service-centric reporting with OSS and BSS environments. Wipro and InfoVista will develop collaborative solutions targeted at service providers.
The VistaInsight performance management solution enables service providers to adopt new OSS business models for delivering differentiated IP connectivity, between any kinds of devices, with managed services or triple play offerings. The solution also provides capacity planning, guaranteeing the uptime of business services.
Swisscom Mobile Deploys RateIntegration and Sicap
RateIntegration and Sicap announced that Swisscom Mobile has gone live with the companies’ joint offering for prepaid revenue assurance. The product has been deployed as an online system for repricing network calls and data sessions. It provides revenue assurance on all prepaid services for Swisscom Mobile’s 1.6 million prepaid subscribers and will also address revenue assurance for new business requirements related to pricing models, call scenarios and data services.
TEOCO Targets the Cable Industry
TEOCO announced that it has tailored its cost management and revenue assurance products for the cable industry. The offering will include expense processing from invoice receipt through auditing, claim management and resolution. The product is designed to aid cable providers in reducing costs, improving efficiency and achieving regulatory compliance. In addition, TEOCO will provide its robust business intelligence and analytics solutions, which address issues such as customer and product profitability, margin management and network optimization. Also being offered is the company’s wholesale usage auditing capability, which allows cable companies to load all invoice data from their wireless and wireline partners to perform in-depth auditing and high-speed queries to identify billing anomalies. TEOCO offers this solution in terabyte increments.
CSG Systems Launches Retail Kiosks
CSG Systems announced that its CSG Care Express product is now available as an integrated, full-service retail kiosk solution for its cable and satellite customers. The solution virtually eliminates manual processes carried out by CSRs at walk-in locations and should reduce routine calls to the call center.
“The product addresses unbanked customer segments. In various U.S. cities, the lines to pay a bill in person were so long that it was having a negative impact on customer care for some of our customers,” said the company. “It made no sense for people to wait an hour in line in pay a bill. In addition, operators will reduce operational costs.”
The kiosk will enable consumers to access statement summaries, make payments via credit card, debit card, checks and cash, as well as order new services, manage bundles and configure personal preferences and services.
Survey Reveals Opportunities for Cable and Satellite
CSG Systems recently announced the results of its business-to-business survey, designed to uncover the factors that would encourage business technology decision makers to purchase voice, video and Internet service from their cable or satellite provider rather than traditional providers. The most important factors in selecting a service provider were network reliability and the ability to provide responsive technical support and customer care. Among the key study findings:
- Voice over IP and wireless phone services are expected to overtake landline service growth in the next two years.
- Distance learning and other video services are also expected to increase over the next two years, with large businesses predicting nearly a 40 percent increase.
- Cable operators and Internet service providers deliver Internet access to nearly equal percentages of business customers.
- Medium-sized businesses are the least likely segment to continue receiving video, voice and data service from their current provider, whether the phone company or a cable provider.
- The three most important factors that businesses consider when selecting a communications service provider are reliable network, responsive technical support and responsive customer care.
- Businesses perceive that cable providers may be weak in features, reliability or security, compared with traditional phone and Internet providers.
- Overall awareness of the fact that cable companies can support business services is high, although many companies have yet to try the service. Top reasons for not trying business voice, data and video services included price and the perceived risk to the business, in terms of the cost and complexity of switching from the incumbent provider.
Through industry research firm Frost & Sullivan, CSG conducted interviews with 103 senior-level business decision makers in the United States responsible for purchasing and selecting telecommunication services for small (fewer than 10 employees), medium (10-250) and large (more than 250) organizations.
Dominique Schmid Appointed as CEO of Sicap
Sicap, a provider of service delivery platforms and payment services, recently announced Dominique Schmid as its new CEO. He was formerly in charge of third-party business for Swisscom Mobile, where he was responsible for establishing and expanding the mobile multimedia and entertainment product portfolio. Schmid has been a member of the supervisory board for Sicap, a subsidiary of Swisscom Mobile, since 2001. He succeeds Hans Theler, who has decided to leave the company after holding the position of CEO for seven years.
Vertex Reports Jump in Sales Tax Rate Changes
According to the 2006 Sales Tax Rate Report, an annual study by Vertex, the average number of U.S. sales tax rate changes per year has grown by 28 percent since the late 1990s. Based on a comparison of the number of state, county, city and district sales tax rate changes, the study reveals that the average number of rate changes per year was 610 from 1995 to 2000, versus 779 rate changes from 2001 to 2006.
“As the economy was flush with money in the late ’90s, there is a recognized decrease in the number of tax rate changes from 1995-2000,” says John Minassian, Vertex vice president of tax content development. “However, ever since predictions of an economic bubble burst came to fruition in 2000, we have seen a severe increase in the number of rate changes, likely the result of local, city, county and state needs to increase revenue and balance budgets.”
Adoption of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project, which changes the taxable point of sale from where goods are sold (origin) to where they are delivered (destination), might have contributed to the sales tax rate fluctuation during 2003, when Vertex reported a record total of 954 rate changes. However, it remains to be seen how much participation in the project has directly influenced the yearly increase in the total number of rate changes at the local, county and city levels, or if it will remain an anomaly.
The report also revealed that the average U.S. sales tax rate hit a historical high in 2006 at 8.579 percent, up from 8.549 percent in 2005.
Blyk Selects MetraTech
Blyk, a European mobile operator targeting the teen market with free mobile service subsidized by advertising, will use MetraNet—MetraTech’s billing, customer self-care and partner management platform—to implement its business model. Blyk also has entered into an agreement with IT company TietoEnator, which will provide Blyk with an end-to-end BSS solution based on the MetraNet platform.
SS8 Networks and Martin Group Partner
SS8 Networks and Martin Group have partnered to provide a facilities-based third-party service to enable service providers to meet CALEA mandates. Under the terms of the agreement, Martin Group will use the Xcipio lawful intercept solution from SS8 Networks. The service will conduct the intercepts, provide intercepted information to law enforcement agencies, assist with filing compliance reports and regularly test the installed solution.
VoIP and broadband communications providers must be CALEA-compliant by May 14. In order to simplify and reduce the cost of compliance, some service providers are outsourcing these requirements to third-party organizations to conduct the intercept and secure the information. Companies found noncompliant can be fined up to $10,000 per day with the potential of additional FCC fines.
CC Communications Selects CommSoft
CommSoft recently announced that CC Communications has implemented its CABS product for carrier access billing revenue in an effort to streamline and improve the carrier billing process. CC Communications will replace its in-house solution, which has become hard to maintain with obsolescent hardware and components. “A large amount of time and effort was being expended each month just to produce the bills,” said the company. CC Communications is a full-service telecom provider in Nevada.
Fastweb Expands Relationship with Amdocs
Fastweb, Italy’s second-largest fixed telecommunications services provider, has expanded its relationship with Cramer, Amdocs OSS Division. Fastweb is using Cramer’s OSS solutions to manage the integrity of network data in order to increase network planning abilities. Italian systems integrator One Ans/Italtel Group implemented the solution. Fastweb has deployed additional products within Amdocs’ Cramer OSS Suite, including Discovery Engine and Sync Engine. Fastweb’s all-IP network provides triple play services in more than 130 Italian cities.
BPL Mobile Communications Selects Comverse
India-based BPL Mobile recently selected Comverse’s real-time billing solution to manage its growing subscriber base. The product is designed to enable BPL to provide a broad set of new subscriber services using real-time rating, subscriber management and billing for content capabilities. BPL intends to introduce competitive prepaid offers and real-time usage-based promotions, bonuses and discounts. BPL serves more than 1 million subscribers in the market of Mumbai.
Comments and feedback welcome, please email Jill Morgan at jmorgan@billingworld.com.
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