flexible & convenient Charging & Billing In One

Transcription

1 flexible & convenient Charging & Billing In One

2 Introduction Ericsson Charging & Billing in One is an end-to-end, real-time revenue management environment for customer management, charging and billing. It gives communication service providers the flexibility they need to deliver multiservice offerings that meet customer expectations of convenience and simplicity rather than being limited by the available technology and payment options. Customers get the choice and control they have been waiting for. They can: >> Select the services or bundles of services they need and how they will be delivered and paid for >> Keep an eye on spending through clear and transparent pricing made possible by real-time alerts and notifications >> Get greater value for money from more promotions, discounts and campaigns advertised on their device >> Receive a single invoice or statement for all services, delivered in a convenient way (electronically, via SMS or traditional paper copy) >> Manage their own account through a simple and intuitive self-service portal. Take, for example, a small business owner with a family of two teenage children. He needs to keep in touch with suppliers, monitor online orders, access street directories while making deliveries, check in on his parents in the countryside and keep control of his kids spending. Charging & Billing in One gives him the choice to keep his private and business bills separate and be notified when his teens accounts are about to run out of credit. And he only has to deal with one bill for the entire household s communication. Clearly, spending control and transparent pricing lead to greater customer comfort and the confidence to consume, leading to increased revenue. But communication service providers also gain: >> The ability to target user segments with tailored products and promotions >> Increased cost efficiency and opex reductions through streamlined processes and a single convergent system for all customers, products and services >> Real-time credit control to prevent credit overruns by users and reduce the risk of acquiring bad debt. With Charging & Billing in One, our customers have been able to focus on their customers, boosting market perception and their ability to roll out new, in-demand services. Ericsson Charging & Billing In One 2

3 Market overview Today s business environment is a highly complex web linking technology, devices, services, third-party providers, partners and, of course, the customer. These customers, however, are not interested in the complexity; they want a simple, consistent experience that they have complete control over, both in terms of usage and cost. At the same time, there is rising competition from new and existing players putting huge pressure on communication service providers to constantly deliver new services while keeping their prices down. Consequently, there are four key areas having a major impact on the industry. >> Delivering a differentiated and personalized user experience >> Adopting new business models >> Keeping up with technology innovation >> Working within tight financial constraints. Customers today are no longer passive receivers of services they are increasingly demanding an experience customized to their lifestyle and daily needs, both business and private. Customers are demanding a much greater level of choice and control, requiring more flexible service packages, real-time access to their account information and a billing mix. At the same time, average revenue per user is falling and subscribers are churning in search of the best offering. Here differentiation through careful packaging of segment-specific offerings is crucial to make the shift from acquisition to retention. Alternative revenue streams from enriched communication services are therefore becoming more important and the communication service providers need to manage new business models, such as partnerships with third parties. Add to this the steady stream of new types of connected devices entering the market. This has a marked impact on fulfillment and billing processes and in many cases a fundamental shift in the underlying network as IMS and LTE are introduced. Cutting costs is always a priority. The trend today is toward eliminating duplication through IT consolidation and process optimization, while investing in ways to take control of revenue to avoid leakage. A cornerstone to meeting these challenges is a flexible business support platform that can keep up with quick change, while being cost effective to run. Openness, modularity, flexibility, consolidation and automation, out-of-the box functionalities, and a smooth migration to all-ip architecture will be key. Ericsson Charging & Billing In One 3

4 Key Benefits New, innovative service & marketing opportunities Choice and control are key to building customer intimacy and therefore loyal and profitable customers. Charging & Billing in One gives you the tools to achieve this. The customer-centric approach and flexible tariff system make it easy to develop unique bundles of services (voice, data, broadband and video), either fixed or mobile, pre-paid or post-paid, and deliver targeted promotions and campaigns. This is supported by alert and notification functions that can push out information to customers letting them know about offerings and savings leading to increased usage and service uptake. Short time-to-market Single view of the customer Our solution offers a single, convergent view of the customer, with a complete view of all customer data for all services. So rather than segmenting offerings, services and customers based on technology and payment options (pre-paid and post-paid), Charging & Billing in One focuses on the customer, delivering convenience and flexibility, while hiding the complexity of the network. He can choose to get a single invoice, delivered as , SMS, traditional paper bill, or multiple invoices allowing, for instance, his business expenses to go directly to his employer. By bringing all relevant customer data together, Charging & Billing in One allows customer care staff to swiftly resolve issues while avoiding endless rounds of questions that alienate customers. At the same time, self-care support gives customers a simple and convenient way of handling their own account, including all products, services, and payment and billing options. Charging & Billing in One has many features that shorten lead time for new services and campaigns. It is a consolidated solution, with a single and consistent way of handling all customers and services, eliminating duplication of product configuration processes. The solution includes a flexible, easily managed and configurable rating engine, making it possible for your own staff to quickly set different tariffs for different customers. You not only gain speed to market, but the ability to target specific customers with more personalized offerings and promotions, resulting in much greater marketing power. An eastern- European communication service provider, for instance, was able to launch a new offering three minutes of paid voice calls, the rest of the hour free in just 24 hours. In another market, an entire month was needed to launch the same service and required consultants to reprogram the system. Ericsson Charging & Billing In One 4

5 Key Benefits (Con t) Reduce credit risk An efficient way to manage credit risk and prevent credit overruns by users is vital for profitable business in a telecom world with many users, services and partners. Allowing spending control is also crucial to today s customer, who wants to know what they are paying for and how much it will cost before committing to buy. Many customers have received huge unexpected phone bills, particularly after roaming in other countries. Such experiences inhibit consumption and contribute to churn. Real-time spending control, combined with real-time information, such as cost and balance notifications, builds trust and leads to greater customer comfort, which encourages greater usage and service uptake. Low total cost of ownership A single convergent system for all customers, services and payment options, streamlines processes leading to substantially opex reductions. At the same time, bringing charging, billing and customer care services together bring about additional capital savings. The combination ensures that new services can be brought to market much more cost effectively. Further cost reductions are achieved through Charging & Billing in One s highly adaptive architecture which reduces integration efforts. It is based on the principles of openness and modularity, and combines a high level of configurability and extensive out-of-the-box functionality. We have developed Charging & Billing in One using leading real-time technology, ensuring real-time functionality end-to-end in a cost efficient way. As it is based on telecom-grade systems the solution ensures the accuracy and reliability that are crucial when it comes to people s money. 5 Ericsson Charging & Billing In One

6 Executive summary We envision a world where everything that can be connected will be. This will create an incredibly intricate web of technology, services, partnerships and customers that all need to be handled effectively if they are to generate revenue. To be ready for this connected world you need to start transforming your business systems now and in the process reap immediate savings. The basis for this transformation is a truly convergent charging and billing solution one that hides the complexity from the customer so they can seamlessly move from one service to another, trying out new experiences as they go, and not be confronted at the end of the month with a pile of bills with unexpected costs. Ericsson s Charging & Billing in One solution makes this possible. It brings together our market-leading products and experience from both the network and billing sides of the equation, combining this with extensive knowledge of pre-paid and post-paid markets. An end-to-end real-time revenue management environment for customer management, charging and billing, the solution covers all subscribers and all services, including the full range of customer, product and order management, real-time rating, discount and promotion handling, balance management, billing, finance and partner settlements. You therefore get the flexibility you need to deliver multi-service offerings that meet customer expectations of convenience and simplicity rather than being limited by the available technology and payment options. And you can do it today, building your customer loyalty and earning ability while preparing for tomorrow s business challenges. Of course, any investment needs to pay for itself. By taking a module approach, using out-of-the-box functionalities, and conducting rigorous verification before your solution is delivered, we avoid costly customizations and the associated ongoing expensive of contacting the vendor for every change. Our research shows a convergent charging and billing solution can lead to total cost of ownership savings of up to 20 percent. In practice, a European communication service provider has been able to launch a new service in just one day, while a Middle Eastern customer reports a 30 percent increase in market share driven by the support for extensive service customization. Ericsson Charging & Billing In One 6

7 Your end-toend partner Introducing a fully convergent charging and billing system will impact every part of your network and business environment. It is a complex task. You are not alone. We have extensive experience in all elements of convergent projects, and can guide you through the entire process, manage a project on your behalf or provide the focused support you need to cover gaps in your in-house competence. By working side-by-side with your staff and with our tailored training services, efficient knowledge transfer and better use of your total solution can be achieved. As the prime integrator, Ericsson takes end-to-end responsibility for introducing Charging & Billing in One into your environment. We focus on delivering a business outcome, and realizing your strategies and opportunities. We will build, integrate and test the solution, ensuring that it is ready for operation. It is also our responsibility to liaise with other suppliers and contractors involved in building the solution. Ericsson s integration service provides a safe and efficient way of building a Charging & Billing in One solution that suits you. We transform your objectives into a solution that is implemented according to your business and technical requirements. We bring extensive knowledge and experience in this field, acquired from integrating hundreds of charging and billing solutions worldwide. We have hands-on experience with charging and billing-related issues from many of our managed services operations, which include a broad spectrum of charging and billing platforms. We know what works and what does not, both from a process and a solution point of view. There is a common roadmap and evolution path for all Charging & Billing in One solution components. This is based on feedback from customers and the market in general, as well as our own experience and vision. Ericsson Charging & Billing In One 7

8 Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 175 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world. Ericsson AB Bahrain Al-Moayyed House Seef District PO Box Manama Kingdom of Bahrain Telephone: Ericsson AB Jordan Fountain Plaza, Sweifieh PO Box Amman Jordan Telephone: +962 (06) Ericsson AB Oman Assrain House Building 65, Al Khuwair PO Box. 1945, PC 112 Ruwi Oman Telephone: Ericsson AB Kuwait Telephone Equipment & Service Behbehani Complex, Sharq City PO Box 5979 Safat Kuwait Telephone: The content of this document is subject to revision without notice due to continued progress in methodology, design and manufacturing. Ericsson shall have no liability for any error or damage of any kind resulting from the use of this document Ericsson AB SE Stockholm, Sweden Telephone: EN/LZT R1A Ericsson AB 2010