Subscriber and Charging

Management

A. K. Singhal
Dy. General Manager (SW IV)
 Popularly Known as

Billing and Customer Care

System
(BCCS)
 Agenda
Some trends in Mobile Communications

BCCS Architecture for Mobile Networks

Functional components of BCCS

Special considerations for mobile communications

in BCCS
 Agenda
Some trends in Mobile Communications
BCCS Architecture for Mobile Networks
Functional components of a Customer Care
and Billing System
Special considerations for mobile
communications in customer care and
billing
 General Trends

Billing & Customer Care is considered to be

THE competitive advantage
Wireless support systems tend to be more
integrated than landline systems
There are many new operators, time to market
is critical
Smaller operator are looking for complete
turnkey solutions (sometimes with outsourcing)
 Service Provider Needs
Lower customer support costs
Improve the quality and responsiveness of
customer care with 24x7 customer care
Log, process, and audit customer requests
Rapidly update and change the customer
interface with Quick deployment
Easily integrate with existing systems
Ensure a secure environment
 B&CCS A convergent
Billing Platform
-An integrated customer care, billing, Fraud
Security & complaint Management platform

-Support billing for Tele, Bearer & Supple.

services, GPRS, WAP, IN services.

-Provides electronic versions of bills to the

customers over the Internet.

- Provides convergent billing, Single window

Support for Multiple Services
Wireline
Data Services
Domestic
Packet-based
International
Usage-based
Virtual Private Networks
Bandwidth-based
Freephone
Leased Lines
Long Distance
Frame Relay
Local Mobile
Internet
AMPS/CDMA/TDMA
Dial-up Access Supported GSM
Dedicated Access
Telephony/Fax Services Paging
Web Hosting Data

Broadband Enhanced Services

CATV Calling Card
Pay-per-view Voice Messaging/FAX
Telephony Video Conferencing
Internet
Objectives & Functions of B&CCS

Collection of CDRs from MSCs

Distribution of CDR to various applications
Provide effective & efficient customer service
Timely and accurately invoicing of Call Details
Discounting schemes to the subscribers
To Support differential tariffing
To Support cross-product discounting
Customer care for service request, bill enquiry
. Invoice calculation, formatting, dispatch

- Provisioning of both pre and post-paid billing

- Number inventory and SIM management

- Accounting of payments & receivables.

- Roaming support and billing in TAP format.

- Flexible & customisable bill presentation

 Agenda
Some trends in Mobile Communications
BCCS Architecture for Mobile Networks
Functional components of a Customer Care
and Billing System
Special considerations for mobile
communications in customer care and
billing
 Components Of B&CCS

Mediation Device

Billing and Customer Care Module

Decision Support System (DSS)

Printing Sub-system
 Complete System Block
Network
Diagram
GPRS/
UMTS Cisco
IT
Systems
Billing &
Rating
Lucent

Mobile Fraud&Call
Siemens Analysis
Billing
Cable Mediation Inter-
Fixed Nortel
X.25 LAN / WAN
IN connect
Alcatel
Service
ATM Activation
Data
Data Ericsson Warehouse

Satellite Other
Other
NEs
NEs
Other
Billing
Internet Mediation

Front End
(MD,
(MD, Tape
Tape Emulators)
Emulators)
Sample Process Flow
Reporting Tool
External
9 Print
12 Vendor
12 11
Billing/Rating Web Based Self Care
6
10

External Payment
Interfaces

8 Order Management

2 Customer Care
3

Usage Network
Mediation Provisioning
1
4
7

5
Mobile Network
 Functions of Mediation Device

Collection
Processing
CDR Sequence number
Time Gap Detection
Scheduling
Monitoring
Distribution
Selection & validation
consolidation
 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT

10 M CDR per day & peak rate of 3 M per

hour.

Support CDR Data format of ASN.I and

ASCII

Support X.25, RS-232, TCP/IP interface

System run on UNIX

Architecture is based on OSI

 Annexure-I
Local Area Network
Billing Location

Router Decision Support System

MSC 1
Central Router
Router Service Provisioning NMS
Server
MSC 2 Network for Customer
Care Terminals
Mediation
Servers
MSC 3
Router

Level 1 Router Customer care Nodes

Billing Server

Up to total of 20 locations

Connectivity Between MSC and Billing Location

 Components of B&CCM

i. Customer Service Module

ii. Order Management Module

iii. Smart Card Handling

iv. Service Provisioning module

v. Billing Module
Functions of Customer Service Module

Account search functionality - to determine

whether the customer is an existing, former or
new customer. It also holds Address, Tel. No., E-
Mail address of the customer.

Payment and Instalments plans: Records

payment information for an account. It must
also accept variety of payment modes and also
shall offer real time credit card verification.

Supports online Invoice Review / Hot billing

Payment Process & Collection: Single payment
can be split into smaller payments. Direct debits
can also be arranged from banks.

Credit notes: History of all payment will be

maintained and termination or reconnection can
be advised by the system.

Customer information Handling: Handles &

maintains Customer Record and the types of
subscriptions.

Complaint Management: Complaints will be

logged with unique ID and will be analysed.
 Annexure-II
Level 2 Router
Client 1

Level 1 Router Level 1 Router

Client 2

B&CCS
Level 2 Router

Client 50
Local Area
Network Level 1 Router
Level 2 Router
Billing Location

50 Clients
Level 1 Router Level 1 Router
Network Management
System

Connectivity for 250 Customer Terminals to Billing System

 Order Management Key
Concepts
Order entry and management
Workflow creation and management
Integration with external processes and sub-
systems
Number inventory
SIM card inventory and Management

34
 SIM Management
Interface to order SIM
cards from manufacturer

SIM inventory status Manufacturer sends

updated when activated list to OM
Support for
SIM

OM maintains Physical cards to

status on all cards sales channels
 Billing System

Following processes are carried out in the

billing system:
i. Real time and batch usage processing.
II. Post-paid threshold and pre-paid billing

iii. Support traffic,rental, roaming charges.

iv. Individual tariffing and special tariff
plans can be supported.
v. Aggregated usage discount.
Functions of the Billing System

Wholesale and Third Party Billing.

Credit limit check.
Interconnect Agreement.
Archiving.
Find a valid but errored CDR.

To correct the error and route it back

into the billing process.
 Contd:-
Support different invoice cycles including
annual, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, weekly
and even daily cycles.
Support GSM-specific roaming rating and
billing features using standard TAP format.
Apply taxes from multiple jurisdictions
(country, state, city etc.).
Support customisable tax structure prevailing in
the country
 Service Provisioning Module
Provisioning of service features by
managing the databases of HLR, AUC
etc.
Creation/ Deletion of Subscribers
Activation/ Deactivation of new
services.
SIM allocation and activation.
Provisioning of Automatic Roaming.
Can be customized to support
various networks of different
 Decision Support System (DSS)

Decision Support System is a software tool, which

addresses the issues like customer satisfaction,
competition, deregulation, convergence, falling
prices, customer loyalty etc.
Objectives of DSS:
To help in analyzing the churn
To help in acquiring the best customer
To keep customers satisfied
Improve the profitability of products & services
Able to accept external data & is Web enabled.
 PRINTING
SUBSYSTEM
Laser Printer on A4 Sheets, Resolution
300 dpi
Operating Environment: TCP/IP, NETBUI,
UNIX, Window 95, 98, NT
Two Colours printing on both sides and
merging of Logos and Signatures.
Support insertion of messages,
Advertisement
Location based Sorting
90 impression per minutes
Inserting Device-
5 sheets per envelope
 End User Customer Needs
Your customers with Internet access can use the
web to:
Register and activate new products and services online
Obtain account status, history, and detailed billing
information
Change their account and service profile
Correspond with customer service
Internet, dial in access, or private networks
24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days/year
 Convergent Packaging
The ordering/billing
system must be able to Convergent
Package
support the offering of
convergent price plans
(and do it simply!)
GSM Internet
For example, GSM Service Service
Data
Service

service with internet

service and data service.
Pricing options must be
supported.
 The Convergent Bill

All Services must appear

Invoice 253451 on a single invoice
GSM Service 17.95
Summary charges vs.
Internet Service 12.95
Paging Service 5.95 Detail charges
Discount -2.95 Special Discounting
Total 33.90
Cross Product Discounting
Detail on page 2 Single Payment or Partial
Payment Application