Price: $1,599.00
Course Number: 2205
Length: 2 Days
In a telecommunications network environment, various Network Elements like telephone switches encode and store accounting data, known as Call Detail Records (CDRs), in different formats. The mediation Platforms collect this data, converts it into a normalized output format, and then distributes it to third-party applications such as billing, traffic analysis, fraud management systems etc.
These platform enable service providers to tie in multiple types of network elements into a homogenous architecture. It can handle multiple switches with wide variety of network interface options. It is scalable, open, flexible and highly manageable and is available as a simple low-cost platform to high-end high-availability clustering platform.
This course is the guide to telecommunications billing mediation. The outline encompasses the entire billing mediation processes end-to-end, with major focus on the interfaces with OSSs, BSS, network management, and CRM.
Who Should Attend
Designed for technical professionals, non technical , operations, sales and marketing telecom professionals. Those new to billing from telecom, IT, finance, audit...in user and vendor communities Those billing professionals who need an update and refresher on developments in the billing processfor IP, and Wireless Marketing, sales and sales support from billing systems vendors, integrators and consultants
Outline
Executive Summary- Telemanagement Concerns and Headaches Increasing Network Complexity
- Introduction of New Technologies
- Inaccurate Cost Tracking and Revenue Leakage
- Performance Issues
- Anxiety about the Future
- Convergence of Telephony and IT
- Approaches to Telemanagement
- Inventory and Technology Management
- Carrier Bill Reconciliation
- Usage Tracking and Monitoring
- Reimbursable Billing
- Automation
- Why Mediation is Essential for Today's Operator
- Operational and Economic Advantages of Mediation Platforms
- Speed and Timeliness
- Data Integrity and Traceability
- New Ways of Exploiting Data
- Open Modular and Scalable Architecture
- Types of Mediation Related Applications
- Rating and Billing
- Interconnect Accounting
- Subscriber Management
- Fraud Management
- Decision Support Systems
- Number Portability Network Management and Quality of Service Assurance
- Definition and Scope of Mediation
- Types of Mediation Solution
- Standalone Mediation Systems
- Mediation as Part of a Network Management Platform
- Mediation in Changing Environments
- Mediation in Changing Technological Environments
- Mediation in Changing Service Environments
- Features of Mediation-based Revenue Assurance
- Data Validation
- Data Repair
- Inter-carrier Accounting
- Profiling and Credit Limit Checks
- Performance Management
- Revenue Assurance Case Studies
- Scope of mediation in telco CCB systems
- Distribution logic from mediation system
- Mediation platform technology
- Large amount data management (scalability of systems)
- Key Performance Indicators for Mediation
- Separation of functions between Mediation and Billing systems
- Impact of mediation on CCB system architectures
- Intelligent Information Management
- The Changing Role of Mediation)
- Transmission issues (protocols and security)
- Billing Mediation for Voice Service and Data
- Role of Switch
- Call Record Collection
- Buffering
- Call Record Validation
- Data Transformation
- Auditing and Reporting
- Mediation for Service Provisioning
- Billing Mediation for Packet Based Service
- Validation & In-Stream Record Correction
- Data Reduction (Filtering & Aggregation)
- Transformation/Normalization
- Record Creation (Usage Record Cloning)
- Record Enrichment (Using Complex Reference Data)
- Automatic Reference Data Loading from external sources including real-time data base updates via CORBA
- Integration with external Customer Databases
- Complex Correlation (Long Duration Calls, GSM, GPRS and IP events)
- Distribution (to one or more destinations)
- Duplicate Data Detection (down to individual events)
- Errored Record Processing
- Real-Time Rating Module
- User Level System Security
- Data Integrity and Audit Capabilities
- Error Messaging and Alarming
- User Friendly GUI Interface
- Context Sensitive Help
- Roaming Manager
- Content Manager
- Automatic and on-demand collection of CDR files or records from different types of NEs and other Mediation systems
- Interfaces
- Protocols
- Switches
- Schedules
- Polling or pushing
- Time-driven or event-driven
- Manually initiated by the operator
Mediation and event processing
- Defining the range of measured network events - voice; page/SMS; data streams, etc.
- Explaining the key information required for each measured option
- Coordinating network changes with billing
- Audit procedures that ensure successful network changes Identifying the different possible sources of usage data
- Examining the size and complexity of common CDR data structures
- Tracing the mediation process for different types or traffic
- Acquiring the usage data: the call data collection process
- Profile matching
- Pattern recognition
- Making a common logical record format
- Auditing the mediation process
- Highlighting the limitations of the current billing mediation process
- Format conversion (CDR normalization)
- Filtering
- Validation
- Rejection/selection
- Aggregation
- Merging
- Other custom post processing
- Real time CDR file forwarding to Billing and other downstream Systems
- Multiple networks
- Multiple file transfer protocols
- Support for encryption
- User friendly GUI front end Java Client to connect and configure TeleMedia from anywhere on the Internet
- Remote Address Management
- SNMP
- SNMP extension agent
- Alarm generation/Viewer
- E-mail on errors
- 6 Security
- Login requirement
- Multiple Access types
- Extensive Context Sensitive Help
- User Guide
- Logging/Reports
- Backup
- System Requirements
- Performance
- Interoperability
- Mediation Systems in CCB Architectures
- Usage Mediation
- Service Provisioning Mediation
- Management Layer
- Mediation in a PTT/ILEC Operator Architecture
- Mediation in a Mobile Operator Architecture
- Example of Mediation in a Cable Operator Architectures
- Impact of New Services on Future CCB Architectures
- Mobile Data Service
- IP Mediation
- Issues in Selection and Implementation of a Mediation Platform
- The Case For and Against System Purchase
- What to Look for in a Mediation System
- Quantifying the True Costs and Benefits of Implementation
- Quality Issues
- Quantifying the Costs and Benefits of a Mediation System
- Essential Services Provided by Suppliers
- Pre-installation Services
- Post Installation Help
- Future Developments in Billing-Related Technologies
- IP Service Billing
- Convergence Billing
- New Network Service Architectures
- Advanced Intelligent Networks (AIN)
- Wireless Intelligent Networks
- Third Generation Mobile Service
- Mobile Roaming: Data Message Handler
- An Overview of Mediation Platforms and Products
- Examining a generic framework of a mediation platform architecture
- Identifying the interfaces to other billing processes
- Identifying key mediation suppliers and vendors
- Comparing current mediation software products
- Multi-service mediation systems
- Examining different mediation implementation strategies
- Outsourcing vs in-house solutions
- Selecting a mediation system
- Identifying the requirements for the mediation system
- Pre-paid
- Legacy systems
- KEY SUPPLIERS AND PRODUCTS
- SUPPLIERS OF MEDIATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATED WITH BILLING
- VENDORS OF IP DATA COLLECTION TECHNOLOGY
- Should I buy a mediation system or rely on my billing system to do the job?
- What systems are available that would fit the needs of my company?
- What can I expect to pay for a mediation system?
- What is the future for mediation?
- Is there a future for outsourced mediation services?
- Understanding Relationship between Mediation With Other Network Processes
- Examining the interfaces between the mediation platform and the network management, service management, customer care and decision support systems
- Coping With The Additional Challenges of IP Mediation
- How is mediation for IP different from mediation for voice traffic?
- Identifying the challenges
- Lack of standards
- Coping with dynamic IP addresses
- Usage (volume) based billing for IP services
- Collecting IP billing information (IPDRs) from routers and servers
- Examining the hardware and software requirements for IP mediation
- How will new software and equipment integrate with your legacy mediation platform?
- Upgrading Your Mediation Processes To Enable Real Time Billing
- Understanding why and when real time billing may be required
- Hot billing and fraud management
- What added requirements will real time billing place on your mediation system?
- Rapid data consolidation
- Real time mediation
- Determining which billing data you should process in real time and which you should not
- Future Developments in Wireless Billing Mediation
- Forecasting future mediation needs How does the increasing complexity of services impact the mediation process?
- Billing for content
- Examining the mediation challenges associated with IP
- Fully convergent mediation platform