Telcordia Tackles Shifting Wireless Needs

By Tara Seals

Telcordia Technologies Inc. has added the Advanced Rater functionality to its Intelligent Service Control Point (ISCP) prepaid back-office system, including the ability to set up billing almost on the fly for new services like mobile games; offer customer rewards such as two-for-one ringtone downloads; support special promotions such as holiday calling offers; and enable multiple people within a family to access a shared account. A first customer is Virgin Mobile USA LLC.

Wireless carriers find themselves with a need to create service packages and pricing quickly to move with a rapidly evolving market, where the use of IP-based applications and mobile data is growing. In addition, the plans need to be more personalized and customized than ever before, in order to hang onto customers, increase customer satisfaction and gain a competitive edge to drive incremental revenue. Real-time charging is a key component for carriers to customize prepaid service packages to compete more effectively and appeal to a broader customer base.

Telcordia is positioning itself as an enabler in this milieu with the new capabilities within the ISCP System, which locates all service creation, management and routing intelligence on one ISCP platform, rather than on a switch. Using it, carriers can offer transaction-based services and give consumers flexibility and choice in payment offerings.

Flexibility is increasingly important to wireless carriers who must offer and support various pricing offers and seemingly infinite combinations of services, says Scott Erickson, group president for Wireless, Cable and Emerging Markets at Telcordia. Telcordias unmatched innovation and technical strength provides customers with the competitive edge required to anticipate customers needs and ensure quick and accurate accounting for the services they use. This level of sophistication is essential to advancing the transformation of network operations and to meet the demands of todays wireless industry.

Virgin Mobile USA, an MVNO offering pay-as-you-go service by reselling the T-Mobile USA network, is the first customer to use Advanced Rater, adding it to its existing Telcordia ISCP System. The upgraded system is one of the technologies that enabled the service provider to roll out its new Day2Day service offering.

Our customers are savvy young consumers whose mobile phones are an essential part of their lifestyle, says Mike Parks, CIO at Virgin Mobile USA. However they use their handsets, its essential that we deliver each service quickly, reliably and cost-effectively. Telcordias Advanced Rater assists us in offering special promotions that encourages our customers to try new services, keeping Virgin Mobile users engaged and active.