Keep looking at billing at micro-economic levels (I sell, you buy) and you'll indeed see a simple transaction.
If you look at billing from a macro-economic level (we trade. I buy from you and sell to you at the same time) and you'll see that billing is far from being simple and far from being flat-rate.
Billing in a macro-economy is broken down to multiple steps:
1. Take usage records and apply rates, discounts, service credits etc.
2. Invoicing other party and receiving an invoice from other party.
3. Comparing the received invoice to own records. Identify disputes (if any).
4. Resolve disputes if found = Reconciliation. Agree on final amount. Book the revenue (which is far more important to the CFO than the amount of cash in the bank).
5. (optional) Agree on netting of invoices against each other, including reconciliation. Agree on final amount to be transferred between parties.
6. Settlement of amount using an agreed upon payment method.
This is far from being a "sorry state" or a "pure aggregator". This is a complex task that has an immense effect on bottom line. In a trade (=wholesale) world it takes up to 3 months of work, primarily manual, from invoicing to settlement.
Several PoCs have proven ability to shorten that to minutes, using AI and Blockchain.
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Shahar Steiff
PCCW Global
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Original Message:
Sent: Feb 07, 2020 01:45
From: Ramanujam GS
Subject: Open Source Telecom Billing System
The Sorry state of Billing platform , is Billing has become a pure agreegator , most of the rating ,discounts,unit credits are done during rating ,
this is mostly nearly on-line or a gap of 1-2 hours ,for many cases Billing has become flat rate , Packages are designed in such a manner wherein Billing Functionality or strength is almost lost .
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Ramanujam GS
Wipro Technologies
Original Message:
Sent: Feb 06, 2020 03:51
From: Lalit Kandi
Subject: Open Source Telecom Billing System
Information looking more relevant to open source billing which can be helpful for Tier 1 CSPs. Mainly Tier 1 CSPs may not like to go for billing product with Intellectual Proprietary or Licencing with good amount of cost. Technically there should be any constraint but functionally like to accommodate more things which can fulfill billing needs.
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Lalit Kandi
Tech Mahindra Limited
Original Message:
Sent: Feb 06, 2020 02:22
From: Shahar Steiff
Subject: Open Source Telecom Billing System
Hear! Hear!
Finally a voice of reason!
Certain People still fail to understand that technology is there to support business, not the other way around. And when it comes to business certain people are still locked in a micro-economy world where a supplier sells to a consumer. Building a billing platform, and a business-case in general, based on such principles - ends up in silos: Technological silos, operational silos and business silos.
Digital maturity, as long as it is limited to the confines of a single entity, yields silos.
Being digitally mature means being able to interact with other entities in a macro-economy where every entity is both a buyer and a seller.
Once we understand this principle and look at billing as a bilateral activity (invoicing each other, reconciling with each other, netting the differences between each other, settlement with each other on the remaining amount) we'll soon figure out that the source of the code, be it open or proprietary, makes very little difference.
Shahar Steiff
AVP New Technology @ PCCW Global
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Shahar Steiff
PCCW Global
Original Message:
Sent: Feb 06, 2020 01:57
From: Cato Rasmussen
Subject: Open Source Telecom Billing System
Hi Lalit,
Firstly I would say that billing systems or any other systems for that matter should not be evaluated based on technology, whether open-source, vendor built or custom made. Secondly, the digital maturity model seems to be made by engineers for engineers trying to think of business, sorry.
The technological evolution, systems, and solutions, in total, go beyond being administrative to also being able to DO business. This is gross!Secondly, the communications technology has developed to the point that very little autonomy is left, and is now all about eco.
Hence, systems and solutions, including billing, cannot and should not be viewed as an internal issue only. Specifications that traditionally are based on Business Architectural principles. (Identify the functions, Understand the tasks, design processes ...etc.), will not crack it on a business level. Specifying systems have to be done with an eco-system in mind, and the business capabilities needed to thrive in the eco-system.
Business Capabilities:
- Transactional revenue and recurring revenue for any product and service
- Being able to collect revenue before all cost occur
- How easy is it for a customer to leave
- Business Model support
- Time and cost of introducing new products and services
- How open are the systems to have others participating in new products and services development?
Open source or Vendor based Billing, the jury is out. I would say that the mindset of current IT- and billing teams are a bigger challenge to overcome. As such, maybe open source can add value in that a larger community exchange ideas. AND IT IS ALL ABOUT NEW IDEAS, NOT WHAT IS TRADITIONAL.
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Cato Rasmussen
Independent
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 28, 2020 23:09
From: Lalit Kandi
Subject: Open Source Telecom Billing System
Which are the Open Source Telecom Billing systems we have. How it these will help in Digital Maturity?
Specification of some such systems which can be recommended to CSP may be for some functions.
#CustomerExperience
#OpenDigitalArchitecture
#TMForumGeneral
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Lalit Kandi
Tech Mahindra Limited
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