The intersection between OTT applications and carrier IPX is quickly growing, creating an immediate need for both sides to monetise their investments, write Vic Bozzo and Lisa Tovar
Today, voice has become an application much like SMS, video and data. With so many retail services relying on wholesale infrastructure, to manage millions of routing and billing permutations, the adoption and automation of billing, charging and settlements between carriers will ensure efficiency, accuracy and security in any carrier’s operations.
OTT‘s need the QoS and local reach and communications service providers (CSPs) need to be compensated appropriately for their investments. This requires automation, API support and seamless integration at all levels to provide the efficiency that the market demands. Even seemingly free services, monetising their offerings through advertising, many times need to pay for the inbound and offnet and to do so the systems must be consistent, dynamic and standardised.
A proper billing system with true automation of billing and settlements allows any provider to implement the catch-all strategies they choose, without fear of the back office not being able to catch up. This creates a consistency and comfort that with the right system in place revenue will always be properly billed and settled. This metaphorical sentry watches over the network ensuring only proper data gets to downstream systems and is transmitted out. This all occurs while simultaneously allowing any network provider or application provider to synchronise with its partner in the back office. It prevents revenue leakage, disputes and most importantly alerts the CSP to possible fraud conditions. These systems then alleviate the risk of telecoms expenses the CSP incurs but cannot charge for or, in the case the OTT is the CSP’s customer, that cannot be monetised.
Telarix’s iXLink provides a secure, reliable business-tobusiness information exchange platform that enables all CSPs regardless of size or level of automation to quickly and efficiently access and share business documents among their trading partners. iXLink enables CSPs and OTTs to share billing and rating information and even trade in a standardised neutral way, enabling an efficient and mutually beneficial partnership. Utilising iXLink, CSPs and OTTs through automation are able to capture bill and settle more accurately and quickly creating a positive partnership. iXLink’s automated population into the OSS/BSS environment of iXTools allows a mutually beneficial partnership between OTTs and CSPs and enables the implementation of new strategies to monetise networks and to take advantage of new technologies as they arise. As the complexity grows but more importantly, the opportunity expands, it is increasingly important for both the CSPs and OTTs to be in a position to capture, bill and settle revenue not just with one another but with the wholesale community at large.
