Network-Edge Technologies for Enabling Rapid Next-Generation Services

1. Network-Edge Technologies for Enabling Rapid Next-Generation Services Jonjie Sena Director, Product Management 301-721-3121 Jonjie.Sena@acecomm.com

2. Agenda • The Push For Profitability • Network Edge Technologies • Case Study: Sample Services • Summary

3. The Push for Profitability Helping Service Providers Profit in the Next Generation

4. SP: How To Instill Customer Loyalty? Five prerequisites: • Deliver a "branded" experience • Create and shape demand • Harness talent and technology • Translate foresight and insight into marketing productivity • Drive marketing to meet performance objectives Source: Accenture, March 2005

5. More Services! More Services, faster, cheaper… The Dilemma? …more complexity!

6. Network-Edge Technologies An Overview

7. Mediation As We Know It… • Insulate Business Systems from Network (and vice-versa) • Collect, Normalize, Transform, Distribute • Most processing is CDR-based (i.e., after the fact)

8. Redefining the Role of Mediation • Webster’s Definition: “to effect by action as an intermediary” • Especially: intervention between parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or compromise

9. SDP = “Service Mediation” • Convergent Mediation™ SDP mediates the different functions that enable a service • Address operational support issues in parallel • The evolution of Service Control • Traditionally, service control was embedded in network elements • Move to Intelligent Network (IN) solutions • Move to application servers to get away from proprietary & expensive IN approach

10. A Sports Metaphor Traditional Mediation The Service SDP

11. Basic Building Blocks Business Systems Service Logic Service Control Mediation Rating Provision SDP Service Bus SS7 SIP / H.323 IP OSA / Parlay Network

12. Service Delivery Platform: Defined • A framework that enables rapid creation of new services • Service control capabilities to configure and enable services • Includes OSS functionality (mediation, rating, provisioning, balance management, etc.) to support these services • Interfaces to other policy servers to authorize services • Coordinates the business rules for each OSS module • Solution is positioned at the edge of the network • Needs to be able to respond to real-time service events • Area where mediation, provisioning has traditionally resided • Primary benefit • Provides a platform that allows rapid creation of services to address multiple segments and define the SP’s brand.

13. Benefits • Adds more intelligence to services over existing network & OSS infrastructure • Allows services to be offered independent of underlying switch • I.e., can normalize services offered across whole network • Works with prepaid & postpaid • End-User (subscriber) provisioning • Web-based • IVR-based • Guaranteed ROI within Months

14. Case Study: Parent Patrol™ Overview of an SDP-enabled service

15. Parent Patrol™ Service Description • Parent Patrol is an optional service parents can use to restrict mobile phone usage as part of their service bundle. • Restriction can be defined based on • Time of day, day of week • Usage • Specific phone numbers • End-user management via Web & IVR

16. Usage Scenario • Family of 4, with children (John and Mary) • Parents can set up account as follows: • John has 60 weekly minutes, and Mary has 50 • Children can call between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. • No SMS during school hours • Kids can always call the parents, their home number, and Grandma

17. Current Solutions • Today, parents use prepaid plans to restrict usage • Issues • Prepaid plans limit how often the children use the phone, it does not restrict when or who they call. • Limits defined by phone companies, not parents • Management of multiple accounts and phone bills • Does not take advantage of the savings offered by family plans

18. Benefits to the End User • Puts control directly within the parents’ hands. • Restrictions can be defined once, or dynamically changed • Simple management over the web or IVR interface • Single account, single bill • Take advantage of family plans • Controls abuse and costs

19. Benefits to the Service Provider • Parent patrol is an example of brand-building services that help create customer loyalty and reduce churn. • Easy-to-market service • Easy to understood • Not adequately addressed by today’s solutions. • Can be offered to existing subscribers • Enhanced features may attract families to sign up for service • Per-child restrictions may encourage parents to include younger children, providing deeper penetration • Prepaid & Postpaid convergence • May encourage the migration of prepaid users to postpaid plans, typically higher-ARPU customers

20. Integrated Mailbox VM, SMS, FAX Conference / Chat Room Outgoing Call Campaign Prepaid SMS / MMS Call Divert Follow me White lists, black lists VM Wake up, rescue me Customer Service Info Services IVR Automated collect calls Tele-voting, Tele-Survey Radio Station portal “Daily Dose” Quote, joke, horoscope of the day Other Services

21. Summary Take-away points

22. Summary • Mediation has evolved into Service Mediation • Solutions at the network’s edge allow real-time response to next-generation service requirements • An incremental approach to adding services, simultaneously addressing OSS issues, ensure better ROI

23. Thank you! Jonjie.Sena@acecomm.com