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A Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Portal Software, and Cap Gemini Solution
Based on the foundation of the HP/Cisco Internet Usage Platform, the Internet Usage Billing Solution enables Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecommunications service providers to offer new IP services to their enterprise customers. Moreover, it is designed to work with current network and systems infrastructure---allowing ISPs to leverage their existing investments while generating new revenue.
The Internet Usage Billing Solution is an integrated bundle that includes the HP/Cisco Internet Usage Platform, Portal Software's leading billing application Infranet®, system integration services from HP's Professional Services Organization, and billing solution integration services from Cap Gemini Telecom & Media.
The HP/Cisco Internet Usage Platform provides the ability to accurately extract accounting information from an IP environment for use in a variety of valuable business functions such as billing, marketing, and capacity planning. The platform is the result of the seamless integration of Cisco Systems NetFlow technology and HP's Smart Internet Usage.
Cisco NetFlow technology, working at the router, identifies IP packet flows, performs efficient statistics collection, accelerates security filtering, and exports the statistics to downstream collectors---all while maintaining high router performance. NetFlow provides the foundation for sophisticated network billing. Its fine-grained metering enables ISPs to flexibly bill usage by time, traffic volume, application, source, and destination. NetFlow is available today on Cisco 7000 series routers and Catalyst® 5000 series switches and does not require new generations of networking equipment.
HP's Smart Internet Usage (SIU) product is at the core of the Internet Usage Billing Solution. The SIU is the key technology that enables the accurate aggregation, in near-real time, of customer traffic statistics and correlates this data to the critical resources and services used (such as IP services, access services, and systems). This information is summarized in an open and extensible format called the Internet data record (IDR), which billing, marketing, and capacity planning applications can utilize. In the Internet Usage Billing Solution, this information is automatically fed into the integrated Portal Infranet rating and billing application. With this solution, ISPs and telecommunications service providers can more accurately segment, and bill for, value-added services.
Portal Software offers the industry's most scalable and adaptable customer management and billing software for ISPs. Portal's Infranet software, designed specifically for the Internet, offers comprehensive functionality to register, manage, and bill customers. Infranet has been seamlessly integrated into the Internet Usage Billing Solution and is designed to utilize data contained in IDRs. With the data collected from IDRs, Infranet's rating engine gives ISPs the ability to create any type of pricing plan for any type of service.
With Infranet, the Internet Usage Billing Solution can rate any tracked event as it occurs, so that service representatives and customers access current account balances and available credit. Infranet's rating engine supports multiple resource balances and limits such as dollar balances, free hours of usage, megabytes of e-mail stored, or any other ISP defined resource. The single event rating can simultaneously update any or all of these balances.
Infranet's billing and payment system is designed for flexibility. Billing cycles can be any multiple of a month and can begin on any day of the month. Accounts are always accurately closed at the exact billing period ending regardless of how long it takes to run billing. Infranet supports multiple currencies and payment in real time (through an interface to FirstUSA PaymentTech credit card processing) or by invoice.
Infranet's multiple features and "real time, no limits" design make it the perfect complement to Cisco's and HP's technology. For the first time ISPs have an integrated solution that will transform usage data into revenue.
With hundreds of customer care and billing projects to its credit worldwide, Cap Gemini Telecom & Media excels in the implementation of rating and billing engines for the telecommunications and Internet markets. As a systems integrator for this solution, Cap Gemini is uniquely suited to help Internet service providers move away from flat-rate billing to usage-based billing systems.
Teaming with Cap Gemini Telecom & Media enables ISPs and telecommunications service providers to leverage their IT investments to create customer value. Cap Gemini will work directly with ISPs and telecommunications service providers to fully utilize the capabilities of the Internet Usage Billing Solution and provide customized integration with legacy systems.
With the Internet Usage Billing Solution ISPs can now:
This solution is immediately available as a controlled release for major account customers. Full release is expected in the June/July time frame.
Contact Vikash Varma, Business Development Manager, Internet Infrastructure Operation at: (408) 447-3866
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Posted: Thu Oct 7 14:19:01 PDT 1999
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