Intec launches IMS charging solution

LONDON, UK: Intec, a global provider of business and operations support systems, has announced the availability of its new Intec IMS Charging Solution.

The solution, which has undergone extensive interoperability testing with network equipment manufacturers, is currently being deployed in proof of concept trials by a number of operators.

The Intec IMS Charging Solution, which offers both offline and online charging capabilities, is fully compliant with relevant 3GPP specifications, ensuring best practice in the creation of IMS charging functions for next generation IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) enabled services.

“This is an important innovation from Intec in the field of next generation BSS/OSS,” said Intec chief operating officer, Gary Bunney. “It builds on our experience in supporting IP-based services in some of the world’s largest carriers, using proven technology to provide operators with a low risk, highly scalable solution for the implementation of complex IMS charging requirements.”

IMS offers a standardised architecture for delivering advanced communications services across wireless and wireline networks. The IMS specifications help carriers construct networks that provide subscribers with a variety of communication services common to all access devices. IMS promises new opportunities for cost effective rollout for multimedia services, in an open, standards based framework.

The Intec IMS Charging Solution incorporates both Offline Charging and Online Charging functions as defined by the IMS specification. The Intec Charging Collection Function (Intec CCF) delivers a comprehensive offline charging capability and supports all aspects of IMS service correlation and session/event charging. For Online Charging the Intec Online Charging Solution (Intec OCS) is fully compliant with the relevant IMS specifications relating to real-time authorisation of requests for services as well as full provision of rating (RF) and account balance management (ABMF) functionality. Intec IMS Charging Solution is designed to support the key principles associated with the introduction of IMS, including Access independence; Unified account management; and Cross-transport mobility at both the terminal (roaming) and user (IMS & SIP) level.

By offering integrated Offline (CCF) and Online (OCS) charging functionality the Intec IMS Charging Solution reduces operational costs and enables new revenue opportunities associated with IMS service deployments, from simple VoIP through to sophisticated fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) applications, and onward to encompass full ‘Triple Play’ and ‘Quad Play’ service portfolios.

“Carriers tell us that they are looking for IMS charging capabilities that can easily integrate with their existing BSS/OSS infrastructure and can automate processes at every stage of the service delivery cycle, from service activation through to charging and billing,” added Gary Bunney. “The Intec IMS Charging Solution offers a flexible, secure and robust route to full IMS deployment, including pre-integration with other elements of the Intec OSS/BSS suite such as billing and settlements. The solution provides unique capabilities in relation to product pricing, product bundling, cross-product discounting and subscriber account options, including prepay, postpay, or hybrid accounts. These capabilities allow carriers to maximise revenues and margins for each IMS service launched, while reducing subscriber churn through better service. These features are also completely transparent to the IMS service and transport layers, so standards compliance is maintained.”

The Intec IMS Charging Solution is available immediately.