Undoubtedly, one of the most important elements of a prepaid service provider’s infrastructure is the Real Time Rating Engine (RTRE), pronounced “Are-Tree.”  It’s the controller for translating a business model and service policies into actual services, and monetizing those services.

There’s currently a lot of RTRE innovation being considered and integrated into IP Service Delivery Platforms, driven by two factors.  The first is economic; in this maturing market, it’s more important than ever to maximize revenues with a rating engine that lets the prepaid service provider fine-tune various charges and policies.  The second driver is regulatory; the right RTRE can help the prepaid service provider to actively avoid potential regulatory interventions, and defend against charges of non-compliance with published rates.  Given the increased scrutiny now being given to announced, advertised and delivered minutes, the RTRE can help protect revenues and support business practices.

To set the stage, there are three primary types of prepaid service charges: announced, unannounced and unreserved.  Announced charges include the announced call duration, disconnect time and post call billing.  Unannounced charges are those that are not included within the framework of the announced call duration, but are included in cut off timer and billing... for example, these might include connection charges, regional variation charges, etc.  Unreserved charges are those that aren’t part of either the call’s duration or cut off, but are part of the prepaid service provider’s business model, and so are included in billing.  The RTRE allows the prepaid service provider to individually define, rate and manage all of these.

Let’s see how an RTRE can help the prepaid service provider to shape call-related fees.



What A Real Time Rating Engine Does

The real time rating engine serves several key functions:

1.    Call Authorization: The RTRE determines whether to allow a call based on the parameters of the call (e.g. origination number/ANI, destination number, etc.).  If authorized, the RTRE will calculate the announced call duration (for announcement via IVR to the user) and calculate the allowed call duration (which will be used by the call control engine to determine when to force a disconnect due to balance exhaust). 

2.    Call Rating: The RTRE determines the cost of a call, based on the parameters of the call and the call duration. 

3.    Call Billing: The RTRE debits the PIN/account for the call amount and writes the CDR (Call Detail Record) information to document the debit.  Prepaid service providers will also use the CDR to analyze their service usage to identify trends and maintain profitability.

 

It’s worth remembering that the RTRE is distinct from the Call Control Engine (CCE), which is responsible for managing VoIP/TDM interfaces.  The CCE and RTRE work together in a prepaid service provider’s network to deliver services. 



What Your Engine Should Also Do

In addition to controlling the announced call duration, delivered call duration, and billed amount, a real time rating engine should let the service provider create their own service parameters and tailor these to their own markets.  Tom Regan, Manager of Sales Engineering here at Pactolus, offered a few examples of the kind of ongoing feature flexibility and adaptability that a good RTRE can and should allow:

•    Allow Easy, Quick, and Continuous Self-Customizing of Services Rates:  A good real time rating engine allows YOU to easily specify and insert new rating logic, without negotiating for, paying for and then waiting for a vendor’s software upgrade.  For example, this allows you to set and adjust rates for Intra-LATA vs. Inter-LATA calls.

•    Share Access Numbers Across Multiple Service Products: With this feature, different PIN numbers can use the same access number, but provide completely separate rate plans, allowing the service provider to economically and efficiently support several different service products, collapsing their costs.  The goal is service diversity, with network simplicity.

•    Set Flexible Rates: Based on varying factors such as time of day, day of week, etc.

•    Establish Usage Policies and Billing Sequence Rates:  For example, supporting a 3 cents per minute rate if all minutes are used on a single call, but allow for the prepaid service provider to specify an escalating or premium rate if purchased minutes are consumed over the course of multiple subsequent calls.

•    Control Parameters: Control whether each parameter in the call rate is treated as Announced, Unannounced, or Unreserved. 

•    ANI-based Charges: Take into account the costs of individual origination points.  For example, a subscriber purchasing and using their card in Cleveland may travel to a more expensive origination point – say, for example, the further reaches of British Columbia or Alaska.  Calls originating from more expensive origination points would be charged appropriately.

•    Other Origination Charges: such as different fees for use of 800 and pay phone-based origination than from a local access number, in order to appropriately compensate the prepaid service provider for their incremental costs.

•    Destination Charges: If a call is placed to an expensive locale or foreign country, it’s, of course, more expensive than a call to an adjoining city, and the subscriber is charged appropriately.

•    Enable Rates Based on Access Numbers for a Single PIN/Product:  This gives the prepaid service provider the ability to aggressively promote and market services, for example, by introducing a new service with a promotional rate for calls originating in a new region, while maintaining their regular rates in their established markets. 



These are just a few of the service flexibility factors that are defined and driven by the real time rating engine.  They’re well worth considering as you choose and migrate to a SIP-based IP service delivery platform.  Some other factors – such as the market-proven reliability of the underlying SIP implementation - are of course equally important as you define and grow your business. 

Choose carefully, and then - as the announcer says - start your engines!



Ken Osowski is the VP of Marketing & Product Management at Pactolus Communications Software. He can be reached at keno@pactolus.com.