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 Rapid Delivery of an SMS Prepaid Billing Gateway |
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The Challenge
CLIENT NAME: Undisclosed due to NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement).
Being able to bill subscribers on a realtime basis for prepaid SMS routed by a standalone mBalance TextPass SMS Router (TPR) with no connectivity to the operator's Intelligent Network (IN) billing platform.
Our end customer owns a LogicaCMG (now Acision) Prepaid Service Agent (PSA) that sits between SMSCs and IN billing platforms.
Rather than integrate TPR to multiple IN billing systems, the operator would like to integrate TPR to PSA so as to 'pretend' that TPR is just another SMSCs. Such a task requires understanding both TPR and PSA application interfaces.
Integrating multi-vendor enterprise systems accounts for one of the largest operating costs and time consuming exercises for mobile networks.
The challenge facing our customer is in finding a solution that would facilitate inter-operability between TPR and PSA within a very short space of time.
The Solution
Our client selected PureKernel for its ability to provide a solution that could verify prepaid charge requests and produce accurate data on the attributes of each transaction. Our client was also attracted to our proposed solution's flexibility, scalability and our promise on delivery time scale.
The ability of TPSG to handle growing number of SMS transaction meant it can be relied upon to match any growth in SMS traffic experienced by the mobile operator in future years. Our cost efficient pricing model was also unmistakably a vital reason for our client to select us.
Our client supplied detailed Technical Specification for the systems interface. TPR (external condition) interface on the one hand is defined in ASN.1, whilst PSA on the hand communicates over Prepaid Services Protocol - SMS Application Protocol 5 (PSP-SAP5).
Following initial study and assessment of both interfaces, we produced a design of what the solution might look like. The diagram below provides the call flow for a standard mobile originated SMS charge request between TPR and PSA:
 Our client was pleased with the first conception of the solution, and within a couple of days we signed off high-level designs and functional requirement specifications.
PureKernel signed a contract to develop a unix-based application to be known and function as TPR PSP-SAP5 Gateway. The application was scalable, of distributed architecture, and seamlessly mediate between TPR and PSA. The project included the provision of 6 months warranty to support the client and the capability to implement enhancements.
PureKernel has been able to provide a software application that meets the clients business challenge.
The Benefits
Interoperability between two enterprise grade application.
Greater accuracy when prepaid charging requests.
The Implementation
The client was delighted with PurKernel's speed and efficient implementation of the TPSG software. The new system was up and running within 3 weeks! PureKernel offered the business knowledge, the consultancy expertise and the development capabilities required to understand our client's requirement fully, designed the gateway to match its needs and continue to provide comprehensive support as issues arise.
The Compliments
"PureKernel was incredibly flexible to work with and this project was characterized by teamwork throughout. Since then, whenever we haved asked questions, the response times have been very fair".
"PureKernel consultants have rescued us from over-spending..."
"I would use them again and again for development, testing and integration..." " |
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