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Frens Jan Rumph
Profile: I am a researcher, technical consultant and software engineer based in Holland. I have specialized in Charging, Accounting and Billing architectures. From both a technical point of view (IETF, 3GPP, etc) and a business point of view (TM Forum, GBA).
Main interests: Telecom, Charging, Accounting, Billing, Service Orientation, Software Architectures, Software Engineering
Disclaimer: All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only.
I do not make any representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
Furthermore, this is a personal weblog, the opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer.
CDF / CGF: worth your money?
Openet announced on billingworld.com the release of their Charging Gateway based on their Future Works product. It is claimed to be 3GPP standards compliant. To me as a technician this sounds like a 3GPP CGF or a CDF+CGF implementation. My question is: is this worth your money?
Even though their product is probably a great product, but I’m wondering if mediation (because that’s just what it is) is going to exist in the future. Personally I see more in things like the Policy and Charging Control architecture in combination with an Online Charging System. It’s all about the Customer Experience (in which charging and billing play a big role) and Revenue Assurence. To me, old fashioned mediation (based on the CDF/CGF architecture for instance) does not fit in that vision.
Expect the next blog to be on Charging and Billing strategies for the IMS: conservative or progressive 
BTW: I’ve heard vendors talk about ‘Active Mediation’ when they talk about their implementation of the Online Charging Function, but I wouldn’t see that as being mediation. That’s controlling a users session from a charging/billing/crm point of view. That’s a lot more then ‘just’ mediation.
Frens Jan Rumph