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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.
BIMS 2008 World BSS Awards
The BIMS 2008 World BSS Awards were announced Tuesday 10th of June, and are as follows:
Overall – Best Contribution to BSS
2008: LHS
2007: Amdocs & Orga Systems
2006: LHS
Judges’ Award: ‘Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty’
2008: Nawras
2007: BSNL
Innovation In Billing & Information Management
2008: Highdeal
2007: Progress Software
2006: Highdeal
Best Billing / Charging Implementation
2008: NTT DoCoMo
2007: Vodafone UK /Flexphone
2006: BT Mobile / Martin Dawes Systems
Best Content / Partner Management Implementation
2008: No nominations carried forward
2007: Interia PDTM / Comarch
2006: MTN South Africa and Echostar / MetraTech (Co-Winners)
Best e/m-Commerce / Payments / Collections Implementation
2008: Maxis/paybox & Garanti Bank
Best Revenue Assurance / Management Project
2008: BT / cVidya
2007: BT
2006: Allround/Magyar Telekom
Best Customer Management / Business Intelligence / Marketing Project
2008: No nominations carried forward
2007: Mobilink
2006 -Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications
This years Judges:
Anil Prakash – President, Telecom Users Group of India
Barbara Lancaster – President, LTC International
Chris Sanders – Partner, Business Change Partners
Hugh Roberts (Chair) – Consultant Director, BSS/OSS RM Events, IIR Telecoms &
Senior Strategist – Patni Telecoms Consulting
Olga Botero – CIO, Bancolombia
Peter Smith – Director of Information Technology, Hong Kong CSL
Teresa Cottam – Principal Telecoms Analyst, Analysys
Frens Jan Rumph
Customer Billing Satisfaction Linked to Churn
An article on billingworld.com was published yesterday, by Khali Henderson:
As always: Customer is King! These results are again an indication that Charging and Billing present opportunities for improvement.
Customer Billing Satisfaction Linked to Churn, TM Forum Study Shows
Customer satisfaction with telecom billing systems, especially for mobile services, is a key to customer loss rates, according to the results of the latest TM Forum Business Benchmarking study, released this week at Management World 2008 World in Nice, France.
The telco benchmarking data show a large gap between the top and average billing inquiry rates among service providers. Average performers logged 16.21 percent of inquiries as billing-related while leading companies reported billing inquiries at 1 percent of all inquiries. Significantly, good performers in this area show lower customer loss rates with less effective performers showing high loss rates.
“Since the largest cause of customer services calls for mobile subscribers is for billing- related issues, investments in streamlined billing plans and multiple-play plans can generate a good rate of return,” the report noted.
The study, “Building on Success: Investment Opportunities in Changing Times,” was produced for TM Forum by OSS Observer and included input from more than 40 communications service providers from Central and Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, North and Latin America. The poll has been conducted each spring and fall over the past three years.
The TM Forum Business Benchmarking results show a widening gap between communications service providers with the best and the worst churn rates. In fourth quarter 2005, the providers with the worst churn rates (2.81 percent) had nearly three times the churn as providers with the best churn rates (.94 percent). In second quarter 2007, providers with the worst rates (3.7 percent) had 5.5 times the churn as those with the best rates (.67 percent).
“To retain and acquire customers [communications service providers] must continue to pursue improvements in operations: service delivery and customer management,” the report added.
Benchmarking data show leading service providers deliver orders in seven days or less 99 percent of the time and need to rework those orders less than 10 percent of the time. Further, the investment in processes leads to an average resolution by leaders in less than one hour.
“Clearly customer satisfaction, and therefore the revenue opportunities for additional services, is related to this high level of performance at service delivery. Investment in mature process development at the onset of service offerings is much less expensive than fixing a process once fielded,” the report stated.
In the Zone at MetraTech
Billingworld.com has interviewed Doug Zone, CTO of MetraTech at the Billing & OSS World Conference & Expo. ‘It’s about enabling innovative business models’.
Always to hear something from the guys at MetraTech. Lets give traditional billing systems a run for their money. I have had the chance to work with their product MetraNet for some time, prototyping a multi-partner Electronic Multimedia Mall. The concept unfortunatly has never seen the light, but it would have been an interesting enabling platform for the telecom/media industry. Oh well, at least the guys at MetraTech are brying some dynamicity into the billing world!
Link: Interview at billingworld.com
Frens Jan Rumph
B/OSS Names Billing & OSS 2008 Excellence Award Winners
Eight winners of the Billing & OSS World 2008 Excellence Awards were named Wednesday night. The awards recognize the leaders — vendors, service providers and integrators — in the development and deployment of billing and OSS technologies and solutions.
The Billing & OSS World 2008 Excellence Award winners named Wednesday night at the Billing & OSS World Expo were:
Best OSS Transformation:
1# Sprint Nextel Network Resource Management Phase
2# Nakina Systems Deployment Common Element Management System Tier 1 Environment
Best Service Assurance Solution:
1# Telcordia Service Management Suite
2# Integrated Broadband Services BBX 4.4 and I-Focus
Best Service Fulfillment Solution:
1# Telcordia Fulfillment Suite
2# Subex Syndesis Subscriber-Centric Fulfillment Solution
Best Customer Loyalty Program:
1# OSG Billing Digital Phone Conversion Campaign for Inland Cellular
2# -
Best Customer Care Solution:
1# CSG Systems ACSR with Order Workflow
2# Canada Post/Rogers eBill Solution
Best Revenue Management Solution:
1# Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management (a.k.a. Portal Infranet)
2# Highdeal Transactive
Best Billing Solution:
1# Tech Mahindra Integration of the LHS BSCS iX with the Ericsson Charging System
2# Comverse Real-Time Billing Solution
Best New Product:
1# Oracle Communication and Mobility Server
2# VPI Systems OnePlan
Nominations were open to participating exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and attendees of this week’s Billing & OSS World 2008 Conference & Expo in Chicago. After receiving more than 90 submissions, the winners were selected by an independent panel. Billing & OSS World Group Publisher Mike Saxby and Editor In Chief Tim McElligott presented the awards.
Billing & OSS World 2008 Excellence Award finalists were selected by an independent judging panel, including Ian Scales, independent OSS/BSS journalist and analyst; Jeffrey Cotrupe, CEO, MarketPOWER LLC; Shira Levine, senior research analyst, OSS and billing, IDC; Sheryl Kingstone, director, enterprise research-customer centric strategies, Yankee Group; Ed Shanahan, partner, Excelerate Partners Inc.; Paul Hughes, vice president, enabling technologies, Yankee Group; Dan Baker, research director, OSS/BSS KnowledgeBase, Dittberner Associates Inc.; Susan McNeice, senior analyst, Stratecast; and members of the Billing & OSS World editorial team.
Link: billingworld.com announcement
Frens Jan Rumph
Orga Systems Convergence Program announced
Orga Systems, a vendor of convergent real-time billing products, has announced the launch of the Orga Systems Convergence Program, described by company officials as a “one-stop shop” for telecom billing and CRM processes.
It comprises a product portfolio by Orga Systems and selected partners, offering what the Organians call “an end-to-end product,” with “professional services for consulting, product design and software integration” included in the package.
“With our one-stop-shop product we offer telecommunication providers the possibility of covering all areas of the billing chain with us as a central partner,” said Rainer Neumann, CEO, Orga Systems GmbH.
“Pre-integrated for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is Selligent’s product,” Orga officials say, adding that “all requirements of bill handling are covered by Group 1 Software. Business Objects takes care of the reporting requirements. WeDo technologies complements the concept in regards to TAP roaming, and Basset Labs completes the product package with interconnect billing. Additional partners will follow soon.”
A couple weeks ago Orga Systems chose CRM specialist Selligent as a preferred partner for its product portfolio. By expanding its flagship billing system OPSC Gold with a fully-fledged CRM product, Orga Systems hopes to approach telecom operators with an integrated offer covering marketing, sales, billing and customer service needs.
Selligent X@ CRM suite will be integrated into OPSC Gold to cover billing and CRM. Basically, it looks like this partnership agreement is a way for Orga Systems to become a one-stop shop vendor for telecom operators.OPSC Gold allows convergent prepaid and postpaid charging. With this product, operators can launch pricing plans with flexible payment options while maintaining real-time credit control.In the CRM business for over 15 years, Selligent has developed IT and communication products. Selligent emphasizes “rapid implementation” and “high level of user adoption” when pitching its CRM system. “Telecom operators need to maintain first-class relationships with their customers, provide optimal service quality, quickly respond to all customer enquiries and launch marketing campaigns in a very short time in order to achieve a competitive advantage and to guarantee high customer satisfaction,” says André Lejeune, CEO of Selligent.
Frens