Telecommunications plays a crucial role in today’s world. BYTE has developed a world class solution called Convergent Tariff System (CTS) designed to satisfy telecommunications’ constantly changing needs. Telecommunications grows constantly and dynamically, requiring solutions that can flexibly adapt to changes.

The Convergent Tariff System (CTS) is a solution designed to handle multiple products, allowing corporate executives to manage their businesses using timely information, to count on decision-making tools and operate with high levels of client service. The Convergent Tariff System (CTS) has been successfully installed in different countries, with a functionality responding to specific needs of businesses and adapted to the characteristics of Latin American markets.

The need for product diversification and the opening of new markets are critical success factors of telecommunications companies. Any integrated management system must facilitate these key factors. Companies must also be proactive and flexible in responding to their clients’ needs.

Because of its high flexibility, the Convergent Tariff System (CTS) has become a competitive advantage for each of the companies that uses i. Flexibility comes from the dynamic incorporation of functions, defined according to parameters and using different modules, depending on the type of business. The Convergent Tariff System (CTS) makes it possible to design and market new products and services in a short time.

CTS has low property ownership costs. One of the greatest advantages that users have discovered in it is that it provides a solution that covers the main administrative business areas and counts on a supplier having a successful track record of project implementation. This, at only a fraction of the cost of combining independent applications that require great integration efforts. The STC provides a simple architecture that allows it to grow according to the company’s growth. It has also been designed and developed using breakthrough technology.

Summarizing, CTS provides the benefit of having a reliable and long-term business partner such as Byte, who continues to innovate the information technology business. With CTS our clients can compete against other world class telecommunications companies in different business areas, at a very low cost.

CTS is a billing and client service system having the following features:

• Multi-product support
• Convergence
• Flexible module configuration
• High-quality client service module that allows a single view of the client
• Flexible rating system
• Flexible billing properties
• Online transaction processing
• Fully-integrated solution
• Open solution architecture based on the industry’s standards
• Proven solution as a critical mission application

COMPONENTS

The Convergent Tariff System uses component architecture. This design allows full integration among the different components thus becoming a solution that can be adapted to specific requirements of each client. A fully-integrated solution that provides support to different business areas has two important advantages:  not needing to duplicate information records and always counting on online information.

The main components of its architecture are:

Commercial Management

The Commercial Management component of the CTS allows it to respond to changes required by companies. One of the main configuration objects supported is the dynamic definition of products and services. By means of this definition the CTS allows companies to support different and innovating products, such as fixed telephones, mobile telephones, data, internet, and the different combinations of services associated with each product.

The system provides flexibility of product behavior, for example, a powerful tool used to define commercial plans. These are a competitive advantage that CTS users benefit from in creating promotions that allow them significant increases in the number of clients.

Client Service Management

A client service tool is key for telecommunications companies. The client service component of the CTS has been designed to allow companies to have a centralized view of the client and to drill down on the client’s information to product and subscriber level.

This concept of a single central contact point together with our experience in different markets has allowed us to provide a complete client service subsystem that meets the required changing functionality of telecommunications companies. 

Additionally, the component provides wide functionality regarding management of claims and complaints. A definition of standard service time is provided for claim follow-up as well as the capacity to upgrade it. For companies that provide equipment to their clients we include a Technical Service Module to keep track of maintenance of this equipment.

Collection

Collection is another important need of telecommunications companies. Quick collection is also a critical success factor. This is why the Convergent Tariff System comes with a module that allows detailed follow-up of collection by client, integrating debt by product, subscriber, or even document level. The subsystem includes a set of powerful tools that allow telecommunications companies to manage financing plans. 

Tariff Assignment

One of the greatest flexibility-related advantages of the CTS is the tariff component. It counts on wide parameters the user may configure to create a consumption plan. Additionally, it comes with many options to configure discounts associated to consumption. Consumption is rated according to records of use of the service. The complete tariff process is performed online and functions of credit and consumption limit control are possible.

Billing

The billing component of the Convergent Tariff System (CTS) version 5.0 supports multiple billing cycles. This allows different billing periods for clients, plus the additional benefit of planning income along the month.

The component supports multiple services that may be consolidated in a single bill or may be billed individually, however the client requests it. Additionally, the billing procedure has been designed so that it will not interrupt the company’s operation in doing so. It is a simple procedure that allows the user administrator to configure new steps or sub-processes. 

Interconnecting

Interconnecting capabilities are an important source of income for telecommunications companies. For this reason, the Convergent Tariff System provides a complete component that meets the steps required to keep detailed track of each agreement, as well as of transactions with each operator. It is a powerful tool in controlling charges other operators make. It is a tool that manages call conciliations.

Resource Management

The Resource Management component provides inventory control services of forms and equipment inventories. It also provides integrated follow-up of stock of each of the articles defined, even by warehouse. Pre-packing support of components is available as a new product. The sub-system is also capable of handling pre-programming of equipment.

Automatic Service Orders

The Automatic Service Orders component of the Convergent Tariff System (CTS) is the tool in charge of linking the system with the different network elements it may be related to. Because of the diversity of network elements, configurations, or communication protocols, the sub-system has been developed in such a way that the administrating user may configure the commands and the type of sessions that will be performed in each of the different network elements.

External plant

The External Plant component is in charge of supporting products requiring physical infrastructure in order to reach the user. This component comes with flexible configuration capability for the different types of network of each product. It also keeps track of orders and of equipment related to each order.