In the rapidly evolving mobile marketplace, operators must distinguish themselves by offering a wealth of innovative services while maintaining a consistent user experience across all services offered. Expanding into 4G, broadband, and IMS technologies and services, both fixed and mobile, can greatly increase revenue and market share and simultaneously boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. The transition to next generation networks should not sacrifice or jeopardize the existing infrastructure, but rather extend the functionality of the existing infrastructure to support new technologies through seamless and cost-effective integration.
At the core of Alepo's "Replace Nothing" methodology is a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and a set of Convergence Gateways, which allows various NGN nodes to appear as pre-release 8 (and other legacy) core Network Elements to the existing OSS and BSS systems. This allows operator to launch NGN services with minimal risk, rapid deployment time, and no need to train employees on new front office IT systems.
An added benefit, Alepo's standards-built, LTE-ready core network elements ease the transition to LTE, whether the operator is eager to launch immediately or is making preparations to launch in future years.
A fully convergent platform, achieved by an integrated, adjunct solution from Alepo, offers substantial benefits to an incumbent mobile operator. With greater flexibility in designing offers and business plans, operators can attract new customer and boost revenue by cross-selling and bundling services. Customers achieve a ubiquitous experience across all services and devices, flexible payment options such as holding a single balance for all services, using one voucher to top up multiple services or transferring funds from a mobile voice account to pay for broadband usage.
- Integration with Legacy Systems extends the functionality of existing IN and back office systems to support NGN services while avoiding costly or risky changes to the core network. Retaining components such as CRM interfaces, voucher management and balance management systems reduces overhead, waste and costs associated with training agents and administrators on new systems.
- Built on SOA Architecture with open interfaces, Alepo's scalable, future-ready platform supports new technologies and growth without costly upgrades or replacements to core network. Alepo's modular design allows operators to choose specific Alepo modules and elements as needed to best suit the operators' unique business plans and protect their investments.
- Unified Voucher Management enables customers to use a single voucher to pay for multiple services. By extending the existing prepaid mobile voucher system to support new services, operators eliminate the distribution and marketing costs of introducing a new, separate voucher for data services.
- Unified Identity Management allows operators to manage customer identities for all services offered in a centralized place. User profiles for data, fixed voice, and mobile phone are all stored on the Alepo system and linked to a single account.
- Real-Time Session Management is handled by Alepo's PCRF and/or AAA Server, including ending prepaid sessions and postpaid credit limit sessions at the moment they expire (across multiple services) and downgrading overactive users.
- Compliance to Industry Standards includes 3GPP, 3GPP2, OMA, WiMAX Forum and IMS standards, as well as security standards such as Sarbanes-Oxley.
- Automated Activation is made possible with Alepo's OMA DM Server, with support for Over-the-Air provisioning, in combination with Alepo's Self Activation portal or a third-party subscriber portal. When a customer turns on a new device, the device will be provisioned to the network automatically, and the customer will be redirected to a captive portal to complete the registration process.
- End-to-End Device Management, performed by Alepo's OMA DM Server, includes support for Over-the-Air (OTA) provisioning and firmware updates (FOTA), creating an automated and intuitive activation process. A hands-off, automated customer experience increases customer satisfaction while reducing the operational costs and burden on customer support centers.
- Device Pairing allows customers to pair NGN devices to a mobile voice account during the activation process, making it possible to hold a single balance, transfer funds and use a mobile account as payment to top up data usage.
- Web Self Care, Alepo's web-based subscriber portal, empowers customers to manage their accounts independently online, with the ability to purchase and bundle services, pair a data device with a mobile account, set or override postpaid credit limits, top up and pay invoices and more. Operators or customers may also elect to enable automatic usage alerts (for example, user is at 80% of usage capacity) to help avoid bill shock and increase customer satisfaction.
