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Cash In with the Next Wave of Policy Control Solutions: Smart Monetization for Today’s Market Dynamics

By every measurement, mobile data traffic is booming, offering communication service providers (CSPs) unrivalled revenue opportunities.

Cashing in, however, on this promising opportunity is not an easy task for CSPs. They face an extremely dynamic business environment characterized by new over-the-top players, new consumption patterns, and growing demand for qualitative data service.

Concluding that current flat-rate data models only accelerate data commoditization, CSPs seek to maximize broadband data monetization through introduction of personalized value-based offerings. From smart data caps and personalized usage/ roaming control to targeted data promotions, capitalizing on the mobile broadband revenue opportunity calls for a dynamic and agile approach that fits evolving market needs.

First-Generation Policy Control Solutions: GAME OVER

To introduce smart monetization policies, CSPs must orchestrate a daunting range of network and IT elements such as PCRF, PCEF and BSS. “FirstGen” policy control solutions are GGSN session- and network-focused; they are unable to support advanced business and monetization scenarios.

Moreover, implementation of even the simplest monetization scenario under the existing PCC framework (R9) often raises major integration challenges. One example of this is the need to run multiple proprietary integration projects between PCRF and different PCEF elements (such as DPI and Proxy services), as these were not defined to date by the 3GPP standard.

Given the above, most CSPs find interoperability with multi-vendor network infrastructure to be the prime obstacle in deploying policy solutions1. Complex and costly integration projects, along with lack of dynamic support for business and marketing requirements, drive CSPs to look for next-generation policy control solutions.

Win the Profit Battle: Prerequisites for an Effective Monetization Solution

Winning the data profit battle requires CSPs to show value – both to their mobile subscribers and to over-the-top players. This requires swift introduction and continuous adaptation of smart monetization plans and promotions.

An effective policy control solution must be flexible and agile – addressing the evolving market and business requirements while also ensuring quick implementation times and low TCO.

Comverse Data Management and Monetization: Accelerate Profitability and Market Innovation

Comverse Mobile Internet Data Management and Monetization is a unique PCRF-compliant (Release 11 readiness) business policy engine solution providing out-of-the-box support for a wide range of monetization scenarios. This is enabled by the following attributes:

• Comprehensive Business Policy Engine: Featuring a business- and subscriber-oriented policy creation environment; facilitating swift plan definition and flexible plan changes. Using the Business Policy Engine, CSPs can escape of the narrow “networking focused” realm, defining diverse “business focused” policies rapidly – in a matter of minutes.
• Broad & Modular PCRF-PCEF Framework: Leveraging its strong network assets, the Comverse Policy Control solution provides CSPs with extensive policy control over a wide and complete range of enforcement elements, such as GGSN, DPI (future standard support) and Layer 7 Proxy services (beyond standard). This allows CSPs to overcome interoperability barriers, defining and enforcing multiple beyond-standard business scenarios in a dynamic and cost-effective manner.
• End-to-End PCRF/PCEF and BSS Framework: Optional integration with Comverse ONE Billing & Active Customer Management solution provides CSPs with the utmost flexibility to define hybrid network- and subscriber- aware policy decisions. Shared data model fosters agility and eliminates integration complexity.
• Extendable, Future-Proof Solution: Real-time configurative policy system, enabling addition of new policy rules, enforcement elements and policy inputs in a structural manner.

Comverse’s Data Management and Monetization Solution provides CSPs with the complete toolset for winning the data profitability battle: accelerating monetization and nurturing marketing innovation, while minimizing integration, interoperability and CAPEX barriers.

^[1] Policy Server Deployment Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey; Infonetics; October 2010