aBILLity - Billing Platform

Power, flexibility and control

BILLity

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ABILLITY: THE ULTIMATE IN COMMS BILLINGAt Union Street we are dedicated to the support of the

UK Communication Provider (CP) community. Since

Union Street’s inception in 1998, we have strived

continually to develop and deliver the most innovative

and reliable billing and provisioning solutions, coupled

with backup training and consultancy services to match.

As a result, our flagship product aBILLity is firmly

established as the UK’s most popular billing engine.

Developed after many man-years of research into the

telecommunications billing arena, aBILLity offers you

so much more than simply billing, it provides you with

a complete solution. As the UK market leader, aBILLity

continually sets the benchmark for telecoms billing.

With aBILLity at its core, we have developed a suite

of applications to provide you with a total solution

for billing, realtime analysis, fraud prevention, WLR3

integration and interfaces for accounts and CRM

packages. The aBILLity application suite provides you

with the complete answer to the billing challenge.

aBILLity is a Windows driven platform utilising the

speed and scalability of Microsoft SQL Server. It is

intuitive and easy to use for the non IT specialist. Using

aBILLity for your customer line provisioning and call

billing provides total peace of mind.

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aBILLity offers an outstanding range of features and functions:

IMPORTING AND RATINGaBILLity enables you to maximise your customers’

potential by allowing you to provide multiple services

from multiple carriers, for example Voice, Data, Mobile

and IP. A powerful data processing engine allows

aBILLity to import, fault verify and rate CDRs at a rate

of over 20,000,000 per hour using standard hardware,

which is much faster than most of its rivals.

� Complete support for all types of mobile billing,

GPRS billing (pence per MB)

� Extension billing (where available from the carrier)

� Free/inclusive minute plans

� Complete support for BT Openreach/Wholesale

billing including re-rating of BT fixed charges

� Extension level analysis

� Affinity group billing

The speed and flexibility of the aBILLity platform saves you

valuable time, leading to faster bill runs for improved cash

flow!

The speed and flexibility of the aBILLity platform saves you valuable time, leading to faster bill runs for improved cash flow!

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CARRIER RECONCILIATION AND REVENUE ASSURANCEA Carrier Watch feature allows you to check your buy rates against an

agreed tariff and automatically flag up specific over-charged calls. It will

then produce a credit claim form to be e-mailed back to the carrier.

aBILLity provides a complete reconciliation system to compare carrier

fixed charge files with the charges actually billed. New charges are easily

identified and added, ensuring that all revenue is billed.

The Sales Check and Fixed Check modules enable you to interrogate all

aspects of revenue and corresponding margin, by company, by carrier, by

destination and so on.

A powerful ‘What If’ rate modelling tool allows you to create new tariffs

and see what effect they have on margin and profitability.

Full management reporting is available within the package, providing you

with a complete understanding of your revenues and margin.

aBILLity helps you to capture potentially lost revenue, maximise profit margins

and ensure that your costs are controlled!

FRAUD MANAGEMENTFraud is becoming a major problem for CPs. The unprotected nature of

the open architecture used by many modern PBX systems means it has

become easy for criminals and so called ‘phreakers’ to hack systems and

plant dialler malware to bypass LCR systems for connection to premium

rate numbers.

The LineGuard option is designed to not only detect, but also to stop

fraudulent activity and is an additional module for the aBILLity platform.

The LineGuard module uses a sophisticated algorithm to detect unusual

calling patterns in a customer billing account.

LineGuard is innovative because it not only detects fraudulent patterns of

behaviour, it automatically prevents further losses by acting in real-time to

bar fraudulent activity using WLR3.

Using LineGuard helps provide revenue protection for you and your customers.

Reducing fraud helps reduce the chance of a customer dispute.

Multiple fraud plans can be set up to help detect fraud based on differing criteria

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The aBILLity bill run process has been designed to be fast and also accurate, reducing errors to maximise your revenue yield.

INVOICE PROCESSINGThe monthly billing run is a critical period for CPs, but with

aBILLity the process could not be simpler. aBILLity creates

a set of proforma invoices that you can check for any

inconsistencies compared to the previous months billing. If

any changes need to be made, the proforma invoices can be

easily recalculated.

When the billing run is approved, aBILLity will assign invoice

numbers and create the actual invoices. The invoices are

despatched in accordance with the preferred method of

delivery which can be set on a customer by customer basis.

This includes:

� Printing

� Email billing, where invoices and reports are saved as pdf

files and despatched via email

� Web Billing (utilising WebaBILLity Pro) allowing

customers to log onto a billing portal to ‘download’ their

invoice

SALES LEDGER AND PAYMENT COLLECTIONSaBILLity includes a tight integration with Sage accounts

so that the invoices raised can be automatically posted

into your sales ledger, broken down by nominal account.

aBILLity will create a Direct Debit collections file for the

bank and post the payments back to the sales ledger.

The accounts activity for each customer including payments

received is then viewable within aBILLity. As part of

the invoice run aBILLity will also create statements for

despatch.

If you use an accounts package other than Sage, you can

utilise the sales ledger built into aBILLity. Alternatively,

invoices can be posted to an accounts package via an export

file.

The accounts integration provided by aBILLity eliminates both

the time wasted re-entering data to an accounts package and

the errors that can occur with manual data entry.

CUSTOMER CARE AND CONTACT MANAGEMENTA customer contact management function stores customer

information in the system including names and addresses,

invoicing information and reporting profiles. The contact

management function has been designed to make it

possible to integrate with third party CRM (customer

relationship management) and ERP (enterprise resource

planning) systems. For example, aBILLity has an integration

module available with Microsoft Dynamics CRM providing

a bi-directional data exchange and synchronisation

between applications.

Each customer is given a default package of tariffs for calls

and services. Bespoke over-ride pricing can be applied on a

customer specific basis. These can even be set for a specific

dialled string or for calls made between a group of CLIs.

The system incorporates a number of tools to help avoid

churn and increase customer satisfaction.

Integration with CRM and ERP systems increases your

productivity, improves your customer service provision and

reduces the risk of errors and discrepancies creeping into your

systems.

aBILLity makes the process of invoice generation simple

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TARIFF AND CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENTaBILLity has the flexibility to create

innovative packages and price plans.

Numerous features and billing techniques

within the product increase margin and

add to the bottom line without necessarily

increasing published tariffs. In some cases

the increased margin and cost savings that

the product produces will cover the cost of

the software.

A powerful tariff manager allows the CP to

create multiple tariffs for voice, data, mobile

or service charges, each one individually

configured. It is also possible to apply

discount structures or inclusive usage plans.

These pricing elements can be bundled

into packages to simplify administration.

The unrivalled flexibility of the platform

makes it easy for a CP to create customer

propositions with real differentiation.

Fixed charges per customer can be set to

allow CPs to bill on a one-off or recurring

basis for any item, thus giving the customer

one consolidated bill for all services.

aBILLity gives you the power to be innovative

with your sales proposition helping you to gain a

competitive edge.

Direct debit collections can be easily managed with the Sage sales ledger integration module

It is simple to manage every aspect of a customer’s account

The ‘Config Manager’ allows management of all key system tables, for example charge groups, tariffs, commission plans etc

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The end-user reports generated by aBILLity are highly valued by customers helping to ensure customer retention.

SERVICE PROVISIONINGThis optional module assists you in managing the

service provisioning process. As the process is

totally automated, the module saves valuable time by

negotiating data transfer with carriers and avoiding

duplication of data entry. The module includes complete

integration with WLR3 for provisioning services with BT

Openreach and it will also connect directly to carriers

such as Opal and Gamma for CPS and IDA provisioning.

The key features of the module are:

� Contract management

� Welcome letter/pack

� Provisioning of service

� Engineering scheduling

� Synchronising of additional service charges to

customers’ accounts as services are provisioned

� Traffic test

Service charges are automatically added to customers’

accounts as products are provisioned, saving time, reducing

errors and ensuring prompt billing of services to improve

your cash flow.

FAULT/SERVICE MANAGEMENTaBILLity incorporates an integrated fault management/

ticketing system. The optional ServiceDesk module

enables you to manage network faults and keep track of all

activities relating to a specific incident. Customers receive

a unique incident reference and the system can generate

emails to keep customers informed as actions are taken.

ServiceDesk is integrated into WLR3 to allow you to log

faults directly on BT Openreach. This allows you to put an

engaged signal on a line or place a divert on a customer

CLI in just a few minutes. It is also possible to expedite a

fault to be handled faster than the care level option that

the customer had contracted to.

As an integrated solution, ServiceDesk allows you to manage

customers in one place which helps reduce errors and saves

time.

Fault management includes full integration with WLR3 for logging faults with BT Openreach

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END-USER INFORMATIONA large range of different reports are

available as standard and an almost

unlimited range of bespoke reports are

available on request. Standard reports

include:

� Breakdown by call classification or

destination

� Breakdown by day, time, site

� Longest duration

� Most expensive

� Most frequently dialled

� Service charges

� Statement of Account (Sage integration)

Billing information is available to customers

in multiple formats, with the ability to specify

from a wide range of graphical and statistical

reports available in:

� Paper

� Disk

aBILLity also provides exception reporting

based on pre-defined criteria. The eAlerts

feature will generate an email to the

customer if a defined criterion is met. For

example, all calls costing more that £3.50

made to numbers starting ‘07’ made at

weekends.

The end-user reports generated by aBILLity are

highly valued by customers helping to ensure

customer retention.

� Email

� Web

aBILLity offers a wide selection of end-user customer reports

Customers can view a selection of reports via the web (WebaBILLity Pro)

Numerous internal reports are available to help manage your business

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As a scalable solution aBILLity can meet the needs of the biggest CPs and carriers with fast batch processing and prompt billing.

SALES AGENTS AND RESELLERSWhatever your sales channel strategy, aBILLity enables

you to create flexible commission structures for sales

people and agents which can be target driven.

If your agent or partner is a company, you can offer

Self-Billing invoices for commission payments.

End-user customers can receive dual branded

invoicing.

If you provide wholesale services, aBILLity can create

CDR files so that your resellers can onward bill.

Third party sales are an important revenue generator for

wholesale aggregators and aBILLity provides full flexibility

for billing and commission payments giving an important

competitive edge.

LOW COST OF OWNERSHIPMany people moving into the telephony CP market

assume that the process of billing is complex and time

consuming and are persuaded to outsource their billing

to a bureau. With aBILLity this is not necessary. The

product takes much of the pain out of CDR processing

and setting up and managing customers. The system is

very intuitive and easy to use and boasts much better

performance than other platforms.

aBILLity’s full client-server architecture allows multiple

users to have full or limited access to the application.

Change logs are stored to show who changed what and

when.

A start-up CP can install aBILLity on a rental basis typically

at a lower cost than bureau billing and as they grow the

rental will decrease proportionally to less than half a per

cent of the billed revenue.

CONTINUOUS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT POLICYA massive 35 per cent of aBILLity’s revenue is

ploughed back into R&D to keep the product ahead

of its competitors and enable it to adapt to market

changes with the introduction of new services. aBILLity

is always ahead of the curve!

A web service Application Programming Interface (API)

is also available to enable aBILLity to be integrated with

other third party applications.

You benefit from new enhancements via regular software

updates.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONMinimum Server basic:

� Dual Core 2.4 GHz

� 4Gb RAM

� 15Gb of free HDD space

� 32-bit or 64bit Windows OS

� Microsoft SQL 2000 or above

� Back-up solution in place

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Data Rating and Mediation

Fraud Management

Reconciliation and Revenue Assurance

Sales Ledger / Accounts Integration (Sage)

CRM Integration(Microsoft Dynamics CRM)

BT Openreach WLR3CPS/IDA Provisioning

BT Openreach WLR3

Third Party Developers

WebBilling

PaperInvoice

EmailInvoice

Invoice / collections Manager

Customer Management Manager

Service Provisioning

ServiceDesk Fault Management

Carrier DateFiles (CDR)

Reporting

Agent/ Sales Commissions

Developers API

Microsoft SQL

ABILLITY ENTERPRISE SERVERFor larger CPs, system performance can be a critical

factor in ensuring that billing happens in a timely

manner. aBILLity Enterprise Server is an optional

component that manages the importing and rating

process at the server, hence gaining a significant

improvement in system performance.

aBILLity Enterprise extends the vast functionality and

flexibility available in the product and makes it available

to the very largest CPs and carriers.

aBILLity Enterprise enables the CDR importing

process to be automated. It can connect to a carrier,

automatically download CDRs, import and rate them,

run fraud checks and automatically bar fraud calls

without human intervention. Imports can also be

scheduled so that they happen when the network is

quiet, for example at 2.00am.

As a scalable solution aBILLity can meet the needs of

the biggest CPs and carriers with fast batch processing

and prompt billing.

aBILLity ENTERPRISE

SERVER

Union Street Technologies LtdThe Courtyard37 Sheen Road

Richmond Surrey

TW9 1AJ

t: 020 8614 9090w: unionstreet.uk.com

e: info@unionstreet.uk.com

© Union Street Technologies Ltd. Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

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