Keeping in mind the complexities and intricacies involved in telecom operator billing management, UK based LogNet Systems is positioning its next generation billing solutions and helping operators maximize on opportunities while simplifying the business processes. Zia Askari from TelecomDrive.com spoke with Kirill Rechter, CEO, LogNet Systems on the company’s current focus and future plans for different markets.
Today’s operators and carriers are looking forward to embracing next generation of communication infrastructure in the form of 4G – How does LogNet look at the changing face of BSS space as far as operators are concerned?
Each generation of communication infrastructure brings new revenue generating opportunities for communications service providers. Each subsequent generation of communication infrastructure has increased network capacity and allowed operators to offer additional services. Understandably, there is a lot of excitement around 4G.
New OTT and data-intensive value added services and smart applications involving telematics, M2M, healthcare, smart homes and more will be enabled by 4G networks. The massive amounts of user-specific statistics and location-based information that will be used in these new applications will be simply amazing. 4G networks will create competitive pressures among service providers, which is where BSS systems and processes will be increasingly important for operators.
Most of the new services enabled by 4G networks will rely on complex partnerships and revenue sharing schemes with third party application service providers. Operators who are able to simplify the delivery and use of these new 4G services, despite their complexity, and offer transparent billing, will succeed.
How can LogNet’s billing solutions minimize the complexity that today’s data intensive operator environment is looking at?
Our MaxBill solution helps a service provider turn its service delivery and billing operation into competitive advantages. Today’s new communications services, especially those that will be available on 4G networks, are increasingly complex and rely on interconnections with a range of multi-party agreements. The challenge for service providers is to simplify the access and use of these data-intensive services and creatively package them with other existing services.
Those service providers that will be able to do this will gain competitive advantages, win market share and grow their businesses. This is an area in which we excel in helping service providers. Our MaxBill solution allows service providers to profitably offer multiple services and efficiently manage a multiple service operation.
With our solution, all services are managed on one platform and workflow processes are integrated across an entire organization from product management to service delivery through billing. Since MaxBill manages any combination of services on a unified platform, service providers can add new services, regardless of type, at any time, adjust pricing and offer creative service bundles.
Today we are about to see an explosion of data driven revenue models emerging out of small cells, metro cells and wifi enabled in-building solutions. A lot of effort needs to be done to understand and strengthen revenue generation from these concepts. How can LogNet help here?
As surprising as it may sound, even today, many service providers are deploying billing systems dedicated to a specific service and are managing numerous parallel billing systems. In general, running multiple billing systems is not only expensive to maintain, but also prevents a service provider from offering attractive service packages as integrating disparate billing systems is difficult if not impossible.
A service provider that relies on multiple billing systems will not be able to fully leverage the revenue generating potential of data-driven services that can be offered as the deployment of small and metro cells grow. We give service providers a more modern approach. MaxBill allows service providers to strategically implement any innovative business models with a holistic approach to implementing business processes. Today there much debate about how to define revenue models for services over new network infrastructure like small cells or 4G.
There is a similar conversation going on in the utilities market on how to price and package data-intensive services on smart grids. Unfortunately, many of the decisions made by service providers are based on the limitations of their billing systems. With MaxBill, any of the strategic decisions taken by a service provider, such as entering a new market or rolling out a new service line, can be implemented with confidence.
What are some of the big challenges and also opportunities that lie ahead in this market today?
Today more than ever, customers in all markets have a growing range of alternatives for their communication needs. Competition is fierce among service providers in developed countries, while competitive alternatives are gradually growing in emerging markets. At the same time, as we have discussed, services are becoming increasingly complex.
We help our customers turn service delivery, customer experience management and billing into competitive advantages and grow their business and achieve their strategic objectives. For example, one of our customers offers a unique combination of communications and energy services.
With the flexibility of our MaxBill solution, this service provider has configured business processes that have simplified the delivery of very complex service combinations and offers transparent billing, which it is leveraging to gain market share and grow its business. This we call Modern Billing and helping service providers achieve it is our strength.
Please share details of your key geographies today?
Since 1996 we have been providing innovative billing solutions to a growing range of service providers. Our customers include communications, TV, content, utilities, financial and transportation service providers.
We have customers across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Many of our customers have been using MaxBill for over 10+ years and see us as partners in their success. Our overall mission is to continually expand the dimensions of our billing solutions to meet the future needs of our customers.
What is your go to market strategy to reach out to your end customers?
As a company, we are based in the UK and have offices and representation across EMEA, APAC and the Americas. We work with systems integrators and similar partners to bring our MaxBill solutions to market. Together with our system integrator partners we offer extensive workshops on the benefits of Modern Billing and can provide qualified potential customers with a fully integrated proof-of-concept (POC) trial of MaxBill.
What role is being played by systems integrators today?
For us, the role of a system integrator has significant importance through every phase of the sales cycle, project implementation and ongoing support. To begin with, system integrators have an understanding of local ways of doing business.
At the same time, system integrators have existing connections with local service providers and access to opportunities that would have otherwise been beyond our reach. These existing relationships make project deployment and ongoing support more efficient and enable the customer to quickly obtain the strategic benefits of the project.
What are your future plans for emerging markets?
Emerging markets are very important to LogNet Systems. The need for Modern Billing in emerging markets is growing as competitive alternatives are becoming available to subscribers and market conditions are gradually changing. We are active in Southeast Asia and have a number of relationships with system integrators and satisfied customers. We are currently expanding our activities in southern Africa and are looking at opportunities in Latin America.
