SMART [Philippines] Deploys Sandvine's New "SmartService", Self-care App

Sandvine announced "SmartService App, a smartphone application designed to enable Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Virtual Network Operator’s (MVNOs) to offer subscribers the ability to instantly select, personalize and monitor their service plan directly on their device.

Sandvine’s SmartService App provides an on device storefront that radically enhances an operator's service creation capabilities. By placing a one-stop-shop for Internet data plans at the fingertips of subscribers, SmartService App provides the opportunity for operators to extend beyond traditional volume-based plans (by megabyte or gigabyte) to value-based plans that offer greater revenue potential by providing access to specific applications (e.g. YouTube, Twitter) or application groups (e.g. social networking or music streaming) that subscribers desire.

Smart Communications, the Philippines' leading wireless services provider, has already enabled a mobile Internet operator storefront application, branded locally as PowerApp [see "Smart [Philippines] Uses Sandvine for Application-Aware Service Plans" - here], using the platform and technology behind Sandvine’s SmartService App. One of the most popular uses in that market is “bite-size” mobile Internet plans that offer time-of-day usage by the minute, hour, or day for highly-valued applications". 

See "Sandvine Unveils Carrier Branded SmartService App" - here.

US MVNO Offers Self-Provisioned Data Plans and Parental Control

A US MVNO, Zact (operated over Sprint), offers a "new service that will give you a whole new level of freedom, control and flexibility. With Zact, you get a whole lot more than just voice, text and data. Zact lets you quickly adjust your plan right from your device. You never have to worry about overpaying because you get a Never Overpay Guarantee. All of your voice, text and data is truly shareable, and you get an unprecedented level of parental control of your kids’ devices with Zact.

See "Meet Zact. The First-Ever Smart Mobile Service" - here.

Elitecore Enhances PCRF with Enterprise Self Provisioning, Analytics, Parental Control and more

Elitecore Technologies announced it has added several new features to its PCRF product, NetVertex (here, here and here) including "Enterprise Policy, Policy Analytics and RADIUS support for Wi-Fi Offload".

Dhaval Vora (pictured), VP, Product Management explains:

• Enterprise Policy enables operators to address growing enterprise demand for Data Services Control within or outside the organization. It includes a service selection portal allowing Enterprises to self-manage their employees’ data consumption for usage, time & access controls, consistent QoS, Bandwidth-on-Demand, hierarchy-based personalization and more, effectively transferring controls from operators to enterprises

• Policy Analytics will help design and launch subscriber-specific promotions & plans (such as include Social media-only services, Device specific plans, city-wise usage, access network usage, students or Government sector plans) based on various inputs of revenue, usage and traffic feeds reports to PCRF
   
• RADIUS support for Wi-Fi Offload provides native support for Wi-Fi Offload through a single PCRF deployment. Operators no longer need to procure a separate Diameter Translation Agent to talk to PCRF for Wi-Fi offload.

Other new features include Parental Controls and a Device management module which maintains information on different devices available in the market, enabling operators to easily launch device-specific plans easily without having to configure device details everytime.

See "Elitecore releases latest PCRF with powerful new features" - here.

Verizon Wireless adds Self-Care Usage Control to Family Data Plans

   

 Openet published recently the ".. results of a survey on how mobile operators use smartphones to engage with subscribers. The online survey generated responses from senior managers employed by the world’s largest mobile operators, including Telstra, T-Mobile, Telefonica and Verizon Wireless. The survey found that although most operators offer mobile self-care portals, they are primarily used as a one-way communication tool, and are not architected as an engagement opportunity for individual users .. Today’s self-care options aren’t providing the two-way conversation that is critical to gathering information needed to create, upsell and cross sell personalized services". 

See "Openet Survey Reveals Lack of Direct Engagement Between Mobile Operators and Customers" - here.

   

While the following announcement from Verizon Wireless might not be what Openet had in mind, it does demonstrate a closer relations with the customer, even if the result is actually less services consumed. 

   

Verizon's announced a new service ".. To help customers manage their wireless budgets and stay on top of their wireless usage and their families’ as well, Verizon Wireless offers a service called Usage Controls, now more powerful with new tools to help manage megabyte usage and content purchases such as games, application downloads and ringtones. For $4.99 per line per month, customers can control data usage as well as how much, when and with whom family members are communicating".

   

"Usage Controls help customers keep a tight rein on their accounts’ usage .. Usage Allowances – Families or individuals can control wireless budgets with monthly usage allowances on each controlled line for voice minutes, messaging, data and content purchases such as ringtones, games and downloads. They’ll receive free text message alerts when limits are nearing and when they are reached. Once the allowance is reached, there is also an option to restrict usage". 

 
See "Verizon Wireless Offers New Tools to Help Customers Manage Data Usage, Content Purchases and More" - here.

PCRF Announcements: Openet Adds PCC Self-Care Facility

  

Openet announced ".. the immediate availability of the Openet Subscriber Engagement Engine, an industry-first product that gives subscribers real-time visibility into their usage and enables them to directly control, manage and personalize their services, balances and spend .. The Subscriber Engagement Engine acts as a central gateway for extending the integration of Policy and Charging elements to include the mobile device.  The Subscriber Engagement Engine can be specifically branded by the operator and delivered directly on a mobile device".

"Openet Subscriber Engagement Engine enables operators to interact directly with mobile devices leveraging data from existing policy control and charging (PCC) infrastructure and from other network elements. The Engagement Engine enables real-time subscriber access to display customer account data (usage, spend and remaining balances), as well as the dynamic purchase of services".

See "Openet Unveils Subscriber Engagement Engine, Empowers Subscribers to Personalize Data Use and Spend" - here and additional information - here.