Overview

Usage based subscriptions are thriving in the last couple of years. A usage based subscription is simply a subscription where users will be billed based on the usage they have done. These This kind of subscriptions can be used in various different business such as

• OTT : Over the top refers to audio, video, and other media content delivered over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator (MSO). When OTT is provided through subscriptions, it is usually measured and invoiced based on its usage. i.e. how many VODs where ordered.
• Fleet Management: In the fleet management business usage subscriptions are used for fleet members in order to keep track and measure usage of the product being offered. i.e. petrol

Setting Up Usage Based Subscriptions and Core Processes

Usage based subscription require the standard subscription configuration in addition to the usage based specific setup. Refer to Normal Subscriptions for guidelines on what needs to be setup to work with subscriptions. in In this section you will find usage specific setup information.

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UDRs

Usage Detail Records (UDRs) are used to hold raw information describing the use of 'usage services' and are primarily used for billing purposes.

Units of Measurement

 UDR unit of measurement are used to measure the usage of the service that was consumed by the UDR. For example, you can define that a usage service is measured based on liters liter, minutes, seconds, bytes, transactions etc. Each UDR type is related to one Unit of measurement which is used to measure UDR usage of that UDR type.

UDR Types

UDR Types are used to classify and group UDRs based on their business meaning. Each UDR type can have a set of metadata attributes which will be applicable to UDRs of that UDR type and a Unit of Measurement, used to describe the way that the usage service will be measured. Once UDR types are configured they can be added to usage service product types to provide information on how the service will be billed.

Metadata available in UDR types can be used to capture information such as the time or the device a movie film was ordered as well as the location of the customer. The same metadata can be set as conditions in price plan tiered rates for usage services (through usage Zones) and the information will be processed by the system during billing to differentiate pricing.

UDR types can be used as conditions in Additive Discounts to provide discounts to customers when ordering usage services. 

Usage Service Catalogs

Usage Service Catalogs are used to maintain all usage service information and to define the business rules, dependencies and prerequisites between services that determine the services that are allowed to be offered to subscribers and the conditions that should be fulfilled in order for those services to become available. Services included in a catalog are made available for ordering through a subscription as long as the catalog is valid and effective. Catalogs can be valid for specific period or always depending on how validity is set up.

Services can be added in usage service catalog as itemized or as a group (i.e. add available services in the catalog by providing product, product type or product family).

 For each service provided in the catalog you can provide the times within which it will be available using the start and end date.

Services included in the catalog can only be available for ordering through a subscription, given that conditions (if any) defined on the catalog are met. There are multiple conditions you can set, such as specific subscription type, subscription termed service, or account classification. This allows you to create multiple catalogs with different services which will only be available for ordering to different subscribers.

Catalogs can be created and not be effected if you don't want to make them available yet. They can be changed between effective and not effective by using the respective actions in the Action menu.

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Using Usage Based Subscriptions

As aforementioned if you would like to create subscriptions for usage based services you just need to follow the normal flow of subscriptions. Usage based subscriptions can either be normal or prepaid. For more information refer to Subscriptions. In the following sections you can find information specific to usage services, such as how you can provide rates and discounts, how you can order them as well as how billing is handled by the system.

Defining rates for usage services

Usage services are either rated in CRM.COM or externally.

If services are rated externally, it means that the price is already defined on the usage service used and it is possible to provide additional discounts in CRM.COM through additive discounts.

Rates of usage services rated in CRM.COM are taken from Price Plans. Either the Global Price Plan or any other price plan applicable to the customer being rated. A base rate is applicable per usage service in a  price plan however different rates can be provided for the same service given that they fulfil different conditions which can be defined by making use of metadata usage zones and date/time periods.

For example, you can provide 2 different rates for the same service; one which will always be applied and a reduced rate which will be applied if the service was ordered off-peak hours. 

Pricing/billing of Usage services is done by creating and billing UDRs which hold all the required usage and billing information. In case that the usage service is Rated outside CRM.COM then the UDR with all the required information is imported.

Discounting Usage Services 

Usage services can be discounted whether they are rated in CRM.COM or from a third . Discounts can be provided on an ad hoc basis  (at the time of the ordering) or automatically by the system through Additive Discounts.

Additive Discounts can be set in advance in the system and can be usage specific. Conditions can be applicable, so discounts are provided only on specific usage services, services of specific product types or services of specific UDR types and if these meet certain conditions. 

Ordering Usage Services 

A service can be ordered through a subscription as a usage service through the 'Add Service Usage' action also available through the WEB API as long as the customer meets conditions defined in effective valid catalogs then usage services may be ordered. Availability of a service depends both on the validity dates of the catalog and the product. It is also possible to order a service for a time in the future, depending on the service's availability. 

Integration to provisioning hosts for OTT

A provisioning provider system/host is an external system that is responsible for delivering signals to subscriber devices, based on the CRM.COM services of the subscriber.  Provisioning hosts are required in order to use usage services from a broadband service provider or in a subscription TV implementation.

Examples of provisioning providers include:

• A Conditional access system (CAS) delivering content to decoders for DTH and DTT subscriptions
• A Video/IPTV platform streaming OTT content to tablets  
• The RADIUS server providing network service to a modem.  

When a customer places an order, the system forwards the request to the provisioning providers to supply the service.

CRM.COM is integrated with several provisioning systems, such as Conax Contego, Nagra, Perception, Verimatrix, Icarius, and Panaccess.  Refer to Provisioning for a comprehensive list.

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Managing UDRs

As mentioned above Usage Detail Records (UDRs) are used to hold raw information describing the use of 'usage services' and are primarily used for billing purposes. They cannot be created manually; they are generated by the system during rating, and they provide the information required to bill a usage service. UDRs can be adjusted or cancelled or even have their billing type changed, which means you can easily credit a UDR or even set it as not billable.

Adjusting a UDR

 Adjust incorrect information captured on the UDR before or after it is billed. If already billed, the system will handle the adjustment by debiting or crediting the associated account with the adjusted UDR. 

Billing UDRs creates rated billing items (RBIs), which have to be cancelled (by creating an identical RBI of opposite value) when a billed UDR is adjusted.  When the adjusted UDR is billed, a new RBI is created. 

A UDR can be adjusted from the Data Entry page by using the respective action available from the Actions menu.

1. Adjust the following as necessary:
   • Product: the service that was used
   • Usage Amount: the quantity consumed
   • Source: the system that generated the UDR (filtered on UDR Type)
   • UDR Type
   • UDR Billing Effective Date
   • From and To Date: the period during which the service was used
2. Click on SAVE on the Modal. 

Cancelling a UDR

 Billed UDRs can be cancelled, debiting or crediting the associated account in the process (a UDR that credited an account will debit it when cancelled and vice versa).  Cancellations can be used to settle a customer complaint by offering a usage service free of charge. 

A UDR can be cancelled from the Data Entry page by using the respective action available from the Actions menu. 

The billing of UDRs creates rated billing items (RBIs).  These have to be cancelled when a billed UDR is cancelled (by creating identical RBIs of opposite value).

Changing the billing directive of a UDR

 The billing directive is set by the system and instructs the billing engine on how to handle the UDR, providing it with three options:

• Not To Be Billed (exclude the UDR from billing)
• To Be Billed (debit the related account)
• To Be Credited (credit the related account)

The user can update the directive to manage billing, by using three actions available from the Data Entry page Actions menu: 

• Set As Billable   
  
• Set As Creditable
• Set As Not To Be Billed
  
  

The billing of UDRs creates rated billing items (RBIs).  These have to be cancelled when the billing directive changes.   Once the action is submitted an identical RBI of opposite value is created and handled in the next billing run.