Usage Service Catalogs are used to maintain information related to Usage Services, which are provided upon customer request and charged based on their usage. Information included in Usage Service Catalogs includes the pricing of the Service, the Service provider and their identifier, as well as information related to the validity of the Services. The Over-The-Top (OTT) business model is supported by using Usage Service Catalogs.
What Comes First
To start using Usage Service Catalogs configure the System to support your own business model. In the following table, you can find the configuration modules related to Usage Service Catalogs.
Usage Service Catalogs do not have optional configuration modules, however, Usage Detail Records optional configuration modules can be used by the Usage Service Catalogs definition and Usage Service Catalogs.
A related setting in Billing Term Definitions is provided under the configuration of Usage Service Catalogs, as it is directly related with the billing of Usage Services ordered via the Usage Service Catalogs
| Sub-module | Type | Classification | Navigation | Dig In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usage Service Catalogs Definitions | Configuration | CONFIGURATION BILLING APPLICATIONUSAGE SERVICE CATALOGSSET UP USAGE SERVICE CATALOG DEFINITIONS | Configuring Usage Service Catalogs Definitions | |
| Usage Service Catalogs | Transactional | BILLINGUSAGE SERVICE CATALOGSMANAGE USAGE SERVICE CATALOGS | Creating Usage Service Catalogs | |
| Billing Term Definition | Configuration | CONFIGURATIONBILLING APPLICATIONBILLINGSET UP BILLING TERM SCHEMES | Configuring Billing Term Subscription Definitions |
Step 1: Setting up Usage Service Catalogs Definitions
First you will need to set up the Usage Service Catalog Definitions.
Usage Service Catalogs Definitions is a set of business rules used to control the behavior of Usage Service Catalogs throughout their whole life cycle.
Through the definition you can:
- Define values of related allowed entities:
- Usage Service Types: These are the service types that will be allowed to be added in the Usage Service Catalogs. Only services of service type Usage Service should be added here.
- Provisioning Providers: These are the providers that will be allowed to be used for processing the provisioning requests
- Define Default values for services of specific Service Types.
In the Definition provide as well Default Rates for service types. These rates will be automatically selected when creating new Catalogs using the specific services, however you will still have the option to update.
Step 2: Creating Usage Service Catalogs
Once the Usage Service Catalog Definitions are defined, you are ready to start creating your Usage Service Catalogs. Via the Usage Service Catalogs you have the option to define the following information
- Define the Provisioning Provider that will be responsible for the provisioning usage services defined via the specific Usage Service Catalog
- Define the period for which the catalog will be valid. You can define multiple periods as well as defining it as always being valid
- Define all the usage services that should be provided (the services are the Usage Services created via USAGE SERVICE CATALOGS GS module)
For each service define the following- Base Rate: The price that the service will be billed with
- Provisioning ID: The CA ID required by the provider for each service
- Start and End Time: the periods for which the service should be available for ordering
Tiered Rates: You have the option to provide different rates that can be applied based on given conditions. For example provide a different rate for the service if its used during specific periods of the day, or if provided via specific devices
Usage Detail Record configuration modules must be configured if you would like to define related conditions for the Tiered Rates
- Define conditions related to Subscriptions or Accounts Receivable which will dictate whether the usage service catalog to be available for selection.
Usage Service Catalogs will be filtered (when adding a service on the subscription) based on the conditions defined in the Usage Service Catalog.
Step 3: Setting up Billing Term Definition Rules
Billing Term Definition Rules include validations and restrictions that will be used across billing terms, regardless of their schemes. Specifically via Billing Term Definitions you can define the billing rules that should be applied on usage services based on a set of conditions. You have the option to force the system to bill usage services as soon as they are ordered, or to be billed normally by the next Billing Run Process. By default the system will bill them during the Billing Run process.
Configure the following section accordingly
- Billing Term Definitions - Usage Service Billing Term Rules: Select between billing Usage Services immediately by selecting "Immediately After Execution" or by the billing run by selecting "Billing Run Process". You also have the option to restrict the rules to specific billing term schemes.