Icareus

Owned by Persia Xenopoulou (Deactivated)
Last updated: Jun 20, 2018
3 min read

On this page

Overview

Icareus Suite is an over-the-top (OTT) TV platform that streams content to subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) or transaction video-on-demand (TVOD) based subscriptions. 

CRM.COM provides a ready-made implementation of the Icareus Suite using the Icareus Provisioning module, which primarily handles the activation and deactivation of signals transmitted to devices.  For example, when a new subscription is created in CRM.COM, Icareus Suite is immediately updated and provisioning signals are sent to subscriber devices to activate registered services.

Major features

  • Integration with Icareus Suite.
  • Real-time activation and deactivation of subscriptions.
  • Archiving of former provisioning requests (refer to Utilities for more information).

Using Icareus

  • The Icareus implementation submits requests to the Icareus system in real-time.
    • Subscription actions update the subscription provisioning state in CRM.COM.  If the modification should be reflected in Icareus, a request is constructed (using commands commands) and forwarded to Icareus.

No user intervention or further setup (other than that of the provider) is required for request exchange between CRM.COM and Icareus.

Setting Up Icareus

Billing > Provisioning > Icareus > Set Up Provisioning Provider

Provisioning provider

The parameters that are necessary to access the CA/OTT platform and to map the CRM.COM services and physical goods to be provisioned can be supplied from Provisioning Provider Data Entry page.

Provider fields

The table describes the standard sections of a Provisioning Provider Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.

 Mandatory   Configurable

Main Information
Provider Information

Name and Alternative Code of the provider

Provisioning Protocol

Life Cycle State: Must be 'Effective' to send commands to the CA/OTT platform.

Connection Parameters

End Point that will be used when calling the CA/OTT platform.

User Name, Password: Credentials used to login to the CA system.

Character Set Encoding used by the web services (defaults to UTF-8).

Distributors

 

Distributors are used to associate the services and devices (installed items) of a subscription with the provisioning provider.  Multiple distributors on a subscription represent separate viewing locations.  Each device can offer different services.  In a pay TV subscription, for example, two distributors can represent the decoder and channels available in a living room and bedroom.

Create the distributors that can be provisioned through the provider.  One or more provisioning distributors must be present for a provider to be 'Effective'. 

ADD a new distributor and supply the information required in the modal.

Main Information

Name,  Alternative Code for the provisioning distributor.

Allowed Services

Define the services available through the distributor. Once a distributor is selected, only the services defined as 'Allowed' will be available for selection when adding subscription services.

Two options are supported:

  • All Provisioned Services: All services provisioned by the provider can be distributed.

  • Specific Provisioned Services: Only the services in the list can be distributed. 

The available services are filtered and validated against those defined in the 'Services' section, which can be provisioned by the associated provider.

Restrictions

Minimum/Maximum Optional/Mandatory service restrictions determine the number of services that can be added to the distributor.

Restrictions per Service Type: Define the minimum and maximum number of services that can be added to the distributor, from specific service types.

Restrictions per Physical Good Type: Define the minimum and maximum number of installed items that can be added to the distributor, from specific physical good types.

Dependencies

Define services, service types, physical goods or physical good types that must be added to the distributor, if enabled.

Services

One or more service mappings must be present for a provider to be 'Effective'.

Service: Termed and usage services that can be provisioned by the provider.

CA ID: The unique identifier for the service at the CA/OTT platform.

An ID is not mandatory for a non-provisioning service (i.e. a service whose product type is not set as 'Used for Provisioning').


Physical Goods

A list of devices that are necessary for provisioning through the provider. For example, a decoder and a smartcard, or only a decoder or only a modem.  A specific device type may be mandatory for a certain provider.

The Installed Item Alternative Code represents the ID of devices communicated to the CA/OTT platform.

Back to top

Related configuration areas

Mandatory modules must be configured for the provisioning module to work.

Manual LinkArea DescriptionConfiguration
Products
  • Physical Good Types
  • Service Types
  • Physical Goods
  • Services

Configure the physical good and service types, and the physical goods and services that will be offered to subscriptions, by adding them to the provisioning provider.

 Mandatory
CommunicationsCommunication Queue External SystemSet up the external system that will be used to handle mail messages created for the provider.Optional

 

Icareus Requests

The table below displays CRM.COM processes and actions that trigger Icareus requests.

If an account is not registered in Icareus and an action is executed, the system will display an error.

Request
Use
Subscription Action
Parameters
Add User

Register a new account in Icareus.

The command is triggered and an account is registered provided there is an 'Effective' subscription service or installed item distributed on Icareus and the subscription is not yet associated with an Icareus account.

Subscription Actions

  • Become subscriber (Effective)
  • Activate subscription
  • End short-term deactivation
  • End subscription resting
  • Short-term activation
  • Change subscription distribution

Service Actions

  • Add 'Effective' services
  • Start services
  • Swap services
  • Add service usage

Installed Item Actions

  • Add installed item
  • Swap installed item
  • The subscription provisioning provider parameters related to the subscription.
Remove User

Permanently un-register an account in Icareus.

Subscription Actions
  • Terminate subscription (Cancel)
  • Terminate subscription (Regret)
  • The subscription provisioning provider parameters associated with the subscription that will be used to access the account.
Activate Products

Add and activate subscription services to a registered Icareus account.

Subscription Actions

    • Become subscriber (Effective)
    • Activate subscription
    • End short-term deactivation
    • End subscription resting
    • Short-term activation
    • Change subscription distribution

Service Actions

    • Add 'Effective' services
    • Start services
    • Swap services
    • Add service usage
  • The subscription provisioning provider parameters associated with the subscription that will be used to access the account.
  • A list of subscription service IDs that will be added to the account.
  • A list of the subscription provisioning distributors linked to the subscription services.
Cancel Products

Remove and deactivate subscription services in Icareus.

  • The command is triggered if one or more authorized usage or termed subscription services provisioned by Icareus is deleted or canceled from a specific subscription.

Subscription Actions

    • Terminate subscription (Cancel)
    • Terminate subscription (Regret)
    • Deactivate subscription
    • Short-term deactivation
    • Rest subscription
    • End short-term activation
    • Change subscription distribution

Service Actions

    • Remove services (Cancel)
    • Remove services (Regret)
    • Stop services
    • Swap services  
  • The subscription provisioning provider parameters associated with the subscription that will be used to access the account.
  • A list of subscription service IDs that will be removed from the account.
  • A list of the subscription provisioning distributors linked to the subscription services.
Add Device to UserRegister a new device to a registered Icareus account.

Installed item Actions

  • Add installed item
  • Swap installed item
  • The subscription provisioning provider parameters associated with the subscription that will be used to access the account.
  • The STB Alternative Code that will be created.
  • The subscription provisioning distributor linked to the subscription installed item that will be created.
Remove Device from UserRemove a device from a registered Icareus account.

Installed Item Actions

  • Remove installed item
  • Swap installed item
  • The subscription provisioning provider parameters associated with the subscription that will be used to access the account.
  • The STB Alternative Code that will be canceled.
  • The subscription provisioning distributor linked to the subscription installed item that will be canceled.

Back to top 

Icareus Business Examples

Subscription with multiple viewing points 

Provisioning Distributors

Scenario 1

Company ZX offers its customers the option to have multiple viewing points for each subscription. Customers can have a separate 'box and card' pair in each room, and choose to have a different selection of channels available from each pair.  Up to four viewing points can be added to a subscription.

Solution

CRM.COM must have a different provisioning distributor available for each pair (box and card) offered to subscribers, as channel availability and restrictions can be set separately for each box.

In order to support this, the following distributors must be set up in the provisioning provider.

  • Main
  • TWIN1
  • TWIN2
  • TWIN3

 

 

Notes