Table of Contents
What are Usage Service Catalogs?
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.
Usage Services are the only Product Type whose pricing is defined in Usage Service Catalogs and not Price Plans.
Usage Service Catalogs Glossary
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Usage Services | Services that are provided upon customer request and are charged based on their usage, e.g. a Video on Demand movie. |
| Termed Services | A Subscription Service that is provided to customers and is charged recurrently, e.g. a TV channel or VOD Enabler Service. |
| Provisioning Provider | Provisioning Providers are third-party systems with which CRM.COM integrated and are used to provide Services to subscribers such as Video Content, Telephony or games. |
| Provisioning Service | A Subscription Service (either Termed or Usage), for which provisioning signals are sent to the Subscriber. Within CRM.COM, Provisioning Services are defined at the Product Type Level, where a 'Use for Provisioning' flag is checked. |
| Usage Detail Records | Usage Detail Records (UDRs) are used to hold raw information describing the use of Subscription Services. |
| Price Plans | Price Plans are a set of rates which define the amount an Accounts Receivable should be billed based on the Services or Physical Goods that were sold. Price Plans provide rates for Termed Services, One Time Services, Expenses and Physical Goods. Usage Service pricing is defined through Usage ServiceCatalogs. |
Usage Service Catalogs Key Processes and Concepts
| Processes / Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Usage Service Catalogs Usage | While the rates used to bill products in CRM.COM are obtained from the Price Plans, Services of the Usage Service Product Type are an exception. Products billed based on their usage such as VOD, PPV, telephone calls and games are considered Usage Services in CRM.COM,and their price rate is defined in the Usage Service Catalogs (along with additional information). The information in the Usage Service Catalogs is used by several CRM.COM modules:
|
| Add Service Usage Action and WEB API | Subscribers order Services on their device via the Add Service Action. The action is available in the Subscription Service Action list in the Action Panel of the Subscription Data Entry page. |
| Adding a Product to a Usage Service Catalog via the Products page | There are two ways to add a Usage Service to a Usage Service Catalog:
View Managing Products for more information about adding a product to a Usage Service Catalog, via the Products Data Entry page. |
Usage Service Catalogs Access & Viewing Controls
Business Network Characteristics define the level of access for each entry. i.e. Whether it will be available for selection, viewing or editing.
| Entity | Network Characteristics | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Usage Service Catalogs | Controlled Selection Access Entities | Services from a Usage Service Catalog can be added to a Subscription, provided the user adding the Service belongs to one of the Allowed Organisational Units (AOU) defined in the Usage Service Catalog, or a collaboration exists between their unit and the AOU of the Usage Service Catalog, or is a Super User. |
Usage Service Catalogs Related Modules
| Entity | Interaction of Usage Service Catalogs with the Entity |
|---|---|
| Products | Services such as PPV, VOD, games,telephone-calls need to be created as Products of Type Usage Service |
| Conditional Access / Provisioning | The provider is responsible for sending the signals to a subscriber's device for which an order was placed. |
Usage Detail Records | When an order for a Usage Service is executed, are automatically created. |
| Subscriptions | Usage Services can be added to Subscriptions via the Add Service Usage action, only if a related Termed Service (defined in the Subscription Conditions of the Usage Service Catalog) on which the Usage Services will be added, is available on the Subscription. |
| Normal Billing |
|
| Prepaid Billing |
|
Usage Service Catalogs - Business Examples
The following section provides business examples of how the CRM.COM Usage Service Catalogs module is used.
Set up an OTT business model
Business Requirement
Company ZX has introduced new packages for OTT subscribers. The OTT packages include several PPV (Pay-Per-View) movies.
• Movies are charged €5.00 when provided between 00:01 and 6:59 and €10.00 at other times.
• Older movies are charged €3.00 at all times.
• To be able to order any PPV movies, subscribers must first have an 'Effective' PPV Service on their Subscription.
• Movies are free for VIP subscribers.
• The movies should be billed instantly.
Orders can be placed through customers' decoders or by calling the Call Centre.
CRM.COM Solution
To meet the above requirement the following System configurations must be performed:
• Product Types (Type Service Usage)
• Movies must be imported or created in the System with Usage Service Type
• Provider must be configured (provisioning IDs for each OTT Service should be defined)
• Usage Service Catalog Definitions must be configured and activated
• Usage Service Catalogs must be created including the movies to be made available
○ 1 Catalog for VIP subscribers
○ 1 Catalog for Normal subscribers
• Subscription Billing Term Definitions must be set so that Usage Services Billing Rules define that billing should take place every time one or more movies are added.
- Configuration
Product Types
Product Types Classification Physical Good Types Service Type Composition Method Used For Provisioning Usage Services Service Usage Flat Yes Termed Services Service Termed Flat Yes Products
Product Type VAT Rate Information PPV Service Termed Services 10% This Service will be used to authorise the addition of PPV movies to the Subscription. PPV movies One product must be created per PPV movie to be made available.
Usage Services are added in Usage Service Catalogs and not in Price Plans.
Lord Of the Rings 1 Usage Service 10% Serendipity Usage Service 10% Limitless Usage Service 10% Provisioning Provider
NagraVision Media Live is used as an example:Provisioning Provider Provisioning Protocol End Point Username Password Encoding Distributors Services Physical Goods Nagra Media Platform Nagra Media Live Platform http://ott.nagra.com/customer/VTV/api/smsservice_1.2?wsdl Request password Request password UTF-8 Nagra Media Live Main Define via Usage Service Catalogs Thomson Decoders Usage Service Catalog Definitions
Life Cycle State Allowed Attributes Default Rates per usage Service Type Usage Service Types Provisioning Providers Service Type Base Rate Tiered Rate Conditions Active Usage Services Nagra Media Live Usage Services €10.00 €5.00 - Usage Start Time: 00:01
- Usage End Time: 06:59
Usage Service Catalog for Normal Subscribers
Provisioning Provider Validity Usage Services Usage Service Base Rate Provisioning ID Tiered Rate Conditions Comments Nagra Media Live Platform Always Valid Lord of the Rings €10.00 1AQ8 €5.00 - Usage Start Time: 00:01
- Usage End Time: 06:59
Usage Service Details will be automatically set as in the Definition (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions). Limitless €10.00 1BQ1 €5.00 - Usage Start Time: 00:01
- Usage End Time: 06:59
Usage Service Details will be automatically set as in the Definition (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions). Serendipity (Old Movie) €5.00 1BQ4 Usage Service Details will be automatically set as 'Defined' (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions), in which case the user must update the Base Rate to €5.00 manually and remove any set Tiered Rates. Usage Service Catalog for VIP Subscribers
Provisioning Provider Validity Usage Services Accounts Receivable Conditions Usage Service Base Rate Provisioning ID Tiered Rate Conditions Comments Nagra Media Live Platform Always Valid Lord of the Rings €0.00 1AQ8 €0.00 Usage Service Details will be automatically set as in the Definition (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions), in which case the user must update them all to €0.00 and remove Tiered Rates. Classification = VIP Limitless €0.00 1BQ1 €0.00 Usage Service Details will be automatically set as in the Definition (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions), in which case the user must update them all to €0.00 and remove Tiered Rates. Serendipity (Old Movie) €0.00 1BQ4 €0.00 Usage Service Details will be automatically set as in the Definition (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions), in which case the user must update them all to €0.00 and remove Tiered Rates. Subscription Billing Term Definition
Usage Services Billing Rules Maximum number of unbilled UDRs Applicable on Billing Term Schemes 1 All Normal Billing Term Schemes
- User Process
Subscribers can order PPV movies in one of the following ways:- A portal that can be integrated to CRM.COM using our WEB API library
- The subscriber's device. Integration to CRM.COM is required
- Through CRM.COM User Interface using Add Service Usage
Further information on modules used in the example can be found at: