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Overview
Usage Service catalogues (USCs) are catalogues for products that are offered on customer request and charged based on their consumption. USCs contain information on pricing and service validity and options for integrating with third party provisioning systems.
Usage Service catalogue Features
- Services in USCs include Pay-per-view (PPV) or Video on demand (VOD) movies, video games or telephone calls, making USCs suitable for supporting the Over-the-top (OTT) business model. Despite their name, USCs can also contain physical goods (such as fuel) and can therefore support diverse lines of business.
- Use usage service catalogue definitions to define standard rates for services of the same type, for efficiency when creating usage service catalogues.
- Usage services are added to subscriptions, managed and billed through the 'Add Usage Service' subscription action.
- Addition of usage services to a subscription may require the presence of a termed service on the subscription, which can be defined through the usage service catalogue.
- Usage services from multiple catalogues may be selected and added to a subscription.
- When a usage service is added a Usage Detail Record is created which holds information related to the order of the usage service and used for billing.
- Already rated (billed) usage services (i.e. UDRs) can be imported into CRM.COM from external system in which cases billing in CRM.COM can handle only additional discounts provided.
Setting Up Usage Service catalogues
Definitions
A usage service catalogue definition is the set of business rules that determine the behaviour of catalogues maintained in the system.
The following must be defined when creating a catalogue:
- The types of usage services that will be available
- Default billing rates for each service that can be added to the catalogue
- The available provisioning providers.
Usage Service catalogue Definition Data Entry page
Definition fields
The table describes the sections of the Usage Service catalogue Definition Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
Allowed Attributes Defines the attributes that can be used for creating or modifying Usage Service catalogues. | |
|---|---|
| Provisioning Providers | Define the providers that will be available when creating new service catalogues, and a default provider. If the service is offered by a third party, then its provider and necessary information (e.g., the provisioning ID) will be available directly from the catalogue. |
| Usage Service Types | Define the product types that can be added to the catalogue and the default type when creating a new catalogue. |
Predefined rates based on product type speed up the setup of catalogues. The rate for each added product type is assigned in the definition and can be modified | |
Rated: Select for usage services imported to CRM.COM (through the WEB API) whose billing rates are determined by third party systems. When checked, the 'Base Rate' and 'Tiered Rates' fields in the catalogue will be unavailable. Apply Additional Discount: Select for 'rated' usage services that additional discount should be applied through CRM.COM Unit of Measurement: The unit of measurement based on which usage service of the specified product type will be rated. This is a read only field and defined once the UDR type is selected.
| |
| Tiered Rates | Used to provide discounted rates as long as the conditions are met. Several tiered rates can be specified as long as their conditions do not overlap. Each rate is defined in a different row and applied if the row conditions are met. Tiered rates consist of:
|
Related configuration areas
The following module is related to usage service catalogues and may be configured for the usage service catalogues module to operate at its full capacity.
| Manual Link | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Product Types and Products | Product types must be configured in order to be rated. |
| Usage Detail Records (UDRs) | Setting up UDRs | Set up Usage Detail Records attributes which can be used as conditions in the tiered rates of catalogues and catalogue definitions |
| Billing Term Scheme | Define the maximum number of unbilled UDRs that should be present in the system or the maximum cumulative amount from ordered UDRs (within a subscription), before being billed. | |
| Additive Discounts | Additive Discount Definitions | Define discounts that should be used to discount usage services. |
Using Usage Service catalogues
Finance > Product & Pricing > Usage Service catalogues > Manage Usage Service catalogues
Usage Service catalogue Data Entry page
Usage service catalogue fields
The table describes the sections of the Usage Service catalogue Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Main Information | |
|---|---|
Subject to business rules, subscribers can be charged a monthly service fee (such as a VOD service subscription fee), as a prerequisite for ordering a usage service (e.g., a movie). The service fee can be defined in CRM.COM as an optional termed service. Select between:
Services can only be added to subscriptions from 'Effective' usage service catalogues. | |
| |
The period during which the catalogue is available and its services can be added to subscriptions. It can be set to 'Always Valid' or 'Valid for Specific Period'. E.g., Some movies can be made available only during summer. | |
The list of offerings of the specific catalogue, their rates (which can be conditional) and their validity.
Rated: Select for usage services imported to CRM.COM (through the WEB API) whose billing rates are determined by third party systems. When checked, the 'Base Rate' and 'Tiered Rates' fields in the catalogue will be unavailable. Usage services with a type designated in the active catalogue definition as Rated, will automatically be enabled in the catalogue.
Apply Additional Discount: Select for 'rated' usage services that additional discount should be applied through CRM.COM
Unit of Measurement: The unit of measurement based on which usage service of the specified UDR type will be rated. This is a read only field and defined based on the UDR type of the service.
Provisioning ID: Identification supplied for each service by the third-party provider. An ID must be provided for all usage services whose product type is classified as a provisioning service. Start Date / Time: when the provisioning of a service (such as a Pay-per-view show) will begin. E.g., at 09:00 on 1 Jan. 2017. End Date / Time: when the provisioning of the service will end. E.g., 00:00 on 2 Jan. 2017. | |
| Tiered Rates | Used to provide discounted rates as long as the conditions are met. Several tiered rates can be specified as long as their conditions do not overlap. Each rate is defined in a different row and applied if the row conditions are met. Each rate is defined in a different row. Tiered rates consist of:
|
Subscription Conditions | |
Define the Multiple rows can be added in each section and at least one of the conditions should be fulfilled in each row for the usage service catalogue to be available. Conditions added in multiple sections (such as an account classification and subscription type) must all be fulfilled. | |
| Accounts Receivable Conditions | |
Define the accounts receivable Multiple rows can be added in each section and at least one of the conditions should be fulfilled in each row for the usage service catalogue to be available. Conditions added in multiple sections (such as an account classification and subscription type) must all be fulfilled. | |
Creating and processing usage service catalogues
Actions are subject to validations, which take place before an action is initiated (prerequisite) or after it is submitted (postcondition).
Selecting and creating a usage service catalogues
Specify the criteria that match the usage service catalogues you are interested in or use NEW from the Actions menu to create a new catalogue. Provide the mandatory information and SAVE the catalogue. The life cycle state of the catalogue must be 'Effective' in order to start adding services to a subscription from the catalogue.
Editing existing usage service catalogues
Use EDIT from the Actions Menu to add new, edit or delete existing usage service rates or change the validity and conditions set on the catalogue.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Catalogues must be in a 'Draft', 'Effective' or 'Not Effective' life cycle state to be updated. |
|---|---|
| Postconditions | Usage services can be removed from catalogues in a 'Draft', 'Effective' or 'Not Effective' life cycle state, provided that services added on subscriptions are already billed. Information on the service can be updated even if the service was added to a subscription and not billed. |
Deleting a usage service catalogue
Use DELETE from the Actions Menu to remove a usage service catalogue from the list of available catalogues.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Catalogues can be deleted if their life cycle state is 'Draft' or 'Cancelled' and as long as any services added on subscriptions are already billed. |
|---|
Cancelling a usage service catalogue
Cancel a catalogue and its included services so that it is no longer available to subscriptions. Cancelled catalogues can still be viewed in the system. They can be deleted but not modified.
To cancel a catalogue from the Data Entry page, click Cancel in the Actions Menu.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | Catalogues in a 'Draft', 'Effective' or 'Not Effective' life cycle state can be cancelled, provided that services added on subscriptions are already billed. |
|---|
Changing the life cycle state of a usage service catalogue
The life cycle state of a usage service catalogue can be altered from the Actions Menu.
Select 'Set as Effective' to make the catalogue available to subscribers. 'Not Effective', 'Draft' and 'Cancelled' catalogues are not available to subscribers.
Additional Information
Prerequisites | The life cycle state of a catalogue can go from 'Draft' or 'Not Effective' to 'Effective', and from 'Effective' to 'Not Effective'. |
|---|
Usage Service Catalogues Business Example
Scenario 1
Company ZX has introduced new packages for (Over-the-top) 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 during the rest of the day.
• Older movies are always charged €3.00.
• To order a PPV movie, subscribers must have an 'Effective' PPV service on their subscription.
• Movies are free for VIP subscribers.
• Movies should be billed instantly.
Customers can place their orders from their decoders or by calling the call centre.
Solution
To meet the above requirement:
• Product types of classification 'service' and service type, 'usage' and 'termed' must be configured
• Movies must be imported or created in the system with a usage service classification product type
• Provider must be configured (provisioning IDs for each OTT Service should be defined)
• Usage service catalogue definitions must be configured and activated
• Two usage service catalogues must be created including the available movies, one for VIP and one for normal subscribers
• Normal billing term scheme and usage service billing rules must be set for billing to take place whenever one or more movies are added.
Configuration
Product Types
| Product Types | Classification | Service Type | Composition Method | Used For Provisioning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usage Services | Service | Usage | Flat | Yes |
| Termed Services | Service | Termed | Flat | Yes |
Products
| Product | Type | Information |
|---|---|---|
| PPV Service | Termed Services | Necessary in order to authorise the addition of PPV movies to the subscription. |
| PPV movies | One product must be created for each available PPV movie. Usage services are added in usage service catalogues (not price plans). | |
| Lord of the Rings 1 | Usage service | |
| Serendipity | Usage service | |
| Limitless | Usage service | |
Provisioning Provider example
NagraVision Media Live provider
| 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 through Usage Service catalogues | Thomson Decoders |
Usage Service catalogue Definitions
| Life Cycle State | Allowed Attributes | Default Rates by 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 Service catalogue 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 service details will be set automatically according to the definition (base rate, tiered rate, tiered rate conditions). |
| Nagra Media Live Platform | Always Valid | Limitless | €10.00 | 1BQ1 | €5.00 |
| Usage service details will be set automatically according to the definition (base rate, tiered rate, tiered rate conditions). |
| Nagra Media Live Platform | Always Valid | Serendipity (old movie) | €5.00 | 1BQ4 | Usage service details will be set automatically, according to the definition (base rate, tiered rate, tiered rate conditions); the user must manually update the base rate to €5.00 and remove any tiered rates.
| ||
Usage Service catalogue 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 set automatically according to the definition (base rate, tiered rate, tiered rate conditions); the user must manually update all to 0 and remove tiered rates. | Classification = VIP |
| Nagra Media Live Platform | Always Valid | Limitless | €0.00 | 1BQ1 | €0.00 |
| Usage service details will be set automatically according to the definition (base rate, tiered rate, tiered rate conditions); the user must manually update all to 0 and remove tiered rates. | Classification = VIP |
| Nagra Media Live Platform | Always Valid | Serendipity (old movie) | €0.00 | 1BQ4 | €0.00 | Usage service details will be set automatically according to the definition (base rate, tiered rate, tiered rate conditions); the user must manually update all to 0 and remove tiered rates. | Classification = VIP | |
Normal Billing Term Scheme
| Usage Services Billing Rules |
|---|
| Maximum number of unbilled UDRs |
| 1 |
User Process
Subscribers can order PPV movies through:
- a portal that can be integrated to CRM.COM using its WEB API library
- the subscriber's device, provided it is integrated with CRM.COM
- the CRM.COM User Interface, using Add Service Usage.
Notes
- If you are using a previous release, view CRM.COM Release Changes.
- Use the usage service catalogues WEB API to create and manage usage service catalogues from an external system, such as a customer portal. View the usage service catalogues WEB API for a complete list of actions available through the WEB API. Use the Add Service Usage WEB API to add services to a subscription.
Glossary
| CRM.COM Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Over-the-top (OTT) | A broadcasting model where media (video, audio) are transmitted via the Internet as standalone products, without the need for a cable or satellite operator. |
| Usage Detail Records (UDRs) | Information describing the use of Usage Subscription Services. |
| Provisioning Provider | Third-party systems Conditional Access (CA) and Over-the-top (OTT) platforms with which CRM.COM integrates to provide services such as video content, telephony or games. |
| Termed Service | A service that is billed for a recurring period. |
| Subscription | A collection of customer services billed on a recurring, usage or one-time basis. |
| Accounts Receivable | A ledger of the financial transactions carried out between a company and its customers, such as invoices and payments. |