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What are 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, their price rates and the conditions that should be fulfilled in order for those services to become available.

Usage Service Catalogs Glossary

Term	Description
Usage Services	Services that are provided upon customer request and are billed on a recurring basis, based on their usage
Usage Detail Records	Usage Detail Records (UDRs) are used to hold raw information describing the use of subscription services.

Usage Service Catalogs Key Processes and Concepts

Processes / Concept

Description

Usage Service Catalogs Versus Price Plans

In CRM.COM the price rates used to bill any service or product is taken from the Price Plans. An exception to this is any services that the Service Type of the Product Type is set to Usage Service.
Usage Service products can be VOD, PPV, telephone calls, games e.t.c.
In general, services that are to be billed based on their usage are considered Usage Services in CRM.COM.

Usage Services cannot be added in Price Plans.
Usage Service price rate is defined in the Usage Service Catalogs along with additional information.
Information in the Usage Service Catalogs is used by various modules in CRM.COM:

Add Service Usage Action: Used to decide which services will be available for ordering by subscribers based on predefined subscription or accounts receivable conditions
Billing Engine: To charge the subscribers for their usage, considering base rate and tiered rate conditions
Conditional Access system: Activate the ordered service on the subscriber's device using the provisioning id

Add Service Usage Action and WEB API

In order for a subscriber to order a service on their devices, they will need to do so, via the Add Service Usage Action. The action is available in Subscription Service Action list in the Action Panel of Subscription data entry page.

In most cases however subscribers will be ordering the services directly from their devices. In this case, integration with CRM.COM is required, using the available WEB API.
Check out the Add Service Usage WEB API for a detailed description of how it can be used.

Usage Service Catalogs Network Characteristics

Network Characteristics define the level of access for each record. i.e. Whether it will be available for selection, for viewing or editing etc.

Entity	Network Characteristics
Usage Service Catalogs	Controlled Selection Access Entities
Usage Service Catalogs Definitions	Global Viewing Entity

Usage Service Catalogs Related Modules

Interaction Entity	How
Products	OTT services need to be created as Products of type Usage Service
Conditional Access / Provisioning	Provider is responsible for sending the signals to subscribers that have placed an order
Usage Detail Records	When an order for a usage service is executed, UDRs will be automatically created
Subscriptions	Include the Termed service on which the Usage services will be added.
Normal Billing	Related to Billing Term Definition: Defines the execution time of the billing according to the configuration Bills the subscription termed and usage services during Normal Billing Bills the subscription termed and usage services by utilising "Bill Subscriber" action
Prepaid Billing	Related to Billing Term Definition: Defines the execution time of the billing according to the configuration Bills the subscription termed and usage services during Prepaid Billing

Usage Service Catalogs - Business Examples

The following section provides business examples to help you understand how CRM.COM Usage Service Catalogs module is used.

Company ZX OTT Model

Business Requirement

Company ZX has introduced new packages for OTT subscribers. The OTT packages include a plethora of PPV movies.

• These movies are charged for 5 euros when provided during 00:01 and 6:59 and for 10 euros if ordered for the rest of the hours.
• Older movies are charged for 3 euros, independent of the time
• In order to be able to order any PPV movies subscribers will first need to have PPV Service on their subscription and it needs to be effective.
• Movies ordered by subscribers who are VIPs then all the movies are for free

Orders can be done via the customer's decoders or by calling at the Call Centre.

CRM.COM Solution

In order to meet the above requirement the following needs to be configured in the system

• 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 and include the movies to be made available
○ 1 Catalog for VIP subscribers
○ 1 Catalog for Normal subscribers

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 usage of addition of PPV movies on the subscription

PPV movies			You will need to create one product per PPV movie you would like to make available. Usage service are not added in Price Plans but in Usage Service Catalogs.
Lord Of the Rings 1	Usage Service	10%
Serendipity	Usage Service	10%
Limitless	Usage Service	10%

Provisioning Provider
NagraVision Media Live has been 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	5	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	1AQ8	5	Usage Start Time: 00:01 Usage End Time: 06:59	Usage Service details will be automatically set as defined in the definition. (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions)
		Limitless	10	1BQ1	5	Usage Start Time: 00:01 Usage End Time: 06:59	Usage Service details will be automatically set as defined in the definition. (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions)
		Serendipity (Old Movie)	5	1BQ4	Usage Service details will be automatically set as defined in the definition. (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions) In this case you will need to update manually the Base Rate to 5 and remove any Tiered Rates set

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	1AQ8	0		Usage Service details will be automatically set as defined in the definition. (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions) In this case you will need to update them all to 0 and remove Tiered Rates	Classification = VIP
		Limitless	0	1BQ1	0		Usage Service details will be automatically set as defined in the definition. (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions) In this case you will need to update them all to 0 and remove Tiered Rates
		Serendipity (Old Movie)	0	1BQ4	0		Usage Service details will be automatically set as defined in the definition. (Base Rate, Tiered Rate, Tiered Rate Conditions) In this case you will need to update them all to 0 and remove Tiered Rates

User Process
Users can order PPV movies either by WEB API or by calling at the Call Centre. If the order is done via a call then the agent will need to proceed with the following
- Find the Subscription
- Confirm the subscription has the PPV Service (Termed Service) and it is effective. (If the service is not on the subscription then it should be added using Add Effective Services action.
  Note: The service needs to be distributed on the distributor of the configured provider as defined in the Usage Service Catalog
- Once the PPV service is added then the user should open modal for action Add Service Usage
  - The distributor related to the configured Provider must be selected
  - Search for the available PPV movies
    If the order is not to be executed directly, then first select the scheduled date, so that the correct PPV movie list is populated
  - Select the PPV movie that the subscriber wants to order
  - Provide information to be added on the UDR to be created (and which will be used for the Billing of the movie)
  - Submit the action

More Information on modules used for the example can be found at:

Related Areas

Page:

Understanding Usage Service Catalogs — Understand the application of Usage Service Catalogs within CRM.COM
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Managing Usage Service Catalogs — Learn to work with Usage Service Catalogs
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Configuring Usage Service Catalogs Definitions — Learn to configure Usage Service Catalog Business Definitions that will determine the overall behaviour of the Usage Service Catalog

Understanding Usage Service Catalogs