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Overview
Tucano is an Over-The-Top (OTT) platform that is used to stream content to Pay-Per-Channel (PPC) or Video-On-Demand (VOD) based Subscriptions. CRM.COM provides a ready-made implementation with Tucano, through the Tucano Provisioning module, allowing to directly provision Tucano Subscribers by handling the activation and deactivation of signals transmitted to devices owned by Subscribers within CRM.COM.
For example, when a new Subscription is created in CRM.COM, the subscription is also created in Tucano which is directly updated; the provisioning signals are sent to the subscriber's device to activate the registered services.
Major features
- Integration to Tucano
- Activation and deactivation of subscriptions is handled at real-time as soon as the action takes place
- Option to manage subscriptions out of sync through a batch process or through a utility for a single subscription
- Reset a single subscription
- Option to archive old provisioning requests. For more information refer to Utilities
Using Tucano
- Tucano implementation submits requests on Tucano system at real-time
- Subscription actions update subscription provisioning state in CRM.COM and if associated with a change that should be also executed in Tucano, a request is constructed using Tucano commands and sent to Tucano.
- Subscription changes taking place during a downtime of Tucano system, or any other communication issues between CRM.COM and Tucano, a reset run is available that can identify all subscriptions that require update, construct a request using Tucano commands and send to Tucano.
Setting Up Tucano
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 |
|
Connection Parameters |
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 |
|
| 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:
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 Restrictions per Physical Good Type: Define the minimum and maximum number of installed items that can be added to the distributor, from specific |
| Dependencies | Define |
Services | |
One or more service mappings must be present for a provider to be 'Effective'.
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. | |
Related configuration areas
Mandatory modules must be configured for the provisioning module to work.
| Manual Link | Area | Description | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products |
| 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 |
| Communications | Communication Queue External System | Set up the external system that will be used to handle mail messages created for the provider. | Optional |
Handling Subscriptions Through Batch Processes
Billing > Provisioning > Tucano
Resetting subscriptions out of sync
Billing > Provisioning > Common Services > Perform Reset Subscription Runs
Reset subscription runs are used to identify and synchronize subscriptions that have gone out of sync, by communicating the necessary commands to the CA/OTT platform. It is possible to preview the subscriptions that will be reset by the run, by using Preview from the Actions menu.
The table describes the sections of Reset Subscription Runs Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Main Information | |
|---|---|
| |
Criteria (optional) (Used to identify the subscriptions that should be reset) | |
Subscription Creation Period: Define the period during which the subscriptions to be processed were created (otherwise, all subscriptions will be processed). Subscription Types that should be included in the run. |
Handling a subscription through a utility
Billing > Provisioning > Tucano
Utilities used to handle specified subscriptions.
Reset subscription
Updates an out of sync subscription, so that the provider reflects the state in CRM.COM.
Authenticating Tucano Subscribers Before Ordering
The principle of OTT is to enable customers to order and view an event directly, using their selected device. The signals required for streaming the video come directly from the provider and are authenticated through CRM.COM once an order is placed.
For example, when a user orders a movie on a tablet, CRM.COM authenticates the user through an account and subscription number and sends the user a token for viewing the movie on the tablet.
This is required when a VOD or PPV order is executed from a third-party system such as a portal. Further implementation from the third-party is required, to call CRM.COM authentication WEB API and provide subscriber details (subscription number and account).
The subscriber is authenticated in CRM.COM and subsequently in the provider. The token is sent back to the third-party so that the subscriber can start viewing the movie.
Tucano requests
The table below displays the CRM.COM processes and actions that trigger the requests sent to Tucano.
| Tucano Command | Usage | Triggered by |
|---|---|---|
| Create Account | Used to register a subscriber in Tucano. | Subscription reset run Reset subscription utility Subscription Actions
Service Actions
installed items Actions
|
| Activate Options | Used to register a new 'Usage' or 'Termed' subscription service in Tucano. | Subscription reset run Reset subscription utility Subscription Actions
Service Actions
|
| Suspend Options | Used to deactivate a 'Usage' or 'Termed' subscription service in Tucano. | Subscription reset run Reset subscription utility Subscription Actions
Service Actions
|
Add Material | Used to register the subscription's Set Top Box to Tucano. | Subscription reset run Reset subscription utility Subscription Actions
Installed items Actions
|
Remove Material | Un-register the subscription 's Set Top Box from Tucano. | Subscription reset run Reset subscription utility Subscription Actions
Installed items Actions
|
Tucano Business Examples
Subscription with multiple viewing points
Scenario 1
Company ZX offers to its customers the option to have multiple viewing points per subscription. This enables its customers to have a separate box and card in each of the rooms, and choose between having the same channels or different channels available through boxes. The maximum number of viewing points that can be added to a subscription is 4.
Solution
For each set of box and card that will be made available to subscribers, CRM.COM must have a different provisioning distributor available, in order to set the channel availability and restrictions per box.
In order to support this, the following distributors must be set up in the Provisioning Provider.
- Main
- TWIN1
- TWIN2
- TWIN3
Provisioning of flexible and fixed bundle products
Scenario 2
Company ZX offers its customers, flexible and fixed bundle products as well as single channels . Subscribers can request to switch between the available product offerings at any time. It is required that the agents can view the requests that are being sent, to ensure that the signals are provisioned to the customers.
Solution
Consider the following provisioning mapping:
- Components of Flexible Bundle A
- Geological CA ID = GFA1
- Entertain CA ID = EFA2
- Components of Flexible Bundle B
- Religion CA ID = RFB1
- Baby Channel CA ID = BFB2
- Flat Products
- AgricultureCA ID = AF1
Example 1: Provisioning of a Flexible Bundle
On provisioning a Flexible Bundle A, having Geological and Entertain, the following requests will be sent:
- 1 CREATE_ACCOUNT
- 1 ADD_MATERIAL
- 2 ACTIVATE_OPTIONS
- CA ID=GFA1 which represents the Geological channel
- CA ID=PFA2 which represents the Entertain channel
Example 2: On swapping from Flexible Bundle to a flat product
On swapping Flexible Bundle A, to Agriculture the following requests will be sent:
- 1 ACTIVATE_OPTIONS
- CA ID = AF1 which represents the Flat product channel
- 2 SUSPEND_OPTIONS
- CA ID=GFA1 which represents the Geological channel
- CA ID=PFA2 which represents the Entertain channel
Example 3: On upgrading the Flexible Bundle A to Flexible Bundle B with Geological and Religion
On upgrading from one Flexible Bundle to the other the following Requests will be sent:
- 2 ACTIVATE_OPTIONS
- CA ID = RFB1 which represents the Religion channel
- CA ID = BFB2 which represents the Baby Channel
- 2 SUSPEND_OPTIONS
- CA ID=GFA1 which represents the Geological channel
- CA ID=EFA2 which represents the Entertain channel
Notes
- If you are using a previous release, view CRM.COM Release Changes.
- Use the WEB API to authenticate a subscriber against Tucano provider
Glossary
CRM.COM Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| OTT | Stands for Over The Top and is media content, such as audio or video, which is delivered over the internet with no intervention from the Service Provider. |
| Out of Sync | Subscriptions that have a different Provisioning State in CRM.COM than in Tucano. |
| Provisioning State | The provisioning state of a Subscription Service (i.e. a channel) that can be either 'Active' or 'Inactive'.
|
| Tucano Account | Tucano account refers to a Subscriber / Customer |
| Tucano Materials | Tucano Material refers to devices (STBs) that can be registered to Subscribers |
| Tucano Options | Tucano Options refer to the services that can be provided to Subscribers as part of company's business offerings |