CTBC

CTBC: Rapid Growth in Brazil

CTBC, part of the Algar Group, offers complete integrated telecommunication solutions, covering fixed lines, mobile communications, cable, television and data services. It started its operations in Central Brazil and has spread to the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, as well as the Federal District.

The Challenge: To Support Expansion and Advanced Value-Added Services

With the launch of a GSM network, CTBC knew it faced a challenge of providing additional billing functionality. It also recognized that this launch presented an ideal opportunity to consolidate to a single billing system to support all lines of business, enabled by the new network.

Consolidation to a single billing system required a fresh approach to its billing strategy to support existing and new service types as well as subscriber growth. In addition to multi-service convergence, CTBC wanted the new system to support services, such as roaming and advanced rating, and enable enhanced customer relationships.

Comprehensive Solution: Kenan® FX

CTBC selected components of the Kenan® FX framework to cover charging, payments and journals across all of the service offerings, mobile, wireline, data and mobile roaming. With a billing platform that provides open, flexible and scalable rating, billing and account management, the operator was ready for its new era – and had reached this point following a smooth migration.

The Result: Smooth Migration to Success

The compelling event for the change to a converged billing system was CTBC’s introduction of a GSM network to augment the well-established TDMA network. Together with the wireline and broadband offerings, there were several systems and applications to migrate to the Kenan FX framework. Clearly, the migration had to be achieved without service and application disruption, not to mention the loss of billable records.

It was also vitally important to make all the back office changes transparent to CTBC’s customers, both residential and business. All administration, provisioning and customer care functions needed to fully operate as “business as usual” during migration.

CTBC wanted a single billing system to support all lines of business, including launching its new GSM network in a very short timeframe – just three months.

Comverse Professional Services worked closely with CTBC to ensure that the operator’s demanding implementation schedule and exacting quality requirements were achieved. This included migration of data from existing billing and other related systems to the Kenan FX framework along with the seamless implementation of improved customer relations functions and interfaces.

By unifying the billing platform, CTBC gained the ability to bill for multiple services in a single instance. Key benefits include:

• Simplifying the back office
• Reducing cost of operation
• Improving ARPU
• Promoting cross-selling of products with flexible
• bundling and pricing plans
• Identifying up-sell opportunities
• Increasing subscriber loyalty

Significantly, CTBC was now able to generate one invoice for wireless, wireline and Internet access services. In addition, CTBC customer service representatives are assisted by a unified view of each subscriber, regardless of the combination of communication services used.

Fast Transition to Converged Billing

Multi-Service Converged Billing came online without disruption to customer service or loss of bill cycle data. Comverse’s Kenan FX now enables CTBC to offer an expanded range of services, accommodate changes in business models and increase revenue generation.

Special GSM pricing plans and services were introduced when the new network went live and there was a measurable increase in the rate of new subscribers. CTBC also noted that returning past customers were attracted by the GSM functionality, such as roaming and flexible pricing plans.

With its converged billing and customer care functionality across all services, CTBC is able to ensure timely, accurate processing and billing for its mobile, wireline and data customers. The Kenan FX implementation has simplified CTBC’s back office infrastructure, achieving cost reductions related to managing and maintaining fewer systems and third-party software.

CTBC can now capitalize on its increasing subscriber base using multiple services as a result of the improved bundling capability. In addition, CTBC’s customer care personnel can leverage a single view of the customer to provide high-quality, personalized service and identify up-sell opportunities that enable increased customer retention and drive new revenue.

Kenan FX enables CTBC to expand into new markets and compete more effectively by reducing the time-to-market for new products, enabling targeted promotional campaigns, and attractive packages of bundled services.

CTBC’s fresh approach to billing is paying dividends and adding value to all of its service offerings, and not only GSM. Converged billing is opening up new opportunities for CTBC in its very competitive market.