Telecommunications Support systems are software-based solutions and processes that enable Network Service Providers (NSPs) to build, manage, maintain, monitor their networks and monetize their infrastructure investments by converting them into marketable products and services.

Uni Systems has developed a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and Professional Services encompassing all phases from planning to implementation and support of information support systems. Examples include IT consulting, systems/network design, software development, integration services, education and training, business management and data extraction.

Uni Systems Telecommunications support systems and professional services cover the whole range of Telecommunications Business Process and Solution Areas including:

Business Support Systems | BSS

BSS facilitates the relationship with NSP customers. BSS can be thought of as customer-facing systems and includes the following solution areas:

• Billing and records includes all the revenue recognition steps that take place after message collection. This includes adjusting pricing and discount tables, rating and calculating, invoice formatting and bill production.

• Customer assistance and care encompasses all processes and systems that support customer interaction. Directory assistance, billing inquiry, service questions, adds and changes and repair requests fall into this category.

• Sales and marketing covers all processes and systems from product idea creation to service order entry. Marketing includes market research, product trial and development, product management, advertising, marketing, campaign management, profit analysis and customer segmentation analysis. Sales include telemarketing, incoming call center sales, commission tracking and management, service negotiation and order entry.

• Message collection/mediation pulls call detail records and other network events off the network switches, standardizes them and stores the data for OSS analysis and billing. Message collection factors in the front-end or prebilling portion of the billing process.

Operations Support Systems |OSS

OSS facilitates the operations of the communications carrier's transport network. OSS can be thought of as network-facing systems and includes the following solution areas:

• Planning and engineering includes the steps from network planning to network construction, line and service testing.

• Provisioning and activation includes all systems and steps related to the process of implementing a new customer account or service.

• Inventory management covers all network or facilities equipment tracking and management. In this ongoing process, all installed and "on hand" network assets are tracked for efficient inventory, procurement, repair and reuse.

• Workforce management encompasses all activities surrounding work assignment, coordination and tracking. The process involves assuring that personnel with the appropriate qualifications are given the correct equipment at the right time and place.  Examples of IT applications and systems supporting workforce management are dispatch, workflow management and project tracking.

• Network management includes configuration management, traffic management, fault management, security management, element management and performance management.

Increasingly, NSPs are migrating from internally developed and maintained legacy solutions toward commercial off the shelf (COTS) products.

Uni Systems has established strategic partnerships with leading edge vendors in the areas of O/BSS systems including Oracle, (Metasolv, Portal,) HP, Openet, Broadhop, ZenOSS, Splunk, Accanto Systems and others that today drive the most effective and efficient organizations and ensure the smooth migration and transition into next generation technologies.