Guavus, Inc., a leading provider of big data analytics applications for operational intelligence, today announced Pipeline 5.0, the latest version of its IP mediation product for the cable industry. Pipeline 5 introduces new revenue assurance capabilities that enhance the industry-leading product suite, while continuing to provide the most accurate ‘billing ready’ usage data available in the market.
Pipeline 5 empowers multiple systems operators (MSOs) with improved customer experience management (CEM) capabilities, while simultaneously paving the way for a variety of usage-based billing models. Pipeline 5 is also fully compatible with next-generation network infrastructures and service standards, including Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 3.1, Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) and DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON (DPoE).
Pipeline 5 enables MSOs to fuse Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) data with other information, such as customer care, network and application data, to gain detailed insights into subscriber usage and behavior. The application harnesses the power of the Guavus Reflex Operational Intelligence platform, enabling faster time to insights through the use of real-time open source big data technologies, including Apache Spark and HBase. This creates a highly reliable, scalable and powerful data engine capable of processing data at up to ten times the speed of alternative offerings.
Key benefits for MSOs include the ability to:
• Support usage accounting and usage-based billing, with highly granular and accurate subsc riber behavior data
• Audit usage data and proactively pinpoint the source of any usage discrepancies introduced during any stage of the metering, rating and billing process
• Resolve customer billing disputes, with granular visibility into service consumption and subscriber behavior
• Manage network congestion and enforce fair use policies to safeguard quality of service (QoS) for all subscribers
• Make data-driven decisions regarding the cost of service delivery and identify upsell opportunities
“Subscribers are cutting the cord in droves; abandoning fixed-term rigid packages in favor of flexible pay-as-you-go OTT services,” said Anukool Lakhina, Founder and CEO of Guavus. “By embracing usage-based billing, cable firms can offer the flexibility their subscribers crave by only charging for the data they consume. Yet to do so they need to have more granular, real-time visibility into subscriber consumption to feed into existing and next generation BSS frameworks. Pipeline provides that functionality while ensuring compatibility for next generation standards.”
Pipeline’s open application programming interfaces (APIs) enable it to integrate seamlessly with operators’ existing infrastructure and back-office systems. Its modular architecture maximize flexibility in licensing options, enabling MSOs to reduce costs by deploying only what they need. The new release of Pipeline is fully next-gen-ready, providing support for DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 service definitions, as well as support for CCAP and DPoE infrastructures. These network technologies are essential as MSOs modernise their infrastructures to offer subscribers speeds of up to ten gigabits per second.
“The arrival of next-generation network architectures and service standards are enabling operators to increase capacity and guarantee a higher QoS for subscribers, ensuring revenue assurance teams are able to bett er manage the profitability of their network environments,” continued Lakhina. “By correlating network IPDR data with information from billing and customer care, MSOs are able to access a 360 degree view of the customer experience; as a result, operators can manage consumption and allocate network resources more effectively, while providing transparency and accuracy on subscriber usage. This gives care teams the ability to resolve any billing disputes with confidence, while enabling faster delivery of new services in the future.”
