IRVINE, Calif.-L.M. Ericsson and Subscriber Computing Inc. entered a partnership agreement in which Ericsson plans to market SCI’s wireless intelligent network-based prepaid metered billing system for Advanced Mobile Phone Service and digital-AMPS networks, said SCI.
Ericsson will handle sales, installation, training and first-line support for the new prepaid administration system, which was co-developed by Ericsson and SCI.
The new WIN-based prepaid billing solution offers wireless carriers advantages and cost benefits not available with older prepaid technologies, said Andres Arteta, SCI’s prepaid billing product manager.
“The key difference with the new WIN-based solution is that the only connection from the wireless network to the prepaid platform is [Signaling System 7] and C7 (European equivalent) links-there are no E1/T1 voice trunks,” said Arteta.
“WIN-based prepaid billing solutions offer all the real-time `pre-call’ control capabilities that the adjunct switching platform solutions do, without the need to be in the call path and carry the voice load,” Arteta added.
“This eliminates the need for additional voice trunks and allows efficient use of the wireless network as the wireless switch handles all the call routing and control.”
The companies expect to install the first system under the agreement during the first quarter.