VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite Helps Carriers Deliver Next-Generation Voice, Data and Mobile Commerce Services

November 16, 2005

VeriSign, Inc. announced the VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite, a set of converged services that helps wireless carriers speed the delivery of next-generation communications, commerce and content solutions.

The VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite provides unique capabilities for provisioning a wireless user and device, port the user’s mobile number, push intelligently formatted content to the device, mediate the event, settle revenue with content partners, bill for the services, replenish prepaid usage, process a secure payment and enable seamless customer care.

“Mobile operators are building next-generation networks to better compete, mitigate churn and offer 3G services,” said Vernon Irvin, executive vice president and general manager, VeriSign Communications Services. “The Wireless Commerce Suite can help carriers add services and deliver a unified consumer experience—without forcing them to make large capital outlays or lose focus on more critical business priorities.”

According to a recent Yankee Group report1, operators around the globe will spend more than $10 billion this year on software services and infrastructure to create more efficient order-to-cash-to-care processes. Operators are betting IT investments will help decrease operating expenses and improve customer services and they are using IT investments to execute strategies to build customer loyalty and give them competitive advantage.

The VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite creates an order-to-cash system for provisioning, billing, content delivery and settlement of wireless services.  It provides the ability to combine post- and pre-pay functionalities for voice, data and content, which helps carriers offer consumers pay-per-use and pay-in-advance options.  The suite also features a common interface for subscriber management from initial activation, to adding and upgrading features, to providing consolidated billing statements.

“As one of the first wireless service operators to deploy an all-digital, 3G network that currently serves nearly 2 million subscribers across the U.S., MetroPCS sees value in using many of the services that are in the VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite,” said Braxton Carter, Chief Financial Officer, MetroPCS. “Over the years, VeriSign has helped us differentiate our offerings, handle rapid growth and become a driving force in the industry.”

“Carriers that use VeriSign Billing and OSS and PrePayIN will be able to provision a customer with their own postpay plan and a prepay plan for their teenager. Furthermore, they allow mobile operators to sell provision and distribute mobile content and manage a multiple accounts through a single interface,” said Irvin.

The VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite is offered as a service bureau solution that leverages VeriSign’s world-class operating facilities that enable and protect more than 14 billion transactions per day for Internet and telecommunications networks. The services, which can be sold separately or bundled for operators that want a comprehensive managed solution, are: 

• VeriSign PrePayIN: Real-time rating, charging and billing application for voice and data services that run on commonly used platforms and can be integrated into legacy and next-generation networks. Service is designed to handle growth and facilitate timely deployment of services. When combined with VeriSign Billing and OSS services, carriers can provide mobile content, prepaid and postpaid plans, and manage multiple accounts using a single interface.
• VeriSign Settlement and Exchange Services:  Proprietary services that simplify tracking and settling of roaming services by consolidating roamer data and facilitating payment.  Flag and identify call record disparities so charges are correctly processed, which is a key component in revenue assurance. Enable settlement with Financial Net Settlement members or with VeriSign NetSelect™ , a service which allows CIBER carriers to conduct financial settlement directly with roaming partners.
• VeriSign® Billing and OSS: Related services feature six functional lifecycle components—content and applications, provisioning, mediation, pricing and billing, payments and customer care—that are designed to improve accuracy and timeliness of settlements, billing and receipts, and help companies address key needs so they can focus on providing quality services and customer care. 
• VeriSign Mobile Content and Commerce Services: Managed services that enable effective distribution, digital rights management, copyright clearing and financial settlement for mobile content offerings and allows service providers to deliver innovative services and related revenue. VeriSign provides the trusted middleware that can help reduce the complexity of managing the mobile content value chain.
• VeriSign Wireless Number Portability: A service-bureau option, VeriSign manages connections to regional Number Portability Administration Centers and maintains the hardware and software required for number portability. This platform includes the VeriSign NP Data Access service, the VeriSign NP Service Order Administration service and fully-integrated wireless services for the Inter-Carrier Communications Process (ICP) and Local Service Requests.