iCONX still enjoys the happy position of market leader by offering a truly integrated, single database, all-in-one billing and routing optimisation system.

While technology continues to advance—AI, cloud-native, and APIs are now part of the modern Telecoms provider’s stack—the need for a single truly integrated billing and routing software provider hasn’t changed.

Commonality of reference data

Existing customers of the iCONX billing system are often pleasantly surprised to learn they’re already in possession of most of the data needed to perform routing optimisation!

In fact, a good 75% of the necessary reference data is already in the billing system, including commercial products, carrier prices, codes, destinations and dial code lists, plus the network topology and identifications of partners on respective routes & trunks.

Because iCONX is fully integrated, reference data changes are made once, as is normal, but they are automatically made available for two business applications: the interconnect billing system and the Routing system.

This confers considerable benefits; for instance, productivity is greatly enhanced because fewer resources are required. Similarly, removing the manual duplication of effort decreases the risk of human error to a negligible status, noting that human error in a carrier business environment can be pretty catastrophic (e.g. incorrect decimal point on a rate entry!)

GUI integration

Users hate having to log in and out constantly, hanging around while separate applications boot up. While it’s not the end of the world, such issues reduce morale and may promote fatigue and manual error.

Here, the iCONX integration means that the user logs in only once, at the start of the day, and can toggle freely between each application whenever they choose using a simple on-screen icon. Indeed, multitasking is fully supported, and since iCONX is browser-based, the user can always open a second or third screen to play around while the other application executes some tasks.

Remember, speed is of the essence in routing, where exploiting commercial opportunities is crucial. Users cannot afford to get bogged down.

Perils of the alternatives

One alternative telcos have explored is to create a technical solution that ‘slaves’ two different systems together. Via some kind of bespoke interface, a technology vendor could, in theory, interface the RO system data with the billing system data (or vice versa). However, achieving perfect synchronisation is no easy task in such a dynamic area.

Direct database updates and file imports/exchanges, data re-formatting and normalisation, and the scheduling or triggering of data exchange would all be critical requirements that present significant technical challenges.

To deliver on such challenges, the telco would need to elicit the cooperation of two different system vendors (who may be each other’s competitors) and/or a firm of system integrators. None of that sounds particularly easy or cheap! So, whilst a technical solution (as with everything) theoretically exists, it’s an approach fraught with risk. How much more elegant is it to remove the problem in the first place via a fully integrated system.

Modular freedom

Usually, integrated solutions come with a health warning – “warning, major project ahead!” This may dissuade customers from taking the plunge. However in this particular instance, the reality is the reverse of what may be expected; by taking an integrated approach to Billing and Routing, the project footprint is in fact much smaller, neater and cleaner and there is less likelihood of getting into project overrun or complication.

In the case of iCONX, we offer our Routing Optimisation solution broken up into user-friendly modules, which telcos may implement (or not) at their own leisure over time and in line with the natural demands of their carrier business growth profile. In this way we offer the best of both worlds, the freedom of a modular, phased approach for simple Least Cost Routing. Thereafter there is the option to simply add other routing modules including Trading, Quality and full Switch Integration.

To discuss how iCONX can support your billing and routing requirements, please fill out our contact form or contact our experts at info@iconsolutions.com.