ACE*COMM's Enterprise OSS Customer and Partner Newsletter
Vol. 3, No. 1 ¤ June 2004 ¤ Enterprise Edition
[Service Provider Customers go here.]
NetPlus® Wins "Product of the Year" … Again
For the second year in a row, Communications Solutions® magazine has granted NetPlus® its prestigious "Product of the Year" award for 2003. Communications Solutions® announced the award in March 2004.
"NetPlus® is clearly deserving of leadership status in the enterprise telemanagement and OSS sector of the telecommunications industry. We're proud to reward their hard work and innovation with a Product of the Year Award for 2003," said Rich Tehrani, president of TMC and group editor-in-chief of Communications Solutions®.
Tehrani added, "The Product of the Year awards exemplify the best that this industry has to offer. ACE*COMM has demonstrated a commitment to quality, and a commitment to the further development of the communications industry through its NetPlus® approach to enterprise communications management. ACE*COMM deserves this great honor, and I look forward to seeing other innovative solutions from them as they continue to contribute to the future of communications."
ACE*COMM Acquires Intasys – Extends into EBPP
ACE*COMM has acquired the OSS products, services, business, and related solutions of Intasys (IBT). The new division, called ACE*COMM Solutions, will offer the Intasys product line of billing and customer care solutions as a complement to ACE*COMM's existing suites of Convergent Mediation™ and EOSS solutions.
The new solutions include ViewBill – a technology that combines Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP), account management, and personalization to create an integrated, natural starting point for mobile-phone customer-service issues.
ViewBill dramatically improves interactive self-care by giving end-users direct control over a full range of account-related tasks, from finding information to executing transactions – functions that might otherwise go through a call center or other distribution channel.
For more information on ViewBill, contact: .
NetPlus® Cost Management Platform Launched
at VoiceCon 2004
ACE*COMM launched its NetPlus® Cost Management platform for enterprise-level telecommunications at VoiceCon 2004, in Orlando, Florida, in early March. The Cost Management platform is part of ACE*COMM's award-winning NetPlus® advanced enterprise operations support system (EOSS).
The NetPlus® Cost Management platform brings together NetPlus's state-of-the-art TMS and chargeback billing applications, workflow and invoice management tools, and vendor invoice reconciliation modules to provide the basis for a solid cost-management strategy.
Good cost management includes the ability to create a full and accurate inventory of circuits and equipment along with the tools and data to correctly charge users for service usage. Automation of order processing, along with accurate invoice tracking and vendor invoice reconciliation, assures nothing gets lost and all potential revenue is accounted for and billed. It also helps you understand your customers' spending patterns and to spot anomalies and make better-informed telecom / IT management decisions.
Telecommunications cost management is a process, not a product. The idea is to use robust and field-proven tools to get an enterprise-level view of the entire communications system, from which you can use your tools and expertise to implement cost-management policies and practices. "For effective, long-term cost management, there are no magic bullets or push-button solutions," said Greg Trexler, ACE*COMM's Director of Product Management for Enterprise OSS. "Instead, NetPlus provides the tools you need to get that enterprise-level view so you can cut ongoing costs and prevent costly errors before they occur."
Some of the benefits of the NetPlus® Cost Management platform include:
Improved overall network efficiency
Dramatic reduction in lost and/or unchargeable data
Migration away from paper-based processes
Elimination of recovery expenses because of bad or missing data
Reduced time for callbacks on electronic trouble tickets and service requests
Avoidance of late payment charges to vendors
Easy identification of exceptional or unusual charges on vendor invoices
Automatic validation and reconciliation of communications vendor billing
A holistic approach to enterprise telecom cost savings
For more information, contact: .
State of Nevada to Use NetPlus® for Communications Cost Management
The State of Nevada Department of Information Technology will deploy NetPlus® EOSS for its call management accounting functions. The department plans to cut costs by automatically validating and reconciling its communications vendor billings.
"By using NetPlus®, the State of Nevada Department of Information Technology has looked beyond simple call accounting functions to invest strategically in a true cost management platform," said George T. Jimenez, CEO of ACE*COMM. "The State's telecom and IT department realized that cost management is an ongoing and strategic initiative that requires a holistic view of the communications network systems. NetPlus® provides the ability to support the billing of all types of telecom and IT charges, to collect usage data from any type of network device, to manage their vendor invoices and track accounts payable, to produce carrier-grade, custom invoices for their customers, and to automate validation of their vendor invoices. This effectively puts the State's IT and telecommunications department in control of their invoice management processes, and provides the basis and tools for ongoing cost management functions and long-term bottom-line benefits."
The NetPlus® billing and cost allocation module lets organizations track and monitor telecom and IT cost center charges and credits, manage their vendor invoices and track amounts paid by charge type, reliably capture usage and billing data from a wide range of network devices and vendor invoices, and interface with internal and third-party general ledger and financial management systems. NetPlus® supports the emailing of invoices to customers and has facilities for customers to view their invoices online.
The NetPlus® billing and cost allocation module is tightly integrated with the other NetPlus® application modules, such as service order processing and inventory management, so that relevant billing data is kept up to date automatically as orders are filled and equipment put into use.
NetPlus® to Manage Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Internal Communications Functions
NetPlus® has been selected by RS Information Systems, Inc. (RSIS®) to provide the telecommunications systems, software, and services for the FAA's Voice Telephone Network. The NetPlus® EOSS technology will form the basis for the network management functions, including inventory management, work order management, trouble tickets, and task flow automation processes.
RSIS is a leading systems integrator providing advanced technical and business solutions in information technology, systems engineering, telecommunications, scientific support, and management consulting. RSIS has been contracted by the FAA to manage many aspects of their voice communications network.
"Our experience and expertise with communications management systems development allowed us to appreciate the value of ACE*COMM's advanced enterprise telemanagement technology for switched voice, data, IP, and other hybrid networks," said Ron Trowbridge, Vice President, RS Information Systems. "Forward-thinking organizations like the FAA recognize that information and network management systems are becoming an essential part of a more pervasive management environment. With NetPlus®, we can provide them with an enterprise-focused, scalable platform from which the network operations center can manage essential telecommunications management functions."
NetPlus Workflow Engine Continues to Impress
The NetPlus® Workflow Engine, an advanced order processing solution that was released late last year as part of the NetPlus® 6 upgrade, continues to garner praise from customers who seek new ways to improve efficiencies and performance.
Customers enjoy the benefits of using the Workflow Engine to define internal and external process flows including the types of orders to be processed, the states the order must pass through before completion, and what must happen before the orders can move through each state. They can build the rules, add new types of orders, and change the rules for each type of order processing through a set of web-enable, table-driven forms.
The Workflow Engine eases network administration by enabling customers to modify order processes and define business rules at their discretion. This flexibility allows them to model their order and document flow processes through a flexible, central, and Web-accessible system.
All order activity is managed through a single Web site. Service requesters access a Web page through a familiar form, fill out the order, and submit it over the network. The NetPlus Workflow Engine automatically routes the order based on its type to the next appropriate entity, and the requester is notified by email of the submitted order and can view its status through the same Web page – seeing only the orders that pertain to them. Outside vendors can be linked into the process and can directly update orders over the Internet.
With the Workflow Engine, NetPlus® users say goodbye to paper orders that get buried under heaps of desktop clutter or lost in jammed fax machines. Everything happens through the network, securely, and with clear audit trails.
For more information on the Workflow Engine, pricing, and availability, contact Nancy Horn: ,
or 1 (301) 721-3064.
Trend: Slow but Steady Growth Seen for Enterprise VoIP
A new report from research firm Light Reading forecasts slow but steady growth for enterprise VoIP. The report notes that while product improvements and price declines have raised VoIP's appeal for many enterprises, the market's growth will remain gradual as companies take a piecemeal approach to the technology, enabling their businesses on an incremental basis. The report further finds that private hosted-VOIP vendors, such as Sylantro and BroadSoft, are making major inroads into large carrier networks and have significant products for the SMB market. Service providers report that hosted solutions can lower the total cost of ownership by up to 20 percent but require the customer to relinquish control – a trait not usually associated with enterprise customers.
IBM, Cisco team to promote enterprise VoIP
IBM and Cisco say they are working together on products and services that will make it easier for businesses to adopt converged voice, video, and data offerings. The alliance aims to bring businesses a broader and more integrated suite of products for IP telephony, unified messaging, contact centers, and video conferencing. The two vendors say they will focus their efforts on providing mobility, integration, and security. Among the integrated offerings will be a combination of Cisco's Unity system and IBM's Lotus Domino; Cisco's CallManager with IBM's Information Management database software; CallManager with Tivoli systems management certification; and support for CallManager on several IBM server platforms.
Enterprise IP Voice Expenditures to Double in 2004
Small, medium, and large organizations participating in Infonetics Research's latest study, "User Plans for IP Voice, North America 2004," on average plan to more than double their expenditures on Internet Protocol (IP) voice products and services between 2003 and 2004.
"IP voice is going mainstream, but it's not quite there yet. There are many examples of companies migrating to IP voice platforms and investing in this new technology, and they will continue to," observed Matthias Machowinski, Infonetics Research's next-gen voice analyst and lead author of the study. "However, actual adoption of IP voice in North America is still in its infancy, and as such needs to overcome the inertia new markets face.
"The number-one perception of non-adopters is that their current TDM phone systems and services work just fine. This requires a lot of education by vendors and service providers on the merits of their IP voice products and services and how they can help address today's business challenges," Machowinski said.
"User Plans for IP Voice" is based on in-depth interviews with 240 small, medium, and large organizations that use IP voice now or will by March 2005. Most respondents opt for in-house IP voice; some use managed IP voice services, and others use a combination of the two.
Army DOIM
September 30 - August 3, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Feature Quote
"In-Stat/MDR estimates that enterprise firms will spend close to $82 billion on telecom services and equipment this year, representing an 8% increase over spending in 2003. Telecom spending makes up the largest area of IT spending in the enterprise market, at more than 33%. This percentage is only expected to rise, as telecom services and equipment become increasingly important in connecting the disparate pieces of these fragmented firms. With growth in telecom spending higher than that in any other area of expenditures, In-Stat/MDR expects the enterprise market to spend close to $102 billion by 2008."
Jeff Wilson – Industry Analyst, In-Stat/MDR
Customer Support Contact Info
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM U.S. EST
Weekdays, except for ACE*COMM-observed holidays. After-hours calls are
handled by the ACE*COMM answering service.
Contact Customer Support:
800-989-5566
301-721-HELP (4357)
Escalation Path:
(1) Customer Support
(2) ,
Director of Customer Service
(301-721-3089)
(3) ,
VP of Customer Care
(301-721-3031)
About ACE*News
ACE*News is a publication for ACE*COMM customers and
partners. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions on how we
can improve this publication, please contact:
For the second year in a row, Communications Solutions® magazine has granted NetPlus® its prestigious "Product of the Year" award for 2003. Communications Solutions® announced the award in March 2004.
The State of Nevada Department of Information Technology will deploy NetPlus® EOSS for its call management accounting functions. The department plans to cut costs by automatically validating and reconciling its communications vendor billings.
NetPlus® has been selected by RS Information Systems, Inc. (RSIS®) to provide the telecommunications systems, software, and services for the FAA's Voice Telephone Network. The NetPlus® EOSS technology will form the basis for the network management functions, including inventory management, work order management, trouble tickets, and task flow automation processes.
