LogicaCMG offers billing solution

Stanley Glancy / Mumbai

Multimedia messaging may not have set the market on fire as text messaging did sometime ago. But expectations continue to run high as industry watchers predict big revenues from this service. Both telecom and software service providers like LogicaCMG are already working overtime to put in place a proper billing structure for the service. In fact, LogicaCMG, a global solution provider for the burgeoning mobile messaging industry, claims to be all set to tap the potential of this industry with its billing solution. Said Louwke Van Der Steen, managing director of LogicaCMG for South Asia, “We believe MMS will create a compelling need for new kinds of flexibility and responsiveness in the billing and accounting platform, as next-generation charging capability becomes an absolute requirement. Our solutions can provide the operator with complete, end-to-end MMS capability.”

LogicaCMG’s offering comprises consulting, programme management, systems integration and operational support. The company offers service providers business strategy definition, current systems review and analysis, systems selection, systems implementation and configuration, systems integration and functional management and outsourcing. Indian operators generally opt for the flat pricing model, as can been seen from the various tariff schemes announced by them. But LogicaCMG plans to work closely with these operators and enable them to implement flexible models for billing new services.

Though MMS services in India are still at a nascent stage, Steen is optimistic about the growth of MMS traffic as he feels all the right ingredients for success are present in the Indian market. Consumers in India are now more willing to try out new lifestyles. Content has never been a problem in India thanks to Bollywood. There is also an abundance of software talent to develop MMS applications. India is also witnessing growth in the number of cellular service subscribers. Service providers are forced to offer value-added services at highly competitive rates. But most importantly, MMS ready handsets have become more affordable over the past few months.