VAS technology solution provider and OSS/BSS player, Comverse emerged at the top of the rankings for global convergent charging solutions released by market research firm, Infonetics Research.

“Implementing convergent charging capabilities provides the operator with the ability to deliver services and recognize revenue on a real-time basis while gaining flexibility around service features, service bundles and pricing,” said  Shira Levine, Directing Analyst, Next Gen OSS and Policy, at Infonetics Research. “Comverse has built a single convergent system around a unified data model that leverages its roots in the prepaid business, together with postpaid functionality from its acquisition of the former Kenan’s billing assets."

Comverse attributes its leadership position to the Comverse ONE Billing and Active Customer management solution that unifies sales, marketing, ordering, billing and customer management around a single data model to provide full convergence across any network, any service, any content and any payment type.

Comverse claims that by centralizing customer information, eliminating integration points, and delivering a single marketing-driven product catalog, Comverse ONE enables operators to quickly introduce and monetize new services, while providing a consistent and interactive customer experience regardless of customer touchpoint. It turns a business support system into a strategic asset allowing operators to profit from market opportunities faster than ever, adds Comverse.

“The Infonetics Research report underscores the need for real-time convergent charging systems that support multiple and flexible payment models,” said Gabriel Matsliach, President of Products and Operations at Comverse.

On the upcoming growth, Infonetics estimates that with operators increasingly preferring to have a single billing system to support multiple lines of business and payment methods, the market for converged charging solutions is forecasted to grow to $ 2.6 billion by 2014. The primary driver behind growth in demand for converged charging solutions is the need to create a more consistent customer experience, including flexible payment models, such as postpaid voice services combined with prepaid data services, and leveraging potential cross-sell or bundling opportunities across services, says Comverse.

"Comverse ONE was built to support all types of convergence scenarios, helping operators to ensure a consistent customer experience, launch bundled services and reduce the complexity of their billing environment,” said Matsliach. “Our leading market share in convergent charging reflects the unique capabilities of our BSS solution, as well as the company's unparalleled experience in all dimensions of convergence."