VeraTeq developed the SkyView Revenue Assurance System to provide a means of:
- Validating billing data against SS7 Call Detail Records (CDR)
- Monitoring recording and non-recording trunks for phantom traffic
- Ensuring that switches are recording AMA for access traffic
- Data Warehousing SS7 and Billing CDRs
The design requirements for SkyView were based on input from Local Exchange Companies (LEC), CLECs, and Wireless Carriers.
Communication Companies utilizing SkyView to reconcile SS7 CDRs to billing records range in size from 2,000 access lines to over a million.
SkyView addresses a company’s high level requirements for Validating Carrier Usage Billing. SkyView collects SS7 CDRs, enhances them with information from reference tables, matches the SS7 CDRs to billing records, and produces aggregated reports that identify missing billing records and phantom traffic. The SkyView graphs and charts visual highlight problems areas that warrant further investigation.
SkyView’s user interface is easy to navigate and provides a variety of interactive reports. Users can drill down from highly aggregated data to individual SS7 and Billing records. At any point in the drill down process users can export the information on their screen to an Excel Spreadsheet. The SS7 CDR query screen allows users to perform ad hoc selection of call records by date range, calling to and from numbers, charge numbers, trunk group, and OCN. The selected records can be used to satisfy billing disputes and subpoena request.
SkyView is a working system that can either be installed on-site or hosted by VeraTeq as an ASP service. VeraTeq’s data operations are located in a state of the art underground facility in Kansas City, MO. Most of VeraTeq’s customers have chosen the SkyView ASP services since it bundles the hardware, software, data center, and personnel into a fixed monthly fee.
The SkyView Revenue Assurance System was designed specifically to bridge the gap between the network operations and billing organizations. SkyView enables the billing group to investigate network usage down to the trunk level in terms of billing related issues without the aid of a switch technician. For network operations the SkyView reports and query capabilities enable technicians easy access to traffic usage by trunk or individual call records.
Identify Unrecorded Billable Usage in the Network
SkyView collects and enhances SS7 CDRs for all the traffic monitored by the SS7 Probe. The SkyView Reconcile Reports provide daily analysis of all trunks missing billing data. If it is determined that a trunk has failed to produce AMA billing records, SkyView can create EMI records from the SS7 CDRs for the missing data.
Monitor for Carrier Fraud - Phantom Traffic
The SS7 Probe produces CDRs for all traffic utilizing SS7 Signaling. When these records are uploaded into SkyView they are enhanced with addition information from the Trunk Inventory, LERG, and Local Calling Area reference tables. On a daily basis SkyView produces aggregated reports by jurisdiction and direction for each trunk. A review of the reports easily and quickly identifies Phantom Traffic and provides drill downs to individual SS7 CDRs for further investigation.
Integration with other systems
VeraTeq can develop custom reports and integrate SkyView with other systems for the exchange of data. We can provide the output from SkyView in a format specified by the system receiving data from SkyView.
Data Warehousing of Records
SkyView aggregates the SS7 and Billing data daily to produce the reports, graphs, and charts. SkyView retains the aggregated data indefinitely for historical analysis. The retention of detail records is dictated by the customer. VeraTeq recommends data warehousing the records for at least as long as the number of months a carrier has the potential of filing a billing dispute. A second consideration is using SkyView to satisfy subpoena request from government agencies, in which case the retention period is determined by legal requirement to retain call records.