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MobiSud, targeting the Maghreb community in France,

was the rst mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to

be launched on French mobile operator, SFRs new mobile

virtual network enabler platorm (MVNE). Today Simpleo,

a 100% owned subsidiary o SFR, are managing the MVNE

platorm that now supports 2 separate MVNO businesses,

soon to be extended to 4 in 2009.

This case study examines the business challenges and

opportunities that determine the billing requirements o

an efective mobile virtual network enabler platorm to

support several separate MVNO businesses.

MVNO Business Support Billing

Mobisud is a typical MVNO business model oering price com-petitive services to a niche Tunisian) community in France,

oering highly competitive prices with the same rates to

Maghreb countries as those or domestic calls.

The respective roles within the MVNO value chain perormed

by Mobisud and SFR are shown below.

Value Chain Roles

Fulflling the Needs o a Mobile Virtual Network Operator

Simpleo Case Study

The Business Opportunity

SFR is the second largest mobile operator in France with nearly

18m subscribers and a market share o around 34%. It orms

part o the Vivendi Entertainment Group, and operates on the

GSM 900/1800 and 3G 2100 requencies.

The French mobile market is characterized by a high level o

saturation with slow organic subscriber growth. SFR aced

strong competition rom the two other French incumbent

licensee operators. Also, as with most modern mobile markets,the emergence o new technologies both within the telecom-

munications sector (e. g. VoIP, and WiMAX) and externally (e. g.

Skype and messenger services) is placing urther pressure on

traditional GSM services.

In addition, competition was emerging rom a growing array

o mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) including brands

such as Virgin mobile and NRJ.

SFR recognized that MVNOs were not only seeking easy access

to an operator network but also support o the management o

their telecoms business as they bid to enter the French market

a key area o expertise or SFR.

In December 2006 SFR has launched its own mobile virtual net-work enabler (MVNE) platorm to support MVNO businesses.

The platorm enabled SFR to proactively oer potential MVNO

customers MVNE services that combine the value o network

access, reduced costs rom a single billing system together

with SFRs operator experience and knowledge.

MVNE Platorm Billing Requirements

The billing requirements o an MVNE such as that supported

by SFR are as ollows:

End-to-end unctionality: In order to ensure rapid time to

operation and low cost o operation, SFR sought a billing sys-

tem that incorporated ull end-to-end eatures including the

ollowing:

Postpaid billing and rating

Comprehensive customer care capability including web-

based customer sel-care.

Pre-paid rell and voucher management capability

Mediation

Flexible Product Conguration: An MVNE platorm may be

required to host numerous business units with greatly varying

business models. The billing system must thereore be able to

support any kind o service, including data and content with

highly fexible product conguration capabilities. In addition,

rapid product deployment can be critical to a market sensitive

MVNO that is operating in a ashion driven market segment.

Multi-Company Capability: A large part o the MVNE valueproposition is the cost reduction that can be derived rom

business support and process consolidation. One o the selec-

tion criteria or the SFR MVNE platorm billing system was the

ability to host multiple MVNO businesses within a single instal-

lation o the system.

Time to Operation: Time to operation is an important con-

sideration or MVNE businesses that oten target market sensi-

tive MVNO customers operating in dynamic market segments.

In the case o SFR, their billing system implementation was

driven by a xed launch date o the MobiSud MVNO business

requiring implementation with 6 months.

O course MVNOs provide additional competition but at SFR

we genuinely view MVNOs as an opportunity. Any MVNO

operating on our platorm is building market share that our

network competitors are not. Our strategy, thereore, has

been to embrace the MVNO phenomenon and proactively

seek and even invest in MVNO opportunities that can oper-

ate rom our platorm.Oliver Renard Deputy COO, SFR MVNE

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LHS MVNE Billing Solution

BSCS iX is the end-to-end billing and customer care solutionrom LHS. SFR selected BSCS iX including its Sel Care Option

together with iX Recharge, LHS rell and voucher manage-

ment system as the billing system or their MVNO platorm.

The decision was based on BSCS iXs end-to-end unctionality,

including selcare, multi-company capabilities and its capacity

or rapid implementation.

Solution Overview

Solution Overview Implementation o BSCS iX, including

SelCare and Network Provisioning

Extension options, and iX Recharge

within a 6 month time rame.

Technology GSM

Payment Post paid

MVNOs Supported Mobisud, Futur Telecom, Simpleo(2009)

Project Duration Under 6 months

Systems Integrator Cap Gemini

IT Environment

Order Entry BSCS iX

Order Management BSCS iX

Customer Care BSCS iX

Product Catalogue BSCS iX

Provisioning NPX/ EASI

Mediation EASI/ BSCS iX

Prepaid Rating Siemens

Postpaid Rating BSCS iX

Rell and Voucher

Management

iX Recharge

Hardware HP 11.23

Simpleo MVNE Billing Architecture

Results A Proven Extensible Platorm

The project resulted in the installation o BSCS iX with the Net-

work Provisioning Extension and SelCare options together

with the iX Recharge prepaid rell and voucher management

module.

The implementation was perormed by Cap Gemini and com-

pleted in less than 6 months, in time or the launch o the

MobiSud operation on 1st December 2006.

Today, with BSCS iX, Simpleo are now able to host multiple

MVNO businesses on their MVNE platorm, thus acilitating

the mutualisation o costs vital to the MVNE business model.

In addition BSCS iXs simple but fexible product congura-

tion tools acilitate the rapid time-to-market oten required by

ashion driven MVNOs.

Together with BSCS iXs the comprehensive customer care

and sel-care capabilities Simpleo are now highly equipped

to make competitive oers to prospective MVNO businesses

oering any kind o service.

Fulflling the Needs o a Mobile Virtual Network Operator

Simpleo Case Study

www.lhsgroup.com LHSHerriotstr. 1D-60528 Frankfurt am MainGermany

Phone: +49 (0)69 - 2383 3000Fax: +49 (0)69 - 2383 5188

(08.09. 0)

We have opted or BSCS iX to launch our MVNO business

model, because BSCS is an end-to-end system manag-

ing several MVNOs within a single instance. We chose

iX Recharge, because it is a secure, reliable and high available

voucher management system or prepaid, pre-integrated

with BSCS iX.Daniel Clopeau, COO, SFR, MVNO Business Units