Communications RFP process digital transformation
Introduction
Realtime communications like voice, SMS, Phone Numbers is now a part of modern applications across all industries, from small startups to unicorns use communications APIs in their workflows.
App developers are focused on developing and serving their main business customers, as they grew they have realized that that communication services like 2FA / SMS, Voice, Virtual numbers are a critical component of their business today and there is a lot of recurring cost involved with having these communication components as part of their application user experience.
The Problem
As traffic grows companies start issuing RFPs every monthly, quarterly or annually with total amount of minutes, messages, numbers per destination/network they consume and share it with communication service providers bid on it. This RFP process is manual and unpleasant for the most part for communication providers who is bidding, it also takes a long time for the app developer to switch traffic to a lower cost provider since the RFP process is still in process or incomplete.
For those who come from the telecom industry know that prices and quality are dynamic and they several times a week, being stuck with a single provider for a long time is no good for the company.
The Solution
To solve this issue, we have re-imagined the RFP process for OTT players and provide a remarkable experience for the communication providers bidding on the service, and here is how we think it should work:
Let’s take ride-sharing startup as an example here.
There are two components needed for this digital transformation to complete.
Application to Middleware
1- The Communication Platform API: The middleware (RESTFul API) that the app developers use to integrate communication services into their workflows.
– Application developer will use this component as the standard API layer between their applications and the communication infrastructure backend.
Backend / Core Network to Carriers
2- The Carrier Interconnect and Billing Digital component: Intuitive portal & signaling stack that allows carriers to perform a self-service interconnect, upload prices, and withdraw funds once they have received traffic from the company.
This component enables :
– The app developer to introduce to their communication providers a digital portal where they can self-onboard, interconnect via SIP/SMPP and upload their price deck for voice and SMS and their DID numbers inventory/prices.
– Real-time billing and AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) for all inbound/outbound calls, the CSPs offering routes/numbers will see their balance in realtime increase as soon as the company routes traffic to them.
– Communication provider can request a payout via portal to get paid instantly
– Automate sending daily/weekly/monthly sheets with LCR/Targets so CSPs can stay competitive on daily basis and all they have to do to bid is upload their updated prices to the system (self-service).
Benefits for App Developers:
- Eliminate the manual RFP process completely.
- Provide CSPs a pleasant experience to sell services to Uber
- Realtime view of all CSPs offers and quality per breakout using Market View
- Realtime Account Payables view for all CSPs or per CSP.
- Track/Remove bad QoS CSPs from routing in realtime
- Bring Costs down on a daily basis / near realtime.
- Real-time and automated alerting when issues arise with certain routes/networks offered.
- The CPaaS API used between their application and the backend remains the same (Standard), no need to change or integrate manually with another API to change providers.
Benefits for CSPs dealing with App developer:
- Intuitive digital self-service experience with onboarding to do business with application developer
- Realtime billing SDR/CDR & Numbers inventory view
- Realtime payout balance and quality metrics for services offered to Uber
- Ability to change bid -take down prices in realtime to stay winning the business.
- Realtime view of how other communication providers are performing per destinations to self-motivate quality based competition
- Self-service withdraw funds/payouts
- Realtime view of where traffic and target rate
Next Steps
At TelecomsXChange (TCXC) we have built a carrier-grade turn-key solution for automating the RFP process and tracking routing, billing, and QoS for application developers and communication providers. Our solution is open and programmable to meet virtually any use-case.
We’re very interested in working closely with your company to help automate and scale the communication component of your business and continuously bring down the costs and maintain high Quality of Service to your customers.
You can contact us for demo at info@telecomsxchange.com .