ZTE AnyService

Nowadays, traditional voice services can no longer meet the increasing demands of people´s life and work. Fashionable young people pursue personality and novelty, while businessmen seek non-stop and convenience. So Value-Added Service (VAS) is becoming the main income source for most telecom operators. A growing number of telecom operators are turning to VAS for enhancing the competitive edge of traditional networks in response to market changes. Therefore, VAS such as Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), Colorful Ring Back Tone (CRBT), Intelligent Network (IN), video streaming, location information, Voice Mail Service (VMS), Call Center (CC) and Intelligent Public Telephone Service (IPTS) are today´s hot topics. ZTE AnyService is an integrated solution to all these VASes.

    ZTE is a leading VAS innovator with massively successful applications around the world. With its AnyService solution launched, ZTE is ready to provide attractive and tailored services to meet the diversified demands of different telecom operators.

1 Introduction of ZTE AnyService
ZTE AnySerice consists of a complete series of products and services covering all kinds of networks, including PSTN, GSM, CDMA, 3G and Next Generation Network (NGN). As shown in Figure 1 these products and services are divided into the IN series, messaging series, data related series and more. The IN series includes the traditional IN product —ZXIN10, as well as an open service platform based on OSA/Parlay—ZXUP10. The messaging series includes popular services like VMS, SMS and MMS, as well as new services like unified message service. The data series offers various data services, such as WAP gateway, Java download and video streaming. In addition, the solution supports services like CRBT, IPTS and Intelligent Electronic Exchange Service (IEXS).

1.1 ZTE´s Traditional IN
ZTE AnyService flagship product, ZXIN10, mainly focuses on the traditional IN services. ZTE´s traditional IN system is designed for PSTN, GSM and CDMA networks with layered and open architecture. The system consists of three functional layers:

• Basic call processing layer
• Service control layer
• Service management layer
  

    Standard interfaces are applied between the basic call processing layer and the service control layer.
    (1) Network Elements
    The network elements of ZTE´s traditional IN include Service Control Point (SCP), Service Data Point (SDP), Intelligent Peripheral (IP), Service Switching Point (SSP), Service Management Point (SMP), Service Management Access Point (SMAP) and Service Creation Environment Point (SCEP).

    (2) Networking Solutions
    There are three IN networking modes according to whether different network elements are combined together. One is the SCP-SSP networking mode, which includes a SCP-SSP standard IN and a service node. Another is the SCP-SMP networking mode, including a SCP-SMP standard IN and a SCP/SMP combined compact IN. The third is the SSP and switch networking mode, with which the IN is overlaid, built-in and mixed.

1.2 ZTE´s Unified Service Platform
ZTE´s traditional IN is now evolving into a unified service platform. This platform is based on Open Service Access (OSA) with an edge in conventional INs, and oriented to the NGN. The AnyService solution has an open and
easy-to-access interface to enable third-parties to join in service creation, so as to provide richly diversified services ranging from voice services to multimedia services, and flexible service charging policies for pre-paid and
post-paid subscribers and PSTN/broadband subscribers. It is also easy to implement prepaid and post-paid convergence. In addition, it supports service integration and network convergence. Furthermore, the
OSA/Parlay based unified service platform meets the demand of an IMS environment.

1.3 ZTE´s 3G Services
With the improvement of modern standards of living, info-tainment services (Info-tainment is a combination of information and entertainment) will become users´ favorite services. 3G services, packaged and delivered in a new way, will focus on abundant contents and entertainment, as well as on easy access. ZTE´s 3G services build a road to the 3G “info-tainment economy”.

1.4 ZTE´s IPTS
An IPTS integrates terminal design technology and advanced platform technology. It is applied to traditional pay-phone scenarios. ZTE´s IPTS is special in billing. Its billing is implemented on a unified platform rather than on a terminal, which avoids fraudulent usage.

1.5 ZTE´s Call Center
ZTE´s call center is an information system. It helps an enterprise serve its customers. With it, the customers may access information by telephone, fax, Email and Internet. It also offers a multimedia responding service, which effectively processes demands, complaints, suggestions and inquiries from customers.

1.6 ZTE´s Unified Message Platform
ZTE´s message platform integrates the NGN capability to its VMS system. As a basic VAS, the original VMS provides users with multiple mailbox services. However, the UMS supported by ZTE´s unified message platform is different. It is an integrated mailbox which stores various messages from different terminals. The UMS eliminates the barrier between terminals and media. Therefore, its users, using any technology, media, or device, can communicate freely at any time and anywhere.

1.7 ZTE´s SMS and MMS
The SMS is one of the earliest VASs available over mobile networks. It is a cheap alternative means of communication.  Its popularity is unequalled in the telecom industry, and text messaging is still very popular with a growing number of mobile subscribers. In recent years, SMS has grown into a prominent service with improved rates, convenience and delivery assurance. SMS-based services like mobile ICQ, mobile shopping and Global Positioning Service (GPS) monitoring are emerging. The MMS offers much larger data capacity than the SMS. It is experiencing the same sort of growth in popularity as the SMS did when text, graphics, audio and even video messaging became commonplace among mobile users.

1.8 MyRing Service
MyRing, ZTE´s CRBT service, has taken off in the Chinese market where, after  prepaid telephony, it is considered a “killer” application. Once a mobile user subscribes to the service, the calling party will hear a personalized ring back tone when he calls this subscriber´s number. The tone may be a segment of music, an advertisement, or a message preset by the user, instead of the traditional boring ‘beep´ tone. ZTE´s MyRing service can be built into PSTN, GSM, CDMA, 3G, and NGN networks.

2 Advantages of ZTE AnyService
ZTE developed the AnyService solution to meet different market requirements and to provide operators with a rapid and off-the-shelf solution that allows them to make a smooth transition from voice to data and to meet the changing demands of their customers. This total solution has a number of technical and business advantages:

• cross-network compound services
• carrier-grade solution with both internal and external redundancy
• distributed architecture with high reliability
• openness for interoperability
• flexible and versatile integrated accesses
• low operating cost and high scalability
• flexible and quick service deployment
• real-time and intelligent network management system
• optimum protection of existing investments
  

3 Applications of ZTE AnyService
ZTE is a leading VAS solution provider. At the same time, it has seen great success in overseas markets. ZTE´s diversified VASes have been implemented in Singapore, India, Malaysia, Romania, Norway, France, Nigeria, Egypt and more. The company serves more than 50 operators in 30 countries, providing a complete and up-to-the-minute telecom experience to customers. As ZTE continues to make its mark around the world, ZTE AnyService is dedicated to helping operators provide a greater range of integrated services for their customers.

    Typical AnyService customers include MobileOne, a well-known mobile and toll telephone carrier in Singapore, TOT, the biggest fixed carrier in Thailand, and Digitel, the third largest fixed carrier in the Philippines.

    ZTE AnyService has enjoyed unprecedented success in India. For example, ZTE´s MyRing service has been deployed in four sites in India with a total capacity up to 800 000 subscribers. In 2005, ZTE AnyService was also deployed in Europe as part of an important contract with Romanian and Polish carriers.

    With a focus on improving services to various overseas markets and responding to specific customer requirements in local markets, ZTE has embarked on a research institute establishment program. ZTE established its Pakistan research Institute in October 2000. ZTE´s Indian research Institute has been established in Bangalore in September, 2005, which aims at localizing the value-added services for the Indian market and providing technical guidance and
after-sales training.

    With the advent of mass VAS applications, operators are bound to gain a competitive edge from the comparatively low investment versus high return on services offered by ZTE AnyService.

4 Conclusions
It is critical and significant for operators to introduce diversified services to cater for the demands from increasingly changing markets, ZTE AnyService is their reliable and profitable choice.

Manuscript received: 2005-09-29