MultiSim: technological SIM-phony for several operators and one subscriber
Exciting stories associated with cartoon cards continue to haunt the minds of advanced and corrosive users. Indeed, there are more than one dozen of ways to use a SIM that contains several profiles of various mobile operators in memory, and each of them will be attractive to subscribers who use more than one mobile number, and more than that, according to official statistics. 60%. On average, in Russia, one subscriber has one and a half SIM. However, many have in stock not only Russian SIM-cards, but also several foreign ones. It has become a tradition to bring multicolored pieces of plastic from travels or business trips, painted in the colors of world leaders in the telecom industry. Foreign sims do not just lie on the shelves, they are regularly used by “mobile activists” who, due to their service or inherent restlessness, are often abroad.
Today we would like to describe an interesting case that will allow you to take a fresh look at multisym technology and potential subscribers and respected mobile operators.
Modern mobile communications have long ceased to provide the only banal “Hello” service both at the level of user services and at the level of infrastructure. Obviously, the voice as the only and the main way of earning "mobile workers" remained somewhere at the turn of the millennium. Operators are well aware - the market requires new approaches. And their introduction occurs, including at the level of the cellular network architecture. All methods are good for constantly increasing ARPU and subscriber growth. One of the architectural trends that has loudly declared itself in recent years has become the MVNO business model, which allows the cellular operator to enter specific markets and re-sell their contracts where sales by conventional means are difficult. In turn, the MVNO model provoked the growth of various ecosystems formed alongside the largest players in this segment of the telecom business.
')
Tottoli-GSM is one of the leaders and a major player in the brave new world of MVNO. We use already existing models for the promotion of MVNO products, and are actively developing new models. Tottoli-GSM is not only a developer and integrator, it is a whole PaaS cloud-based MVNO platform with a number of architectural know-how that allows the company's partners — telecom operators and service providers — to integrate solutions based on mobile communications and FMC technologies into their product lines. .
In the center of the scheme is a PaaS platform Tottoli-GSM. On the one hand, Tottoli interacts with the network of the reference operator and provides access to the basic infrastructure of the radio network at the level of technological junctions, on the other hand the interface of interaction with client services is implemented. It is on these interfaces that the Tottoli business model is built: a partner of the company (service provider) can get access to all the functionality of the network of the reference operator.
Using a cloud-based solution for accessing mobile services lowers the financial threshold for entry into the MVNO ecosystem to vanishingly small numbers in tens of dollars. Technological difficulties are also completely dissolved in the virtual-cloudy world of PaaS. Starting your own virtual cellular network takes only a few days, almost without requiring resource investments.
MVNO solutions are actively developing and in addition to the basic set of services — access to the infrastructure of the donor operator’s network — they allow using, among other things, multisym technology. Modern SIM is no longer just a “subscriber identification module”, it is a micro-architectural marvel consisting of a PIC processor, a memory module and an STK (SIM TooL Kit), which means that by gaining access to SIM-hardware resources, you can create own SIM applets and applications with unique functionality. Including loading several profiles of different operators (IMSI + cryptokey) into SIM memory, implement algorithms for selecting these profiles under a number of conditions, i.e. to build completely new subscriber interaction schemes with the mobile network. It is this feature that formed the basis of the cloud platform Tottoli-GSM.
Tottoli’s business model is based on the subscriber’s understandable need to reduce the number of SIM cards used and simplify their use, while maintaining access to services, and the operator’s more understandable need to get a new subscriber with a minimum cost of attraction, offering a unique service. It is these two needs that we serve through our cloud project. The functionality of the platform is provided by two global interaction interfaces: “Operator (service provider) - Tottoli” and “Tottoli - Subscriber (consumer of services)”.
An API is built into the operator interface, with which you can upload a link to the “home” SIM card profile (IMSI + i) in the cloud and provide online broadcasting of data from carrier billing to Tottoli interface. Important point: de facto profiles are not stored in the platform cloud, the platform only acts as a torrent that stores only links to real profiles uploaded to the operator’s cloud. Thus, the absolute security of the holy of holies of carrier billing is guaranteed: accounting. It creates a unique opportunity to fill the global world wide database of carrier profiles in one place with the provision of subscriber access to these very profiles.
The subscriber's interface contains tools for access to the database of operator profiles, a billing interface and a set of payment services to replenish a single personal account balance.
Consider the scheme in more detail.
The MNO operator is experiencing an overwhelming need to expand its subscriber base and wants to gain access to the target audience, which under normal conditions would never have become the subscriber base of this operator for a number of geographic and other reasons. At the same time, the potential subscribers of the operator are quite active and interested in the consumption of its services. A vivid example of such a case: a mobile operator whose sales points are out of reach of a potential subscriber, the subscriber himself does not want to come at all to the country or region where the desired network of communication salons works, but he is interested in the services of this operator (roaming offer or travel DATA bundle). By downloading the link (not the profile itself, but only a link to it) to the own profile in the Tottoli cloud, the operator thereby provides global access to his services for interested people around the world. Anyone can become a client of such an operator without getting up from the chair, simply by activating the desired profile on multisyme. Loading the operator profile into the database is the most important, but not the only part of the scheme.
The next step in the technological chain is the integration of the billing component. Tottoli is able to provide real-time access to subscriber details and charges. A business model implies a single payment tool to replenish a subscriber’s single personal account and the same access to cost details for all installed profiles and statistics. It is clear that without a data exchange interface "billing platform" is not enough. Our developers have worked this moment in the most thorough way, and the partner operator gets access to all the used methods and API instructions using a step-by-step algorithm. The integration of billing data, although not quite a trivial task, is extremely simplified and unified. This is one of the Tottoli-GSM know-how. If you describe the algorithm of entering the service through the eyes of the operator, you get an attractive, economical and innovative model for entering new markets:
The subscriber wants to optimize the use of already purchased SIM cards or wants to activate the service of a geographically remote cellular operator. The subscriber is registered on the global resource Tottoli-GSM, gets the opportunity to order multisym with “door-to-door” delivery and, after receiving the SIM card, selects the necessary profiles for downloading. By itself, downloading and activating profiles in multisyme is a completely painless and simple procedure. Profiles are loaded either “over the air”, when a SIM card is first registered in the corresponding home or guest network, or simply by selecting the desired profile from the SIM menu. And that's not all: the subscriber’s personal account implies the use of a single personal account, unified statistics and a single payment instrument. This is very, very convenient, since all transactions, balance control, those. support, enable and disable services and packages are available in a single global interface. The real triumph of unification and globalization. Thus, we obtain an extremely transparent and understandable pattern of subscriber interaction with our platform:
The advantages of using the platform by all the interested parties are obvious and indisputable. For greater persuasiveness and clarity, consider the case on a specific example.
Some, conditional for us, but quite real for himself, the Subscriber is going on a Christmas trip in Central and Western Europe. The plans are truly enormous: from evening Prague and the Charles Bridge to morning Barcelona and the Sagrada Familia. And all this for a couple of weeks - in the literal sense of "galloping across Europe." The conditionally real Subscriber is completely unwilling to fall out of active business life, since everything connected with the holidays and the New Year generates huge revenues. Business remaining in the homeland is boiling up, and constant monitoring of boiling processes is needed, which means that incoming-outgoing calls, Internet access, some SMS and geo-services. “Gallop in Europe” completely eliminates the purchase of local SIM cards in huge quantities, and even more so their tedious activation with the study of tariffs for running - to cross five or six borders. In practice, the roaming options of the home operator do not look as budgetary as in its advertising announcements, which means that the only way out is multisym and several relevant profiles for those cellular networks in which the Subscriber will actively communicate with his colleagues.
The subscriber, even before the trip, with a cup of coffee and a smartphone at the ready, thoughtfully studies the tariffs on the global Tottoli platform, selects the right suppliers-suppliers, loads their profiles into multisymes, fills up the balance with full awareness of the upcoming expenses and forgets that somewhere in European nights are lit with colorful lights of communication salons of all kinds of Orange and Vodafon. Oranges and Vodafones have already settled in the Subscriber's smartphone and are waiting in the wings.
When crossing the border, the Subscriber activates the desired sim-profile with a flick of the wrist and every time the multisyme appears in the native-non-native network, this same non-native network sees the appearance of the home sim card, sends the SMS "Welcome Home" to the subscriber and starts charging the services by humane, local, rates. The subscriber is happy, almost all the time you can devote to sightseeing and visiting bars, periodically interrupting to relaxed communication with a distant homeland. Tariffs allow. Only occasionally, the Subscriber requests his balance, each time making sure that there are more funds in the account than he thought. Downloaded profiles are activated in the correct sequence and, in most cases, they are activated automatically, based on optimized algorithms developed by Tottoli-GSM specialists. A classic win-win story. The subscriber used the necessary services at ease and saved money, and Orangi and Vodafona acquired an active, cloudy, solvent subscriber with a minimum borrowing cost and a high average check.
The case described above, from our point of view, will be attractive both for operators and subscribers. We spend a lot of time and effort on developing PaaS-cloud multisim and right now the platform is in the process of closed internal testing. Having placed this post, we pursue the good goal: respondent of potential subscribers and suppliers-partners are important for us. Right now there is a unique opportunity to influence the introduction of additional "features" of the service, simply by sharing your thoughts and opinions on the functionality of the platform. What we have in mind can be a truly innovative and breakthrough project that solves the problem of communications for actively moving users. All analytics of the market and trends in mobile communications confirms the correctness of the chosen business model. One SIM card and one personal account is always better than ten.
We are preparing some more interesting cases that we plan to share in our blog. The theme of MVNO and multisyme is in every way possible towards a creative approach to fairly traditional and well-established mobile communications services.
Today we would like to describe an interesting case that will allow you to take a fresh look at multisym technology and potential subscribers and respected mobile operators.
MVNO as it is
Modern mobile communications have long ceased to provide the only banal “Hello” service both at the level of user services and at the level of infrastructure. Obviously, the voice as the only and the main way of earning "mobile workers" remained somewhere at the turn of the millennium. Operators are well aware - the market requires new approaches. And their introduction occurs, including at the level of the cellular network architecture. All methods are good for constantly increasing ARPU and subscriber growth. One of the architectural trends that has loudly declared itself in recent years has become the MVNO business model, which allows the cellular operator to enter specific markets and re-sell their contracts where sales by conventional means are difficult. In turn, the MVNO model provoked the growth of various ecosystems formed alongside the largest players in this segment of the telecom business.
')
Tottoli-GSM is one of the leaders and a major player in the brave new world of MVNO. We use already existing models for the promotion of MVNO products, and are actively developing new models. Tottoli-GSM is not only a developer and integrator, it is a whole PaaS cloud-based MVNO platform with a number of architectural know-how that allows the company's partners — telecom operators and service providers — to integrate solutions based on mobile communications and FMC technologies into their product lines. .
In the center of the scheme is a PaaS platform Tottoli-GSM. On the one hand, Tottoli interacts with the network of the reference operator and provides access to the basic infrastructure of the radio network at the level of technological junctions, on the other hand the interface of interaction with client services is implemented. It is on these interfaces that the Tottoli business model is built: a partner of the company (service provider) can get access to all the functionality of the network of the reference operator.
Using a cloud-based solution for accessing mobile services lowers the financial threshold for entry into the MVNO ecosystem to vanishingly small numbers in tens of dollars. Technological difficulties are also completely dissolved in the virtual-cloudy world of PaaS. Starting your own virtual cellular network takes only a few days, almost without requiring resource investments.
MVNO solutions are actively developing and in addition to the basic set of services — access to the infrastructure of the donor operator’s network — they allow using, among other things, multisym technology. Modern SIM is no longer just a “subscriber identification module”, it is a micro-architectural marvel consisting of a PIC processor, a memory module and an STK (SIM TooL Kit), which means that by gaining access to SIM-hardware resources, you can create own SIM applets and applications with unique functionality. Including loading several profiles of different operators (IMSI + cryptokey) into SIM memory, implement algorithms for selecting these profiles under a number of conditions, i.e. to build completely new subscriber interaction schemes with the mobile network. It is this feature that formed the basis of the cloud platform Tottoli-GSM.
Business model
Tottoli’s business model is based on the subscriber’s understandable need to reduce the number of SIM cards used and simplify their use, while maintaining access to services, and the operator’s more understandable need to get a new subscriber with a minimum cost of attraction, offering a unique service. It is these two needs that we serve through our cloud project. The functionality of the platform is provided by two global interaction interfaces: “Operator (service provider) - Tottoli” and “Tottoli - Subscriber (consumer of services)”.
An API is built into the operator interface, with which you can upload a link to the “home” SIM card profile (IMSI + i) in the cloud and provide online broadcasting of data from carrier billing to Tottoli interface. Important point: de facto profiles are not stored in the platform cloud, the platform only acts as a torrent that stores only links to real profiles uploaded to the operator’s cloud. Thus, the absolute security of the holy of holies of carrier billing is guaranteed: accounting. It creates a unique opportunity to fill the global world wide database of carrier profiles in one place with the provision of subscriber access to these very profiles.
The subscriber's interface contains tools for access to the database of operator profiles, a billing interface and a set of payment services to replenish a single personal account balance.
Consider the scheme in more detail.
Provider Operator
The MNO operator is experiencing an overwhelming need to expand its subscriber base and wants to gain access to the target audience, which under normal conditions would never have become the subscriber base of this operator for a number of geographic and other reasons. At the same time, the potential subscribers of the operator are quite active and interested in the consumption of its services. A vivid example of such a case: a mobile operator whose sales points are out of reach of a potential subscriber, the subscriber himself does not want to come at all to the country or region where the desired network of communication salons works, but he is interested in the services of this operator (roaming offer or travel DATA bundle). By downloading the link (not the profile itself, but only a link to it) to the own profile in the Tottoli cloud, the operator thereby provides global access to his services for interested people around the world. Anyone can become a client of such an operator without getting up from the chair, simply by activating the desired profile on multisyme. Loading the operator profile into the database is the most important, but not the only part of the scheme.
The next step in the technological chain is the integration of the billing component. Tottoli is able to provide real-time access to subscriber details and charges. A business model implies a single payment tool to replenish a subscriber’s single personal account and the same access to cost details for all installed profiles and statistics. It is clear that without a data exchange interface "billing platform" is not enough. Our developers have worked this moment in the most thorough way, and the partner operator gets access to all the used methods and API instructions using a step-by-step algorithm. The integration of billing data, although not quite a trivial task, is extremely simplified and unified. This is one of the Tottoli-GSM know-how. If you describe the algorithm of entering the service through the eyes of the operator, you get an attractive, economical and innovative model for entering new markets:
- registering with the global portal as a service provider;
- Downloading the SIM profile directly to the subscriber's SIM card via OTA;
- interaction with technical support of the platform on emerging issues;
- monthly profit distribution;
- no costs for entering new markets (promotion, marketing and the first level of support - Tottoli-GSM area of ​​responsibility).
Subscriber
The subscriber wants to optimize the use of already purchased SIM cards or wants to activate the service of a geographically remote cellular operator. The subscriber is registered on the global resource Tottoli-GSM, gets the opportunity to order multisym with “door-to-door” delivery and, after receiving the SIM card, selects the necessary profiles for downloading. By itself, downloading and activating profiles in multisyme is a completely painless and simple procedure. Profiles are loaded either “over the air”, when a SIM card is first registered in the corresponding home or guest network, or simply by selecting the desired profile from the SIM menu. And that's not all: the subscriber’s personal account implies the use of a single personal account, unified statistics and a single payment instrument. This is very, very convenient, since all transactions, balance control, those. support, enable and disable services and packages are available in a single global interface. The real triumph of unification and globalization. Thus, we obtain an extremely transparent and understandable pattern of subscriber interaction with our platform:
- A potential subscriber registers a Tottoli-GSM “cloud” account;
- orders multisim with delivery to the door;
- fills a single balance;
- loads the necessary profiles;
- using the SIM menu activates and manages profiles;
- controls costs and observes the details of the consumption of services in a single, friendly, interface in the native language;
- communicates with those. support of “one window”, again in the native language;
The advantages of using the platform by all the interested parties are obvious and indisputable. For greater persuasiveness and clarity, consider the case on a specific example.
Case
Some, conditional for us, but quite real for himself, the Subscriber is going on a Christmas trip in Central and Western Europe. The plans are truly enormous: from evening Prague and the Charles Bridge to morning Barcelona and the Sagrada Familia. And all this for a couple of weeks - in the literal sense of "galloping across Europe." The conditionally real Subscriber is completely unwilling to fall out of active business life, since everything connected with the holidays and the New Year generates huge revenues. Business remaining in the homeland is boiling up, and constant monitoring of boiling processes is needed, which means that incoming-outgoing calls, Internet access, some SMS and geo-services. “Gallop in Europe” completely eliminates the purchase of local SIM cards in huge quantities, and even more so their tedious activation with the study of tariffs for running - to cross five or six borders. In practice, the roaming options of the home operator do not look as budgetary as in its advertising announcements, which means that the only way out is multisym and several relevant profiles for those cellular networks in which the Subscriber will actively communicate with his colleagues.
The subscriber, even before the trip, with a cup of coffee and a smartphone at the ready, thoughtfully studies the tariffs on the global Tottoli platform, selects the right suppliers-suppliers, loads their profiles into multisymes, fills up the balance with full awareness of the upcoming expenses and forgets that somewhere in European nights are lit with colorful lights of communication salons of all kinds of Orange and Vodafon. Oranges and Vodafones have already settled in the Subscriber's smartphone and are waiting in the wings.
When crossing the border, the Subscriber activates the desired sim-profile with a flick of the wrist and every time the multisyme appears in the native-non-native network, this same non-native network sees the appearance of the home sim card, sends the SMS "Welcome Home" to the subscriber and starts charging the services by humane, local, rates. The subscriber is happy, almost all the time you can devote to sightseeing and visiting bars, periodically interrupting to relaxed communication with a distant homeland. Tariffs allow. Only occasionally, the Subscriber requests his balance, each time making sure that there are more funds in the account than he thought. Downloaded profiles are activated in the correct sequence and, in most cases, they are activated automatically, based on optimized algorithms developed by Tottoli-GSM specialists. A classic win-win story. The subscriber used the necessary services at ease and saved money, and Orangi and Vodafona acquired an active, cloudy, solvent subscriber with a minimum borrowing cost and a high average check.
Summary
The case described above, from our point of view, will be attractive both for operators and subscribers. We spend a lot of time and effort on developing PaaS-cloud multisim and right now the platform is in the process of closed internal testing. Having placed this post, we pursue the good goal: respondent of potential subscribers and suppliers-partners are important for us. Right now there is a unique opportunity to influence the introduction of additional "features" of the service, simply by sharing your thoughts and opinions on the functionality of the platform. What we have in mind can be a truly innovative and breakthrough project that solves the problem of communications for actively moving users. All analytics of the market and trends in mobile communications confirms the correctness of the chosen business model. One SIM card and one personal account is always better than ten.
We are preparing some more interesting cases that we plan to share in our blog. The theme of MVNO and multisyme is in every way possible towards a creative approach to fairly traditional and well-established mobile communications services.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/271755/
All Articles