The Wisor way

When OmniPlex Commun-ications Group reviewed its interconnection needs, it quickly compiled a list of priorities. First, the integrated communications provider needed a tool that would interoperate with its converged billing and customer care software. Second, OmniPlex wanted interconnections to multiple trading partners throughout the nation. And finally, the software had to be flexible and scalable to meet the growing company's needs.

Based in St. Louis, Mo., OmniPlex chose Ameritech as its primary partner and leading candidate for a quick interconnection gateway. "Ameritech does not provide an interface for resellers. Instead, it provides a specification and says, 'Go develop your own,'" said Mike Sawyer, president of OmniPlex.

As OmniPlex waited for a gateway to be developed, the carrier prepared its orders manually, and it would wait three to six weeks to get features changed. After evaluating several companies that offered interfaces to Ameritech, OmniPlex chose Rockville, Md.-based Wisor Telecom.

"Wisor had an open platform approach that is specifically designed for integrated and convergent providers. And it interoperated with our other operations support systems," said Sawyer.

Once Wisor reviewed the requirements that OmniPlex and Ameritech negotiated, the company was able to integrate WisorGate into OmniPlex's Compass OSS architecture in about four months. Wisor is now doing final testing to ensure that both carriers' requirements are being met.

By the end of June, OmniPlex should be pre-ordering and ordering electronically from Ameritech. Sawyer plans to add the option of ordering unbundled network elements by the third quarter.

In addition to pre-ordering and ordering, WisorGate supports customer service report retrievals, local service request generations and data set ready. WisorGate's four primary components include an order entry and customer information module, order management, an interconnection/communications engine and PlaNet network planning tool, an application that estimates network design costs.

Rather than build each individual partner gateway from scratch or try to create one gateway that serves all partners, Wisor uses a different approach. The company has designed a flexible, rules-based transaction engine that incorporates the 80/20 rule: 80% of the work done on a previous gateway can be reused, but 20% will require new engineering due to the partners' unique business rules and requirements that arise during negotiation.

"We promise an 80% to 90% flow-through rate without manual intervention," said Silvio Renzi, director of marketing at Wisor. "We validate each of the separate business rules, such as who the transaction goes to, if the transaction is valid, the syntax, as well as many other rules."

Wisor's rules-based transaction engine was a key feature for OmniPlex. "The transaction engine was the primary distinction that set Wisor apart from the other available options," said Sawyer. "The flexible rules-based approach will make it easier for updates and will allow us to bring new systems on-line faster. Also, it will mean less additional training for our staff."

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