Sprint uses Xacct to mediate nationwide

Even a small piece of a big project is enough to make the day for a niche player. For IP mediation provider, Xacct Technologies, it doesn’t get any bigger than Sprint’s Enhanced Nationwide PCS network, at least for now and at least in the U.S.

Sprint has implemented Xacct’s Network-to-Business platform to provide data mediation for its PCS Vision services across the country. These services include messaging, digital imaging, games and downloadable ring tones. Sprint will use the XacctMobile subset of features of N2B as a real-time link between its network and operation and business support systems. Xacct’s platform provides Sprint the ability to do usage-based pricing when it deems the market ready.

“When you pick up these trillions of highly granular session records off the network, you need to synthesize it, aggregate it and reduce it to something manageable that can be used for other useful purposes,” said Anil Uberoi, vice president of marketing for Xacct.

One of those uses is in business intelligence. In addition to providing for the ability to do usage-based billing, Xacct’s platform will help Sprint evaluate its new services. “The granularity of data helps them do all sorts of trend analysis about who is using what services and which services are most popular,” Uberoi said.

Sprint made its selection of Xacct in September of last year, but May completed field trials in May and rolled out nationwide services in August. “The thing they wanted to evaluate us most on was scalability, having some 17 million to 18 million subscribers,” Uberoi said. “Obviously we passed the test.”