Ottawa’s Bridgewater Systems has extended its Network Policy Controller software so mobile providers can offer a variety of services on demand to wireless customers.
The capability, available as a free update to NPC, allows providers to offer “a whole slew of services that get them beyond the monthly and prepaid plans of today,” Ann Hatchell, the company’s director of marketing, said in an interview.
The upgraded software lets providers offer choices through on-screen menus to either existing or new customers, upselling services by time, amount of data downloaded or linked to a special event. It also allows a way for customers to turn on additional features they haven’t already subscribed to.
Owners of WiMAX-capable devices, who, like those owning Wi-Fi-enabled laptops often aren’t regular subscribers, can also be provisioned online. For providers who want to offer users of WiMAX-capable devices prepaid solutions, the company has also created an add-on module for its AAA Service Controller allowing that. The module sits between the AAA controller and the operator’s billing engine.
Hatchell said pricing of this module is negotiated with carriers.
Bridgewater makes network access control products for carriers including authentication, authorization, and accounting servers, dynamic host configuration protocol systems and home subscriber servers.