|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 23 October 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Business | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Plans to make SLT telecom hub in Asia by Chamitha Kuruppu Sri Lanka Telecom Chief Thilanga Sumathipala yesterday outlined plans to make SLT the telecom hub in Asia. Stresing that the presence of Telecom is felt in Asia Sumathipala said that the region is watching 'what SLT is doing'. At the launch of the second phase of the Geneva Integrated Customer Billing System Sumathipala said that SLT is performing well at present and starting as a state owned institution SLT has today become the largest listed company on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Describing the system as one of the biggest IT projects that was ever launched in Sri Lanka Sumathipala said it is also the first of its kind in Asia. IT based youth in the country will benefit immensely with the launch of the Geneva System, he said. Nearly 300,000 SLT Metro Residential customers will receive new and improved bills by end October with added access to new services and enhanced products that the new system will provide. This step was taken with the intention of improving customer services because of the redundancy of the current Telecom Billing and Revenue (TBR) System, that had been installed in 1997, and which is also running out of capacity. This eventuality required SLT to implement a new system which it then bought from the Convergys Corporation in 2002 - the Geneva Integrated Customer Billing System. SLT invested US$ 20 million in October 2003, in buying a billing system with an integrated Operation Support System (OSS), a Billing Support System (BSS), and a Mediation Support System (MSS). Due to its user friendliness and its flexible architecture, this new system allows for a converged support system. Geneva system was developed by the Convergys Corporation of the United Kingdom. The first phase of the Geneva billing system went online in April 2003 for Internet and other Data services customers. The current stage of the plan being implemented will further improve SLT services to its subscribers through the enhanced services provided by the new system. The final part of the implementation process will be rolled out by end November to Metro Business customers and all other customers nationwide. After much speculation on the benefits of the Geneva bill, the billing system has already paid off by providing many new features to SLT customers utilising voice and data options. Features such as accessing customer information on WWW, allocating hierarchies to customers along the lines of company information, greater allowable promotions, discount packages, cross discounts and call pattern analysis are already accessible to these customers who were the initial beneficiaries of this system. These customers are also offered enhanced billing features such as multiple bill cycle, real-time rating, billing, and also several collection methods such as direct debit and adjustment, and credit control. Geneva also offers the ease of inter carrier settlement for domestic and international calls while the system benefits SLT with regards to a greater efficiency in Finance, Inventory Management and Work Order processing which gets translated to less costs to SLT which the company passes on to the customers. The added benefit of enhanced fault and complaint handling services, with an improved response time is another offering from Geneva, Convergys and SLT. The improvements to SLT's internal processes and systems are also substantial as they now give access to a wider range of features as well: Customers records are now stored in one centralised database with common customer and facility information, integrated information management amalgamating customer information, billing information, collection information, facility information and fault/complaint information through one system making data more easily accessible. It also allows for real time updating of information. Centralised management of customer information with several tiers of customers who have their own levels of access to value additions is also now available. Advantages such as a smoother incorporation of discount packages and tariff tables, billing and rating based on call and event detailed records, more effective judgment and analysis for marketing promotions, and total operation and maintenance of system by end user group, now provides SLT the opportunity to streamline its processes. An essential that Geneva provides that most other systems are not as advanced enough yet to perform, is the ability to support business models from varying markets and company structures. Geneva can also handle any type of periodic, fixed or usage-based charges and process events or transactions from any source. All the unique elements are already in operation in the SLT and Geneva working models and are already being applied in diverse areas around the world in next generation technologies such as telephony, wireless and 3G, and broad band as well as in more conventional businesses areas such as utilities and financial services. Sri Lanka Telecom is one of the country's most vital utility companies with an annual turnover in excess of Rs. 25 billion. The company employs a workforce of more than 8,000 and has an islandwide network. The company has had a rapid improvement in its service and productivity by tripling its network strength from 250,000 to 800,000 connections whilst maintaining the same staff strength. Today with NTT of Japan as a strategic partner, SLT provides facilities and services to its customers, which are unmatched in scope. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
