GRIC Convergent Services Platform Debuts,Offering 'Single Account, Multiple IP Services, One Bill' Solution
November 3, 1998
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via
NewsEdge Corporation --
Enables service providers to do things on the
Internet they couldn't do before
GRIC Communications, Inc., today introduced
GRIC CSP(TM) (Convergent Services
Platform), the industry's first commercially
available software platform that offers ISPs
and carriers a single solution for multiple
IP-based services such as roaming, fax and
phone. With GRIC CSP, service providers can
offer their customers these services through
a single account and one bill.
GRIC CSP is an intelligent software platform
that allows global networks to seamlessly
interoperate. With GRIC CSP, carriers and
content providers can offer Internet-based
services immediately while increasing
revenues and customer satisfaction.
"IP telecommunications has been limited by
fragmented networks, lack of intelligent
network services, limited service boundaries,
and the inability to accurately bill and settle
across providers," said Dr. Hong Chen,
chairman and CEO of GRIC Communications.
"Much like networking companies need an
open architecture operating system to
manage network resources and services, or
the way PSTN networks need SS7-based IN
services, the IP-based communications
service providers have a similar requirement.
GRIC CSP was designed as the solution to
this problem."
In order for service providers to profitably
offer multiple, integrated IP-based services
such as phone, fax, video conferencing and
remote access on a global scale, they need
an intelligent software platform to handle
worldwide authentication, authorization,
routing, settlement, customer care, billing
and provisioning for these multiple services.
GRIC has developed and offered many of the
individual components of a convergent
platform for several years and has now
unified them into the GRIC CSP solution.
"Service providers everywhere are anxious to
deploy value-added IP services, but one of
the biggest barriers to date is lack of
backoffice systems," said Hilary Mine,
executive vice president at market research
firm Probe Research, Inc. "This is where CSP
fits in. By ensuring an open, scaleable and
above all hardware independent platform,
GRIC demonstrates their appreciation of real
world service provider concerns."
CSP Highlights
GRIC CSP is designed for the requirements of
next-generation, IP-based service providers:
- Open architecture - support for multiple
vendors' applications - Open standard based
- support for the Open Settlement Standard
and radius protocols - Distributed systems -
servers located for optimum performance and
redundancy support - Security with SSL
Plus(TM) 2.0 - part of GRIC's total security
approach - Scalability - able to handle
increasing volumes of traffic - Flexibility -
easy addition of new types of services -
Micropayment capabilities - at both the
wholesale and retail
levels
CSP Components
GRIC CSP consists of five components:
- Authentication server - provides
authentication and authorization
of users throughout the world - Settlement -
clearinghouse functions - Routing - ensures
the most cost-efficient policy-based routing
of
communication - Billing - provides billing and
provisioning of customers - GRIC-ready
protocol - a programming interface enabling
third-party vendors to develop applications
for the GRIC Network
In conjunction with the Convergent Services
Platform, GRICbilling(TM) 3.0 has been
introduced. This next-generation convergent
billing and provisioning system supports
multiple operating systems and database
systems. GRICbilling 3.0 is Java-based and
will be offered in two configurations:
GRICbilling Framework(TM), the standard
version, and GRICbilling SDK(TM), that allows
ISPs and third-party system integrators to
create or modify service types and other
aspects of billing systems. GRICbilling
Framework is available today, and GRICbilling
SDK will be available in early 1999.
GRIC-ready Protocol(TM) is being adopted by
leading communications equipment providers,
including Cisco, Lucent, Open Port
Technology, and Siemens. ISPs and carriers,
using equipment that incorporates
GRIC-ready Protocol, can automatically
access GRIC CSP and immediately offer their
subscribers multiple Internet-based
telecommunications services via a single user
ID.
Benefits to ISPs and Carriers
Using GRIC CSP, service providers can offer
multiple IP-based services via a single
intelligent backoffice system, and share
network resources with other service
providers on a global scale via GRIC's
settlement/clearinghouse/micropayment
capabilities. They can also deploy equipment
from multiple vendors who have implemented
the GRIC-ready Protocol and support these
using a single backoffice system.
Smaller service providers can use GRIC CSP
as a turnkey solution with which to start their
IP-based services, while global service
providers with different affiliates can use
GRIC CSP to unify their heterogeneous and
disparate networks into a seamless, unified
logical network.
"As part of our effort to provide the highest
quality of Internet telecommunication
services, AUNET has aligned itself with the
dominant player, GRIC Communications," said
Michael Chan, CEO of AUNET Corporation, a
leading ISP in Asia. "GRIC CSP represents a
major advancement for ISPs in that it
provides platform independence and a
common environment in which multiple
IP-based services can interoperate, with just
a single account and bill for the subscriber."
Benefits to Equipment Partners
Equipment vendors can incorporate
GRIC-ready Protocol in order to make their
products "plug-and-play" compatible with
GRIC CSP, allowing multiple IP-based
telecommunications services. The open
architecture of GRIC-ready Protocol is a
standards-based solution that is easy to
adopt, adding features and value to the
vendor's equipment and giving vendors
access to the large customer base of the
GRIC Alliance(TM), or any provider with GRIC
CSP already installed.
"Lucent is currently implementing our
PacketStar(TM) Internet Telephony System
to be interoperable with GRICphone," said
Chris Schoettle, vice president of IP
Communications at Lucent Technologies. "We
are delighted that the GRIC Convergent
Services Platform will include the GRIC-ready
Protocol for compatibility with GRICphone.
GRIC CSP will further expand the choices
available to Internet Telephony service
providers for global integrated authentication,
settlement, routing and billing solutions."
"We expect GRIC's Convergent Services
Platform to be a factor in the continuing
growth of IP fax," said Randy Storch,
chairman and CEO of Open Port Technology,
Inc., a leading provider of Internet telephony
technology whose Harmony NSP software is
part of GRIC's GRICfax IP fax solution. "The
one account, multiple services capabilities of
GRIC CSP make having a suite of IP-based
services much easier to use and administer
for a business or individual."
Benefits to End-Users
GRIC CSP enables one account, global
access, multiple services, and single bill.
Corporate and individual end-users
subscribing to a GRIC Alliance member will be
able to take full advantage of all that
IP-based telecommunications has to offer.
With GRIC CSP, customers can use any
IP-based services made available by their ISP
with one user ID, increasing ease-of-use.
End-users also receive the benefit of global
coverage, provided by the hundreds of GRIC
Alliance members around the world. Finally,
single, simplified billing will offer cost savings
to corporations that source their Internet
access through a GRIC Alliance member.
GRIC is already providing the first three
pieces needed for multiple IP-based
telecommunications services: global roaming
and remote access/VPN capabilities with
GRICtraveler, Internet faxing with GRICfax,
and Internet telephony with GRICphone. The
GRIC Alliance, comprised of more than 400
ISPs and carriers, provides over 3,000 POPs
in 120 countries, and includes more than 30
million addressable subscribers, all potential
users of IP-based services. |
