The Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) based at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has been awarded an EU grant of €1.1m to develop an outsourcing billing service.
TSSG will receive the grant through the eTEN programme – an EU programme providing funds to help make e-services available throughout Europe – to develop a billing service to create invoices for client companies both in Ireland and abroad.
Developed by the TSSG in conjunction with Intec Billing Ireland, one of the largest sellers of telecom billing systems in the world, this billing service is mainly targeted at communications providers and digital media companies.
Other partners include: Radio Data Networks from Italy that provides voice over internet protocol (VoIP), internet service provider (ISP), DSL broadband and other services; UAB SSC (Skaitmeninio Sertifikavimo Centras) from Lithuania that provides digital certificate registration and ISP services; Aceno Mobile Services from Ireland that provides mobile content distribution and delivery solutions; and Intelligence for Environment and Security Solutions from Italy.
The TSSG is a research centre in WIT. Its aims include applying technology developed at WIT and elsewhere to create commercial start-up companies, helping south-east Ireland develop world-class technology firms and improving employment opportunities in the area. Aceno Mobile Services and Waterford Technologies are two companies previously created under this scheme.
Dr Kevin Quinn, billing product manager at the TSSG, explained: “A major problem for start-up companies is the ability to cost-effectively bill for the delivery of their products and services.
“Anyone who has been unlucky enough to spend hours trying to sort out billing mistakes with a telephone company will understand that billing systems don’t always run smoothly. This new application service provider (ASP) billing solution will provide companies with a low-cost, easy-to-use, pay-as-you-go charging and billing system for their services.”
Quinn said the grant will enable TSSG to set up the company billing ASP system and begin operating early 2006.
By John Kennedy
