 apply rate information to specific data once it has been collected from a network but before it is sent to a billing system. Pre-rating is often used to support high volume and/or real time billing. Provisioning: The systems and processes an IIC uses to update its records and prepare the elements necessary to deliver a requested service. Publish Switched Telephone Network (PSTN): Traditional circuit switched network used to deliver analog voice services using dedicated connections/calls. Purpose-built legacy OSSs: Older OSSs, often embedded in a large IIC's infrastructure, that were originally designed to provide one or a few specific functions. They often handle such functions extremely well, but are also difficult to integrate with other systems that can enhance their static functionality. Regression testing: The process by which repeatable tests are performed to check or debug application and/or integration code, particularly related to data or application migration projects. Remote Method Invocation (RMI): RMI provides the mechanism by which client and server applications communicate and pass information back and forth. It supports development of distributed Java programs with the same syntax and semantics used for non-distributed programs. Router: A device in an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network that essentially directs traffic on the network by receiving messages, reading their destination address and forwarding them in the correct direction or delivering them to an intended recipient. Routers can also play a role in network capacity management and quality of service management. The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS Sales force applications: Software systems that manage functions relating to the sales process. For an IIC, such functions might include anything from remote ordering applications and contract management systems to productivity reporting and commissioning functions. Sales Force Automation (SFA): The practice of employing sales force applications to automate as much of the sal