For calls passing through different operator networks, billing information is also used by the accounting function regulating the flow of money between the operators. Operator business process: O&M output Corporate strategy Financial planning Marketing Market Services Infrastructure Build and Operation content services planning implement maintenance creation Billing and customer Figure 16.20 Revenue-related management Understanding Changing Telecommunications - Building a Successful Telecom Business Information from network fault management Customer Front help Custom orderser trouble ticketing Other Hot billing operators Call rating & Payment Customer order Tariff plan Inter-operatori billing management management management accounting Data warehouse - Fraud detection - Calling analysis Billing mediation platform Collection of relevant events - etc. for billing in the network Router Server Figure 16.21 Billing mediation It is worth mentioning the existence and discussion of two different philosophies regarding billing, as illustrated in Figure 16.22. The type of control, already treated in configuration management, also has important effects in terms of telecom business. The use of pure call control or pure connectivity control in the network has important effects on billing methods and philosophy, as can be seen in Figure 16.22. Connectivity-based technologies like IP have had limited capabilities regarding call control, which leads to a billing model not very attractive to many network operators. On the other hand smart billing requires a sophisticated call control, to clearly identify the different calls or sessions and to store the data associated with them for detailed billing. Integrated business chain with Flat rate connectivity billing, service extensive billing capabilities billing determined by service provider Telco's Differenciated & Service billing approa integrated billing Service Service provisioning provisioning Flat rate Flat rate for bit transport Connectivity Call control billing Connectivity C