Analytics to the Rescue: Ending the Confusion Over Wireless Billing

There’s no denying it: billing for wireless services is complex and confusing – for carriers, enterprises and consumers alike. Making sense of wireless bills is time-consuming and, because time is money, expensive.

What’s needed is a way to efficiently apply analytics and cut through the confusion to save money, both on the bill itself and in administrative time.

Enter Validas (News - Alert), a company with a simple yet challenging mission: end confusion over wireless billing.

A provider of wireless analytics management, Validas’ customer base is mostly carriers, businesses and government organizations, although it does offer consumer services as well through a partnership with Best Buy (News - Alert).

During a TMCnet video interview at ITEXPO (News - Alert) West 2011 in Austin, Texas, Validas CEO and co-founder Thomas Pepe explained that the biggest savings for wireless services typically come from eliminating overage charges or over-subscriptions.

Using powerful analytics tools, Validas identifies patterns in wireless calling, and leverages those patterns to save its clients money. These analytics tools give clients deep visibility into their wireless bills, and produce practical, actionable accounting reports.

For example, Validas recently completed a two-year project working with the State of California to optimize their wireless billing. They examined call behavior, spending patterns, and compliance. Result: monthly savings of about $1.2 million.

“We look at things like lines coming onto and exiting a wireless plan, and determine the right levels for voice, messaging and data,” Pepe said during the video interview.

Validas’ tools provide the ability to analyze billing changes down to the call level, letting clients see everything about their wireless bill – even details not typically included on the actual bill, like how many times calls were made within the same minute.

Once this information is available, it’s not very difficult to make intelligent decisions about wireless plans.

“We provide answers to the test, which makes taking the test very easy,” Pepe quipped.

He added, “Equipment drives behavior most of the time. First, you understand what phones you need, and planning is secondary. It should be reversed.”

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Feb. 1-3, 2012 in Miami, Fla. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.