Optimized Communication Billing Management System

• US 20080319879A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carroll, Jim, Rose, Jeffrey, Taylor, Jenny
• Application Number:
  US12/138,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8022 Determining tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 : Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7421 : Determine tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7464 : Select transport technology for a given service, e.g. use for data connection WLAN rather than GSM/UMTS/GPRS or use company's communication network rather than a public network

Abstract

A business method is disclosed directed to attempting to saving clients money on their communications services. Specifically, billing information is obtained for a client and loaded into a database. An initial rate is determined based on this billing information, along with possibly an add on rate for add on services, which can provide a combined rate charge. At least one of the initial rate and combined rates are compared to a derived rate which is calculated by applying an algorithm to the database which applies the actual data to a plurality of rate plans provided by communications carriers to see which rate plan might provide savings for the client, if any. If savings are achieved, at least recommending if not switching to another rate plan, possibly of an other carrier.

Claims

1. A business method for potentially lowering at least some business expenses comprising the steps of:

a) collecting billing data for a client;

b) associated billing data with the client;

c) loading the billing data into a client database associated with the client;

d) calculating a rate per minute cost which excludes costs for add on services from the billing data in the client database;

e) calculating an add on service cost by allocating add on costs over average total minutes from the billing data in the client database;

f) optimizing using the billing data in the client database and at least one other rate plan based on client'"'"'s actual usage to provide a derived rate per minute;

g) adding the initial rate per minute cost and the add on service cost to provide a per minute charge; and

then

h) comparing the combined per minute charge to the derived rate per minute, and if the derived rate per minute is less than the combined per minute charge, at least recommending a switch to a rate plan corresponding to the derived rate per minute.

2. The business method of claim 1 wherein the step of calculating an initial per minute cost includes adding recurring monthly charges to the variable charges per minute and dividing by total minutes utilized.

3. The business method of claim 2 wherein the step of calculating initial per minute cost includes accounting at least some of bundled minutes, overages, roaming charges, long distance charges, mobile to mobile charges, taxes, standard monthly fees, pro rata charges, and client approved additional charges and credits to the variable charges per minute prior to dividing by the total minutes utilized.

4. The business method of claim 1 wherein the add on costs are selected from the group of help desk services, support services, ordering service costs, procurement costs for new services, procurement costs for new equipment, trouble shooting costs, number transfer fees, service deactivation fees, device selection fees, service selection fees, invoice allocation services, and asset tracking expenses.

5. The business method of claim 1 wherein the optimization step further comprising applying an algorithm to the client database and a communication plan database having a plurality of communication plans, and then selecting the lowest per minute rate as the derived rate plan.

6. The business method of claim 5 wherein a communications expense manager reviews the derived rate and the per minute charge and then procures communications services for the client through a carrier.

7. The business method of claim 6 wherein the client'"'"'s services are grouped with those of other clients on an invoice from the carrier and the expense manager separates the clients services and applies the derived rate to the number of minutes utilized by the client to provide an invoice from the communications manager to the client, with the expense manager paying the carrier directly.

8. The business method of claim 7 wherein the derived rate includes a profit for the expense manager.

9. The business method of claim 6 wherein the communications expense manager evaluates the clients billing data.

10. The business method of claim 7 wherein the communications expense manager loads the clients billing data in the client database as a part of an invoice containing expenses of other clients.

11. The business method of claim 1 wherein the client is believed to be a similarly situated, but different client, than a prospective client for which at least a recommended switch is proposed.

12. The business method of claim 1 wherein the derived rate per minute includes data service charges.

13. The business method of claim 1 wherein data service charges are calculated per data throughput and tracked separately from voice minutes.

14. The business method of claim 9 wherein the expense manager is an internal operating unit of the client.

15. A business method for potentially lowering at least some business expenses comprising the steps of:

a) collecting prior periods of billing data for a client;

b) associated billing data with the client;

c) loading the billing data into a client database associated with the client by an expense manager;

d) calculating an initial rate per minute cost for voice based minute costs which excludes costs for add on services from the billing data in the client database;

e) optimizing using an algorithm applied to the billing data in the client database and at least one other rate plan based on client'"'"'s actual usage to provide a derived rate per minute; and

then

f) comparing at least the initial rate per minute charge to the derived rate per minute, and if the derived rate per minute is less than the combined per minute charge, at least recommending a switch to a rate plan corresponding to the derived rate per minute.

16. The business method of claim 15 wherein the initial rate per minute cost includes at least some non-minute based costs.

17. The business method of claim 16 includes adding recurring monthly charges to the variable charges per minute and dividing by total minutes utilized.

18. The business method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of calculating an add on service cost rate by allocating add on costs over average total minutes from the billing data in the client database, and adding the add on service cost rate to the initial rate per minute to compare with the derived rate.

19. The business method of claim 17 further comprising the step of calculating an add on service cost rate by allocating add on costs over average total minutes from the billing data in the client database and billing clients separately for add on services than adding in with derived rate per minute charging.

20. The business method of claim 19 wherein the expense manager provides an invoice to the client including add on service cost as a separate line item from a derived rate per minute charges.