North America Toll Free Service and Provisioning Overview

Website design By BotEap.comFree Service Overview

Website design By BotEap.comService Management System 800 (SMS/800) is an operations support system (OSS) used for the creation and maintenance of North American toll-free call processing records. SMS/800 is also the source for toll-free number availability and reservation status information. Many users call the 800 Service Management System the “National Database”.

Website design By BotEap.comAll service providers that assign toll-free numbers for use within the US and Canada use SMS/800 to check the availability of specific numbers, reserve them, create customer records, and download records to service control points ( SCP) from the local exchange provider to facilitate call processing.

Website design By BotEap.comNew Customer Records (CRs) and changes to existing CRs are uploaded to the SMS/800 by a responsible organization (Resp Org). The Resp Org (usually a telecommunications provider) is an organization designated to manage and administer a customer’s SMS/800 records. The organizations resp. they must go through a certification process to gain access to the national database.

Website design By BotEap.comAfter the CR is created or changed, SMS/800 downloads the appropriate information to the Service Control Points (SCPs) that direct the gratuitous traffic by providing carrier identification and routing information. The CR contains the call handling instructions and options chosen by the customer. These options could include choosing multiple carriers (for example, Verizon or Qwest) for different time periods or routing calls to alternate destinations.

Website design By BotEap.comFree provisioning

Website design By BotEap.comCurrently, there are more than 200 response organizations. that enter data into the SMS/800. There are four basic methods to provision (enter, change, or create) this data:

Website design By BotEap.comMechanized Generic Interface (MGI)

Website design By BotEap.comSome MGI users are large telecommunications providers (for example, AT&T). Other organizations of resp. they buy access to sophisticated front-end systems that increase the efficiency of their free call provisioning users. In each case, as the user configures customer records, the record is automatically transferred, via MGI, to SMS/800.

Website design By BotEap.comThe MGI is connected to the SMS/800 via a high speed (56kbps) or frame relay (64k) data link. The organizations of resp. they can look up and reserve numbers, as well as create or update customer records, through MGI.

Website design By BotEap.comThe main benefit of MGI access is that a user can update hundreds or thousands of toll-free numbers with powerful online bulk change commands (no need for ribbons or email to help desk).

Website design By BotEap.combatch tape

Website design By BotEap.comBatch tape users write customer record data to digital tape. The tape is then physically shipped to the SMS/800 production site (for example, via US mail) where it is loaded onto the SMS/800. The organizations of resp. they can create or update customer records per tape in batches, but they cannot reserve numbers per tape in batches. Due to the real-time nature of number reservations, those activities are handled online.

Website design By BotEap.comOnline access (3270 terminal emulation)

Website design By BotEap.comOnline users access SMS/800 via a dedicated private line, which is typically a 9.6 kbps link, or via dial-up facilities. The organizations of resp. they can look up and reserve numbers, as well as create or update customer records through online access. Most updates are done to only one toll-free number at a time.

Website design By BotEap.comWeb Based Access (WBA)

Website design By BotEap.comInternet users access the SMS/800 through a dedicated line or dial-up connection to an Internet service provider. Most updates are done to only one toll-free number at a time.

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Website design By BotEap.comOverview of basic toll-free provisioning activities

Website design By BotEap.comThe SMS/800 provides three basic support functions: 1) number search and reservation; 2) creation and modification of customer records; and 3) report generation.

  1. Toll Free Number Search/Reservation
  2. Website design By BotEap.comThe organization of resp. you can search for available ten-digit toll-free numbers residing in the database. Random searches and pattern matches (for custom numbers) are available. An organization of resp. you can reserve a spare number for a maximum period of 45 days. Reserved toll free numbers that are not activated within 45 days will be converted from reserved status and returned to the spare number pool. The maximum number of toll-free numbers that a resp. you can have on reserve status at any given time is equal to 8 percent of your working numbers or 2,000 numbers, whichever is greater.

  3. Creating and modifying customer records
  4. Website design By BotEap.comThe organization of resp. you can create and modify customer records on the SMS/800 and schedule the date and time that the records will be activated on the SCPs. SMS/800 also supports a variety of special capabilities intended to allow the responding organization and the subscriber to manage, monitor, and control the traffic associated with the toll-free number.

  5. The generation of the report
  6. Website design By BotEap.comNumerous administrative and exception reports are available.
Website design By BotEap.comdata output

Website design By BotEap.comThe SMS/800 downloads information to Service Control Points (SCPs), as appropriate. There are approximately 20 mated pairs of SCPs spread across the United States and Canada. The SMS/800 is connected to the SCPs via data links.

Website design By BotEap.comSummary

Website design By BotEap.comThis article provides an overview of North American toll free service provisioning. Concepts covered include the National Database, Customer Records, Resp Organizations, Service Control Points, Access Technologies (MGI, Batch Tape, 3270, Web) and Search/Booking, RC Creation and Modification, and Reports.

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