Terminology

Many BSS applications use the same term in slightly different ways. To avoid confusion, the following list explains what some common terms mean in Smile.

service

A generic kind of product that can be provided to customers, for example, ADSL or mobile telephony.

subscription

A single instance of a service that is provided to a customer, for example, a single mobile number. Subscriptions belong to an account and are often the source of usage and recurring charges.

account

A customer, company or debtor in the accounts receivable system to whom one or more subscriptions are provided. For example, you can provide mobile subscription 0401234567 to the account of Joe Smith. The account defines who bills are sent to, how much the customer owes and their payment terms.

plan

The set of rules that determine how much is charged for a subscription. A plan can include recurring charges, usage charges, minimum charges, included usage and access rules such as modem speed.

package

A bundle of services added as a group to an account. Packages specify default values for bill layout and billing frequencies, and are used to order subscriptions and accounts.