The News: MATRIXX Software, a supplier of 5G monetization solutions, announced the next generation of its cloud native Digital Commerce Platform, built to support both 5G Converged Charging (CCS) and 4G Online Charging (OCS) within a single solution. Operators such as Dish and AT&T Mexico are already deploying this latest release.
As operators roll out 5G StandAlone (SA), converged charging has become a critical and strategic network function. MATRIXX offers a cloud native solution on the market for 4G and 5G network-grade charging. By potentially enabling resources to be monetized in ways not possible with previous generations of mobile technology, MATRIXX’s latest 5G CCS supports innovative offerings such as dynamic pricing and application-aware monetization. Read the full MATRIXX Software press release here.
MATRIXX Dishes out MATRIXX Digital Commerce 5G Charging Credentials
Analyst Take: MATRIXX Software is making the portfolio upgrades key to powering CSP adoption of 5G Converged Charging (CCS) capabilities in their 5G StandAlone (SA) builds. MATRIXX is fulfilling the growing CSP demand to fundamentally transform their back-office systems, especially their digital Business Support System (BSS) assets, to monetize new 5G service offerings such as ultra-personalized consumer services and agile B2B2X models.
MATRIXX Digital Commerce blends 5G CCS and 4G Online Charging (OCS) to ease CSP transitions from 4G LTE networks to 5G SA, including support for automated and dynamic pricing of 5G services such as networks slicing and edge-enabled charging. Moreover, MATRIXX Digital Commerce provides elastic scaling, policy-driven pricing, and edge-enabled delivery of lower latencies as well as flexible deployment across private and public clouds.
Dish and AT&T Mexico have already selected MATRIXX’s solution to meet their 5G CCS demands. In particular, Dish emphasized using MATRIXX for dynamic pricing of network slices in its 5G SA network and AT&T Mexico replaced multiple legacy Intelligent Network (IN) and Business Support Systems (BSS) in anticipation of its 5G build.
MATRIXX Digital Commerce: How is it Differentiated and Winning in Key Networks
MATRIXX Digital Commerce’s support of 5G CCS capabilities like dynamic pricing and elastic scaling are undistinguished as very competitive solutions such as Netcracker 2020, Nokia Converged Charging, Amdocs RevenueONE/Openet ECS, Ericsson Charging, and Huawei’s Convergent Charging Gateway as well as Cerillion CCS and CSG 5G Dynamic Charging Function all support similar features.
However, MATRIXX’s emphasis on specific 3GPP SBA (Service-based Architecture) interfaces and CNCF projects help distinguish MATRIXX Digital Commerce amidst a sea of competition.
By emphasizing support of N40 and N28 SBA interfaces for Session Management Function (SMF) converged charging and policy control function (PCF) spending limit controls, MATRIXX directly appeals to CSP prioritization of preventing bill shock in dynamic pricing environments. In particular, N28 band is the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) band plan in the 700 MHz range that is specially configured to deliver mobile broadband to remote areas as well as central business district buildings across regions such as Asia-Pacific, Oceania, and Latin America. The N40 band is in the 2.3 GHz range and is licensed for use in places like Australia and Saudi Arabia for 5G NR (New Radio) applications.
I see MATRIXX Digital Commerce as also being distinguished from the competition through the company’s underscoring of open source CNCF projects such as Prometheus-enabled centralized monitoring and Fluentd-enabled unified logging. Prometheus, for example, enables CSPs to monitor applications such as throughput (TPS) and the response times of the Kafka load generator (Kafka producer), Kafka consumer and Cassandra client which are critical metrics as they expand their adoption of cloud-native applications.
MATRIXX Software Digital Commerce Solution: Key Takeaways
Of note, Dish is committed to building a 5G network that covers 70 percent of the U.S. population by June 2023, starting with one metro before the end of the year, although it still needs to complete RF planning, permitting, and site acquisition processes, as well as the concrete installation of equipment. Dish still needs to materially build its network and any near-term delays could dampen the PR value of MATRIXX’s deal in the mid-term and beyond.
I believe MATRIXX is gaining a time-to-market advantage in capturing mind share among CSPs during the early stages of their cloud native charging implementations. At least rivals will now need to stress their portfolio development goals in supporting CNCF graduated projects such as Prometheus and Fluentd to lessen MATRIXX’s ability to gain a differentiation edge. Likewise, in specifying their support of 5G bands for SMF CCS and PCF capabilities.
Now MATRIXX must show it can translate early mind share gains into tangible market share gains against foes in the 5G CCS and BSS realms.
Futurum Research provides industry research and analysis. These columns are for educational purposes only and should not be considered in any way investment advice.
Other insights from Futurum Research:
MATRIXX Software and AWS Roll Out Digital Transformation Assessments to Spur 5G Monetization
Netcracker 2020: Ushering in the Service Provider Digital Transformation Renaissance
Amdocs Buys Openet to Boost Cloud Credentials but Still Needs Broader Cloud Proposition
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Author Information
Ron is an experienced, customer-focused research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets, working with businesses to drive consistent revenue and sales growth.
Ron holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from University of Nevada — Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/government from William and Mary.
