Sicap AG - Prepaid Applications, Over-The-Air and Messaging Solutions

Sicap is a Swiss software company that develops and provides mobile applications and network products for GSM operators. Sicap has unmatched experience in USSD based applications, Over-The-Air SIM card provisioning and prepaid charging. Since 1995 we have focused on cost-effective solutions that minimize infrastructure upgrades, thereby ensuring a quick return on investment for our customers. We provide solutions in the areas of charging, messaging and Over-The-Air.

Over 50 million subscribers worldwide are using operator services based on Sicap products. Our goal is to continuously improve and innovate by adding value through ingenuity.

We at Sicap understand the demands and issues network operators face because we originate from a market-leading operator, Swisscom Mobile. Sicap developed one of the first prepaid billing systems in 1995 and then one of the first prepaid roaming systems based on USSD call back in 1999.

Sicap's solutions take full advantage of network operators' existing infrastructure for better performance, whether it is by reducing operating costs or helping to stimulate revenue through new ways of enabling value added services. Sicap has been adding ingenuity to mobile networks since its inception and will continue to do so in the future.

CHARGING GATEWAY - REAL-TIME MOBILE DATA CHARGING

MMS growth has been slow due to the fact that it hasn't been made available to prepaid customers, thus limiting the amount of potential users. With Sicap's Charging Gateway, you have the possibility to offer data services such as MMS and GPRS to your prepaid customers thus exploiting the opportunity to increase uptake and revenue in these new mediums. Sicap's Charging Gateway is an add-on to any existing prepaid billing system and allows real-time charging of mobile data via GPRS such as MMS, browsing the web or downloading emails.

The Charging Gateway's instant real-time charging of services prior to delivery addresses exactly these challenges. Since service usage is first charged prior to delivery, no unpaid service usage is possible, hence, entirely removing the possibility of any revenue leakage or fraudulent usage due to missing or incorrect service charging.

OVER-THE-AIR (OTA) PLATFORM

Flexible application management is one of the key issues because of the ever-changing market needs. Sicap's Over-The-Air gateway (OTA) gives the operator and the customer highest flexibility, especially in relation to 3G deployments.

The operator has full control of all Over-The-Air functions through Sicap's OTA customer care system. Customers have direct web access, giving them control over features such as phone numbers stored on the SIM card, SIM toolkit applications and the download and management of java applications on the USIM or SIM card. Sicap's Remote Application Manager (RAM) module is the platform of choice for SIM toolkit and java application management.

REMOTE APPLICATION MANAGER (RAM)

Sicap's integrated RAM module gives operators and their customers the total flexibility and control of all applications and profiles on the SIM. Over a user-friendly web-interface, downloading and managing java applets and files on the SIM becomes very simple. The RAM module takes control of the whole process and generates billing records for each successful service. Extensive tariff functionality gives you the flexibility to define tariff schemes according to your needs.

USSD/UMB - UNSTRUCTURED SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICE DATA

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is becoming widely accepted as the ideal channel for services such as mobile information, mobile commerce and mobile entertainment. Sicap's USSD gateway - in combination with Sicap's USSD menu browser (UMB) - is the perfect turnkey solution for operators and service providers for providing value added services and customer self-care.

Sicap's USSD gateway reduces operational costs and increases access speed and delivery of services normally provided via IVR such as customer self care; prepaid balance enquiry, account reload, language, multiple SIM management and even voicemail configurations. Network operators usually experience high amounts of unbilled voice calls to the IVR from their subscribers wanting to check up on their balance or to reload their account. Subscribers also experience unnecessarily long waiting periods to find out their balance or to reload their accounts. With USSD it's a matter of seconds for the customers to check their balance or reload their account.