US : Boston Communications Group announced the general availability of bcgi Voyager version 5.0, its best-in-class wireless billing and customer care solution. Designed for the complex requirements of wireless carriers, Voyager 5.0 streamlines billing and customer care, offers pre-integrated data mediation services, delivers comprehensive reporting, and improves inventory and retail operations to help wireless carriers maximize their investments in next-generation networks. These capabilities allow wireless carriers to enhance their voice and data offerings, create new services, enter new market segments, and retain subscribers.

The latest version of Voyager empowers carriers to manage every aspect of customer management with one complete system. Pre-integrated with bcgi Prepaid Connection, the system supports pre- and postpaid account provisioning and management from a single platform. It also supports the real-time billing and mediation of wireless data events. This innovative approach provides carriers with an all-inclusive infrastructure that maximizes their investments in enhanced data services. In addition to its proven capabilities for TDMA, CDMA and GSM networks, bcgi Voyager supports the dynamic and real-time requirements of GPRS, 1xRTT and EDGE networks.

"We acquired Infotech Solutions and its Voyager billing platform to create a best-in-breed, real-time subscriber management and billing solution that would enable carriers to deliver postpaid, prepaid or hybrid services in any network environment," said E.Y. Snowden, president and CEO of bcgi. "With the release of Voyager 5.0, bcgi delivers regional wireless carriers a strong, next-generation wireless application necessary to offer advanced voice and data services and accelerate their return on investment in 2.5 and 3G network infrastructure."

Specific features of bcgi Voyager 5.0 include:

-- Integration of bcgi Voyager/Prepaid Connection: Simplified customer management means managing both prepaid and postpaid accounts from a single entry point. Uniting prepaid and postpaid on one platform improves operational efficiency, enhances customer service, reduces operational costs and increases revenue growth by attracting new subscribers.

-- Enhanced Wireless Data Billing: Complete capabilities to support GPRS and 1xRTT wireless data event rating, billing and presentment. These new features give carriers the ability to create the right mix of data services to gain new subscribers, offer new options to current subscribers and boost the bottom line. This release also adds data events into Voyager's existing spending limit module. Spending limit plans provide carriers with the ability to reduce their financial risks, while offering subscribers the convenience of a postpaid billing experience.

-- Wireless Mediation Services: Voyager 5.0 provides carriers with a complete, integrated data mediation service that simplifies the collection, management, rating and billing of wireless data events. Carriers now have a complete offering that provides a total view of the entire transaction process and supports the ability to manage all aspects of data events in real time for the dynamic requirements of data rating and billing. The system provides wireless operators with a cost-effective service that helps them achieve their revenue goals and maximize their investments associated with providing next-generation voice and data services.

-- Streamlined Point-of-Sale (POS) Operations: Improved inventory replenishment and equipment ordering helps prevent the loss of customers at the POS due to inventory shortages.

Deployed using bcgi's TOTALsource implementation model, bcgi furnishes all aspects of bcgi Voyager Billing and Customer Care, including initial hardware and software, implementation and conversion services, on-going application support, 7x24 monitoring, alarming, and capacity planning. bcgi TOTALsource provides a complete outsourced environment for the deployment of all bcgi solutions, allowing carriers to get to market quickly and without large capital investments.