Cable & Wireless of Panama builds its systems with GeneXus
GeneXus Consulting developed a computer system for telecommunications in Panama.
From its beginnings (London, 1860), the Cable & Wireless Group has expanded its operations to over 34 countries, and become one of the main players in telecommunications worldwide. As the result of a public bidding process carried out in Panama in the year 1997, Cable & Wireless Panamá, S.A. (CWP) was awarded 49% of the capital stock of Instituto Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A.
The GeneXus project
As of 2003 the telecommunications monopoly opened up and a number of new long-distance telephone carriers started operating through CWP’s physical network. According to the new applicable law, the company providing the physical network must allow for the other carriers to provide their services through its own physical network, and must include in the invoices issued to clients any charges generated while using the other telephone carriers. In exchange for providing such services, CWP will be entitled to charge a percentage on the charges generated by each carrier.
Given this scenario, the purpose of the project was to develop a Computer System in addition to the Main Invoicing System, to cover all needs relative to processing data associated to services provided by other long-distance telephone carriers.
The new system, developed between 2003 and 2004 by GeneXus Consulting, was named “Facturación a Cargo y Cuenta” (FCC) – Invoicing Charged and On Account. It is based on the segmentation of all invoicing by carrier. All payments made by customers are proportionally applied to each carrier’s charges, followed by adjustments on these charges. The system can also manage claims affecting the other telephone carriers, who receive the claims to be analyzed, followed by resolution processing as feedback to the main claims system. Adjustments sent by carriers to be applied to invoicing processes in the main system are also processed.
The development included an Arrears Management and Transfer module, with specific rules for each carrier. Another module was the Settlement Module meant for the calculation of all commissions to be paid by carriers on services received in relation to invoicing, distribution and collection. In addition to this are all payments received to the name of carriers, with prior discount of commissions generated by late payments.
Recently, in 2008, GeneXus Consulting developed a new additional module for management of CDR (Call Detail Record) files sent to CWP by every telephone carrier. This module was developed with the “Software Factory” method and is currently under production, to be implemented in record time.
Basic Software and Architecture
The project was developed with WEB .Net architecture using Internet Information Services, on an operational SQL/Server2000 DB, and run on Windows 2000 Servers.
Clients have Windows 2000, and the application is executed through Internet Explorer.
GXportal was used as an integrating tool for the application, and as security scheme for controlling access to the application, based on profiles. Also, GXflow (Workflow Tool) was used to sort and control execution of all batch processes in the system. Batch processes originate in GXflow WEB from any terminal, upon the necessary authorizations.
The application was generated in GeneXus and runs entirely on the server in C# .Net; data access is achieved through ADO technology. The data volume handled implies tables of up to 90 million records
The GeneXus project
As of 2003 the telecommunications monopoly opened up and a number of new long-distance telephone carriers started operating through CWP’s physical network. According to the new applicable law, the company providing the physical network must allow for the other carriers to provide their services through its own physical network, and must include in the invoices issued to clients any charges generated while using the other telephone carriers. In exchange for providing such services, CWP will be entitled to charge a percentage on the charges generated by each carrier.
Given this scenario, the purpose of the project was to develop a Computer System in addition to the Main Invoicing System, to cover all needs relative to processing data associated to services provided by other long-distance telephone carriers.
The new system, developed between 2003 and 2004 by GeneXus Consulting, was named “Facturación a Cargo y Cuenta” (FCC) – Invoicing Charged and On Account. It is based on the segmentation of all invoicing by carrier. All payments made by customers are proportionally applied to each carrier’s charges, followed by adjustments on these charges. The system can also manage claims affecting the other telephone carriers, who receive the claims to be analyzed, followed by resolution processing as feedback to the main claims system. Adjustments sent by carriers to be applied to invoicing processes in the main system are also processed.
The development included an Arrears Management and Transfer module, with specific rules for each carrier. Another module was the Settlement Module meant for the calculation of all commissions to be paid by carriers on services received in relation to invoicing, distribution and collection. In addition to this are all payments received to the name of carriers, with prior discount of commissions generated by late payments.
Recently, in 2008, GeneXus Consulting developed a new additional module for management of CDR (Call Detail Record) files sent to CWP by every telephone carrier. This module was developed with the “Software Factory” method and is currently under production, to be implemented in record time.
Basic Software and Architecture
The project was developed with WEB .Net architecture using Internet Information Services, on an operational SQL/Server2000 DB, and run on Windows 2000 Servers.
Clients have Windows 2000, and the application is executed through Internet Explorer.
GXportal was used as an integrating tool for the application, and as security scheme for controlling access to the application, based on profiles. Also, GXflow (Workflow Tool) was used to sort and control execution of all batch processes in the system. Batch processes originate in GXflow WEB from any terminal, upon the necessary authorizations.
The application was generated in GeneXus and runs entirely on the server in C# .Net; data access is achieved through ADO technology. The data volume handled implies tables of up to 90 million records