Next-generation services are fundamentally changing the waycommunication and media service providers are doing business. Network, standards and even basic definitions of next-generation services are loose at best. But there are clear implications for the operational - and business-support systems, and in particular the billing systems, that power them. In this paper, we examine the emergence of next-generation services and explore the requirements for turning next-generation services into powerful sources of new revenue and service differentiation.
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