Orange has selected the Metaswitch Rhino platform as the framework for its Open Service Gateway (OSG), a unified services layer that provides consistency of services regardless of network type. It will first be deployed at Orange Egypt. The OSG enables the deployment and interoperability of fixed and mobile voice, messaging, video and data services.
The OSG ensures that Orange is in control of service innovation, avoiding vendor lock-in by enabling internal and external development resources to build repeatable "drop-in" applications that can be deployed by any operator in the group. It also enables deployment of a services layer that uses virtualisation and NFV. Any region identified for initial deployment of the OSG will feature an innovative use case.
Orange Egypt had a predominantly pre-paid subscriber base that needed the ability to recharge their accounts easily. With existing recharge capabilities residing on disparate platforms and multiple access points, Orange decided to invest in Metaswitch Rhino to deliver its new Low-Balance Eco System (LBE). When a subscriber makes a call and they are out of credit, the LBE service provides a consistent, single point of entry and options for subscribers through an interactive voice menu.
Calls that had once been dropped during the recharge cycle are now maintained, ensuring user satisfaction and protecting the revenue stream.The Rhino platform acts as an extensible, open telephony application server that allows Metaswitch, network operators and third party software developers to create new applications via a range of APIs and SDKs. This enables them to have greater control of the direction, speed and cost of their network and service evolution.