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Home Solutions Frequently Asked Questions About WINGS Platform

Frequently Asked Questions About WINGS Platform

What exactly do you offer?

We are software developers and offer our own products and solutions in the sphere of VAS (value added services). Our software can be bought or rented (and be located on your or our servers). Moreover, we offer technical support and administration services to our customers.

Who is Your platform meant for?

Our platform is meant for:

  • new content and service providers who have just appeared in the market;
  • current content and service providers who have their own business (who already have or are planning to have their own technical platform);
  • mass media owners (TV, radio, printed publications, Web resources and etc.), wishing to launch and promote their mobile projects by themselves.
  • companies wishing to add a mobile component to their current business: advertising agencies, and mobile marketing agencies, lottery operators, banks, sports clubs and etc.

What is the difference between you and aggregators?

We are suppliers of the technical solution (WINGS platform) which we sell and rent (including to aggregators) and also we provide technical support and administering to our customers.

short codes as well as money for traffic you get directly from operators or aggregators bypassing us. We carry out only technical connection of You to operators or aggregators.

Do you have short codes?

No.

Who are your customers?

Among our customers are: VTB24, Sitronics, Acision, Íèêèòà Ìîáàéë, Direct Group, Laika Mobile, Premium Mobile, Mobisky, SMSJoin, Media Arts Group, KEMO, Brand Mobile, Communication Technologies, IBA, 2share, Kenyaweb, Merkamobil and etc. (totally more than 100 implementations in 17 countries).

Among our customers are also the following mobile operators: NTC, ETK, Bakcell, SMARTS, Baikalvestcom.

Our company has an experience in launching and exploitation of mobile projects for leading TV channels in Russia and CIS, including SMS-voting for Eurovision Song Contest and Super Star (Pop Idol). Besides, we have an experience in complex implementation of projects for such brands as Pepsi, Mirinda, Irn-Bru, Kodak, Edinaya Rossiya, Spartak and etc.

I want to create a content-provider – what do I have to do?

Firstly, you have to decide whether You need Your own short codes or prefixes for short codes will be enough. In the first case you have to apply directly to mobile operators, in the second case it is easier to apply to aggregators (in this case we can help to choose the best operator as we have had a cooperation experience with most of them).

Most operators check working capacity of service content providers before signing the agreement so together with getting short codes you have to apply to us to work out/create Your mobile services and get them ready for testing.

I have already got a platform – what can you offer me?

If You look through our site it is probably that Your platform does not satisfy some of your requirements. You want to market new services in a relatively short time or You encountered the problems of performance and reliability.

In this case we can offer You a gradual and harmless migration to WINGS platform. The migration will not require refusing from Your current services and changing simultaneously the platform. The migration is done gradually, as for new and essentially important services; they are migrated to WINGS platform without interrupting their work.

Moreover, you can change only the transport part of your system and leave the whole service logics on your current platform.

The process of migration is fully worked out which is proved by the dozens of successful migrations from different "self-written" platforms and platforms of other vendors done without interruption of providing services to the subscribers.

Why do I need to buy a platform if I can develop it by myself?

Developing software on your own may seem at first less costly than buying a ready platform. However, the need in new services and additional demands arise during the process of exploitation. Further modifications and their support increases the cost of own solution, makes it more complicated, less productive, implementation of new requirements can entail full change in the architecture and etc.

Finally, the cost of own development will exceed the cost of a ready solution along with lower service characteristics and longer period of project launch.

Moreover, labor costs will take many years to create a high-quality platform for mobile services. Is there any sense in taking risks, spending time and money if ready solutions already exist on the market? They develop along with customers’ requirements and besides there is a possibility to minimize risks and rent a platform.

WINGS platform will enable you to launch the project quickly and well not spending resources on the development of your own platform. Moreover, as our platform is a ready product used successfully by dozens of companies, it already has everything what you might need in future.

What are the advantages of your platform?

Our platform has been developing for many years. We defer to our customers’ opinion and develop the platform according to market needs. At the same time "self-written" platforms stop developing as a result of high costs of further development and operation. Besides, they cannot provide the necessary level of performance and reliability.

Practically all platforms of other vendors as well as self-written solutions work to the utmost only with one transport (for instance, only SMS-system or only IVR-system or only USSD-system). Certainly, you can buy only IVR-platform of another vendor but it will be extremely difficult to make work together two completely different platforms and in some cases it will be practically impossible. We offer you "all in one" complete multitransport solution which you can extend by new transport any time (for instance, to begin with SMS and then add IVR or USSD) and at the same time have a single integrated system.

Compared to aggregators’ systems, WINGS VAS platform can make you an independent player on the market that can be required at a certain stage of your business development.

More detailed information about it you can find here.

Is it possible to send out messages through You?

If our customer needs to send out bulk SMS messages or voice messages (outgoing calling) we are ready to provide such possibility as related services. But generally we are not engaged in bulk SMS messages as a separate line of business.

I want to organize a commercial consultation office – how can you help me?

We offer you to buy or rent a platform (either on our or on your hardware) and we can create practically any consultation service for you. If at first leasing or purchasing a platform is unprofitable for you we can recommend one of our customers who can offer you the best model of cooperation.

What server do I need?

We can help to choose the needed configuration. Accomplish this it is necessary to provide us data concerning possible traffic load: expected daily and monthly traffic, sudden load-peaks, whether there will be any advertisement on TV/radio and whether you will need hardware backup.

How many servers do I need?

It depends on subsystems included in the delivery, expected traffic load and fault-tolerance requirements. If traffic load is not high everything can be installed on one server (for instance, SMS and IVR subsystems). On the whole the system can be installed on several servers for load balancing and reservation, use external RAID and etc. Final hardware configuration is selected individually for each project.

Where to locate the servers?

We recommend locating hardware in specialized data centers.

If required we will be prentd to consult you concerning the choice of the best data center.

Our own servers are located in «Karavan» data center (assurance factor 3+ according to TIA-942 standard).

What operating systems does Your platform support?

The use of SUSE Linux or RedHat Linux is preferable as OS as these OS are supported officially by Oracle. In general, the choice of server OS is practically unrestrained. We have a considerable experience in installation and exploitation of the platform in various Linux and Windows systems.

What language is your platform written in?

The platform is developed with J2EE technology use. Oracle Database 10g is used as DBMS and the part of the platform business logic is implemented in the form of stored procedures on Oracle PL/SQL.

Your Oracle is chargeable and is probably expensive, isn’t it?

Most of our customers work on the free of charge version of Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (XE), which has some restrictions: computational power use should be no more than one processor, operative memory use should be no more than 1 gigabyte, data amount in DB is restricted to 4 gigabytes.

If the free of charge version is not enough (at the first stage the free of charge version is more than enough for most projects), it is offered to use Oracle Database 10g Standard Edition One chargeable version (a shift from Oracle Database XE is possible). This version has a restriction on using computational power of no more than two processors. The license cost for one processor is 5800$, the cost of 1 year technical support is 1276$.

In most projects requiring complex cluster system build up Oracle Database Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition can be used. It is also possible to build clusters basing on Heartbeat technology which does not require buying more expensive Oracle DB versions.

We have a server with our software, is it possible to install your platform on it?

If there are enough resources for the platform it may be installed on the current server where other software works.

Which interaction protocols does your platform support?

Interaction with operators:

  • SMS: SMPP, CIMD, UCP/EMI, HTTP(S), SMTP.
  • MMS: MM7
  • Voice: SIP, H.323, SS7, ISDN PRI.

Interaction with partner services: SMPP, SOAP, HTTP(S), SMTP.

What API and integration interfaces do you provide?

SMPP (client, server), SOAP, HTTP(S), SMTP (client, server), POP3, JMS, file exchange, DB API.

In which countries does your platform work?

Russia, Mexico, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

Which operators do you cooperate with?

You can find the full list of operators here.

How is your platform licensed?

The following parts of the platform are licensed separately: SMS, IVR and USSD. SMS component includes also MMS and WAP. It is possible to start with one part and to extend them later.

We offer two variants of acquiring the platform:

1. Buying

Single payment or spread payment over several months.

SMS component of the platform is licensed according to the amount of messages per day. The cost of the license on the voice component of the platform depends on the amount of lines (maximum amount of simultaneous calls). Unlimited licenses are also possible.

There is a single license payment (not annual), when it is fully paid the platform passes into the customer’s ownership.

If you exceed the restrictions specified by the license you will have to extend the license. The extension of the license is also done by single payment.

Technical support is optional.

2. Leasing

Monthly licensed payments including also our technical support of the platform.

The platform may be located on the customer’s hardware (servers) or on the hardware of WINGS.

The rented cost of SMS component of the platform depends on the amount of messages per month. The rented cost of the voice component of the platform depends on the amount of calls / minute a month. Unlimited licenses are also possible.

Any time you can shift from the «leasing» scheme to the «buying» scheme but without set-off of the paid-up leasing payments.

What will happen if I exceed the license?

Restriction on the volume of daily/monthly traffic or an amount of simultaneous calls is just licensing, i.e. there are no physical or program limitations imposed on the platform producer. When the license threshold is exceeded the platform will continue operating as usual. It will be possible to extend the license upon the shift to the next level.

When does the rent term start?

At the first stage of leasing the platform you will have to pay in advance the rent cost for several months or to pay up some fixed payment if any modifications or platform customizing are needed. Further all necessary operations are done, organizational issues (including connection to the operators) all this is not the beginning of the rent. The rent term is calculated only from the moment of commercial launch.

How long does the process of implementation take?

In practice it depends on the operators as they are the reasons of main delays. In general, not taking into consideration third-party delays, standard implementation of the platform (start up and commissioning, setting and training) takes 1-2 weeks.

Can you develop such a service for us?

Certainly we can. The platform was settled as an extended solution so it is easy to add new services to it. Moreover, you can add new services without our help, accomplish that there are different extended interfaces (documentation as well as staff training are provided).

Do you have such a service?

The services included in a standard delivery:

  • votings;
  • quiz games;
  • feedback services;
  • single requests of the text content;
  • subscription to text content distribution;
  • selling of PIN codes;
  • single sale of the multimedia content;
  • package sale of the multimedia content;
  • subscription to the multimedia content.

More detailed information about the services you can find in WINGS Content Management System description.

There are also ready services which are not included in the standard delivery but may be included in it upon the Customer’s wish:

  • TV chat;
  • dating;
  • SMS tests;
  • charging money over code activation;
  • music on air;
  • draw of a car;
  • group subscription to the text content (to several bulk messages);
  • buying a metro ticket (a bar-code is sent to the subscriber);
  • RBT setting by SMS and IVR with the reference system;
  • drawings (choosing SMS at random).

You can find a list of voice services here.

If You need an additional service, we are ready to work it out for You or to teach you to do it by yourself just using the extended functionality of our platform. Using the gained experience we are ready to consult You and make Your service more comfortable and attractive for users.

What support do you provide and what does it include?

Technical support services include:

  • providing immediate assistance and consultation on exploitation and settings of the System;
  • troubleshooting;
  • providing and installing of new versions of the platform;
  • setting up and testing connections with mobile operators, aggregators and gateways.

In order to provide an immediate technical support we will need a remote access to the customers’ servers.

What is administration and what is the difference between administering and support?

If you use only our technical support services, in this case You will have to keep running the whole hardware and software system: You maintain all software by yourself, provide maintenance works, keep track of working capacity and etc.

But if you use our administration services, you do not need Your technical staff as we take care of all technical support. We track the working capacity of the whole system, including third parties' software, provide all necessary maintenance works, monitoring of the system from our servers specially designated for this purpose (in case of even potential trouble, our technical staff is immediately informed), i.e. we carry out all tasks of system administration of Your servers.

Below is a full list of works included in the administration services:

  • Installation and setting of all software. Tracking and using of updated software.
  • Administration of WINGS products and third-parties' software used by the customer. Administration of Linux/Windows OS. Administration of Oracle products used by the customer.
  • Safety measures, monitoring, anti-theft system.
  • Distant monitoring and operability assurance of the system, log analysis, preventive problem solving.
  • Connection of the platform to WINGS centralized monitoring system which has the following characteristics:
    • Intellectual, flexibly adjusted monitoring of different parameters of the platform. Individual setting, coordination and testing of monitoring parameters for the customer.
    • Emergency alert by SMS and email.
    • Connection monitoring with operators, providing fast reconnecting, analysis and disconnection cause removal, analysis and recovery of work errors with operators.
    • Monitoring of accessibility and quality of the provided services, monitoring of key performance indicators.
    • Monitoring and providing accessibility of web/wap sites.
    • Monitoring and load optimization on hardware.
  • Performing scheduled maintenance and repair works (according to the schedule agreed with the customer).
  • Providing uninterrupted functioning of the system (without interruption in customer servicing) in case of updating/changing of hardware, adding new hardware, moving into a new data-center and etc.
  • Development and implementation of backup strategy and crash recovery.
  • Providing of different load testing. Performance tuning.

In order to provide administering services we need a distant access to the customers' servers.

Administering services are provided round the clock (24x7x365).

Can you make a license for telematics?

If you are going to work directly with operators, you will need to get a license for telematics. We do not provide assistance in getting such licenses but we can share all the information we have concerning it and forward You to the organization which can help You.

Where to take the content?

We are not content-providers and do not provide any content. However as most our customers work with various kinds of content we can advise You where to apply.

Are we competitors?

We are providers of a technical solution and we do not work as content or service providers. We have joint special projects with operators, but only operators promote them. We do not have own projects which we promote. So, we cannot be Your competitors unlike many aggregators (having and promoting also their own projects).

What steps do I have to take to start cooperation with You?

Send us Your project description or just call us, then we will discuss the details of Your project and our possible cooperation and also the estimated cost of the project.

Further we usually hold an online presentation/demonstration of the platform and if necessary send detailed technical information about the system.

Then we send You a commercial offer according to Your requirements.

After that follows approval and signing of the agreement, first payment according to the agreement and commencement of works.

We will be glad to help You.

Can we buy only certain modules from You?

Yes, You can.

The following components of the platform are licensed separately: SMS, IVR and USSD. It is possible to start with one component and later to extend their amount. SMS component also includes MMS and WAP.

The platform-based vertical solutions are also licensed separately (such as solution for sending bulk SMS messages, solution for SMS-billing).

I want to create my own SMS billing.

Thereto we have a ready solution for SMS-billing.

I want to send bulk messages.

Thereto we have a ready solution for providers of SMS bulk messages.

Is the platform customization possible?

Certainly, it is possible. The architecture of the system involves the possibilities of extension and making changes.

Can you create a Website?

If Your project consists only in creating a Website we will not be able to assist You. However, we can create Websites if they are an integral part of our customers’ projects. It is done solely to trigger the project launch and make it more comfortable for the customer. In this case we act as a prime contractor as we are interested in the fast and successful launch; and participation of many parties in the project (a customer and several responsible parties) can considerably slow down the project launch.

Do you have a representative office in my town?

Practically all work with the customers is done through our office in Moscow. As all presentations, trainings and technical operations are done remotely we do not have any problems in working with customers from all over the world, from the Far East to the South America.

Do you have a certificate?

Our product does not require any certificates.

How do you implement software? Will you come to us?

All implementation works are usually done remotely (our presence for software implementation and set up is not required). Our long-term experience shows that remote work is not less efficient and at the same time the cost of implementation and support reduces considerably and operational efficiency of the provided support becomes much better.

If necessary (if it is not possible to provide a remote access or if personal training is required) we are ready to come to the customer.

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