A value-added service (VAS) is a term commonly used in the telecommunications industry. The term indicates the various services beyond the basics (mostly phone calls and fax) Examples of value added services include voice mail, ring back tone, balance checks, top up, SMS voting, SMS lotteries, recorded messages about expected waiting time, dialing back to the caller to avoid lengthy waits for service, and many others. Operators need various kinds of value added services, which they have to change and update frequently.

The Mobile VAS Services Market in 2018 - $690 Billion

According to a press release of Global Industry Analysts, the global market for Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS) is projected to reach US$690 billion by 2018, driven by increasing smartphone penetration, proliferation of 3G and 4G services, growing popularity of mobile Internet, and rising customer spending on telecom services. The press release says that “In a rapidly evolving mobile communications market where ARPUs generated from voice services are declining due to saturation, commoditization and plummeting tariffs of voice services, telecom service providers are under tremendous pressure to offer quality services beyond basic voice in order to remain competitive in the market. As a result, a large number of mobile network operators are packaging a host of mobile value added services in their service offerings in order to drive more data usage and generate additional revenues. Intensifying competition and shifting customer loyalties are also throwing the focus on MVAS as key service differentiator. Spoilt for choice, subscribers now choose their service providers based on the value added services they have to offer. With mobile number portability also being made mandatory in several countries worldwide, there is increased pressure on service providers to offer quality services to prevent customer churn. MVAS in this respect comes across as an excellent way for service providers to attract new subscribers and optimize customer retention.”

Large Variety of Value Added Services

CALLUP provides a large variety of value added services for cellular operators. In the tough telecom space, where Average Revenue Per User drops down due to Over-the-Top (OTT) and flat tariff, CALLUP's offering is attractive, helping carriers eliminate some of their operating expenses, while using new VAS Services to capture some revenues lost to the OTT payers.

Value Added Services in the Cloud

In addition to services that are installed on-premise, CALLUP developed also CanVAS in the Cloud – a set of cloud-based value added services for cellular operators. A value added service that can be self-tailored by the operator, within minutes, through an innovative wizard.

CanVAS in the Cloud is a full SaaS service and operators pay only according to usage, avoiding buying extra hardware for peak days or extra software licenses in advance. The operator monitors its own application, while CALLUP is responsible for availability and upgrades.

High Availability and Maximum Security

The cloud-based services are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform, and multiple high availability schemes ensure an uninterrupted level of service. The operator's applications are automatically backed up. A sophisticated cost management system allows usage adjustment according to load. Maximum security is maintained by AWS, and all private data and messages are encrypted on entry point and decrypted on exit point.

Fast and Easy Creation of Value Added Service

CALLUP developed also an innovative web-based system enabling mobile network operators to create their own VAS Services. The system, CanVAS SCE (Service Creation Environment), is based on drag-and-drop building blocks, allowing fast and easy creation of a value added service. Services that previously took a long time to create can now be created very quickly and easily. This saves time and money, and makes it possible to maintain a high level of customer service.

Creation of Services in Minutes

SCE comprises a unique HTML5-based service flow editor, enabling the creation of various value added services in minutes. The operator drags and drops basic elements like play, record and DTMF signaling, among others, connects the elements and publishes the application. Advanced objects like web service integration or JavaScript can be used to enhance service functionality.