Billing Software for Application Hosts

ModusNovo's billing system is designed for service providers that are hosting applications. The system's modular, open architecture and shared revenue model may make it appropriate for ISPs of various sizes.

by Wayne Kawamoto [January 29, 2001]

ModusNovo announced the release of the first production version of PayPerSoft, its billing system for hosted application usage.

PayPerSoft is based on Approbe, ModusNovo's technology that allows Application Infrastructure Providers (AIPs) and other hosted application providers to define and meter value for their customers. Based on the AIP's definition of value, ModusNovo promises a variety of services, including value-based billing, market analysis and partnership management.

In addition, PayPerSoft's open architecture may make it possible to integrate existing operational systems used by the AIP, including provisioning, customer service modules and accounts receivable. "We understand that, in the AIP/ISP world, billing is not necessarily the driver of every other function in the organization as it is in the telco industry," Dor Ramati, CEO of ModusNovo. "So we built a system that is much more modular and flexible than other billing systems designed for IP or telephony."

"AIPs and ISPs need a different orientation of their billing system than telcos," explained Ramati. "Our application for developing service packages, for example, is structured specifically for AIPs and ISPs, as well as the bundle value-added services they provide."

ModusNovo's intelligent Approbe technology allows the service provider to define any type of functional transaction as a value event. For example, a service provider that has a hosted e-mail application could define value as the amount of mail sent, and then bill the customer a percentage of the amount. Approbe does this without any intervention in software operations, and without any required knowledge of hosted program functionality, technical design, or software code.

Availability and pricing
PayPerSoft is available now. Pricing is based on a tiered model that includes a fixed installation price along with a shared revenue subscription model.

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