International roaming subscribers generate crucial amount of revenue for the mobile network operators. Therefore operators target the roaming subscribers in a special way. Through short messages the roamers are welcomed warmly and information about the network and various types of services offered is provided. This would help operators to attract and keep roamers in their network or avoid them switching to the competitors’ service. The service also encourages roamers to use available services more often.

Oksijen’s Welcome Roaming Message System (WRMS) offers the operators the ability to send configurable welcome short messages to international roamers automatically. The messages could be either simple welcome messages to inform the roamer, which operator they are getting their service from or welcome messages to promote the roaming services offered by the operator and how to use them. These messages can be provided after the first or the following location updates on the network.

Oksijen’s WRMS contains three basic functional blocks:

SS7 Monitoring System (SS7 MS) : Server analyses SS7 transactions and decodes MAP protocol. Welcome Roaming Application (WRA) : Server with Java Runtime Environment (JRE) runs WRMS application software. Database : Keeps roamers current roaming information, i.e. when roamers switch on the network, leave the network and then come back again.

WRMS taps the information about the incoming and outgoing roamers from the Roaming SS7 links. The tapped information includes the roamers’ IMSI, MSISDN and Visiting MSC and is stored in the database. The SMS Welcome Messaging System sends short messages through the SMSC to both incoming and outgoing roamers.

Identification of incoming & outgoing roaming subscribers Identification of home network of the incoming roamers and selection of language Sending SMS (one or more) to the roamers advising on the various services available throughout the visited network Customized SMS profiles based on language, time, etc. Limitation of sending message after a configurable number of location updates in the network in a configurable time period

Welcoming Incoming Roamers : WRMS enables the operator to welcome incoming roamers who come in the network Increasing Loyalty for Incoming Roamers : WRMS helps the operators to increase their brand awareness, loyalty and stronger market position for international roamers Increasing ARPU for Incoming Roamers : Roamers are encouraged to use the services, which results in an increase in the ARPU and profit potential Bon Voyage to Outgoing Roamers : WRMS keeps track of the registration of outgoing roamers in roaming partners’ or competitive networks and sends a configurable bon voyage message. Thus urge subscribers to use their network on they return back

Automatic Language Selection : When the roamer comes in, its home operator can be determined from MSISDN and a language can be assigned by country or home network. Message content : The operator can define sets of messages. Each set of messages will be associated with a PLMN and a language. WRA will then pick the message content such as welcome message, additional services introduction, pricing information, help desk phone number, etc; according to the roamers information. Message types : Welcome, bon voyage, welcome back Statistics tool : Operator can get the various statistical reports like: number of messages sent, number of messages sent by languages (operators) or topics, number of movements arrival and departure by day, analyses of roamers by language, operators, number of roamers present in database and in the network, alarms and failures, etc.