Smile Version 5.0: It’s all about automation.

Version 5 of Inomial's "Smile" web-based billing system introduces great new features to our flagship product, including fully automated shaping, provisioning and order workflow management.


If you're a Telco or ISP, or otherwise deal in time, data, volume or voice based service provision, Smile brightens your day with all the features you need to manage, provision and deprovision your entire customer base.


Smile 5 introduces the following new features:


  1. • Automated provisioning

  2. • Automated connection shaping

  3. • Order management

  4. • Contract management

  5. • NetFlow support (via Flow Control)

  6. • Document management

  7. • IPv4 Pool management

  8. • Customer Notes

  9. • User Defined Fields

  10. • Plan and stationery templates


Key existing features include:


  1. • Voice rating (including ACMA SZU based local call rating)

  2. • Data rating with complex, user-configurable billing rules

  3. • Automated accounting, CDR import and authentication

  4. • Extensive document layout control (invoices, receipts etc).

  5. • Integrated help desk

  6. • Integrated RADIUS server

  7. • Highly customisable


New in Smile 5.


Automated Provisioning. Smile can issue provisioning, suspension, un-suspension and disconnection messages to equipment and upstream service providers using a well-defined API. The API supports real-time and delayed provisioning and is suitable for all kinds of services including voice services.


Connection Shaping. When integrated with your LNS, CMTS, RedBack, Packeteer or other equipment, Smile can automatically issue shaping commands when a customer reaches predefined limits. Limits are determined by the billing plan rules, and can include any number of peak and off-peak time zones, download limits, or complex combinations.


Order Management. In Smile 5, orders are treated as a separate workflow from service creation. All information about an order is collated prior to the service being created. If required, orders can be queued for approval by senior management prior to being provisioned and activated. Activation of billing and issuing of the first invoice can happen at any time after an order is placed.


Contract Management. Assign a contract to a customer and the plan can’t be changed without penalties. Automatic calculation of pro-rata contract termination costs, management of the contract period, and other features are all new in Smile 5.


NetFlow Support. Smile 5 now supports NetFlow, using our optional FlowControl collector and aggregator. Provisioning and sampling of NetFlow data is managed directly through the same Smile interface that you use for other services. Shaping can be applied to NetFlow data in the same way that it can be applied to RADIUS data (or indeed any CDR data).


Document Management. Upload documents, such as scanned contracts, to the Smile server and provide access to them for all staff at any time.


IPv4 Pool Management. Assign individual IP addresses, or entire subnets to end-users. Allocate IP addresses to physical hardware. Automatically return IP addresses to the pool when a service is closed. Assign user-defined fields to IP address pools, blocks and numbers to add management information to your IPv4 database. Note: IPv6 will be supported in a future release of Smile.


Customer Notes. Attach notes to a customer record - optionally make them visible whenever the customer account is opened. Notes can be added as warnings, informational or just to keep track of things the customer has said.


User Defined Fields. Smile 5 allows you to define and set your own data fields against any service. Field types include checkboxes, text and numbers, but Smile 5 also allows you to create complex data types and even entire databases within the system.


Plan and Stationery Templates. Smile 5 now allows you to create templates for your most commonly used plan types, services, and stationery layouts, allowing you to quickly develop new plans, or to import customers from legacy databases. Templates contain all rules and billing information used in the creation of even the most complex plan.


Existing Features.


Accounting and Rating

Voice and Data Rating. Smile's integrated voice billing service takes CDR data directly from your softswitch or voice provider, rates it by destination or tariff code using our proven rating engine, and delivers the resulting invoices to customers via print or email. Bill for any mix of voice, data and other billable services, all on the same invoice.


Credit Card Bliss. Our credit card engine lets Smile integrate with almost any credit card gateway provider, making internet-based credit card processing a snap. Enabling automatic payment using encrypted credit card details is as simple as clicking a button on a customer's account. No late payments? That's gotta make you smile!


Accounts Receivable. Smile doesn't just raise invoices for services; it's a complete item-based accounts receivable system which manages payments, prints and emails invoices and receipts, tracks manual invoices, provides general credit and debit notes, and can send reminders when customers get behind. Manage your cash flow with trial balance and sales reports... all from the comfort of your web browser.


Service Integration. Smile can be fully integrated with provisioned ISP-style services such as mail and personal web hosting. Our hosted mailbox service, Boxes, lets you set up multiple mailboxes, mailing lists and aliases, with anti-virus or anti-spam settings.


Integrated Servers. For dialup, ADSL and voice service providers, Smile optionally includes an integrated RADIUS server. No more importing logs, no more ghost customers, and real-time billing information. The RADIUS server is tightly integrated with the shaping system.


Customer Service


Help! Smile incorporates an integrated helpdesk, with ticket tracking, late lists, departmental queues, online ticket registration (via CAT), and e-mail and Jabber notification, to push helpdesk messages out to your desktop PCs. Staff can prioritise, reassign, annotate and close tickets, and ticket status is conspicuously displayed within the Smile web pages.


Multiple Services. Smile allows for almost any type of service to be configured, provisioned, rated and invoiced. We support multiple upstream providers including PSTN, Wireless and xDSL services. Each service supports discreet billing cycles, recurring charges, setup charges, plan schedules, and other advanced billing features.


Customer Access Toolkit. CAT allows customers to log in and view their service details, to purchase prepaid time, and to review and pay their account with a credit card. In addition to CAT, all Smile accounts receive a Unique Customer Number (UCN), which is compatible with the BPay bill payment system. If you're a BPAY biller, you can use Smile's UCN on your invoices as the reference number.


Easy Access


100% Web. Smile has been engineered from the ground up for the web. It is tested using Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. No Citrix, no installation of client-side software, no funny applets, downloads or ActiveX controls. 100% web, all the time. Smile 5’s interface has been streamlined to make it even easier to access the information you’re looking for.


Customisation. Smile is highly customisable. We can add functionality such as custom authentication mechanisms, custom CDR importers, custom provisioning systems, custom forms and custom text translations. Invoices and other customer-facing documents are highly customisable; upload an EPS background image, add or remove static fields, tables and table columns; bring your own fonts. Because Smile is being actively developed, new features can be scheduled on request.


Support. Smile is supported by Australians in Australia. Inomial can provide installation, integration, training and ongoing support, up to and including 24x7 emergency support.


And Much More


Developed over ten years with input from customers around Australia, Smile includes everything you need to run and control a business that relies on electronic service delivery and recurring and usage-based billing.


How to Smile

For a complete list of features and to arrange an online demonstration, please contact us.