British Telecom and Computer Concepts Partner to Revolutionize Telephone Billing

Strategic Insights -

British Telecom, a UK-based telephone carrier, has teamed up with Computer Concepts Corp. to develop a web-based software program called d.b.Express, which will allow businesses to easily search and analyze their telephone bills. The software utilizes data mining capabilities to weed out phone privilege abusers and provide detailed information on billing. This partnership marks a significant shift in the telecommunications industry, with British Telecom being the first large-scale telephone carrier to offer web-based data mining to its customers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The d.b.Express program is designed to make phone-bill searching easy for businesses, allowing them to obtain detailed information on their bills and identify phone privilege abusers.
  • The software mines huge databases, enabling businesses to quickly and accurately search their bills and identify areas of waste.
  • British Telecom has joined forces with Computer Concepts to customize the d.b.Express program for its customers, with over 1 million British businesses potentially benefiting from the software.
  • The program is not just limited to phone policing, as companies can also use it to tie calls to specific advertising and marketing campaigns.
  • The software is expected to become more widely available in the next six months, with British Telecom planning to build it into its future products and services.
  • Web-based data mining can be applied to any type of database, making it a potentially game-changing technology in the telecommunications industry.

Statistics:

  • Over 1 million British businesses could potentially benefit from the d.b.Express program.
  • Similar services in the US cost between $10 and $1,500 per month, depending on the size and detail of the reports.
  • British Telecom has a plan to build the d.b.Express software into its future products and services within the next six months.
  • The software has the potential to reduce the need for traditional paper bills, with users instead accessing their accounts via the web.

Sources:

  • Investors Business Daily, Inc.
  • "Date: 1/12/98 Phone Carrier Sorts Through Billing Issues" by Michele Hostetler
  • Business Wire, "Computer Concepts Corp. (NASDAQ-CCEE) has reprinted, with the permission of Investors Business Daily, Inc."
  • Computer Concepts Corp.'s website: www.computerconcepts.com
  • SOFTWORKS' website: www.softworkscc.com