IDI Billing Solutions (IDI), a leading developer of telecommunications billing, rating, order management, workflow, customer management and sales solutions, is pleased to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has accepted a business-method patent submission related to the company’s AdvancePay^SM wireless service.

Developed for mobile service providers with a retail presence, AdvancePay leverages the technology benefits of CostGuard’s integrated B/OSS and point of sale solution to create a hybrid service that combines the most desirable characteristics from both prepaid and post-paid mobile communications platforms. IDI was issued U.S. Patent No. 8,320,539 for “Advanced Payment for Telephone Services.”

AdvancePay is purchased and activated at a retail location with service based on an interval of time, rather than consumption. This pay-in-advance offering helps mobile operators secure greater flexibility in providing service to a wider market than traditional post-paid – without the high costs associated with comprehensive prepaid platforms.

The patent recognizes the efforts of the following inventors from IDI:

• Manager, Professional Services Development Jason M. Ingalsbe

• Vice President, Engineering Stephen G. Kosarko

• Senior Product Manager Kenneth A. Pierce

• Professional Services Team Lead Mark R. Rissberger

• Director, CostGuard Application Development Darren Smith

“Innovation is one of the primary tenets of our corporate mission at IDI. The inventors of AdvancePay ignored the status quo for prepaid mobile service and crafted a solution that was exactly what providers needed in order to expand their market reach and improve their margins,” said Donald Culeton, president and CEO of IDI. “Their vision created a unique offering that has not only been a success in the market, it has also raised the bar on the level of creativity and business awareness that service providers should expect from their billing system.”

The use of prepaid wireless services in the U.S. has grown steadily over the last few years and currently accounts for 25 percent of all mobile subscribers. According to IDC Analyst John Weber, major carriers "are focusing on prepaid as a growth engine." The research firm estimates the prepaid market will grow an average of 7.4% a year until 2016. Service providers with either GSM or CDMA networks can use IDI’s AdvancePay offering to launch pay-in-advance service quicker, easier and at a lower cost than traditional prepaid systems.

About IDI Billing Solutions:

IDI Billing Solutions (formerly Info Directions, Inc.) is a leading B/OSS services provider for the telecommunications industry. IDI’s Billing as a Service^SM offering includes the award-winning CostGuard^® application, expert back-office and professional services, and a cost-effective SaaS-hosted platform for telecom billing. Billing as a Service gives communications providers engaged in mobile, MVNO, local, long distance, data and VoIP the tools to monetize their services and streamline operations related to selling, activating, managing and billing telecom customers. IDI maintains a Gold Hosting Competency in the Microsoft Partner Program. To learn more about IDI, please visit us at www.idibilling.com or call 1.888.924.4110.