Overview of Striata Application Platform
The Striata Application Platform consists of flexible, robust and scalable solutions, which enable electronic communication between an organisation and its customers and stakeholders. The three product suites, Striata eBilling, Striata eMarketing and Striata eContact are applicable to organisations that view efficient communication with customers and stakeholders as a vital component of their success.

Attributes Easy to use The application is designed for ease of use for both the administrator and the end customer, with a view to minimising the impact on the biller’s customer service channels.
Flexible Utilising the XML-schema for all inputs caters for future unknowns in both format and delivery device. Configurable Striata eBilling provides a modular application platform that can easily be configured for diverse requirements. Robust Striata eBilling has been developed to meet the rigorous standards of high-volume billing environments in banking, utilities and telecommunications sectors. Multichannel Striata eBilling enables the delivery of information through multiple push channels (email, text messaging, fax) as well as enabling presentation through multiple pull channels (web, contact centre, IVR).
Multiple formats The system caters for multiple input formats from the biller’s system, as well as a choice in output formats according to the end user’s preference. Hosted/Deployed The solution can be deployed at the client site, or run as a hosted service through an application service provider (ASP). Cross-Platform The solution can be deployed on across various operating systems (Unix, Linux, Sun Solaris, Windows NT and 2000 and FreeBSD) as well as interface with various databases (MySQL, MSSQL). The client side decoder is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Sun. Reporting Consolidated reporting across multiple channels provides valuable information for the effective management of bill delivery and collection.

Striata eBilling Suite

The Striata eBilling Suite is a modular software solution, designed to facilitate the electronic delivery and presentation of billing documents. Available in Lite, Business and Enterprise versions, Striata eBilling caters for multiple delivery channels including email and fax, as well as collection channels such as web and contact centre interfaces.

Administration of the system is made simple through the MyStriata web interface, enabling users to initiate, monitor and report on system activity.

The solution offers a range of security options, designed to cater for the most stringent of security requirements, to the most flexible and user-friendly, including the widely used KeyMail module.

Built into the Striata eBilling application is the ability to personalise messages based on customer profiles. This targeted marketing capability is an invaluable tool for marketers to increase product awareness and enhance customer retention.

The Striata eBilling solution extends to full customer self-service functionality, allowing customers direct control over their accounts via email or the web. This includes the presentation of customer specific information, analysis and data sorting capabilities, as well as the ability to transact with the organisation online. Self-service can dramatically reduce the cost of servicing a customer, as many processes previously managed by costly human resources are migrated online.

Striata works alongside banks and payment consolidators to complete the payment portion of the EBPP process. The many payment options facilitated by the Striata architecture are centred on security of the transaction and convenience for the user. Where possible, the process incorporates existing authentication and transaction processes, minimising user education requirements.

The Striata eBilling solution dramatically reduces billing costs, enhances customer service and introduces a dynamic and flexible marketing channel.

Benefits of eBilling		Applications
Reduce billing costs Shorten payment cycles Improve customer service Enhance customer functionality Maintain competitive positioning Leverage marketing opportunities		With the Striata eBilling Suite, you can: Deliver secure electronic documents by email or on the web. Enable payment directly from an invoice. Present B2B purchasing documents by email or on the web. Deliver text messages and transaction notifications to mobile phones. Present contracts as secure, navigable documents. Provide consolidated account statements on multiple levels. Present information and document images for online confirmation or rejection by the recipient. Provide navigable billing reports and customer self-service functionality on a secure website or in an email.

Functionality
Email Billing		Web Billing
Delivery of billing documents securely by email Multiple formats in one attachment Print-optimised formats Images Spreadsheets Consolidation of multiple accounts Report hierarchies with navigation Data sorting and analysis Dispute processes Encryption options Recipient profiling capabilities Compression of information for email delivery Authentication and non-repudiation through digitally signed email Payment by credit card and debit authorisation Content richness through FAQ’s Customer self-service capabilities		Delivery of billing documents to a secure website Storage of historical billing documents Multiple formats available Print-optimised formats Images Download spreadsheets Consolidation of multiple accounts Data sorting and analysis Dispute processes Payment by credit card and debit authorisation Profiling capabilities based on login Content richness through FAQ’s Customer self-service capabilities Feedback channels

Vertical Applications
Banking		Financial Markets		Insurance
Statement delivery/presentation Document storage and retrieval Multiple account consolidation Text message notifications Check image verification and approval Customer self- management		Portfolio valuations and statements Analyst reports Deal confirmations Annual reports Delivery of reports: daily MIS, Exchange and broker reports		Benefit/cover change notifications Policy documents, booklets and statements Annual increase letters Marketing messages
Telco's		Utilities		Retail
Consolidated billing by email or web Analysis, sorting and trend reports Payment options Dispute management Plan optimisation and tariff calculators		Meter readings Local/neighborhood comparisons Payment loop Dispute management Contact detail management Customer self service Plan optimisation		Rebate statements Charge card statements Loyalty point statements Electronic catalogues Marketing messages
Healthcare		Legal		Education
Confidential user/patient data Statements Association levis Claims details and tracking		Confidential information Case information Contracts Invoices and statements		Results Detail management Certificates Renewals Bills - Invoices and statements Study material

Modules

 

MyStriata Front-end
MyStriata is a consolidated administration interface into the Striata Application Platform. MyStriata uses an advanced UAS (User Administration System) for logging and validation of users. From the MyStriata front-end, administrators are able to initiate, monitor and report on system activity. The administrator is also able to maintain templates in the template repository through the front-end.

User Access System (UAS)
The UAS controls access, authentication and authorisation procedures. Using a single logon, administrators can maintain user registration and logins, site security, profiles and passwords. Functionality is made available to users according to their permission levels.

Secure Data Transfer
Enables the secure transfer of data between the client’s infrastructure and the server hosting the Striata Application Platform. There are a number of processes through which secure transfer can be achieved, including FTP, XCOM, ConnectDirect, Direct link. Striata provides its own recommended application, KMTransfer, which employs compression and secure 448-bit Blowfish encryption.

Building Engine
The building engine component is responsible for generating messages. It accepts data, applies predefined business rules and creates the individual messages using the appropriate template. The building engine also applies the relevant template and security module as indicated in the business rules. This module holds the business rules as defined by the administrator. These rules would include for example, escalation of messages to another channel, when the preferred channel is unavailable.

Security
The security module facilitates a range of security options, using industry-accepted encryption standards. For secure document delivery by email, documents are encrypted with the symmetric key algorithm 168-bit 3DES in the KeyMail module, or Tiny Encryption Algorithm using a 128-bit key in the Java-script module.

Emails can be signed using the sender’s digital certificate, providing non-repudiation, authentication of the sender and tamper-notification.

Secure PDF is also supported, including the digital signing of each PDF with a certificate, providing tamper-notification.

The module also supports a full PKI process using public/private keys. The sender encrypts using the recipient’s public key, and the recipient then decrypts using his private key.

Template Repository
The template repository stores templates appropriate to each document type as defined by the business rules. The template will be appropriate to each channel.

Profiler
Provides a repository for customer information, from which campaign lists can be extracted according to customer profiles. Profiler enables the administrator to maintain and update customer profiles. This module also manages subscribe and unsubscribe functionality in a customisable process.

Messaging Engine
The messaging engine is responsible for the delivery and reporting of batches created by the building engine. This engine provides a range of management reports across all channels, including exception incidents, delivery confirmations and detailed technical logs.

Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper is a multi-channel messaging component. It can send messages via fax, SMS, USSD and other channels through appropriate third-party service providers Gatekeeper communicates with the messaging engine to provide consolidated reporting.

Document Repository
The document repository combines the structure and control of a document management system with the flexibility and robustness of a relational database. It stores the document data in a normalised format, allowing a single data point for all delivery channels.

Pull Module
The pull module is a custom-developed front-end to view documents stored in the document repository through multiple channels, such as Web, contact centre, IVR and ATM.

Billing Engine
The billing engine monitors usage of the system, and provides reports and notifications to the customer and the host for management of credit.

Payment module
The payment module provides links into payment processes and banking payment systems, including pre-populated Internet payment authorisations (for internet bankers), and once-off payment authorisations (for non-internet bankers).

Plugins
Striata provides generic plug-ins to common accounting packages, to facilitate seamless transfer of data to the application platform. Available plug-ins include:

• Microsoft Great Plains
• ACCPAC

Process
The process flow of Striata’s eBilling Suite is presented below:

 

1. Initiation
   Data is sent to the system from the external data source(s) or uploaded through the web interface. This could be the billing software, CRM packages, or other data applications.
2. The building engine draws the appropriate templates from the template repository, parses the data into the templates, applies the pre-defined business rules, applies the relevant message security and creates a batch of messages for delivery.
3. The data may simultaneously be passed into the document repository, where it will be indexed and stored.
4. Push
   The batch of messages is passed to the messaging engine for distribution.
5. The messaging engine delivers the messages through the appropriate channels, with detailed reporting.
6. Pull
   The customer requests their document, through a web interface, ATM, IRV, call centre interface or other pull channel.
7. The pull engine requests the channel-appropriate template from the Template Repository and simultaneously requests the data from the Document Repository.
8. The pull engine merges the data into the template, and passes the completed document to the presentation layer. The document is displayed to the user through the appropriate channel.
9. Payment
   Various payment options are available to facilitate payment processes and link into banking payment systems, including pre-populated Internet payment authorisations (for internet bankers), and once-off payment authorisations (for non-internet bankers).
10. Administration
    Administrators can view reports through the web front end.
11. Template management, user access control, and all other system administration functions are also accessed through the web front end.

Versions
Striata eBilling is available in Lite, Business and Enterprise versions, catering for small, medium and enterprise business requirements.

	Lite	Business	Enterprise
Free Credit Allowance
Pre-defined Upload Format
Web Interface
User Access Control (UAS)
Email Delivery
KeyMail Encryption
Online Reporting
Online Template Management Personalization
Application Service Provider (ASP)
Scheduled Sending
Accounting Package Plug-ins
Delivery to Fax Gateway
Delivery to Text Messaging Gateway
Deployed at Client Site
Cross Platform
Multiple File Input Formats
Automated Processing
Plug-ins to Payment Gateways
Document Repository for Pull Channels
Range of Security Options
Customization

 

About Striata
Striata is an application software developer and service provider focused on enabling electronic communication. The Striata Application Platform provides highly flexible, robust and scalable products deployable across multiple operating systems. Striata’s solutions are applicable to organisations that view efficient communication with customers and stakeholders as a vital component of their success.

Striata eMarketing Suite
The Striata eMarketing Suite enables marketers to deliver profiled marketing messages to customers across a range of electronic channels. Available in Lite, Business and Enterprise versions, Striata eMarketing operates across delivery channels to provide a single view of all electronic interaction with a customer.

Administration of the system is made simple through the MyStriata web interface, enabling users to initiate, monitor and report on campaign activity.

The application is ideal for regular communications such as electronic magazines, newsletters and corporate reports, as well as tactical campaigns as it builds personalised messages based on the unique profiles of each customer.

Functionality includes a multi-channel survey capability, providing a simple, cost-effective method of gathering customer information. This capability can be leveraged for invitation responses, customer information gathering, voting polls and competition entries.

The Striata eMarketing Suite can dramatically reduce communication costs, increase message distribution and improve marketing success rates through customer profiling.

Striata eContact Suite
The Striata eContact Suite facilitates inbound message handling, providing customer service teams with an effective interaction management system. Available in Lite, Business and Enterprise versions, Striata eContact operates across inbound channels to provide a consolidated view of a customer’s electronic interaction history.

Administration of the system is made simple through a web interface. Administrators can create new users, assign access and responsibilities, extract detailed performance reports and perform quality control checks.

Through the same web interface, customer service agents can effectively manage inbound email, fax and text messages. Efficiency is maximised through standard responses, search functionality and escalation procedures.

The Striata eContact solution facilitates an improvement in customer service, as well as enhancing management’s access to information relating to its electronic interaction with customers.