RestcommONE
Core Components

RestcommONE
USSD Gateway

The RestcommONE USSD Gateway is a bidirectional signaling platform that can route messages between the network and service applications that run on them. Even the most basic mobile phone supports USSD messages. This means that subscribers do not need to download an app or login to a website to get interactive content like balance updates, marketing messages, and notifications like low balance alerts.

The advantage of USSD for message delivery and notification is that it is session-based and very efficient. Session-based communications are more reliable than services like email and short message service (SMS). This makes it useful for fast and simple real-time applications like balance checking, voice chat and advertising. Because USSD supports process supplementary service (PSSR) and unstructured supplementary service notify (USSN) requests and messages, real-time services like balance checking and voice chat work even when roaming.

In addition, since USSD is so efficient, there is a huge advantage to using it when subscribers are roaming. All USSD messages are directed to the subscriberʼs home network but they can also be directed to a visiting network enabling a virtual home environment (VHE), which reduces operator costs and greatly improves user experience as all services work the same wherever they are.

And, while modern 4G/LTE networks support voice chat applications using SIP, USSD-based voice chat applications can work seamlessly and well across older GPRS, 2G and 3G networks, providing the widest possible compatibility footprint for services important to the subscriber.

The RestcommONE USSD Gateway is built on a fully Open Source server written in Java and strictly adheres to the standards and specifications defined by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). With full support for virtual machine (VM) and network functions virtualization (NFV) architectures, the RestcommONE USSD gateway is very easy to install and deploy in different environments, allowing you start providing interactive messaging and content delivery services with a minimum of support and training.

The RestcommONE USSD gateway utilizes RestcommONE Telecom Core, a modern extensible middleware platform. It provides easy integration with any third party communication protocol or system using industry-standard telecom interfaces including SS7 MAP, TCAP, INAP, or ISUP. USSD Gateway also supports Internet-based communication interfaces and protocols including SIP and HTTP.

The RestcommONE USSD Gateway provides a scriptable Command Line Interface (CLI) tool allowing you to completely configure the Gateway at run-time and manage it using simple commands. In addition, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool is provided to allow you to configure, monitor and manage the Gateway through a convenient user-friendly interface.

Full documentation and source code is available for the RestcomONE USSD Gateway, giving you the freedom and flexibility to customize the product to meet your needs.

Key Features an Benefits

  • Multi tenant USSD gateway enables operators to provide native real-time services and interactive content delivery applications to mobile subscribers with both network push and menu-based interaction across multiple branded services. As the provided content and services operate natively in the mobile operating system, the subscribers do not need to download an app and create yet another account on a separate service to receive rich content or notifications.
  • Carrier-grade scalability and reliability with load balancing and clustering support for automated failover delivers an excellent user experience for mobile subscribers. Unlike other more limited solutions, all RestcommONE services are load-balanced, providing unparalleled redundancy, especially as the platform scales.
  • Multilingual support for both UCS2 and GSM 7-bit format enables world-wide support for rich content and notifications in Latin (e.g, English, Spanish, French) and nonLatin (e.g., Cyrillic, Hebrew, Arabic) languages.
  • SS7 hardware full support for Intel or Dialogic cards.
  • SIGTRAN (M3UA), HTTP and SIP interface support provides industry-standard network integration into IMS and LTE networks.
  • On premise and cloud deployment options provide outstanding flexibility for service provider and enterprise applications. Fully self- contained and highly optimized, the USSD gateway supports both network functions virtualization (NFV) and clustered virtual machine (VM) deployments.
  • Flexible Operations and Monitoring support using industry standard protocols including Java JMX and scriptable command line interfaces with full CDR, logging and auditing reporting capabilities.
  • Open Source software origins means the code is well documented and tested, allowing your staff to learn, optimize and customize the USSD gateway to your evolving requirements – free from vendor lock-in. Our license subscription model provides indemnification and full support, along with your ability to provide input to our product development roadmap.