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Service Management System 800 (SMS/800) is a US-based Operations Support System (OSS) that manages toll-free numbers (800, 877, 888, and 866).
Service providers (eg, Qwest, Verizon) that assign toll-free numbers for use within the US and Canada use SMS/800 to check toll-free number availability, reserve numbers, establish routing records for customers and download records for local exchange operator Service Control Points (SCP) to facilitate call processing.
Who is SMS/800? SMS/800 (Functions Tariff FCC No. 1) is administered by the following Bell Operating Companies (BOC):
or AT&T (formerly BellSouth Telecommunications Inc./SBC Communications Inc.)
or Qwest Corporation
or Verizon Communications Inc.
These BOCs jointly maintain the tariff (a legal agreement required by the FCC) that stipulates the conditions for access by the organization resp. to SMS/800 services and are also responsible for SCP contracts.
Listed companies are part of the SMS/800 Management Team (SMT): the SMT is made up of one member from each of the BOCs. The GTS is responsible for the overall management of SMS/800. The GTS is the final authority on all matters related to SMS/800.
SMS/800 was originally developed by Bell Communications Research, Inc. (now known as Telecordia Technologies).
Who pays to keep SMS/800 running?
The organizations of resp. Users of SMS/800 pay various fees to support the administration and maintenance of SMS/800. These fees include monthly recurring fees, application fees, and non-recurring fees.
An example of a monthly recurring fee: a resp. such as AT&T, Verizon, or Qwest must pay 15.3 cents per month for each toll-free number it actively routes. This may not sound like much, but with approximately 23 million toll-free numbers in service, resp organizations are paying more than $42 million per year (in monthly fees) to support SMS/800 infrastructure.
What is the technical architecture of SMS/800?
SMS/800 runs on an interactive IBM Information Management System (IMS) computer system. It supports IBM 3270 terminal online access, web-based online access and batch processing, and a mechanized interface.
There are separate production, disaster recovery, and test servers. Production sites include Unisys data centers in Eagan, MN and Salt Lake City, UT.
SMS/800 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for planned downtime windows.
What is the next generation SMS/800?
The industry is currently evaluating the implementation of a new SMS/800 system built on modern hardware/software technology (web services interface, UNIX O/S, client/server, etc.). Potential hardware architecture features Sun servers, EMC storage, and Cisco switches In addition to upgrading the infrastructure, different cost models and pricing structures are being evaluated.
Originally scheduled for deployment in January 2006, a new deployment schedule is pending.