Set data usage limits for high-cost roaming zones
Mobile operators offering global data plans (such as “10 GB in 80+ countries for 30 days”) often find that, in some regions (for example, the Pacific Islands), roaming traffic can be extremely costly.
Now, operators can set usage thresholds for specific roaming zones in order to prevent profit losses when users are in those high-cost regions. When a subscriber reaches their regional usage limit, PortaBilling can send a notification to the operator’s middleware (for example, to slow data speed or block access) and notify the subscriber by SMS.
Example
Owl Mobile, an MVNO, offers a 10 GB global data plan. To control costs, the Owl Mobile admin sets usage limits for high-cost zones, including a 100 MB per-hour limit for Vanuatu. When subscriber John Doe travels to Vanuatu and reaches the limit, PortaBilling alerts Owl Mobile’s middleware to slow his data speed. At the same time, PortaBilling sends John an SMS to let him know that he has reached his limit. When John returns home and reconnects to the domestic network, full-speed access is restored.
What’s improved?
Control roaming costs
Maintain profitability when subscribers use data in high-cost roaming countries.
Find more details here.
Short-term bundles with exact 24-hour validity and timely reminders
Mobile operators often offer 1-day or other short-term bundles to attract users looking for affordable, occasional access to services.
Previously, all bundles expired at midnight, so users who activated a bundle late in the day received less than 24 hours of service. Now, you can configure bundles to stay active for a full 24 hours (or 48, etc.) from the time of activation — or keep the midnight expiration, depending on your business needs.
Admins can also configure minute-level expiration reminders for users, for example, 4 hours and 30 minutes before expiry, to encourage renewals.
Example
Owl Mobile offers a 1-day roaming bundle with 2 GB of data, 100 minutes, and 50 SMS. John activates it at 16:00 on October 21; it remains active until 16:00 on October 22. Thirty minutes before expiration, John receives his last reminder and renews the bundle so that his service continues without interruption.
What’s improved?
Fair access for subscribers
Ensure users always receive the full service duration they paid for, e.g., exactly 24 hours from activation.
More repeat purchases
Offer short-term bundles with timely reminders to encourage renewals.
Find more details here.
More Polycom IP phone models supported for auto-provisioning
PortaSwitch has expanded its list of supported Polycom VVX IP phones — now including five additional models for quick, automated setup via auto-provisioning:
- Polycom VVX311
- Polycom VVX400
- Polycom VVX401
- Polycom VVX500
- Polycom VVX501
To start using auto-provisioning for these models, you’ll need an active subscription to the corresponding Add-on Mart modules. These models also support self-provisioning of programmable line keys.
What’s improved?
Broader device compatibility
Attract more business customers by supporting more of the IP phones they already use and prefer.
Find more details here.
Migrate on-premise PortaSwitch (Oracle database) to Oracle Cloud
You can now migrate your on-premise Oracle-based PortaSwitch to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) — a cloud environment maintained by PortaOne. This option eliminates the need for new hardware investments.
When migrating to the cloud, MySQL replaces Oracle. The MySQL database provides the same reliability and performance as a single-node Oracle database, with less complexity and no licensing fees. Oracle RAC (the clustered setup used for high availability) isn’t supported in OCI maintained by PortaOne.
Migration is available starting from MR70. You can migrate to your current or a newer maintenance release. The larger the version gap, the more preparation and testing is required.
How this migration works:
- PortaOne Support deploys a new MySQL-based PortaSwitch in OCI.
- Your team sets up key components — vendors, DID/SIM inventories, and product catalogs — in the cloud system (via UI or API).
- PortaOne Support migrates customers, resellers, and representatives.
- Traffic and portal access are redirected to the cloud by updating DNS records.
What’s improved?
Save costs and scale faster
With PortaOne managing your cloud system, you avoid hardware investments, reduce maintenance, and gain the ability to scale on demand.
Find more details here.
More insights in call activity reports
Call center supervisors can now see additional metrics in call activity reports to better evaluate agent performance. Along with total talk time, reports can now include:
- Time spent on after-call work (wrap-up)
- Number of calls
- Time on hold
- Time spent waiting in the queue
Supervisors can view averages (e.g., handle time) or extremes (longest or shortest calls) to spot unusual patterns — such as long wrap-up times or short conversations — and take corrective action.You can add these new metrics to your custom portal via the PortaBilling API. They will also be added to the Cloud PBX Self-Care Portal in a future version.
Example
Lisa, a supervisor, reviews the weekly call activity report. She notices that one agent’s wrap-up time is twice the team average. After a quick check, she finds that the agent writes detailed summaries manually. Lisa shows him how to use CRM templates, cutting his wrap-up time and helping the team handle more calls during peak hours.
What’s improved?
Better visibility into agent performance
Supervisors can track more call metrics, detect inefficiencies, and coach agents based on real data.
Find more details here.
Caller details in voicemail and fax lists
Cloud PBX and call center supervisors can now see caller and recipient numbers directly in voicemail and fax lists — without the need to open each message. This helps supervisors identify important messages instantly and respond faster.You can add these details to voicemail or fax lists to your custom portal using two new PortaBilling API parameters: “from” (caller) and “to” (recipient). This enhancement will also appear in the Cloud PBX Self-Care Portal in a future version.
Example
Alex, a receptionist at a healthcare clinic, can now see who left each message and which department received it. He quickly spots urgent requests — such as patient callbacks — and forwards them to the right team without delay.
What’s improved?
Faster voicemail management
PBX admins and call center supervisors can identify important messages at a glance.
Find more details here.
Configurable subscriber identification in Diameter requests for MVNOs/MNOs
Mobile networks send the subscriber ID (the SIM card’s IMSI or phone number) in either the User-Name or Subscription-Id field of Diameter requests. By default, PortaBilling uses User-Name for identification and falls back to Subscription-Id if User-Name is missing.
Some networks use User-Name for other purposes and place the subscriber ID in Subscription-Id. In such cases, PortaBilling receives the User-Name, but can’t identify the subscriber based on it.
You can now configure PortaBilling to ignore User-Name and use Subscription-Id instead — allowing integration with these networks without extra development. You can define this setting in a service policy for internet access.
What’s improved?
Easier MNO integration
Integrate with networks that send subscriber IDs differently — launching mobile services faster and without extra support requests and custom code changes.
Find more details here.
Redesigned Trace session page
The Trace session page has been redesigned so that admins can view more data at once when troubleshooting calls, registrations, and so on. Here’s what’s new:
- The search parameters have been moved from the left side panel to a single row at the top, allowing more columns to fit on the screen without horizontal scrolling.
- To maximize space for session data, less frequently used search parameters are now grouped under the More menu.
What’s improved?
Easier troubleshooting
Admins can view more session data on one screen and locate needed records in fewer steps.
Find more details here.
