The promise of Quadplay is getting closer. As of April 1, number portability became available to consumers allowing them to take their number to a number of different providers. In the shadow of Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), new networks are chomping at the bit to open their doors and give customers options for their mobile and landline service providers – even TVNZ has started offering its on-demand  television service.

Ticking along in the background, unseen but certainly not unappreciated – is Argent Networks. As a specialist in telecommunications billing solutions, Argent Networks is perfectly positioned as convergence and Quadplay look to become reality in New Zealand. CEO Larry Barker calls Argent a “gutsy, innovative company” footing it with the world's biggest carriers in some rapidly expanding markets, with a specialist niche and a world-leading product.

Argent is already making big inroads into international markets, partnering with vast, complex organisations to ensure their telecommunications billing systems are accurate, able to be reconciled, and can be adapted as the business requirements grow – and in a real-time environment. Argent's systems can be quickly configured to help its customers increase their subscriber base, and control costs, because of a unique system design.

This has flow-on effects, as customers can run accurate supply chain reconciliations, which then provides an accurate audit trail back through their own line of service providers.  In New Zealand, that means once we have broadband speeds capable of supporting IPTV seamlessly, Argent Networks software will likely be the key component for any Quadplay participants.

The telcos, wireless broadband providers, IPTV content providers, mobile phone networks wanting to present their Quadplay offering to customers, along with an accurate bill for their particular brand of multiple services, need a back-end product capable of juggling multiple data streams.

Barker says the US market looks like presenting some interesting service options. “Hybrid companies, where cable providers are expanding into a telecommunications network, and vice versa will compete on price and bundling. They will either look to acquire or partner up with companies to add to their offering. We can provide the back-end software to link it all in place and replace multiple software programmes with an Argent Networks system.

So if you're a company on the cusp of the convergence collective, it would pay to have a chat with the team at Argent Networks… not only will you then assimilate seamlessly with your potential Quad-players, but you'll hit the ground running with a system designed for convergence.