Method and system for managing trial service subscriptions for a mobile communications device
A method and system for managing trial service subscriptions for a user of a mobile communications device in a communications network. The system and method provide the capability to allocate one or more trial services to the mobile communications device of a new user. A new user includes a subscriber having an active billing identifier and an identification record (e.g. a SIM) that was created within a grace period, or a subscriber that is currently deactivated but has a SIM record that is created within a grace period. A new user can also include a subscriber changing to a new mobile communications device and registering within a grace period.
1 . A method for activating a trial service for a user of a mobile communications device, said method comprising the steps of:
determining if the user is a new user;
providing a trial service if the user qualifies as a new user;
wherein qualifying the user as a new user comprises determining if there is a billing identifier for the user in a provisioning system, and if an identification record was created for the user within a grace period.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of qualifying comprises determining if an identification record was created for the user within a predetermined period and if the user is currently deactivated and has a billing identifier in the provisioning system.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said billing identifier is based on presence of an active account for the user.
4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said identification record comprises a SIM record.
5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of qualifying comprises determining if the user is registered with the provisioning system and an identifier assigned to the user is changed for a new carrier and the user registers with the new carrier within a grace period.
6 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said new carrier comprises a value added reseller.
7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a regular service is provided if user registers with the new carrier outside of said grace period.
8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a new user comprises a user acquiring a new mobile communications device and registering said new mobile communications device with the provisioning system within a predetermined period.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said predetermined period comprises a grace period, and said grace period being defined by a carrier.
10 . In a communications network, a system for allocating a trial service to a user of a mobile communications device, said system comprising:
means for registering the user with a provisioning system in the communications network;
means for determining if the user is associated with a new subscription;
means for providing a trial service to the user if said subscription is new;
wherein said new subscription comprises a billing identifier in said provisioning system for the user, and an identification record being created for the user within a grace period.
11 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said new subscription comprises a billing identifier in said provisioning system with the user being currently deactivated and having an identification record created within a grace period.
12 . The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said grace period is associated with a service provider, and comprises at least one day up to a maximum number of days.
13 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said new subscription comprises an identifier assigned to the user and the user is registered with a new carrier within a grace period.
14 . The system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said new carrier comprises a value added reseller.
15 . The system as claimed in claim 14 , further including means for providing a regular service if the user is registered with the new carrier outside of said grace period.
16 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said means for providing a trial service comprises means for providing a plurality of trial services to a user having a new subscription.
17 . A computer program product for managing a trial service for a user of a mobile communications device, the trial service and other services being allocated via a provisioning system, said computer program product comprising:
a medium for storing computer-readable instructions;
said computer-readable instructions including,
determining a new user by checking if there is a billing identifier for the user in the provisioning system and if an identification record was created for the user within a predetermined period of time; and
providing a trial service if the user qualifies as a new user.
18 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said computer-readable instructions for determining a new user comprises determining if an identification record was created for the user within a predetermined period and if the user is currently deactivated and has a billing identifier in the provisioning system.
19 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said computer-readable instructions for determining a new user comprises determining if the user has registered with the provisioning system and an identifier assigned to the user has changed for a new carrier and if the user registers with the new carrier within a predetermined period of time.
20 . The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 , further including computer-readable instructions for providing the user with a regular service if the user registers outside of said predetermined period.