Amdocs this week won a big BSS deal with consumer VoIP services provider Vonage, gaining the opportunity to support new billing and service packages — including Vonage’s touted mobile VoIP apps. The operator will need to rely on more innovative packaging and service delivery as it competes not only with incumbent providers, but increasingly with mobile operators pitching wireless services as a wireline replacement.

Amdocs provided some additional details of the implementation:

Vonage will deploy the Amdocs BSS Pack – an off-the-shelf solution that delivers Amdocs’ charging, ordering, enterprise product catalog and activation management systems, as well as the required implementation services and business processes. The Amdocs BSS solution enables companies to launch new products more quickly, bundle products and promotions, increase sales and offer better customer service, while improving operational efficiencies and reducing costs.

Amdocs is certainly keeping itself busy, as this week it held its Global InTouch Business Forum 2010, which was attended by approximately 200 senior executives from service providers around the globe, intent on discussing their roles in the value chain, leveraging data and system assets for growth, and managing the customer experience. I hope to speak to some of the service providers that attended to find out what of significance shook out, but for now the news is about Vonage, which undoubtedly feels pressure from companies like Skype and Comcast and other MSOs continuing to expand their offerings through VoIP. According to Research & Markets “USA – VoIP Market – Analysis, Statistics and Forecasts,” in 2010 U.S. cable companies were providing telephone services to more than 20 million subscribers.

With encroaching competition from pure-play VoIP and non-facilities-based players, it will come down to customer service and efficiencies, so a robust BSS suite should be a good foundation for building a strong customer experience. Speaking from experience as a customer of a pure-play VoIP company, I can say customer experience is not a forté. For three months I’ve been challenged to get any sort of correspondence or live person to help me with technical issues, but I’m locked in with a pre-payment and no recourse to reach a human being.

Last year, Vonage experienced decent growth and expanded initiatives to improve productivity and reduce costs across the company while continuing to invest in new growth opportunities, including mobile applications and international products and services. It also went for a facelift in terms of image by hiring TBWAChiatDay, a firm known for creating effective messaging on well-known brands. Perhaps this new suite will better secure its place among all the up-and-coming VoIP competitors.

By Susana Schwartz.