System Overview

8MS is a feature rich, web-based platform designed to simplify and automate toll-free provisioning as well as reduce your carrier costs via Least Cost Routing optimization.

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SMS/800 is the system responsible for managing toll-free (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888) numbers recognized by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Its primary responsibility is to assign toll-free numbers and route the numbers to one or more carriers via Service Control Points (SCPs). SCPs store the necessary information to route a call to the appropriate carrier. This information is stored as a record. Records may be activated immediately or scheduled for a future date/time. When a record is ready to be activated, SMS/800 loads the record onto the SCPs.

Companies that interact with SMS/800 must assign a Responsible Organization or Resp Org to manage their toll-free numbers (e.g., reserve, spare, transfer, routing, etc.). Resp Orgs may interact with SMS/800 using one of three interfaces. The 3270 legacy interface and the web interface are known as user interfaces. The third interface is an application programmer interface (API) known as the Mechanized Generic Interface (MGI).

8MS is an MGI client of SMS/800 that provides value-added features that make management of toll-free service easier, faster, and more accurate. What used to take months now takes minutes.

The first concept that makes 8MS so powerful is the use of Number Lists. SMS/800 limits users to performing actions (changing Resp Orgs, record activation, disconnecting and sparing a number, etc.) one number at a time. The 8MS Number List feature allows multiple updates to multiple numbers with a single action. Updating 10,000 numbers is as easy as updating a single number. Performing any action with a Number List is known as a Batch. A batch allows a Number List to be selected as the target of your action, allowing all numbers in that list to be manipulated. Many 8MS screens provide ways to dynamically create Number Lists. You may also import and export your Number Lists as a .csv (comma separated values) list. These files may be then be saved as a text file or imported into any application that understands csv files (such as Microsoft Excel and Access). All 8MS screens that allow manipulation of a single toll-free number also provide a batch capability.

8MS Routing Sets are another powerful, value-added feature in 8MS. 8MS will analyze the routing-affecting data (e.g., Inter-LATA and Intra-LATA Carriers, complex routing) in every record of every toll-free number in the 8MS database and create an 8MS Routing Set. You may then use the Routing Set as the source or target for record activation of one or more toll-free numbers. Routing Sets may also be given unique names to further help you manage and assign routing data. To print or share a 8MS Routing Set, you may generate a report that displays the CAD, LAD, and CPR (complex routing) in .pdf format.

8MS provides flexible search capabilities within your current set of toll-free numbers and their individual records. Besides being able to restrict searching to specific number lists or 8MS Routing Set, you may also look for numbers that route to particular areas of service or specific carriers. Number history and Resp Org ownership details, including changes, are available with the click of a button. Enhanced searching is available for spare numbers. You may search for currently available spare numbers or retrieve spare number forecasting data for numbers that will be available in the near future. Vanity number searches are also available without needing to indicate where particular words will appear in the toll-free number.

8MS is designed for efficiency. All user activity as well as batch status is tracked and logged. Critical recently used data such as toll-free numbers, number lists, and 8MS Routing Sets are easily accessible without having to retype the data. The Undo Record Activiation screen allows you to re-activate your most recent old record and will also work with your Number Lists. 8MS will save you time and money as well as track and log all of your necessary data.

One of the primary functions of SMS/800 is to load routing data onto SCPs on the telephony network. Once the routing data is loaded, the SCPs route calls to the specified carrier networks. Since SMS/800 only loads routing data to the SCP, the user (Resp Org) must next load their routing data onto a carrier network. If a Resp Org is limited to the SMS/800 system, they must load routing data at least twice: in SMS/800 and within each carrier network for routing setup to be complete.

8MS provides the ability to interface with Carrier Express. Carrier Express serves as a "one-stop shop" for users to load routing data onto SMS/800 and onto the selected carriers. Carrier Express interfaces directly with carriers to activate and disconnect toll-free numbers. Users will no longer need to enter data into multiple systems or have experience with individual carrier systems.

While SMS/800 is the FCC designated database of record for toll-free service, 8MS makes it easier and faster to manage your data via the 8MS local database. 8MS maintains communication with SMS/800 and keeps a local copy of all data for numbers that you have managed via 8MS. The local database is kept up-to-date via an automated notification process between SMS/800 and 8MS. If a number in your Resp Org is changed via any SMS/800 interface (web, 3270 or MGI) an unsolicited message is sent from SMS/800 to 8MS, notifying 8MS that a number has changed. In response to this unsolicited message, 8MS retrieves that number from SMS/800. Unsolicited messages ensure that the 8MS local database in sync with SMS/800 and data is up-to-date. The 8MS local database also stores the information that is not available in SMS/800: your Number Lists and 8MS Routing Sets.

A service level is the level of service that you purchase from 8MS. Each service level allows you to store a set amount of toll-free numbers in the 8MS database as well as a set amount of local deletions that you can perform. The higher a service level you purchase, the more numbers you can store and the more local deletions you can perform. Since billing is normally performed on a monthly basis, you can change your service level prior to the start of a month. If you exceed the amount of numbers or the amount of local deletions within a single month, there is a additional cost that will be charged to your account.

Since there is a charge for exceeding your service level limits, 8MS allows you to track your transactions and your total amount of toll-free numbers within 8MS. You may customize alerts and notifications based on your transaction limits based on company or user preferences. The alerts will displayed in a pop-up window at login or after selecting an item from the menu. To manage your transactional limits, you may, at any point, delete numbers from 8MS. This will not remove numbers from the SMS/800 database, only from 8MS. These numbers may always be retrieved again at a later date. You may also, at any point, retrieve additional numbers from the SMS/800 system into 8MS. Transactional limits, alerts, and Number Lists will help you to delete and retrieve these numbers efficiently and accurately.

8MS customers range from small companies that manage less than 500 toll-free numbers up to large carriers that manage millions. Based on several factors, some 8MS customers choose to have their own platform, while others take advantage of shared platforms.

A Shared Platform is an 8MS server that has multiple customers sharing a network connection to SMS/800. This means that a customer's messages to SMS/800 get queued behind other customers' messages on a first-in/first-out basis. If you pay for 8MS service based on either service level (including Semi-Private) or the number of transactions per month than you are assigned to the Shared Platform. Shared Platforms are commonly referred to as the Service Bureau. All Service Bureau platforms run out of 8MS Data Centers managed by the 8MS Support Team.

A Private Platform is also an 8MS server with a network connection to SMS/800 that is dedicated to a single customer and are run out of 8MS Data Centers managed by the 8MS Support Team

A Dedicated Platform is an 8MS server with a network connection to SMS/800 that is dedicated to a single customer but are run out of the customer's data center and managed by the customer's support team.

As noted above, all 8MS screens provide an easy-access button for sending email to the 8MS Support Team. Private and Dedicated Platforms may modify the destination email address or remove the email button entirely. Refer to Customizing 8MS for how to set Company Preferences and see EmailSupport under User Interface Preferences for details on customizing this button.

8MS has developed a complex record generation (CPR) add-on tool that allows you to easily define your LATA, NPA, NXX, and State routing to carriers in a simple text file. Records that require routing to multiple areas of service can quickly become difficult to maintain. In an effort to reduce carrier costs, the CPR tool will perform an analysis of your carrier routing that may be automatically activated to begin reducing costs as soon as possible.

In addition to the 8MS Web User Interface, 8MS also provide an Application Programmer Interface (API) that allows you to integrate 8MS with your own internal toll-free provisioning applications. The 8MS API is a web-based interface that allows you to use any programming language that allows generation of HTTP (web) requests. Responses are simple XML formatted documents. The 8MS API includes calls to interface with SMS/800 and Carrier Express. Click here for more information.

In the upper right of all 8MS screens is a small button with a question mark on it:

Clicking this button opens the 8MS User Guide section related to the screen you are currently viewing. Clicking on the Main Help Page link, in the upper right of the page you are viewing returns you to the beginning of the User Guide. The question mark button is also accessible from the lower left of the menu. Clicking on the question mark in the menu will bring you to the beginning of the User Guide.

From the Tools menu on the left is a Documentation link to all online documention. This includes links to online and .pdf versions of the User Guide, API Guide, and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). The FAQ is based on user questions that have been collected over the last five years. Please review the FAQ if you experience any issues in 8MS.

In addition to the FAQ, new tutorials are added to the documentation as the need arises. All current tutorials may be found in the FAQ and Tutorials section.

Software upgrades are performed several times a year, providing performance improvements, new features, and enhancements to existing screens. To ensure the best possible reliability and support, all 8MS web servers are maintained in multiple data centers and site switches are performed on a regular basis. Any SMS/800 scheduled downtimes or performance problems will be posted.

To keep you informed of events, 8MS displays notifications and alerts in 3 locations within the user interface: