A platform for transmission, processing, and accounting of USSD messages, designed, among other things, for implementing interactive services in a mobile operator’s network. The flexibility of the SC.USSDC solution allows deployment and configuration tailored to the operator’s specific requirements. The system architecture is designed for integration with third-party systems deployed within the operator’s network.
Functional Capabilities
USSD Message Processing and Routing
reception, transmission, and processing of USSD messages
support for dialog sessions (USSD Phase II)
routing of requests between internal and external systems
proxying requests to external USSD gateways in distributed environments
USSD Scenario Configuration Mechanism
USSD-scenario configuration mechanism (menu builder)
support for unlimited menu nesting depth
implementation of complex subscriber interaction scenarios
handling of user input (PIN codes, amounts, numbers, etc.)
response generation within dialog sessions
Dynamic and Context-Aware Scenario Processing
generation of USSD menu structure and content based on subscriber parameters
adaptation of scenario execution logic depending on:
tariff plan
subscriber type (prepaid/postpaid)
parameters obtained from billing and external systems
use of variables (mnemonic codes) within scenario logic
conditional display of menu elements
dynamic content generation (e.g., list of services or offers)
multi-stage parameter processing (where certain parameters depend on other parameters)
Integration with External Systems
interaction with external systems via REST API (JSON/XML)
real-time retrieval of subscriber data
execution of operations within a USSD session:
service activation and deactivation
tariff plan change
transfer of funds and bundles
service provisioning and balance top-up
response processing with use of XPath / JsonPath
Debugging and Testing Tools
setting up test doubles for external systems
extended tracing of scenario execution
logging of REST requests and responses
analysis of intermediate parameters and processing conditions
Core Platform Features
outbound notifications (USSD Push)
CDR generation for charging
SMPP 3.4 protocol support
multi-language support
web-based administration interface with access control
logging and statistics collection
Advantages
fault-tolerant architecture with load balancing capabilities
scalability depending on traffic volume
integration into existing operator infrastructure
multi-vendor environments support
flexible configuration of scenarios and processing logic
Architecture and Integration
The USSDC platform is deployed within the operator’s network and interacts with key infrastructure elements, including:
billing systems (online and postpaid)
VAS platforms
SMSC and other messaging systems
external service platforms
The system supports distributed architecture with load balancing across nodes.
Integration scheme
Extension Modules
— USSD Tails: a module for appending advertising campaign text to USSD messages, with a flexibly configurable schedule and limits. It supports the use of the functionality of the menu creation mechanism and provides the ability to analyze display decisions in processing logs
— USSD Bulk: a module for mass delivery of USSD scenarios to subscriber lists with support for list operations (union, intersection, exclusion). Full scenario configuration functionality is available
— USSD Traffic: a module for generating additional traffic reports, including SS7- and SMPP-level logs
— USSD Analytics: a module for advanced analytics with data visualization in external systems (e.g., Grafana)
— USSD Survey: a module for configuring survey functionality with branching conditions for each question, detailed analytics on conducted surveys, and granular data on each subscriber action during the survey
