In 2021 Ofcom introduced One Touch Switching (OTS) rules to ease the process by which customers can change their fixed voice and broadband service provider. The OTS process mandates that service providers play their part in automating the end-to-end switching process by integrating with the TOTSCo Hub messaging platform. This two-way integration, where providers send requests to the Hub and service requests from it, comprises a complex set of APIs and security protocols with strict performance guarantees.
Integration requires that communication providers develop software to both send requests to the Hub and receive service requests from it, as well as integrate with their CRM, service inventory, customer billing, and other systems. To compound matters TOTSCo integration imposes strict performance guarantees and comprises a complex set of APIs and security protocols that will continue to evolve beyond 2024.
This represents a significant technology challenge for providers.
See our blog post: Options to integrate with the TOTSCo Hub for OTS compliance
pivOTS minimises the effort required for providers to meet their OTS regulatory obligations. It simplifies Hub integration in both gaining and losing scenarios handling messaging, data management, security, availability, performance and audit requirements.
pivOTS is deployed rapidly within a Retail Provider’s own IT environment, providing a high degree of protection from accidental or unauthorized attempts to access customer data. It abstracts the OTS challenge away from core systems including CRMs, while keeping them up to date with customer switch progress. pivOTS thus reinforces CRM’s central role as master of customer communications.
pivOTS is available at a price point that is significantly below the cost for a Retail Provider to develop and maintain a similar solution internally.
In February 2024, pivOTS™ went through end-to-end integration test with a large provider, KCOM. This means that a service provider using pivOTS™ does not have to perform end-to-end integration test with another partner. pivOTS™ also supports a test mode, allowing clients to focus solely on BSS-pivOTS™ integration, independent of the TOTSCo Hub, with pivOTS™ acting in both losing and gaining roles.