Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating a new tariff and/or billing configuration for a tariff and/or billing plan on a computer based system using an entity framework for an hierarchical arrangement of entities, the hierarchical arrangement representing a tariff and/or billing configuration, with each entity representing one or more characteristics of the configuration. One method provides that the entity framework is populated by copying an existing entity and/or by generating a new entity.

Abstract: A method for an operator to test tariff and/or billing configurations using a computer based system, the method being effected by a user interface, said method including the steps of creating through said computer based system one or more accounts from a selection of a first set of options by the operator from the user interface, allocating a service or services to each account from a selection of a second set of options by the operator from the user interface said allocated services being assigned to said accounts by said computer based system, adding at least one package or component to each account from a selection of a third set of options by the operator from the user interface said packages or components services being assigned to said accounts by said computer based system, associating at least one usage file to each account from a selection of a fourth set of options by the operator from the user interface said usage files being assigned to said accounts by said computer based system thereby providing

Abstract: A method for an operator to deploy tariff and/or billing configurations represented by computer program code, the deployment being effected by operation of a user interface, the method including the steps of the operator identifying at least one configuration to be deployed, selecting the at least one configuration by use of the user interface, and associating the at least one configuration with at least one environment in which the computer program code representing the configuration must be executed to effect the configuration.