So, umm, who here recently claimed that packet metering and billing in an ISP/IP setting is technically impossible? In my mailbox this evening I see:
Cisco, Solect Offer Usage-Based Billing Solution
Cisco Systems, Inc., a global leader in Internet networking, and Solect Technology Group, a leading provider of infrastructure software solutions for service providers, have announced current availability of IAF/NetFlow, an advanced usage-based billing system integrating Cisco's NetFlow software into Solect's Internet Administration Framework (IAF) product used by high-speed, broadband network and service providers for commercial and business users.
Solect sells telco billing systems. There are other products about to hit the market which do IP metering, and they're going to use telco billing systems as a back end as well. The metered billing steamroller is coming, people. Settlements won't be too far behind. Watch out, because the telcos have over 100 years of experience playing this game. (What was that NANOG 13 T-shirt slogan again, hm?) Bruce Hahne hahne@netcom.com