PortaOne Workflows: NSPS vs. Boomi low-code platform

Real-time provisioning of subscriber services based on lifecycle events from PortaBilling to external systems, such as mobile network components (e.g., HSS or PCRF), or IPTV systems.

Example: Activating a SIM card or updating a subscriber’s plan in a mobile network.

Automation of business workflows between PortaBilling and enterprise systems (CRM, ERP, finance/accounting, helpdesk, ticketing, etc.).

Example: An IoT customer orders SIM cards and the ERP system records the order and payment. A Boomi workflow then coordinates the process across systems: it verifies SIM availability in PortaBilling, creates a customer, and assigns the SIM cards; initiates shipment with the logistics provider; updates the order status in the ERP; and sends a confirmation to the customer with delivery details and self-care credentials.

Simple, one-step provisioning actions (activate/deactivate/update subscriber services).

Multi-step scenarios with complex logic that, in addition to the subscriber’s service configuration, involve other entities such as customer information, invoices, charges, payments, etc.

You need to write code for a small microservice (“connector”). This connector is triggered when an event (such as SIM card activation or product change) occurs in PortaBilling. The connector receives all the necessary information (such as customer data or which service features are allowed by the customer’s product) as input, so it just needs to update the external system through its API.

PortaOne provides a working connector for World Telecom Labs’ HSS as an example. It is written in Python with the FastAPI framework, and the source code is available on PortaOne’s GitLab page. You can study it and fork your own project by adding your custom logic to work with the API of the needed external system.

You can leverage hundreds of prebuilt connectors available in the Boomi platform to quickly connect PortaBilling with widely used business applications (Salesforce, HubSpot, SAP, and many more), without building connectors from scratch.

In addition, PortaOne provides ready-to-use sample integrations for common telecom use cases, such as:

• automated invoice and payment synchronization with an external accounting system,
• customer data exchange between CRM and billing,
• automatic ticket creation in a support system based on billing or provisioning events, etc.

You can use these sample integrations as templates and adjust only the parameters you need.

Alternatively, if your scenario is unique, you can create a custom integration in Boomi using its visual no-code UI or low-code scripting.

To build a connector, you need a developer familiar with basic REST and JSON.

The connector can be implemented in any modern programming language, such as Python, Node.js, or Java, using the OpenAPI schema.

New connectors can be created based on the provided open-source connector sample using AI coding assistants.

NSPS extracts the data (such as service configuration settings of a subscriber) from PortaBilling and passes it to the connector, so developers do not need to learn the PortaBilling API.

NSPS also manages event queuing, retries, and even “replaying” events that failed during the first attempt (for instance, due to misconfiguration of an external system). So the connector is “stateless”: it simply calls an external API method with correctly populated parameters. This makes it very easy to develop.

You need someone who can learn Boomi's architecture and low-code programming.

Workflows are configured using no-code tools or extended with low-code scripting, such as JavaScript or Groovy.

The integrator may also need to understand:

• how to fetch data directly from PortaBilling using the PortaBilling API,
• how to manage Boomi EventStreams for message queues and multi-step processes.

Boomi workflows support multiple trigger types. They can start automatically in response to events (such as webhooks), run on a defined schedule (for example, nightly data synchronization), or be launched manually when needed.

NSPS itself is deployed and managed by PortaOne in the cloud. Your company hosts and manages custom microservices, (“connectors”) that update a specific external system.

A connector can be deployed as a Docker container in a cloud environment such as Google Cloud or AWS. It can also be deployed on your on-premises infrastructure.

The Boomi platform (where workflows are built and managed) runs in the cloud and does not require local installation. The Boomi runtime (where workflows are executed) can be deployed in two ways:

• In cloud infrastructure, either managed by your company, or managed by Boomi (AWS), or PortaOne (OCI).
• On infrastructure within your own environment, such as your data center, local servers, or even a bookkeeper's laptop.

Setting up Boomi involves importing workflow templates, adjusting them to match your business logic, and deploying them to the runtime environment where they are executed.

NSPS is available for MR100 or later.

Boomi can work with any MR version. However, MR105 or a later version is recommended because it supports modern token-based API authentication and is fully compatible with existing workflow templates.

Pricing is primarily based on the number of events processed per month. To determine which pricing tier is appropriate for your expected load, please contact PortaOne Sales.

Pricing is primarily based on the number of events processed per month. To determine which pricing tier is appropriate for your expected load, please contact PortaOne Sales. There is also an option to use an unlimited usage model that only depends on the number of systems connected, which often makes sense for high-volume applications.