Business and operations support systems vendor Amdocs said Friday it has snapped up network optimisation firm Bridgewater Systems for around C$211m (€150m).

The move brings together two companies which collectively address the dark arts of billing and service provisioning, which means service providers could conceivably support virtually any pricing strategy for data services, based on the combination of advanced customer models coupled with network level information.

An example implementation offered up by Amdocs would allow a family to share a single data price plan across their iPhone, iPad, and broadband connection. Under such a tiered package, the family could download one movie or piece of content at a fast download speed, followed by another three movies at a slower download speed. It’s the implementation of a system long talked about in this industry, where payment could move from post-paid to prepaid once a particular data allowance is exceeded and include a specific threshold for roaming.

According to the firm, the offerings would also increase service providers’ competitive differentiation, allowing them to improve the experience of their customers and maximize return on investment as they evolve from unlimited data plans to personalised value-based pricing and charging.

Hear more from Amdocs in the upcoming webinar ‘Why operators have what consumers want and why consumers will pay to get it’ on June 30th

Coincidentally, Amdocs released research this week, claiming that European mobile subscribers rank improved network quality as the service for which they would be happiest to pay a premium.