Internet products and services are being developed and deployed so quickly that providers of Internet Protocol (IP) services reference product cycles in “Internet years”—very short product development cycles measured in weeks and days rather than years and months. A service provider’s very survival hinges upon its ability to maintain a continual influx of new customers, as well as its proficiency in retaining existing profitable ones. Service providers will quickly lose market share to faster, nimbler providers who capitalize on implementing value based IP billing with their business infrastructure in order to be first to market with innovative IP based applications and services.