Orb

In today's digital economy, accurately tracking usage and managing billing for millions of customers is a complex challenge. Enter Orb: a high-throughput platform designed to handle the scale and complexity of modern billing operations. This technical overview explores how Orb processes millions of events per second, from small startups to global enterprises. We'll dive into its architecture, examine how it handles everything from simple usage-based pricing to sophisticated tiered models, and see how it keeps customer data secure in the cloud. Whether you're implementing usage-based pricing for the first time or managing a complex multi-tiered subscription model, this guide will help you understand how Orb helps businesses track usage and manage pricing across their entire customer base.

Platform Architecture

The Orb platform's architecture is designed for both high accuracy and real-time scaling capabilities. Built on an event-based architecture, it processes and tracks every usage event with complete audit visibility, thanks to its "audit-safe amendment" features detailed in the events-and-metrics/reporting-errors section of their documentation.

Central to the platform's design is its ability to handle extremely high throughput through its event ingestion system. This architecture supports simultaneous processing of multiple events while maintaining real-time event balance and performance, as documented in their system architecture overview. The infrastructure is built for scalability, enabling efficient handling of concurrent loads, which is particularly important for customers with rapidly growing user bases.

Orb's pricing engine offers sophisticated configuration options, allowing users to define complex billing structures with ease. Plans can incorporate multiple pricing cadences and functions, supporting everything from simple usage-based models to complex tiered and bulk pricing configurations. The platform's architecture enables seamless extension of these pricing models through custom SQL metrics layers and a flexible pricing platform, as described in their technical documentation.

For enterprises managing large customer bases, Orb provides powerful migration capabilities. The system can process migrations for thousands of customers simultaneously, as verified through their pricing management functionality. This feature enables rapid implementation of price changes while maintaining customer billing accuracy and system integrity, according to their official documentation.

Security is a core component of the platform's architecture. Built on Amazon Web Services infrastructure, Orb leverages virtual private cloud (VPC) isolation and comprehensive AWS security practices for its cloud operations. The platform maintains strict role-based access controls, continuous audit logging, and automated security monitoring, as detailed in their infrastructure security practices documentation.

Through these technical features and architecture design, Orb creates a robust foundation for high-throughput billing and usage tracking, while maintaining the flexibility needed for enterprise-scale operations and real-time customer interactions.

Usage and Pricing Configuration

Plan configuration in Orb requires detailed setup to define pricing terms. A plan represents a pricing tier within the product, with many customers assigned to the same tier through standard plans (like a "Pro" subscription) or customized through enterprise offerings (such as negotiated "Enterprise" terms).

Price Configuration

Prices within Orb are versatile, supporting multiple configuration options. Basic usage-based pricing attaches charges to specific billable metrics, while recurring fixed prices apply standardized fees for known quantities (like platform access or user-based charges). The platform supports several standard pricing models:

• Unit pricing implements simple, linear cost scaling

• Tiered pricing adjusts cost per unit based on consumption level

• Bulk pricing applies total quantity-based discounts

• Package pricing rounds usage to predefined thresholds

• BPS (basis point rate) pricing includes both bulk and tiered configurations

• Matrix pricing defines multiple unit prices based on property combinations

Custom pricing extends these models through Python-based custom price models accessible via the Orb UI. These models support flexible parameter configurations, allowing precise control over billing logic.

Usage and Billing Configuration

To implement complex billing structures, users configure prices with specific parameters:

• Cadence determines charging frequency (e.g., daily, monthly, quarterly)

• Pricing functions define how usage quantity impacts cost

• Adjustments include discounts, minimum spend requirements, and maximum charges

For practical implementation, consider a tiered pricing scenario: a base rate of $1 per unit for usage up to 10 units, with additional units charged at $2 each. This configuration requires setting the billing cycle to quarterly while invoicing monthly to achieve the correct charge distribution.

Plan Lifecycle Management

The platform handles subscription lifecycle events through defined phases:

• Subscription phases automatically adjust pricing after specific billing periods

• Plan versions track changes and assignments across different pricing structures

• Customer migrations support seamless transitions between plan versions

For example, a subscription might start with a free trial period, followed by a paid phase with specific usage-based pricing. If the usage exceeds expected limits, Orb automatically applies tiered pricing logic to adjust costs.

By supporting sophisticated pricing models and flexible configuration options, Orb enables businesses to implement detailed billing structures while maintaining operational efficiency.

Security and Compliance

Orb maintains SOC-2 Type II compliance through an annual audit process that evaluates practices, policies, and procedures. This includes regular reviews of vendor practices, physical security protocols, and data protection measures. The company's SOC-2 Report is available upon request.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides the platform's cloud infrastructure, utilizing a virtual private cloud (VPC) for resource isolation. Orb maintains secure data centers and employs extensive AWS security practices, including continuous access logging, monitoring, and redundant availability features. Infrastructure changes are tracked through AWS Config, with all permissions changes audited and documented.

The company employs rigorous access control measures, including role-based access control lists and multi-factor authentication for GitHub access. Changes to core application source code require explicit approval and undergo extensive testing. Engineering teams use automated tools to monitor for security vulnerabilities in dependencies and libraries, while CI/CD pipelines incorporate security testing tools to prevent injection vulnerabilities.

Data processing adheres to strict encryption protocols, with full customer data encrypted at rest in S3 buckets, volumes, and production datastores. The engineering team reviews encryption configurations regularly and performs continuous monitoring with compliance software. Penetration testing confirms security standards, while AWS security capabilities include Security Groups, subnet configurations, and AWS GuardDuty for anomaly detection.

Orb prioritizes endpoint security through centralized device management solutions (MDM), implementing comprehensive password policies and encryption at rest. All company-issued hardware runs MEM solutions with built-in alarms for non-compliance. The security team monitors endpoint health and can perform remote device wipes when necessary. The company conducts regular vendor security assessments, requiring explicit documentation and approval for vendors accessing customer data.

The organization maintains robust training programs, with all employees completing annual IT security training. Security policies are reviewed annually with interim updates, and the security posture is meticulously tracked and traceable. This comprehensive approach enables Orb to maintain SOC-2 compliance while protecting customer data across all operational aspects.

Customer Support and Integration

Through a systematic integration process, Orb connects event data with business metrics and pricing models in real time. The platform leverages webhooks to trigger immediate updates across systems, ensuring that billing processes remain synchronized with customer usage. This architecture enables Orb to maintain high availability while providing granular control over data flow and system interaction.

Integration Process

The integration workflow consists of five core steps:

1. Event Ingest: The platform captures usage events from various sources

2. Metric Building: Events are transformed into measurable usage quantities

3. Product Catalog Setup: Usage metrics are associated with business functions

4. Subscription Provisioning: Customer subscriptions are updated

5. Invoicing and Payment Setup: Automated charge processing and invoicing are triggered

Webhook Integration

Webhooks enable real-time communication between Orb and external systems. Users can configure webhook triggers based on specific usage metrics, allowing for customized customer notifications and system updates. For example, a user might configure a webhook to send an alert when monthly usage exceeds a certain threshold, enabling proactive customer communication and resource management.

Billing Automation

The platform automates multiple aspects of the billing process, reducing manual data entry and improving operational efficiency. Automated charge processing ensures that changes in usage are immediately reflected in customer invoices, while the system's scalable architecture supports concurrent load processing. This automated approach enables businesses to focus on strategic growth while maintaining accurate billing operations.

The integration capabilities of Orb's platform significantly enhance customer communication and system efficiency through real-time updates and automated processes. This architecture supports scalable operations while maintaining the flexibility needed for enterprise billing environments.

Price Management Features

Orb's price management system is engineered for both scalability and operational efficiency, supporting thousands of customer migrations across multiple pricing versions in a single operation. The platform's latest migration tools enable users to move 40,000 customers to three different pricing versions within 48 hours – a process that traditionally required weeks of engineering effort.

The solution automates critical aspects of price change management, including the automatic migration of price change dates according to customer billing cycles. This functionality ensures that all customer accounts are updated correctly, even when multiple pricing changes are implemented simultaneously. For companies managing complex subscription models, the system supports detailed plan version tracking and granular control over pricing structures.

A notable feature of Orb's pricing management is its ability to handle both legacy and new pricing configurations through a single user interface. This approach reduces dependency on engineering teams while maintaining system integrity. The platform supports multiple price adjustment methodologies, including unit pricing, tiered pricing, bulk pricing, package pricing, basis point rate pricing, and matrix pricing. These capabilities enable businesses to implement sophisticated billing structures with minimal technical intervention.

During the pricing change process, Orb automatically adjusts migration schedules to align with the end of customer billing terms. This ensures smooth transitions while maintaining accurate billing records. For companies with diverse customer bases, the system maintains comprehensive visibility into plan status and specific plan assignments, with detailed tracking capabilities for each customer account.

The engineering team has developed a scalable architecture that supports tens of thousands of customers across multiple plans. The platform's core capabilities include pre-scheduling price changes, backdating migrations, and managing different plan versions through a unified interface. This approach enables fast-growing startups to quickly iterate on pricing strategies while maintaining operational efficiency.