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Call accounting for VoIP and analog communication systems

Once upon a time there were no phones, fax machines, personal devices, computers, or the Internet. Today, most people cannot fantasize about such a primitive existence. Communication is the link that allows our world to run at its torrid pace. Businesses must continually adopt modern technology to successfully compete in a world that demands instant results. Proper management of the communications infrastructure is crucial to the success of any organization.

Entry points into every organization typically include a mix of automated attendant, personalized call routing (CCR), voicemail, interactive voice response (IVR), automated call distribution (ACD), wireless devices, and countless other devices. Many organizations are turning to communication servers instead of conventional PBX systems to implement VoIP-based pipelines that reduce costs and maximize flexibility. Voice and data communication can now co-exist and flow freely over the same bandwidth. Calls can be easily configured to ring simultaneously on multiple devices, search for cordless or home phones, be routed to voicemail, or forwarded to another call center.

Communication management is now a multi-pronged approach that combines statistics from multiple facilities to identify billing irregularities, misuse, bottlenecks, downtime, productivity, or labor expenses.

Billing reconciliation is often overlooked as carriers always bill based on contracted rate plans, right? According to Gartner analysts, “Organizations can routinely save more than 10% of their annual telecommunications expenses by systematically checking their carrier bills against equipment and services in use.” But it’s no longer effective to look exclusively at your traditional phone bills and compare them to the call accounting system behind the scenes.

The old adage rings true today “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”. Call accounting is no longer the star application of the current times, but it is certainly a necessary component. State-of-the-art communications management systems now collect system logs, Internet usage reports, router statistics, voicemail logs, CCRs, hunt group information, and various device-dependent logs, as well as log detail logs. traditional calls (CDR).

Have you ever called your favorite electronics store to ask about the latest digital cameras, but got caught up in a never-ending series of messages about hours of operation, special hard drive deals, and video games? Many companies are taking advantage of communications management systems (CMS) that study auto attendant activity and custom call routing trees. These reports help identify if calls are being dropped, abandoned or forwarded prematurely. It is imperative that customers are quickly and efficiently directed to their desired destination. The customer’s experience with their communication facilities will determine whether they return.

Cost allocation at various corporate levels has been a core functionality of the most robust call accounting system for years. The downward trend in long distance expenses due to falling carrier rates, bundled services, and competition from VoIP has diminished the importance of this feature. This has given rise to the misconception that call accounting is no longer relevant. However, many businesses forget that there are many hidden costs that can be highlighted through the proper use of call accounting or communication management software.

If Jimmy in sales spends half his time on the phone, management might be delighted with his dedication. However, if Jimmy spends half his time talking to his girlfriend, maybe management should take a second look. Call accounting can be a key indicator of employee misuse and productivity. Employee productivity recovery is one of the top reasons to own a system today!

Oftentimes, fraudulent calls can be routed through corporate facilities without the company’s knowledge. Hackers can find fault with poorly designed networks, infrequently used extensions, voicemail ports, and tandem trunks. A call accounting watchdog should always monitor activity for irregular patterns. Modern call handling systems use SMS, pager, email, and web interfaces to generate instant reports.

Communication management is essential to provide the right metrics to migrate to IP. Most companies don’t even have a proper migration strategy. Call accounting can help ease the transition by highlighting traffic volumes, peak hours, grade of service, abandoned calls, blocked calls, calls to reception, and various other pin counts. These statistics will help determine bandwidth needs and requirements for auto attendant, wireless, IVR and other services.

Some communications management systems have established interoperability with major vendors such as Nortel, Cisco, and Avaya. These systems often provide tighter integration through third party call control. These solutions often enhance the hardware by adding features such as: forced and verified account codes, call tracking, settings lock, and real-time emergency notification.

Businesses often forget the need to trace the source of a phone call in an emergency. Many call accounting systems have built-in real-time alarm triggers that will alert authorized personnel of an emergency call. This feature is crucial when seconds can mean life or death.

Call accounting has definitely evolved and matured in communications management. The need for this software is more important than ever.

References:

Call Accounting for Every Enterprise (http://ezinearticles.com/?id=86399), Rito Salomone, October 2005

Best Telecom Expense Management, March 15, 2005

Additional Reference: What Big Telecom Managers Know, Roger Yang, Avema, June 2005

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