Telecom Expense Management With A Web-Enabled Call Accounting And Billing System: MegaCall

A: MegaCall is simply the best enterprise-wide solution for large volume phone, voip, cellular traffic billing and cdr tracking.

The Telecom Director of a large US government agency has this to say about MegaCall:

"We couldn't be more pleased...the system does everything we wanted - and then some!

The MegaCall technicians are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to meeting our special security needs."

MegaCall will track telephone call activity generated by any type and any number of PBX's from the source of the call record to the assignment of accountability. It analyzes call activity (CDR) for your entire enterprise, domestic and international, from a single centralized system. All information is collected in real-time and is immediately available for viewing and reporting - an essential support for telecom expense management throughout the enterprise.

MegaCall is a turnkey system, including installation services, hardware, software, and in-depth training. TelSoft works directly with you to obtain information required for system configuration that is part of the pre-installation consulting phase. This allows TelSoft to identify your specific needs and goals along with all the aspects that are unique to your corporate structure.

FEATURES

• Speed and Power Unmatched by Other Systems
• No Waiting for Reports!
• Web-Based
• Centralized System (Single Database)
• Long Duration Online Call Storage
• Multi-PBX /Type & Model Capability
• Multi User Access & Security
• Reports the Way You Want Them
• Cradle to Grave Reports
• Interprets any Private and Public Numbering Plan
• Report Scheduler: Automatic and Electronic
• Eliminate MAC Updates
• Departmental Charge Back/Cost Allocation
• Import Cellular, Paging and Calling Card CDs
• G/L Interface
• Traffic Statistics & Analysis
• Toll Fraud Monitoring
• Reports that Match your Corporate Structure
• Supports VoIP

Speed and Power Unmatched by Other Call Accounting Systems

MegaCall is a powerful, real time, PC-based call accounting and billing system that makes telecom expense management easy to control. The high transaction processing technology sets MegaCall apart from other call accounting systems as it can process millions of calls at unprecedented speeds. By speed is meant both the system speed in processing calls (1000 call records per second) as well as report generation - which takes seconds compared to hours on systems using conventional database technology. This makes MegaCall especially suited for those corporations with many sites (in fact, any number of sites), high volumes of call activity (many millions) and an unlimited number of stations and corporate users. See our in-memory database.

No Waiting for Reports!

MegaCall provides real-time call collection and processing making telecom expense management far simpler. No reports are pre-processed in any way and any report is available on an ad hoc basis taking just seconds to generate. Since MegaCall processes reports in real time versus batch reporting, call detail records (CDR) are immediately available for viewing and reporting - allowing users to monitor and address business, legal, and security issues that need immediate attention such as 911 emergency calls, internal phone abuse (sexual harassment, bomb threats, etc.), potential toll fraud, and others.

Web-Based Access to System and All Reports

MegaCall is a fully web-enabled call accounting and billing application. Over your company Intranet, or through a dialup networking connection (Point to Point Protocol), any authorized user can access MegaCall and run reports right from their desktop using any web-browser.

Simply open your web browser (Netscape, IE, etc.) and type in the IP address of the call accounting server. The system prompts for a password, and once verified, opens MegaCall inside the web browser. Administrative users have complete access to the system for making changes and running reports. The "View Only" access option can be implemented in order to restrict certain users. Users can be restricted to viewing a division or department or restrictions can limit the user down to viewing one station.

Any number of users can simultaneously access the system, based upon their unique user ID, and run the reports they need for telecom expense management right from their desk. Since MegaCall resides on a server and is accessed via browsers, this eliminates the need for installation and maintenance at individual workstations. MegaCall is unique as you can access the ENTIRE system from a web browser, where other systems limit you to just certain reports via the browser.

Centralized System (Single Database)

MegaCall is a centralized call accounting application. It can be administered, for any number of sites, from one single location; or autonomously at individual sites without eliminating the ability to perform combined reporting by the main corporate site or senior system administrator. Regardless of number of sites and number of stations, data for multiple sites is maintained in a single database.

Long Duration On-Line Call Storage

MegaCall stores call records for a period of 13 months or more regardless of monthly call volume! The system has it's own on-line archive which allows for long duration call storage without hindering system performance or speed. This feature gives users the ability to produce reports that show trends over longer periods of time without having to restore archived data from tapes, CD ROMs, DVDs or other media.

Multi-PBX Capability

MegaCall supports any combination of PBX types and models including VoIP systems. MegaCall can poll and process data from any number of sites regardless of the equipment at the sites. TelSoft offers both dialup and network call storage buffers. A buffer box would be placed at each remote PBX for collection of call data. TelSoft's network buffers connect to a TCP/IP Ethernet network and send data continuously over the LAN/WAN back to the MegaCall server. Therefore, call retrieval for all locations would occur in real-time and provide users with instant access to all data. In cases where dialup buffers are used, call data from the remote sites would be set up to occur throughout the day, or any user-defined schedule. See MegaPoll for more information on this.

Multi User Access & Security

With MegaCall, you can limit your users to their respective areas (divisions, departments, cost centers, etc.) allowing you to provide managers with access to run their own reports that assist with telecom cost management. When setting user ID's the System Administrator has the flexibility to restrict access to specific menu options, reports, and areas. Any access denied to a user would be removed from their menu. MegaCall features full LAN/WAN connectivity. The system can be configured for any number of LAN users.

Reports the Way You Want Them (custom CDR reporting)

MegaCall's onboard report generator allows the user to build their own custom reports. Users can make headers for reports, label columns and sort keys with their own easy to understand titles, and report menus can be easily customized or re-organized. MegaCall's report generator also provides for 2-D and 3-D graphing capabilities along with a large variety of standard reports (over 50) to get the user started.

Any number of custom reports can either be created from scratch or by modifying existing reports. Reporting periods are completely user-definable for any specified length of time. The date ranges can be as general as "Last Quarter" or as specific as calls starting and ending at any given date, hour and minute. Automatic report schedules may be as frequent as once an hour and as far apart as once a year. Many combinations exist. Any report can automatically be sent as scheduled to a printer, distributed via e-mail, posted to a web site or saved to a file on the network, etc.

Cradle to Grave Reports

MegaCall's design ensures precise handling of tandem (trunk-to-trunk) calls in order to provide cradle to grave reports for businesses with complex telecommunications configurations including two or more switches. Calls can be traced through each leg of a complex corporate network and accurately billed back to the originating extension facilitating your telecom expanse management process.

TelSoft's technicians create a precise map of your network, in switches, locations, tie lines, FX lines, incoming and outgoing trunk lines, and any other elements of configuration that will affect call records. Calls of all types will be analyzed to ensure accurate call data reconciliation. MegaCall tracks all types of tandem calls (A call processed by two or more switches):

• On-net, or internal calls which are routed from an extension on one switch to an extension on another switch.
• On-net to off-net calls which are routed from an extension on one switch through another switch, and off to the public network.
• Off-net to on-net calls which are routed from the inbound trunk of one switch to an extension on another switch.

MegaCall accounts for tandem calls precisely, making no compromises:

• All call records for each hop are stored as separate entries in the database.
• All call records that represent a single call sequence are linked together. Each call is assigned up to two monetary values; the cost and the chargeback amounts.
• Bill reconciliation reports present only one call for every call leaving or entering the network, showing the exact cost of the call.
• Traffic Reports present all legs.
• Chargeback reports present only the final leg, showing the chargeback amount. Note that the charge back amount may be equal to the cost or set to some different value. Also, on chargeback reports a call may have more than one final leg, such as in the case of call transfers/conference.

Interprets any Private and Public Numbering Plan

MegaCall interprets numbering plans using a rules based engine, allowing it to interpret unlimited levels of complexity in the plans. It includes the standard rules for North American Numbering Plan and standard ARS (Automatic Route Selection, dial 9) routing is predefined. Digits are matched to patterns, allowing for all numbers to be translated to the full ITU (International Telecommunications Union) telephone number. Any pattern can be interpreted. MegaCall is able to differentiate between calls placed on a private or the public network in order to properly price calls and track usage.

Report Scheduler: Automatic and Electronic

Reports can be sent on the fly or automatically scheduled to output to the screen, a local or network printer, an e-mail list, posting to a corporate web site or saved as a file on the network for many users to view. Any report can be conveniently e-mailed as an attachment and viewed using your favorite application, such as Microsoft Excel, Word, or in HTML format.

Eliminate MAC updates

MegaSync, MegaCall's 'Single Point of Entry interface' simplifies moves, adds, and changes (MAC's) in a company's call accounting database by automatically synchronizing itself with other systems or sources. This interface can receive MAC updates from any number of sources, such as phone switches, an LDAP Directory, switch management systems, an HR database, spreadsheets, or other systems/sources. It extracts the necessary information from any of these sources and automatically reconciles changes (station, authorization code, account code and trunk information) to the master call accounting database, keeping it consistently up-to-date. Database changes can be synchronized to occur on demand, or at user-defined intervals. Companies can eliminate duplicate data entry, save administrative time, and eliminate discrepancies between databases, thus making the company's call accounting system easier to manage and maintain.

Departmental Chargeback/Cost Allocation

The system calculates both a 'cost' and 'charge' for each call record which makes telecom expense management easier. MegaCall can handle any custom rate plan provided by your carriers so that costing of your calls is precise and your telecom expense management under control. The 'Charge' can be based on a percentage markup, flat rates, or a combination of both.

MegaCall's corporate billback module, MegaBillback, provides companies with a method of billing telephone (voice, data, calling card, cellular, etc.) and other miscellaneous charges (service charges, voice mail, installation, etc.) back to specific organizational departments, cost centers, or stations.

Users are able to create their own custom transaction types that can be billed either on a one-time or monthly recurring basis. This means that users have complete flexibility when creating the name/type of transaction in addition to creating their own charging strategy. Fixed (overhead) charges can be assigned to extensions by transaction type. The types are user definable-for example, monthly service fees, equipment charges, voice mail, installation charges, etc. Overhead charges assigned to a station can be setup as one-time charges or as automatic monthly recurring charges. Users can even apply different charging strategies for different departments, business groups, etc., if desired.

Import cellular, paging, and calling cards CDs

Imports cellular, paging, calling card, and Centrex information and charges from any CD or file. Reports on information by employee and charges back for these expenses to the appropriate cost centers or department. Consolidated Billing with MegaCall automates away all manual allocation of bills by importing all telecom related charges for true corporate cost allocation and expense management.

G/L Interface

MegaCall can interface to all types of accounting systems and post charges directly to the General Ledger thus enhancing corporate expense management. With MegaCall, companies can create their own custom call codes for matching call charges to the appropriate G/L categories.

Traffic Statistics & Analysis

Traffic reports are a standard feature of the MegaCall system. Some of these include trunk and route summary and detail, grade of service, busy hour reports and reports by various call patterns and types. Traffic reports are available in Erlangs, CCS or straight call minutes as selected by the user.

TelSoft can also provide an optional software package which permits MegaCall users to perform a wide range of traffic engineering computations by simply exporting traffic reports into Excel. This software empowers MegaCall users to perform 'what if' scenarios, performing any number of computations such as number of trunks required, grade of service, traffic capacities, etc.

Toll Fraud Monitoring

Because toll fraud means different things to different users, MegaCall allows you to set your own user-definable parameters for toll fraud specific to your calling patterns and business environment. If a result is detected, the system will immediately issue any number of alarms by whatever means the user has configured - i.e., via pagers, e-mail, reports to printer, etc. See MegaCall's security alarms.

Reports Match Your Organizational Structure

Reports can be organized to reflect up to ten different levels of organizational hierarchy including divisions, departments, cost centers, business units, etc. You can label these hierarchical levels with terms indicative of your own organization. These hierarchical labels are completely user definable.

Supports Voice over IP

VoIP switches and gateways generate CDR similar to traditional phone system. MegaCall's flexibility allows the processing of VoIP call records together with CDR produced by traditional PBXs, carriers (on CD ROM), as well as other sources. This allows for universal reporting and billing while providing special information associated with IP calls only. MegaCall is able to read multiple formats concurrently in heterogeneous network environments.