Call Accounting Systems

Many companies and organizations are using office switching systems (PBX, PABX) to control their telecommunications. International and long-distance calls are usually quite expensive.

Modern switching systems can provide useful information to help you manage these expenses. This function is typically called SMDR (Station Message Detail Recording) or CDR (Call Detail Recording). The system outputs call records in plain text via serial port (or Telnet network connection). Call record always include basic information about the call (extension number, trunk id, dialed number, call starting time and duration). Some systems can output extra information (account code, call type, Caller ID information for incoming calls, etc.).
While it's possible to connect printer directly to SMDR port of your PBX system, this approach is not very convenient. Much more reliable and flexible solution is a call accounting software package like PBX Call Tarifficator.

PBX Call Tarifficator can capture SMDR information from the PBX system as soon as call is completed, analyze it, convert to database record format and store on hard disk. It requires a PC with available serial port (or LAN adapter), which is connected to PBX system. The software will calculate call cost depending on duration, destination and rate tables. Calls database would be available for browsing, reports printing, exporting, etc.

PBX Call Tarifficator helps to

• Track all outgoing and incoming calls to employees. Maintain archives for any time period.
• Allocate phone usage costs to employees and departments.
• Optimize PBX system configuration (determine if some outside lines are overloaded or underused).
• Control PBX system abuse. Check all information about suspicious calls.
• Print bills for the customers.
• Verify toll call bills from the phone company.
• Reduce non-business phone usage.

The software was first released in 1998 and is constantly developed.

See more detailed description of PBX Call Tarifficator family products Please note that call costs calculation accuracy solely depends on SMDR information, provided by PBX system itself. If your system is connected via analogue trunk lines, the call is considered connected after user has dialed some predefined number of digits. PBX systems often cannot distinguish busy line. Such calls will be recorded as well. However, calculated call costs should always be greater than phone company bills.

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