About Call Accounting

A valuable tool for reducing expenses and improving productivity

Call accounting software can help your organization reduce telecom expenses and improve productivity. Telecom is now one of the top five expenses for most organizations, and managing this expense is more important than ever. In addition, call accounting can be used to optimize the telephone network, enhance corporate security, track marketing ROI, protect against fraud and abuse, increase customer satisfaction, and more.

Applications for call accounting cross all industries and functional groups. Software
packages are available for organizations with as few as 25 extensions in a single
location. Call accounting can benefit many different departments and functions within
your organization:

Who benefits from call accounting?

Sales Management: to monitor staff talk time, the accounts they are
prospecting, and numbers dialed
Customer Service: to gain insight into the relationship between customer
values and amount of customer contact
Marketing: to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
IT and Network Security: to monitor system usage vs. capacity and to
identify unauthorized use
HR and Legal: to capture information on calls related to threats, harassment
or emergencies
Finance: allocate charges to cost centers and improve the budgeting process

How call accounting software works

In simple terms, call accounting is all about the collection and analysis of data. Whenever a call is placed or received, your switching system (traditional PBX switch, IP switch, or some combination of both) creates and stores a unique call detail record (CDR). The CDR includes information about telephone numbers dialed; incoming calls; extensions used; and length, date, time, and cost of the calls made. From this data, call accounting software can produce comprehensive reports that help organizations make informed business decisions.

(1) After a call is placed or received, the telephone switch outputs an electronic call detail record (CDR) of the transaction.

(2) The software transmits the transmission to the system Server and then interprets the CDR. Call accounting software interfaces are easy to set up via a switch "wizard".

(3) The software filters and processes the CDR, which is then stored in a database.

(4) At report time — by request or scheduled — the system sorts through the call record database, compiles the report, and e-mails it to specified recipients.

(5) At regular intervals, the system administrator creates an archive backup of the database. System clean-up tasks automatically delete old call records, reports, and temporary files.

User Access

For advanced Web-based call accounting systems, user access is provided through a Web browser. It is easy, familiar, and independent of operating systems. In networked environments, the system can be accessed from any PC or handheld device — Windows-based or other, inside or outside the office.

Reports

The collection of call data is half the battle; formatting the data into usable reports is the other half. Advanced call accounting systems provide an extensive library of reports for many applications, including the following:

Accounting reports: information on phone usage by individuals, organizations, or accounts charged for calls
Analysis reports: summarize telecom activities by date, time, cost, duration, etc.
Exception reports: information on unusual call activity
that warrants a manager's attention
Call Search reports: locate call records through broad or narrow search criteria
System reports: data listings for managing system access or publishing a phone directory

VeraSMART Call Accounting Software

With unmatched technical expertise and unparalleled customer support, Veramark is the recognized industry leader for call accounting solutions. Our VeraSMART software enables organizations of all sizes to gain visibility into and control over their voice, data, and wireless communications networks. VeraSMART software is a powerful, Web browser-based solution that lets you access business-critical information from virtually anywhere, providing call record data that improves your ability to make informed business decisions.