Billing applications
Designed with the needs of service providers in mind, GroomerII can generate essential raw billing information. It can be configured to produce call data records (CDRs), which may be collected and processed to provide statistical analysis on calls or generate billing reports. GroomerII can also optionally map or generate the necessary advice of charge (AOC) information where the signalling protocol type supports it.
Call data records
CDRs can be generated for all signalling types, including for SIP, and contain tracing information on each call made through GroomerII. These records can be written to a disk file for later export to a network management system via the host NIC. They are generated in a number of formats, including a user configurable format, and are typically post processed by a call logging or network management system in order to produce billing or accounting information to users/customers regarding their line use. CDRs may be used to check network operator billing and have been used to challenge such bills, saving money for the user.
AOC mapping
Where the signalling protocol type supports this feature – for example, within EuroISDN or MFC R2 CAS – AOC can be mapped for different country structures. Meter pulses or AOC messages from the national provider are passed transparently to the originating call source (e.g., PBX). They are simply mapped or converted between the incoming and outgoing protocols back to the calling party. They are also added to GroomerII CDRs from where they may be used by another application for customer billing and accounting purposes.
AOC generation
GroomerII optionally generates meter pulses or AOC messages within the signalling channel. These are aligned to a user configurable AOC database or look-up table within GroomerII. The table provides charging information, which is used by GroomerII to generate the appropriate number of meter pulse units or the appropriate AOC message. These are passed to the originating PBX via the D-channel. The PBX, assuming it supports such functionality, then uses the information for customer billing purposes.
Multiple AOC databases can be maintained, each scheduled to load at a different time of day, day of week, etc. The databases contain charging rate data about the individual customers, charge bands and destination addresses (dialled or called numbers). Calls may be charged at different rates depending on which AOC database is active at the time the call is placed. This gives enormous flexibility when planning the AOC schemes for a given network environment.
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