Account Code Billing Administration

• Overview of Account Code Billing
• Defining the Dialing Sequence
• Assigning Account Codes
• Testing the Dialing Sequence

Overview of Account Code Billing

Account Code Billing gives you the ability to assign Communication Manager server account codes to calls originated by Communication Manager Messaging voice ports. With this Account Code Billing, you can track the expense of outbound calls, message notification calls, and other types of calls. Account codes are not recorded by the switch for internal calls.

You must administer account codes on your Communication Manager server system before you can use Account Code Billing for messaging calls. See the Communication Manager Administration documentation for detailed instructions on administering account codes.

Administration Process and Uses

This section contains the following tasks for administering Account Code Billing for Communication Manager Messaging calls:

• Defining the Dialing Sequence
• Assigning Account Codes
• Testing the Dialing Sequence

Account Code Billing is used primarily with the following messaging features:

• Outcalling
• Message Manager

Account codes are applied to all outbound calls placed by individual messaging subscribers. This includes:

• Message notification outcalls
• Call delivery messages

The account code is included in the Communication Manager server station message detail recording (SMDR) record. Communication Manager server system administrators can specify filters to determine which calls (for example, local or long distance) produce a call detail recording (CDR) record..

System Requirements

To use the Account Code Billing feature, you must have a Call Accounting System (CAS) to interpret CDR or SMDR data

Defining the Dialing Sequence

The switch begins to record account code information for a given call when it receives an account code feature access code (FAC). The FAC must be received in the correct order in the sequence of digits dialed. This assures that the switch receives a signal to record the account code before the account code is sent to the switch. In other words, the messaging software must send the FAC, account code, call destination, and other digits to the switch in the correct sequence. This sequence varies depending on the telephone system and the application. Therefore, you must administer a dialing sequence for the Account Code Billing feature. This sequence is defined on the Outgoing Call Sequence screen.

Administering a Dialing Sequence

To administer a dialing sequence:

1. Log in to the Communicatioin Manager Messaging web page.
2. Under Messaging Administration, select Dial Sequences. The system displays the Dial Sequence page.
   
   

   Note: You must include an uppercase N in the dialing sequence. If N is not present in the dialing sequence, the Outcalling feature will not function.

   
   

   Note: The Dial Sequences page shows the default screen. Account codes are not activated on the default screen.

   
   
3. Under Diagnostics, select Test Outgoing Call Seq.

The system displays the Test Outcalling Call Sequence page.

3. Complete the fields on this screen by using the information provided in the table of Field Definitions: Test Outgoing Call Sequence page.
   
4. Click Run Test.

Note: If you are using the Outcalling feature, the subscriber might include the account code FAC and account code in the dial string for message notification. In this case, the FAC, account code, and notification number are all part of the destination number. When the system constructs the dialing sequence, the account code appears twice, once as the account code and once as part of the destination number. To avoid this duplication of account codes, it is recommended that subscribers be instructed not to include the account code as part of the dial string for message notification. However, if subscribers are including authorization codes in the dial string for message notification, there is no conflict with account codes. Subscribers can continue to include the authorization codes.

Dialing Sequence Example
 

Note: You must include an uppercase N in the dialing sequence. If N is not present in the dialing sequence, the Outcalling feature will not function.

The Communication Manager server requires the account code FAC to be sent before the account code is sent. For the Communication Manager server, the account code FAC is set during the process of administering account codes on the switch. You must know this FAC before you can set the dialing sequence.

The following dialing sequence sends account codes from the messaging voice ports to the Communication Manager server. In this sequence, *75 is the account code FAC, S is the subscriber account code, and N is the destination telephone number.

*75 S N

Assigning Account Codes

The messaging software assigns the subscriber's extension as the default account code when no account code is assigned. This default account code is not displayed on the Subscriber screen. Instead, the Account Code field on this screen appears blank in this case.

Account codes, other than this default code, can be administered for each subscriber.

 

To assign account codes to subscribers:

1. Log in to the Communicatioin Manager Messaging web page.
2. Under Messaging Administration, select Subscriber Management. The system displays the Manage Subscribers page.
3. Either while adding or editing subscriber information, you can provide the Account Code.
4. Enter the account code using the information in the table of Field Definitions; Edit Local Subscriber page. For new subscribers enter other information as needed. For instructions on adding a new subscriber, see Adding a Subscriber.
5. Click Save.

Testing the Dialing Sequence

You can verify the dialing sequence by using the Test Outgoing Call Sequence screen. The Test Outgoing Call Sequence screen:

• Displays the string of digits that is dialed during an outgoing call.
• Executes the test call by attempting to dial the digits displayed in the Dialed Digits: field. The system displays information about the dialog that occurred during the test call on the Test Results screen.

Use this screen to:

• Test a mailbox to determine if an outgoing call placed on behalf of the associated subscriber is being made correctly.
• Test outgoing call functionality in general. For example, you can use the test screen to place an outgoing call to a nearby telephone to verify call completion.
• Account for each digit in the displayed dial string by examining the contents of the Dialed Digits: field, for example, the account code feature access code, account code, pauses, and destination number.

To test the dialing sequence:

 

1. Log in to the Communicatioin Manager Messaging web page.
2. Under Diagnostics, select Test Outgoing Call Sequence

The system displays the Test Outcalling Call Sequence page .

3. Complete the following fields by using the information provided in the table for Field Definitions: Test Outgoing Call Sequence page :
• Port Number
• Mailbox to be Tested
• Destination Number
4. Click Run Test

The test will not run unless the text fields contain the appropriate information. The test output will appear at the bottom of the page.

 

The system fills in the Dialed Digits: field with the digits defined in the Dialing Sequence field of the Outgoing Call Sequence screen. For example, the Dialed Digits: field might contain the account code FAC, followed by an account code and a destination number.

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