Functionality
Tariffication
Calculation of service cost is performed in accordance with settings of "Tariff plan" objects.
The most distinct difference in tariffication schemes lies in ways of data collection: over the RADIUS protocol or by means of CDR-packages import. For these two ways tariffication is performed by two different systems.
Cost of time is usually calculated for services with authorization, and for services without authorization – the traffic cost. However, there are exceptions, for example:
- for Dial-Up services there can be additionally calculated the cost of incoming/outgoing traffic;
- on establishment of VPN-connections RADIUS-authorization is performed, but then traffic is calculated (time of VPN-sessions can also be calculated);
- ISG/SSG services may be rated according to the time of use, as well as to incoming/outgoing traffic.
Volume-price coefficients
Volume price coefficients (which depend on service volume) allow to change the cost of time unit and traffic individually for each customer. If during the billing period the total duration of sessions, or the total traffic volume reaches some threshold values, service prices are multiplied by the specified coefficients.
Peculiarities of time service tariffication
Services of session character (Dial-Up, VoIP, etc.) are rated based on session duration. The cost of a unit of time is specified in tariff plans, taking into account schedules.
Duration of sessions can be rounded up to the closest specified interval (for example, to minute, to 10 seconds, and so on.). It is also possible to set a non-tariffed duration of the session and the minimum duration.
For Dial-Up services there is also possible calculation of traffic cost according to directions: incoming, outgoing. The cost of a traffic unit is specified in tariff plans taking into account tariff schedules.
VoIP cost depends on call directions. For each telephone zone there is given the price for a unit of conversation time, taking into account schedules. The same approach is used for calculation of the cost of conversation in PSTN.
Peculiarities of service tariffication with accounting of traffic
Services of Internet access through leased lines are oriented towards traffic accounting (including with establishment of VPN-connections).
The cost of information unit is set in tariff plans for each traffic-zone. There are also counted time segments, when traffic was transferred. Relation of customers’ traffic to traffic zones is defined with the help of flexibly set conditions of traffic relation.
