Two Solutions – Multiple Alternatives
Active SoftsSwitch provides a selection of two Callshop options. The original Porta One Callshop solution based on VoIP is free with either of the Ultimate or Enterprise Service Plans. This is lucrative to consumers due to its low entry cost (there is no need for a major extra investment) and Internet Callshop/Café owners can provide users with postpaid and/or prepaid calling and still offer their own calling cards. This is covered in detail below.
Moreover, Active SofstSwitch is unveiling an Advanced Callshop Application with some exclusive features as described in the Applications section:
Who is Callshop for?
The Porta (free) version is fit for:
- Internet cafés searching for growth in the range of services that they offer in order to boost their customer base.
- Carriers/ITSPs who are interested in the provision of hosted/outsourced services for Internet Callshops/Cafés
- Callshops that are still working with outdated switch technologies which aim at having a system upgrade and minimizing their costs.
- International colleges and universities where the students often call back home or overseas.
Features of the Interface
- Footer brand per shop
- Overriding credit limit for the booths
- Each call shop can define a default credit card
- Blocking/Unblocking booths
- A layout that is fully customizable (with the use of the CSS field found in the customers’ template folder)
- Credit limit can be reset to default after payment is made
- The view includes:
Duration – Time – Date – City – Call Cost – Country – Total Cost – Credit Limit – Call History(CDR) – CLD – Total Calls – Balance – Active Calls – Destination
User Types
There are two types of users that can gain access to this particular module.
- Reseller Login: Access for the owners, they can choose the shop to operate and can use the regular functionalities of consumers as indicated.
- Consumer Login: The staff/callshop owner can view; booths, manage booths, booth balance, the credit limit of the booth, CDRs of the booth from the start time of the booth’s session, current call duration, the current destination, country, call history of current customer and total calls so far. Apart from that, they can also pay, stop, start and edit credit limit.
Modes of Operation
There are four main models of operation:
- Idle: The account(booth) is blocked, the credit limit can still be adjusted, the next mode is ‘In Use’, the colour of the background is set by the Callshop.css class ‘idle’
- In Use: The account(booth) is unblocked, the credit limit is set to the amount that was input in the previous mode (the Idle mode), there is a CDR button, CDR Records only consist of data from the moment the account is unlocked, CDR only indicates completed calls. Ongoing calls aren’t included in the CDR, the colour of the background is set by the CallShop.css class ‘in Use’. The consumer can make calls as long as the credit limit hasn’t been reached.
- In Call: A special mode that is applicable to the ‘In Use’ mode. If there is an ongoing call, the background changes. CDR is enabled and the colour of the background is set by the CallShop.css class ‘ActiveCall’
- Payment Pending: The account is blocked, the available balance is shown, CDR is enabled, CDR indicates all the calls that were made upon the activation of the account, the receipt can also be printed in this mode.
How Does It Work?
The main source of income for the owners of Internet Callshops/Cafés is derived from calls that are made in the phone booths or through the clients that are installed on personal computers. Here is a stepwise picture.
- A customer of an Internet Callshop/Café gets into a phone booth and makes a phone call by directly dialling the destination number.
- The call can also be alternatively placed with the use of a softphone that is installed on a personal computer.
- The phone booth is identified, call details are recorded and calculated as per the set charges. The operator keeps track of the software through a PC.
- Once a call is completed, the caller is presented with a bill for the call(s) that he/she made by the operator.
Main Features
PortaOne’s Internet Callshop/Café solution based on VoIP consists of (but isn’t limited to) the key features indicated below:
- Instant generation of the invoice as per the phone call/booth
- It complies fully with the security standards of Visa
- Compatible with majority of the currently existing VoIP resellers (SIP or H323)
- A single installation (Callshop chain model) can operate an infinite number of Callshops.
- CDRs per the phone booths are instantly generated
- Analysis tools generate reports by charges/traffic, time, destination city/country, VoIP wholesaler, profitability and revenues.
- Flexibility of call rates which are already predefined in PortaBilling 100(the billing software) by the owner of the Internet Callshop/Café
