Setting up and using conferencing services

Use this checklist to check off the operations you have completed while performing the system setup according to the instructions in this chapter. Please be sure to perform all of the operations in the order designated (all of the boxes should be checked), otherwise, the service will not work.

If you have just installed the PortaBilling software or dedicated a new billing environment to configure the services described in this handbook, make sure to first perform the initial configuration of PortaBilling. To do this, use the PortaBilling Initial Configuration handbook.

You need to add a symbolic UMIVR destination.

1. On the navigation menu, select Service catalog, select Rate codes, and then select Destinations.

   

2. Open the Create a destination panel and fill in the destination information:
   • Format – select Custom from the list.
   • Prefix – type in UMIVR.
   • Description – enter the information that clearly identifies this as a special prefix assigned to the conferencing service (e.g., Conferencing).

     

3. Click Save.

You need to define which application will be launched if your customers dial access numbers to access the conferencing service.

1. On the navigation menu, select Infrastructure, then select Voice calls processing and go to Voice applications.

   

2. On the Create voice application panel, fill in the following fields:
   • Name – specify the IVR application’s name (e.g., Conference).
   • Application type – choose Conferencing.
   • Entry point – specify the number that must be dialed by an end user or click the  button to select a DID number from the available DID numbers list. Click the  Add icon to add more Entry points.

     

3. Click Save.

1. On the navigation menu on the left, select Service catalog and click Tariffs.

   

2. On the Create tariff panel, fill in the tariff details:
   • Name – a short name for the tariff object (e.g., Conferencing tariff); this is the name you will see in select menus.
   • Currency – choose the currency in which the vendor charges you.
     The currency for the tariff may be chosen only once, and cannot be changed later.
   • Service – select the services you created earlier (in our example Conferencing).
   • Applied to – choose Vendor in the Applied to list.

     

3. Click Save.

1. While on the vendor tariff’s panel (Conferencing tariff), click Rates.
2. On the Add rate panel, select the ‘|’ (pipe) destination. Set the First price and Next price fields to zero since there is no need to define actual prices for calls going from IP phones to conferencing access numbers. Leave the other fields as they are.
3. Click Save.

   

In this step, you will add a new connection to the internal vendor. If you provide both unified messaging and conferencing services, you can use the same internal vendor when setting both services and, for each service type, add its own connection to this vendor.

1. On your internal vendor panel (the one that holds SIP-UA connection), click Connections.
2. On the Create connection panel, fill in the connection details:
   • Description – type a short description for the connection.
   • Service type – select Conferencing.
   • Tariff – select the vendor tariff you created earlier.
   • Node – select PortaSIP.
   • Port – leave this field blank.
   • Capacity – specify the maximum number of simultaneous conference calls you anticipate handling in the near future. This parameter is only used to correctly scale the load graph for the connection.

     

3. Click Save.

This tariff will be used to charge your customers who own a conference (meeting room) for every incoming call to that conference.

1. On the navigation menu, select Service catalog and click Tariffs.
2. On the Create tariff panel, fill in the tariff details:
   • Name – a short name for the tariff object (that will be used in the select menus).
   • Currency – this indicates the currency in which you charge your customers.
     The currency for the tariff is chosen only once, and cannot be changed later.
   • Service – choose Conferencing here.
   • Applied to – choose the Customer in the Applied to field.
   • Managed by – choose Administrator only here (this option is only visible after you select Applied to Customer above).

     

3. Click Save.

Enter the rates you will charge your customers for conferencing service use. You may charge them a different rate based on access number, e.g., if someone calls a US local access number, the rate is $0.03/min, while it is $0.04/min to use a local access number in the UK, and $0.06/min to use a US toll-free access number.

This is very convenient for maintaining existing rate tables and for reference purposes. For new price lists or major updates, the offline method is better.

1. On your customer tariff’s panel (Conferencing), click Rates.
2. On the Add rate panel, specify the rate details:
   • Destination – input the actual phone number (or its prefix) that the user dials to reach the conferencing service. For example, if you allow your customers to make conference calls by dialing the US local access number 17765551238 at $0.03/min, and it costs $0.06/min to use a toll-free US access number like 180012345678, then both of these numbers (or their prefixes) should be listed in the tariff.
     You should create an entry for certain phone prefixes in the Destination register before creating a rate for them in the tariff.
   • Rating mode – select Flat rate here.
   • Specify the First price and the Next price (e.g., 0.3 USD/minute). Leave the other fields as they are.
3. Repeat these steps if you need to enter more rates.
4. Click Save.

To allow customers to call a conference access number from their IP phones, modify their tariff plan for voice calls. Add rates for the UMIVR destination you created earlier to the tariff applied to your SIP users.

You need to ensure that your product is allowed to use the conferencing service. This can be done both modifying the included services list and using the product’s rating list. The rating list has two functions: it defines permitted access points (nodes and access numbers) and specifies which tariff should be used for billing in each of these points.

1. To add a service type, click Services on your product’s panel.
2. On the Services panel, click Add a service.
3. In the Select services to add dialog box, select Conferencing and click Add.

   

4. On your product’s panel, click Charges, then click Usage charges.
5. On the Usage charges panel, click Add. Fill in the required information:
   • Service – select Conferencing.
   • Node – select the PortaSIP node.
   • Access code – leave this field empty for the conferencing service.
   • Tariff – choose the tariff you created earlier.
   • Overdraft protection – to configure overdraft protection for this product, consult the Configure Overdraft Protection Section within the Product section in the Overdraft Protection Configuration handbook.

     

     

     

6. Click Save.

1. Go to the Conferencing configuration page, enable Conferencing functionality and enter the maximum allowed number of participants in the field below.

   

2. If you want the Conferencing voice application to play your custom prompts to users, refer to the Brand prompts for the Conferencing voice application handbook.

1. Enter the Account self-care portal (accessible via the Account Self-Care Portal menu item in the Home popup menu).
2. Log in with the account’s web access login and password. After that you will be able to see the account’s dashboard interface.

   

1. On the Conferences page, click Add Conference.
2. Fill in the Add Conference form; see the following table for a description of the available fields:

3. Click  Save to save the conference.
4. There is a number of options available for a Moderator or a Participant after joining a conference. Press the star ('*') key to hear the conference menu and select an option.

1. Dial the conference access number from a phone and enter your access code. Do the same from the other phones for other participants.
2. When the conference is over, you can review the charges for the conferencing service. This information is accessible on the Transactions section of the Billing Information tab: