HylaFAX The world's most advanced open source fax server

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: [hylafax-users] Regarding Fax Billing



On 2004.12.01 00:48 tabish sarwar wrote:
Hello thre..
Is there anys upport availabe for Fax Billing in the
Hylafax ....I have to bill Clinets who sends fax using
the server .....
I need number of calls(that were answered at dest)
that the server made to send fax ..and the duration of
each call seperately after sending fax ...
I found that ...the server gives me total processing
time which includes the call time + server time
(processing files)..i checked the variables variables
like tottries,ndials,totdials but i m unable to get
things....

Please tell me is there any builtin support for Fax
Billing in Hylafax ....and also let me know that how
can i get time for each call and number of placed
calls for a try for sending fax...

First of all, I must admit that although I plan to do this in the near future, I have not yet audited the HylaFAX "total processing time" calculator, so I cannot state with a certainty that I know exactly how it works. So my comments are based upon what I think should be the case.


xferfaxlog currently holds all of these statistics. However, it sounds like you're not happy with the "total processing time" which includes the call time. When a fax is sent the exact moment that the remote answers the line is unknown. This is what HylaFAX sees:

Class 1 Class 2

<-- ATDT       <-- ATDT
(remote system answers)
--> CONNECT    --> +FCON

There may be as much time, possibly more, depending on how responsive your modem is and what call features the two systems are using, between the time the remote system answers and the CONNECT/+FCON as there is between the ATDT and the time the remote answers. If you're being billed for this time then surely you'll want to pass this on to the customer. This is why HylaFAX accounts for the dialing time in the "total processing time".

If this still bothers you then you *could* alter the code to start the timing with the CONNECT/+FCO, but then you'll probably want to evaluate the average amount of time that is consumed between the remote system answer and the indicator and then add that to the total when you're done.

Furthermore, calculating toll-time used will be extremely difficult in cases such as these...

<-- ATDT
--> NO CARRIER

... because you really don't know whether the remote answered at all or not. Generally "NO CARRIER" means that there was no answer at all, but it can also mean that the call was placed to a non-fax device (and was answered). It can also mean that the call was placed to a fax device, was answered, but that the modem was unable to detect the CED/ANSam signal at the remote. And in those cases it is quite impossible for HylaFAX to tell exactly how much time passed after the remote answered.

One of the nice effects of billing for this time used is that it deters (or at least places a consequence upon) people from habitually sending faxes to wrong numbers.

If you really want an accurate accounting of call-time-used on a per-call basis then you *must* cross-reference the xferfaxlog with your statement from the telco. You can do this, but to me it sounds a bit obsessive. Remember, that irrespective of whether or not the remote answers when you have a customer using your fax service to place a call then your services are being used, even before the remote answers. Do you bill your customer for that time? That's your call.

Lee.


____________________ HylaFAX(tm) Users Mailing List _______________________ To subscribe/unsubscribe, click http://lists.hylafax.org/cgi-bin/lsg2.cgi On UNIX: mail -s unsubscribe hylafax-users-request@xxxxxxxxxxx < /dev/null *To learn about commercial HylaFAX(tm) support, mail sales@xxxxxxxxx*




Project hosted by iFAX Solutions