Abstract
Staff, students and related entities demand the use of the University infrastructure to efficiently collaborate in real time through the use of telephone and video calls, high speed wired and wireless Internet and AARNET access for eResearch and even provide mobile and remote connectivity through external carrier networks. These demands are commonplace and they are often fulfilled without the consideration of making these faculties and users aware and accountable of how much they use of each of these resources.
Just over two years ago the University of Southern Queensland took on this challenge using CAAB Enterprise from TSA Software Solutions. CAAB Enterprise has five core billing modules aimed at resolving these issues being experienced by the University.
The traditional TIMS module is where we collect data from the telephone system, process it through our driver to normalise the information, rate the call, perform the appropriate allocations, enforce any quotas and make the resulting charges available for analysis and reporting. CAAB performs this function across large networks with support for multiple telephone system types and complex network designs.
The carrier bill import module allows you to import the electronic bills received from one or more carriers into the system to perform several functions. This includes processing and validating the services and charges that appear on the bill against the negotiated carrier rates across all sites. Reconciling the summary data from the bill against the actual usage from the telephone system and data network. Then of course the automated allocation of the usage and service charges, including mobile and data services, to the various departments and users in both a historical reporting and real time web portal capacity.
The data billing module facilitates the collection of TCP/IP data from the external interface that incurs the usage costs, this is typically the AARNET gateway. CAAB then processes that data through the same sophisticated billing engine performing the Rating, Allocation, Analysis, Reporting and Quota Management. This not only allows the University to allocate the costs of the users’ usage, though importantly make them aware of the traffic conditions and types that are traversing the Universities Internet and AARNET gateways.
The inventory management module tracks the inventory items associated with the telecommunications infrastructure. Including but not limited to switches, routers, handsets, servers, licenses and professional services charges etc.
The final module is used for generic charges that need to be entered into the system. This can include virtually any item that needs to be billed and presented on the reports. Items such as photocopying, parking, electricity, rent, pay TV etc can be catered for easily.
The end user, faculty and department heads, related entities and the IT&T department can finally understand what users use, how they use it and what it costs them and the University.
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