Calling Card - Market Requirements

One of the many appealing uses of VoIP is to utilize the IP network for calling card applications, such as pre-paid and post-paid calling cards. The global market for calling cards is growing exponentially. Calling cards are often cheaper than collect calls and operator-assisted calls made through long distance providers and local phone companies, including mobile phone companies. In addition, users that are long distances from home can utilize calling cards as they provide easy access to telephones or payphones. Similarly, numerous businesses are issuing calling cards for their employees in order to secure better management of employees’ telephone expenses and to benefit from group discounts offered by the chosen Service Provider.

The IVR application generally exists at the edge of the VoIP network (i.e., in the PSTN gateway). Therefore, only calls that have been authorized are set up, thus reducing the load on centralized resources (such as the Softswitch) due to unauthorized callers or wrong numbers.

Calling Card - AudioCodes Solution

Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs), using AudioCodes Mediant 1000 Media Gateways for calling card services, can further increase their profit margins and reduce subsequent costs, by taking advantage of excess capacity in the IP network. This is especially true for operators already taking advantage of VoIP for telephony applications i.e. toll bypass. Additional call minutes can be added to the network by attracting new subscribers, while offering more services to existing subscribers.

AudioCodes’ Mediant 1000 (when equipped with the optional IVR - Interactive Voice Response - feature) enables ITSPs to supply a VoIP telephone service to users who have purchased calling cards in advance or alternatively have subscribed to a calling card service. The Mediant 1000 provides an integrated calling card solution, while giving a seamless and reliable telephone experience using VoIP.
 

Calling Card - Features

• Standard E1/T1/J1 PSTN interfaces access
• SIP IP interfaces
• RADIUS for remote authentication, authorization and accounting with an external accounting server
• Interoperability with other VoIP service providers’ networks and other vendors’ VoIP equipment
• Enables several call flows: Single-stage dialing (no IVR) and Dual stage dialing (with IVR)
• Fully integrated SIP call control, IVR functions and concurrent calls
• User-friendly, web-based management tools
• Supports calls from PSTN and IP-based subscribers