FAQs

Answer: Yes. Both CommView Plus and CommView Cloud are designed to provide uniform call accounting and reporting for a variety of environments ranging from simple, single site voice networks to complex multi-site, multi-vendor voice networks.

Answer: There is virtually no limit to the number of phone systems from which CommView Plus or CommView Cloud can obtain and process CDR/SMDR. Reports may be run on data obtained from one phone system in your network, all phone systems or any combination.

Answer: Yes. CommView Plus and CommView Cloud are able to provide uniform call accounting and reporting in environments that utilize TDM or IP-PBXs, or environments with both. The types of reports and the presentation of data is dependent on the values appearing in the raw data we receive. Not all CDR/SMDR contains the same fields, even from the same manufacturer.

Answer: CommView Cloud, our cloud-based service, is designed with access and data security in mind. Subscribers to the CommView Cloud service enjoy the security associated with automated transfer of CDR/SMDR data via SFTP while all web reporting sessions utilize secure SSL 128-bit encryption.

Answer: Many customers have experienced the benefits of CommView Plus during the same day that they start the process. This requires that basic planning and preparation occurs before the physical install activity begins. A typical implementation of CommView Plus involves preparation of the machine environment, readiness of the PBX for SMDR/CDR access, preparation of the directory and other configuration parameters. @Comm support can assist and lead you through the process to shorten the elapsed time involved. CommView Cloud can shorten the process as the focus can be on raw CDR/SMDR collection. If directory and other customer parameters can be ready, the service can take minutes to activate.

Answer: It is quite simple. All you need to know is the recipient’s email address and the format of the report file they prefer. We find that once most of our customers determine the type of report that best suits their needs; they prefer to have the report automatically delivered by email to themselves or to others on a periodic basis. Our suggestion is to define the report as if to run to screen but then email as the output and specify the frequency. Setting a filter parameter on the date range of the calls you want is important since the range will be advanced by that same frequency.

Answer: Drilldown is a standard benefit found in on demand reporting to screen. This benefit may be extended to reports delivered by email provided that the recipient has the application installed that supports viewing a crystal report file. This application is provided at no cost by the developer and may be accessed through this link https://www.sap.com/cmp/td/sap-crystal-reports-viewer-trial.html

Answer: Yes. CommView Plus and CommView Cloud can be configured to import a customer’s wireless bill (if provided electronically with call detail) to report on a users wired and wireless calling activity.

Answer: Be assured that CommView Plus or CommView Cloud can be reconfigured to report on data from the VoIP PBX you deploy in the future. Implement CommView Plus or CommView Cloud today and use it to determine your bandwidth needs by reporting on your existing call traffic and continue to benefit from call accounting and reporting post migration.

Answer: Yes. Using the browser-based interface associated with CommView Plus or CommView Cloud, Telecom and IT Mangers are able to off-load the reporting responsibilities from their department to their internal customers by providing them with restricted reporting access to their own department (site or extension). Reporting access includes immediate on demand reporting with on-screen drill-down, custom report configuration through filtering and sorting, scheduled report generation and distribution via e-mail.

Answer: CommView Cloud provides the reporting and administration capabilities that its premise-based counterpart CommView Plus provides including: automatic report generation & distribution via email, on-screen drill-down and browser based directory administration. Users wishing to view the dashboard and scheduler via browser or have the desire to implement functionality that may require professional service development will be better served by investing in our locally hosted solution: CommView Plus.

Answer: For companies looking to report on a subset of their voice network, @Comm is able to tailor a subscription to its CommView Cloud service that enables reporting on the departments or extensions the subscriber specifies.

Answer: Yes. CommView Plus can be configured to import updates to its extension list on-demand or on a scheduled basis from a .CSV source. Avaya, Cisco, NEC and Mitel station/phone exports are examples of sources of data that we are familiar with. Other sources, such as Active Directory may contain relevant information related to names, departments, etc. but must contain the value that relates to the extension/endpoint that would match the values we will receive in the raw CDR/SMDR. CommView Cloud shares this capability but with only the on-demand import option.

Answer: In many cases, the PBX has end points or devices that may not directly relate to a known person that belongs in your directory. Move, Add, Change activity performed in the phone system that is not coordinated with maintenance of the call accounting may lead to discrepancies. Furthermore, CDR records have defined fields for originating and terminating extensions. Recently, the number of calls being forwarded externally had dramatically increased. These tandem calls will often generate records that do not reference an extension and will often appear as incoming calls to "extensions" that are external numbers. If a record contains a value that is not a known extension or associated with a defined function, CommView Plus will mark this as an undefined extension for organizational reporting. We provide an easy filtering option to exclude these from reports. @Comm support can assist you in the investigation of these events to ensure that the CDR records are being processed correctly and that the activity is valid.

Answer: All call activity is recorded whether the extension is listed within the database. The purpose of adding extensions is to:

• associate a name to an extension in reports
• enable Organization level value for report filtering and/or sorting (department, cost center, type)
• provide different pricing schemes for Staff, Vendor, Resident, etc. type phones.
• maintain different grace periods (to drop unanswered calls) between personnel phones, fax or console phones.
• maintain a history of phone assignments
• track calls made using authorization codes and assign these calls to the individual’s extension or Billing ID placing the call.
• assign phantom Billing IDs to individuals with authorization codes but no physical extension.

Answer: Yes, provided all the requirements are met, the server may be a virtual machine.

Answer: @Comm has published minimum hardware requirements for CommView Plus bundles. Since different customer configurations may benefit from adjustments to these specifications, we welcome customers to contact us for application-specific refinements.

Answer: The database should ideally be pre-sized to store approximately 2 to 3 years’ worth of call records. This will prevent expansion which can result in possible database fragmentation. Contacting @Comm support for assistance with database sizing and archiving of data is recommended.

Answer: All call activity is recorded even if the extension is not listed within the database. Running a Call Summary Report using an outer sort of Organization 1 and inner sort of Extension will display those extensions that are not currently entered into the extension database as well as the number of calls they are making in the Undefined section at the top of the report.

Answer: An automated database backup can be scheduled from CommView Plus and the resulting file should be copied to a network or external drive. In the event of a disk crash you could lose everything so the frequency of backup is determined by you. Our recommendation is that a daily database backup be scheduled and that the CommView folder and subfolders be backed up anytime configuration changes are made such as pricing, SMDR/CDR changes, etc.