Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 17:15:12 -0600 (CST) From: "Jeffrey D. LaCoursiere" <lacoursj@jeff.net> To: Robert Hough <rch@iserve.net> Cc: sales@fastlane.net, freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Accounting Software Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.01.9901211603550.8867-100000@dudemon.fastlane.net> In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.19990121123835.00cc72b0@iserve.net>
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Hi Robert, Does Optigold interface with Radius accounting records to do usage based billing? FLAMS has Radius actually built into the product (a custom modified version of Merit radius), so your tech support has access to real-time radius records. My tech support often pull up a customer's call information, through the web interface, while they are on the phone debugging the problem! The backend database for FLAMS is SQL and ODBC compliant, allowing you to choose from any number of ODBC enabled reporting engines to create your own custom reports and data views. FLAMS also has a tech support ticketing system built-in, employee time tracking, customer referral credits, completely integrated Credit Card support (all charges and refunds happen automatically behind the scenes). Many, many automated customer interaction tasks include mailing customers when their credit cards are about to expire, mailing them when they venture beyond defined usage restrictions (bandwidth or accumulated call time), mailing them when their accounts become overdue, mailing them when their credit card is declined, reminders that their services are up for renewal, and a welcome message when they sign up! FLAMS is *completely* integrated with your server software, such that accounts that are suspended for whatever reason (either manually through the web interface or automated during closeofday processing, where an account may be suspended for exceeding usage restrictions, exceeding the grace period for overdue balance, or expired) cause defined events to occur on your servers. An example of this working at FastLane: 1) Customer signs up a dialup account with a credit card 2) Tech support enters account information (or customer does so online) 3) FLAMS hook is called that causes the mail server to create an IMAP directory and sends a welcome email message, the web server creates a web space directory and copies in a default web page, the radius server creates an attribute entry for the customer with any custom attributes required by the service subscribed 4) Nightly processing creates the credit card batch which is sent and the results parsed. The customer's card is approved, and he is sent a statement showing the charge and the payment applied from his card. 5) Customer uses the account continuously for a week, accumulating over 150 hours, which is defined at FastLane as a soft limit. The customer is sent a warning message. 6) Customer ignores warning message and hits the hard limit of 200 hours a few days later, which causes his account to be suspended in closeofday processing. 7) The suspension calls a hook which causes the mail server to tar up and archive his mail files and IMAP folders, the web server tars up and archives his web files, and his Radius attribute information is removed. He is still connected, so his terminal server is contacted and he is booted (Ascend equipment only at this time). 8) He calls the next day and arranges to pay extra for more time, and his account is unsuspended. 9) Again a hook is called that causes his archived mail and web files to go back to their normal places, and his radius attributes are restored. 10) Customer's anniversary day comes and his account is charged for the next month. Closeofday credit card batch attempts to charge his card but fails. He is sent a message that his card was declined. 11) He ignores the declined messages and eventually his account is overdue. He begins receiving overdue messages every other night (configurable). 12) He ignores the overdue messages and reaches the overdue threshold, which causes his account to be suspended as above... 13) He calls the next day and makes arrangements to pay by cash by the next week. A "grace date" is entered on his account through the web interface that keeps closeofday processing from suspending his still overdue account. 14) A few days before the gracedate is reached the customer begins receiving reminders that a gracedate had been arranged, and that it was almost upon him. 15) Customer ignores grace date and closeofday processing suspends his account again. 16) Customer goes away, and fifteen days later the account is automatically closed. At FastLane, the amount owed is reviewed by closeofday processing to see if it warrants collection work, and if so the account state is changed to "collections". A report of the accounts in collection state is emailed to our contracted collections company for processing. If the customer ever pays, the account is changed to "closed" state... Sorry for the length - wanted to showcase some of the features. Note that a human was barely involved in this entire story - mainly just to answer the phone when the customer called and make arrangements for payment. No sticky notes taped to monitors to make sure he meets those arrangements. No need for collection employees or pouring over monstrous A/R reports. One feature I didn't show was the ability of a payment to automatically open a suspended-for-overdue account, which can be customer driven. The customers have access to their statements and can enter credit card information to pay their overdue bill... no human involvement (assuming they have net access in some other manner, of course ;) . The system runs on FreeBSD 2.2.8 or above, and our Solaris port is *almost* finished. We will have a Linux port soon as well. The backend database is MySQL, with ODBC support (works great with Crystal Reports!). Best of all, we give you 90% of the source code (written in standard C). We only hang onto the code for the C API functions and our in-house developed form engine (drives the web interface). All of the automated email messages are template driven which you can edit. All of the web screens are template driven so you can monkey with the look and feel. Tools allow you to customize the account information tables to collect and act on whatever additional information you like. We are almost ready to market this product in a major way, and you will hear more about it soon. It has been running six ISP's for close to a year, from 500 customers to over 20,000. The 20K+ ISP is running the system on a Pentium II 300 with 128MB RAM and an NFS mounted 30GB array from a Network Appliance box. FastLane itself has run the product in house since November of 1997, and I can honestly say that we would not be here today without it. You have no idea how much billing problems cost your company until you solve them ;) I have only skimmed the surface of what this product can do. Give me a call for a walk through of our demo site (www.flams.com)! Thanks, Jeff LaCoursiere President FastLane Communications, Inc. On Thu, 21 Jan 1999, Robert Hough wrote: > At 10:42 AM 1/21/99 -0600, you wrote: > >I'm just looking for suggestions on accounting software, I'm looking for > >something that might interact with radius as well with the other > >FreeBSD/BSdi machines on the network. I'm also looking for something > >with a web interface to it =] > > Check OptiGold ISP, at http://www.data-point.com We've been using it for > nearly 6 months now, and it just keeps getting better. Lots of cool > features, and Shawn just added a web interface for it. It's based on > FileMaker Pro database files, so it runs on 95/NT and Mac. But integration > is fairly simple, and he has a mailing list for support. If you do decide > to use it, and need help, let me know. Since I'm using it with FreeBSD & > Radius as well, I should be able to get you going with it. > > > __ _______ > |__| __|.-----.----.--.--.-----. .-------------------------------. > | |__ || -__| _| | | -__| | Robert Hough (rch@iserve.net) | > |__|_______||_____|__| \___/|_____| | 317-802-3036 / 317-876-0846 | > _____________________________________________________________________| > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-isp" in the body of the message > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-isp" in the body of the message
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