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"Sync" your call accounting system database with external databases

External databases, most notably those in PBX Administration systems can be used to automatically update a call accounting system's database.

The objective is to make call accounting system reports' accurate and believable. An inaccurate, out-of-date database produces reports which have little credibility, therefore very little value. A secondary benefit of automating this process is to eliminate the extra labor required to manually input this data and also reduce the errors that are inherent in manual input.

Avaya's Terranova, DSA and ASA programs and Nortel's MAT and OTM are popular software programs that perform adds, moves and changes in a windows program that is easier to use and requires less technical training than directly accessing the PBX. Other products include Unimax and PhoneMaster that can be integrated with some call accounting systems.

Often these programs do not include all of the fields that are needed in a call accounting system, such as; department, division, cost center, etc. This "missing" data can be imported from other databases such as human resources.

Future articles here will include more tips on how to use a call accounting system effectively and purchase it intelligently. We will explain how to use this valuable tool more effectively, using real examples from our customers.

Your questions are encouraged. We will answer them personally and print them in future columns.

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