CallingAreaInfo™
MapInfo CallingAreaInfo v7.0 quickly calculates a comprehensive analysis that allows users to easily identify and understand local calling areas and plans without spending weeks pouring over reams of cryptic tariff and regulatory data. This product delivers data that is instantly meaningful to organizations, such as telecommunications service providers, to quickly take action.
CallingAreaInfo maps the local calling plans available to business and residential customers when calling out from or into a location. Calling plans are the rate structures that determine which phone numbers can call which other phone numbers and at what rates. Most Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) offer more than one calling plan for each NPA/NXX combination they serve. CallingAreaInfo also distinguishes local calls based on cost and status, including Free, Toll, Time of Day and Holiday.
CallingAreaInfo allows the user to visualize the calling area from two perspectives: Examine the local calling plan for calls that originate from a location (exchange), also called outbound calling areas and Identify and map the exchanges that include a specific location (exchange) in their calling plans, also called inbound calling areas.
Major functions of CallingAreaInfo include:
- Generate an outbound or an inbound calling area database for a location based upon NPA/NXX, rate center or exchange
- Direct access to call plan data
- Create a map of the local calling area
- Generate calling area databases for multiple locations in a batch run
- Print a report based on a CallingAreaInfo output database
- Integrated mapping - ability to view the CallingAreaInfo output without MapInfo Professional
- Perform an analysis starting with Rate Center or Exchange name (rather than just a NPA/NXX)
- Additional tools - such as determining if two locations are local
- Increased coverage - 16% more coverage compared to v6.0
- Dialing Patterns
- Call Allowances ($$, minutes, time, etc)
- Most common call plans
Feature List
Calling Analysis
- Outbound - Generates a list of NPA/NXX combinations that the source location can call out to by using a local phone service provider, and geograhpically maps the corresponding Exchange boundaries.
- Inbound - Generates a list of NPA/NXX combinations that can call into the target location by using a local phone service provider, and geographically maps the corresponding Exchange boundaries.
Rates
Calling Plans are the rate structures determining which phone numbers can call which other phone numbers and at what rates. Most Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) offer more than one calling plan for each NPA/NXX combination they serve. In addition, most geographic areas now have a wide range of operating companies and carriers offering multiple alternatives.
CallingAreaInfo v7 includes extensive information for calculating the rates incurred for calling NPA/NXX combinations within the local calling plan.
- Local Calls - Distinguishes local telephone calls based on cost
- Free - Any call placed through a local service provider where the cost is $0.00
- Allowances - Restrictions on how $$, minutes, or calls that are permitted each month for a given call plan
- Toll - Any call placed through a local service provider where the cost is higher than $0.00
- Time of Day (TOD) - TOD does not affect the geography that corresponds to the rate steps, but it can affect the actual rate being charged for the call
- Holiday - Some calling plans offer different rates for holidays - status is shown in the output database.
Wizard-Based User Interface
Wizards guide the user through the task of specifying call plan parameters for individual or batch runs. This interface simplifies call plan selection and creation of an input database. Each subsequent choice presented to the user is based on previous selections, so the final results will be tailored to the user's specifications.
Users have the option to combine the output of a batch of calling area analyses into one output database, rather than an individual database for each location in the analysis.
Calling Area Parameter File Storage
This CallingAreaInfo option saves time by quickly and efficiently reloading, modifying (if necessary) and rerunning a saved run without having to re-enter all the parameters.
Create parameter files for inbound and outbound analyses, and store for future runs. Users can save the properties of a run into a file, to be rerun at a later date -- for example, when receiving a data update, without having to reenter the parameters.
Command Line Executable
Using the command line interface, users can write a batch command program to efficiently rerun analyses on a regular basis after creating the parameter files for the locations they want to analyze. This option is for experienced users who will be saving and repeatedly running the same parameter files at different times.
Table Details
Includes more detailed and specific information about the origin and destination Area Codes and Exchanges.
Output Maps
Produce maps using MapInfo Professional software (version 6.5 or higher). These maps show the geography that corresponds with the location combinations in the local calling plan:
- Geographic boundary -- based on Exchanges to display the results of the analysis.
- Create MapInfo workspace - generate maps with the calling area output tables.
- Thematically shaded by rate step - rate steps are the points of division between areas that charge different costs for local calls.
Output: Database, Tables, File Formats
CallingAreaInfo creates a Microsoft Access database, containing the analysis output. The software can also write, through the Export Wizard, to the following file formats: Comma Separated Values, Microsoft Excel and CallingAreaInfo v6.0
Reports
Generate hard copy inbound and outbound reports of a calling area analysis from a standard printer.
Online Help
Contains an online help system to provide immediate technical assistance, a glossary of terms, sample industry applications and other useful information.
Customer Applications
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Can use CallingAreaInfo to analyze the call-in regions for area code and exchange (NPA/NXX) combinations, and determine which has the largest local calling area, helping them to decide which are the best NPA/NXX combinations to use for new numbers.
CLEC Service Planners
Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) emulate and expand upon profitable business or residential local calling areas by analyzing the existing coverage areas of RBOCs and ILECs, helping them to compete better. A CLEC will commonly use CallingAreaInfo to increase its competitive advantage over other companies offering local telephone service. CLECs can use CallingAreaInfo to analyze the outbound call plans of competitive providers, helping them to define alternative plans for their target markets. Based on the results of the CallingAreaInfo analysis, CLECs can modify call plans to offer more coverage than the competition.
Telephone-Related Service Planners
Business that rely heavily on local customer calls, including ISPs, paging service providers, and wireless service providers can use CallingAreaInfo. These business can use CallingAreaInfo to compare the “most restrictive” or "most common" inbound calling plans to help determine which access numbers to acquire. After performing a call plan analysis with CallingAreaInfo , these companies can acquire access numbers that provide the appropriate coverage for their target market.
Wireless Service Provider Customer Service Representatives
When assigning a new phone number to a customer from an available inventory, customer service representatives (CSRs) for wireless service providers must account for a customer’s specific needs. For example, the customers wants to be sure that they will not incur any 'toll' or 'long-distance' charges when dialing their wireless number from home. CSRs can use the CallingAreaInfo output as input into the service provider’s application, allowing them to make an appropriate selection.
Customer Service Representatives from Any Business
Customers may call a business wanting to know the location of a local branch, service facility, etc. Customers interested in establishing internet service will contact an Internet Service Providers’ customer service representative for the best access numbers. CSRs can run an inbound calling analysis with CallingAreaInfo using the customer’s telephone number, and recommend access numbers to customers. To do this, a look-up table can be built that selects an access number based on the inbound call plan data generated by CallingAreaInfo . After running CallingAreaInfo , the customer service representative uses this lookup table to select an appropriate access number for that customer, based on which access number’s inbound calling plan contains the customer’s number.
Marketing Analysts
Marketing analysts can visualize inbound or outbound calling areas of a set of numbers using MapInfo tables and workspaces generated by CallingAreaInfo . These maps can be used for comparison advertising.
Marketing analysts can define a target market based on the geography of a company’s inbound calling area. Maps generated by CallingAreaInfo can be used as input to TargetPro to select demographic data based on the calling area data generated. This application is especially relevant to ISPs and similar providers of telephone-accessed local services.
Marketing analysts can also determine prospects’ locations or proximity to a location using outbound calling areas. This information can be used for target marketing, assigning prospects to available branches, etc. This information is especially useful when the nature of the services provided are telephone related, or prospects’ addresses are not readily available.
Telephone Service Consumers
Large telephone service consumers can use CallingAreaInfo to:
- Compare outbound calling areas as an aid to choosing business call plans.
- Compare inbound calling areas as an aid to acquiring business phone numbers.
- Proscribe whom its employees may call.
- Audit telephone usage.
Specifications
Geographic Coverage - Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.
Subscription - Monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual distribution of updates and enhancements are available, with 1, 2, and 3-year contracts.
Pricing
| Per State | $6,250. |
| All of United States | $25,000. |
Call for server-based or multi-user licensing.
