TMCnews Featured Article

Calling cards have long been an alternative way to make long-distance phone calls without a monthly bill and the fees associated with a long-term service commitment. These cards have evolved quite a bit since they first came on the scene in the 1970s and many new solutions now take advantage of VoIP and softswitches to provide connectivity.

Prepaid cards evolved from using a magnetic stripe to store billing information to optical storage embossed inside cards, which was used for a brief period after that. Chip and smart cards were the most widely used type of calling card, hitting their popularity peak in the 1990s. Their use waned with the rising popularity of cell phones, and yet calling cards still present an affordable and compelling alternative to expensive cell phone service plans and the roaming costs that may be incurred by using them.

REVE Systems, a provider of mobile VoIP and IP communications platforms, offers the next generation of calling card services through its iTel Switch Plus-Calling Cards Platform. The solution uses direct inward dial (DID) technology to enable service providers to offer calling card services to customers throughout the world. The platform offers a host of service provider benefits, including IVR options in multiple languages and the capability for customers to track their calling balances and recharge their cards whenever they want to.

Service providers need not make any gateway configuration changes to use the platform, and simply install the iTel Switch softswitch to activate the service. The softswitch includes class 4 and 5 switching features as well as multi-level reseller support and an intuitive end user interface. It also provides reporting and monitoring, multi-tier security, a distributed architecture and support for multi-model origination devices and termination options.

The switch is a great fit for service providers who want to provide advanced features, including calling cards. Customers simply use a regular PSTN or cell phone to call an access number, which then connects to the softswitch via an IP connection. The switch connects the call to an appropriate terminating carrier, who routes it to the PSTN or GSM end point. Users no longer have to provide a PIN to make calls since they register their phone number with the system. Once that number is registered, it is tracked using the service provider’s own billing software for efficient and streamlined tracking.