For enterprises who have invested in voice over IP technology as a part of their convergence strategy, ongoing monitoring and analysis of call data is key to ensuring return on investment. Many organisations expect to see huge cost and operational benefits after implementation of voice over IP solutions, but many end up disappointed if care isn’t taken to proactively evaluate the solution to ensure peak performance. This blog looks at how, through CDR (Call Data Records) analysis and reporting tools, VOIP implementations are optimised in networks with high capacity demands.

Understanding VOIP challenges with the help of CDR

For large organisations, telephony provisioning is just one of many ICT services relied on for daily operations. IT managers need monitoring capabilities that allow for fast analysis of voice packets to resolve issues as they arise. Common problems such as jitter, latency and packet loss can hugely affect call quality and influence business productivity. Network monitoring software that offer CDR analytics through the tracking, storing and dissemination of call detail records offer opportunities to improve voice service provisioning and create secure environments in which to do so.

Mining the CDR database for trend analysis and improved performance

CDR analysis and reporting reveals rich historic data that allows you to set performance baselines and complete time-based analyses that reveal periods of the day in which call quality decreases. With detailed reporting, correlations can be drawn between time-periods and activities on the network that result in reduced call quality or connection problems. Quality of service configurations can be made based on the findings of CDR reporting and analysis that allows for voice over IP traffic to be prioritised in networks with heavy traffic congestion. Constant evaluation based on live data means service providers can measure the quality of interconnects, minimise call drops, ensure least cost paths are followed and improve the overall service offering.

Call Analysis enables you to identify common connection issues and take corrective measures to resolve them. When large sections of the business are reporting voice-related issues, engineers are able to identify commonalities that may indicate larger interconnection issues, or problems on the carrier’s network that need to be resolved on their end.

Voice over IP security threats

Networks face constant external and internal threats and voice over IP isn’t immune to them. The effects of downtime on voice servers, unauthorised usage, eavesdropping, phreaking and other security risks can cost organisations dearly. The huge volumes of traffic in networks can make it difficult to pinpoint security holes in your VOIP solution. With detailed CDR analysis, you are able to identify fraudulent call activity and build security measures to prevent these from occurring.

IRIS SD Reporter offers live reporting and detailed insight to CDR data

The IRIS SD Reporter module collects call data in real time for detailed and historic analysis that allows for problem identification and performance optimisation of VOIP and other telephony services. Comprehensive reporting gives clear views of performance issues and security threats that organisations can ill-afford. Our CDR analysis tool helps organisations maximise their return on investment by bring actionable information to light that ensure peak performance in secured environments.

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