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Hey Guys,
Quick question. We're going to need to start archiving call records. We just imported 1,779,548 records from recently.
What do you guys think is a reasonable period for customer access to call logs?
45 days?
We're planning on adding a utility to export/download them as well.
6 months is the standard.Quote:
Originally Posted by VOIPoTim
60 to 90 days
My prior service (BroadVoice) provides 16 months of call history.
1 hour should be fine :)
I should think that if you have a download function, you don't need to keep them for a long time.
Think POTS...what call records? We sure get spoiled..:rolleyes:
I think it should be longer than 45 days, but months and months isn't necessarily needed. How about an option to retain X records per customer? If you don't want to do that, I'd say 60 days minimum.
Now that the Call History is back online, I see that the search function allows looking back to 2007, 2008 or 2009. Not much point in a multi-year search function if the history won't go back that far. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with a few months of history and a download function. It just looks like a broader range was being considered by the developers.
Personally I wouldn't care about anything over 60-90 days, especially if there is another option to download from an archive. But really who needs to go back a year or more?
I would prefer they be held for a longer period of time. However, they do not all need to be immediately available. I could accept download only of archived/compressed files for anything over 60 days. Perhaps have archived records available for 6 months?
For comparison, CallVantage deletes records after 60 days. With my calls generally domestic, I don't really mind. However, for billable calls, I'd really like them to stick around for longer than that. 6 months sounds good to me.
Personally, I would find 30 to 45 days to be more than adequate, especially if there is something in place to download them. Just my opinion of course.
VOIPo should add an option to download the call logs. This would be a very useful option for clients who wants to keep copies of their calls on their own desktops.
In addition to a download option, how about an option to automatically send Call History via email each month? That way, if folks forget to download it before it gets removed from the server, they'll still have a copy in their inbox.
Thats not a bad idea, but its a lot of overhead and management for voipo..I think a better option might be an e-mail reminder to subscribers that that retention period of certain call logs is about to expire. Leave the additional management to the individual subscriber potentially utilizing the download option that you mentionQuote:
Originally Posted by TomP
You are correct...We sure do get spoiled.:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by kevm
How about this - call logs are visible for the current month only, and the previous month is archived in an excel file. On the first of every month, the current logs are archived to file, and the previous archived file is deleted. "Email archived file" on the 1st of the month could be an option, if it's important to a customer.
Not everyone has/uses Excel. I'd opt for a PDF file, or perhas a CSV text file that can be imported into Excel or wherever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brody
I like the email option. I'm likely to forget to download, even with the reminders. If VOIPo goes through the trouble of setting up & sending out reminders, how hard can it be to attach the last month's call history as well? Heck, I used to get that much via paper mail with POTS. Yah, it's not absolutely necessary, but it's little extras like this that make a service stand out from the rest.
open office and its free http://www.openoffice.org/Quote:
Originally Posted by TomP
Understood, but not everyone uses Open Office, nor wants to install it just to read call history. A simpler format (PDF, CSV, HTML) would be more convenient, IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xponder1
An Excel format would make the lists much easier to find old information. Sort by number, call length, date? CSV would work too...
Quote:
Originally Posted by TomP
I'm not arguing with the Email option at all. It is a great idea. My only thoughts are that if I were VOIPo, I am not sure I would want the onus of making sure that everyone's personal call logs got correctly directed to them each month. I think that is better left with the individual subscriber to manage from a business perspective. But it's just my humble opinion in any case. Lets see what they come up with. As far as online retention, I feel for my personal needs that 45 days is sufficient.
Vonage kept years of call records.
You might have 200 incoming calls taking you back 90 days for one customer.
You might have 200 incoming calls taking you back 3 days for another customer.
I vote for last 200 inbound and 200 outbound.
(After all, this is a residential service.)
You might offer 2000 calls for a monthly fee.
Unlimited call records for a higher monthly fee.
(People would need to opt-in.)
I like the Excel or CSV for format. I would not recommend sending out call logs via e-mail as the message would be in clear text. I am not sure if people want their call records in the clear between mail servers. If you download from the secure web site, it would be via HTTPS (and therefore encrypted).Quote:
Originally Posted by kevm
Dan
Some length of archived log is useful.
I happened to have the need to look back 3 month for a friend's number; anyways, 45 day log retention + prev. 3 month archived (xml or csv formatted) will be sufficient for me
a side note, the current call log is not very efficient, as it does not show the callerId/customed callerId/location
I can deal with 45 days online and the rest can be one pdf (or excel or csv) file per month. The archived files can be downloaded up to a certain period of time, say 1 year?
Excellent answer IMOQuote:
Originally Posted by sal
Yes, I can go along with this too, CSV to keep everyone happy ;)
I prefer 60 days online, but I'd want to see at least a year of downloadable, archived records. (Actually, it should be at least as long as the term you signed up for.) CSV for sure, PDF is a plus, other formats are gravy.
They're call records. Tiny tuples. Retention should be easy.
What would be needed legally if these call records were used as part of billing? E.g., I often work from home and have client conference calls. Would an archived csv download be acceptable as proof to either a client or the IRS? Would the archived storage be user accessible at all?
Personally, I'd vote for 90 days online, with offline for at least 1 year (total 15months), but I'm a pack rat.
This is probably why my (and prob. yours too) bank uses PDF. They are more difficult to tamper with than a .csv or .xls so are better as a permanent recordQuote:
Originally Posted by TimW
This is how my bank handles it (except it's 60 days history, I think) and it works great.Quote:
I can deal with 45 days online and the rest can be one pdf (or excel or csv) file per month. The archived files can be downloaded up to a certain period of time, say 1 year?
60 days in online searchable and a year of statements in PDF.
Perfectly fine imho.
Not THE J Azaria from Continuum Health Partners in NYC?
Didn't realize there was a "THE" J. Azaria though I'd think over the years I've come damn close...Quote:
Originally Posted by NY Tel Guy
But sorry, no. I'm not him.
Maybe I should find and meet him?
Is he really that special?
Other than the infamous Hank, Ms. Google was not that helpful..
lol, there was a little friendly sarcasm in my "THE" comment......
Joe was someone I knew and we have not seen each other in quite a few years.
:p
Can we get the total # of minutes for the searched period at the top of the page? If I've got incoming selected I see total # of incoming minutes, outgoing total # of outgoing, and all I see both? Getting a running total of minutes used for the month is impossible unless you give us the ability to export the data.
What a great idea! More powerful than a fixed period.Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbanc
By filtering incoming/outgoing/both it would give valuable totals! :)