[asterisk-users] Hotels...

[Brian Vincent (C)]

Ideally you'd get billing to work by integrating directly with the
property management software.  Most of the big PMS systems, such as SMS,
LMS, and FRS, have custom serial drivers written for them that interface
with the PBX and related systems.  The PMS software is responsible for
activating long distance on the phones, adding/removing voicemail boxes,
and collecting billing records.  It may also do really complicated
things like suiting.

I don't think you're going to be able to get any of that.  For that
reason alone, are you sure Asterisk is the right solution?  Maybe a
little Mitel system would work with their software?

Okay, now assuming you have a nice GUI to rebuild mailboxes, you'll have
to decide if it's worth restricting/unrestricting phones for long
distance. Keep in mind housekeeping staff may like to make international
phone calls.  It may be easier to just sell calling cards and open up
the lines for free local calls (usually local calls incur a surcharge of
$1 - $1.50.)  

Are there conference facilities involved?  Do you need special pricing
for provisioning lines there?  I like the idea of using those Audiocodes
boxes, but will fax services work with them?  In theory I think they do,
but we've had problems passing data over them.  Can the Audiocodes boxes
drive message waiting lamps?  I can't remember, but you'll need that.
Wake up calls?  Asterisk supports it (Trixbox has a nice
implementation), so be sure to test that.  Is this a multiproperty hotel
and will you need to support 911 to different buildings?  

-------------------
Brian Vincent
Copper Mountain Telecom
vincentb at coppercolorado.com

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Dovid
Bender
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 10:07 AM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Hotels...



I have to bid on a hotel contract, but there are some things I don't
know
how to do -- but clearly Asterisk has been used by hotels before, so I
figure someone on here must have some answers:

1) While the majority of the phones will be SIP, there will be a couple
hundred analogs (due to wiring logistics); what should I terminate them
into?

2) Phone activation at check-in/phone de-activation and billing at
check-out.  Are there GUI tools for this, or should I write my own
back/front end?

3) Anything else that those familiar with hotels have bumped into that
might not be obvious at the outset?

Thanks!

-Ken

Ken,
Long time no see on the list welcome back.

1) The best thing would be is to get a channel bank. Xorcom has one that
I 
believe works over USB though never tried it so I cant comment on it.

2)I dont think there is any software out there for hotels per say but
there 
has been talk about working some of the open source billing programs out

there in to a custom app. The only reason why I would go for writing
your 
own is A)You have more control. You can build it for your own custom
needs 
for the ground up. B)People have asked about it before. While I dont
know 
the market size I am sure that you can resell it once you are done.

Dovid 

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