System and methods for managing tandem switch information
View Patent ↗A system and associated methods for automation and management of trunk routing among switches in a telecommunications network between carriers connected to a third party tandem services provider or manager (a “neutral tandem network.”) The system and methodology can be used to, among other things, effectuate a business model for providing preferred rates, or other preferences, to a defined group of members or subscribers by managing and directing subscriber-associated call traffic from subscriber-owned switches to one or more tandem switches owned by a third-party tandem managing entity other than a LEC or ILEC.
1. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product having computer-executable code instructions which are executable on a computer processor of a tandem manager computer for performing steps for management of a plurality of subscriber assigned telephone numbers amongst a plurality of telecommunications networks in connection with a service, the steps comprising:
obtaining subscriber data associated with a plurality of switches each owned by one or more of a plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service, the plurality of switches distributed within the plurality of telecommunications networks;
updating a database associated with the service with the subscriber data rid the respective association with one or more of the plurality of switches owned by one or more of the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service;
creating a report for each of the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service, the report comprising the subscriber data associated with one or more switches owned by that carrier; wherein the report for each of the plurality of carriers that have carrier-specific requirements is customized according to the carrier-specific requirements; and
broadcasting the reports to the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service by sending the respective reports to each of the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service so that each carrier can direct call traffic identified by the subscriber data to the one or more of the plurality of switches based on the association derived from the subscriber data between the subscriber assigned telephone numbers and the plurality of switches.
2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the steps further comprise tracking call traffic of each of the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service.
3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the steps further comprise billing each of the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service based on its respective call traffic.
4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the steps further comprise reporting call traffic to each of the plurality of carriers that subscribe to the service.
5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps of a server process by a tandem manager server in connection with a subscription service for management of call traffic associated with a plurality of subscriber-assigned telephone numbers amongst a group of carriers, the steps comprising:
obtaining, using the tandem manager server, Number Plan Area—Central Office (NPA-NXX) codes associated with one or more of a plurality of end office switches owned by at least one of the group of carriers that subscribe to the service;
updating, using the tandem manager server, a database associated with the service with the obtained NPA-NXX codes and their respective association with one or more of the plurality of end office switches;
generating a report for each of the group of carriers that subscribe to the service, the report comprising the NPA-NXX codes associated with one or more of the plurality of end office switches owned by that carrier; wherein the report for each of the group of carriers that have carrier-specific requirements is customized according to the carrier-specific requirements; and
broadcasting the reports to the group of carriers that subscribe to the service by notifying each of the group of carriers that subscribe to the service of the NPA-NXX codes so that each of the group of carriers that subscribe to the service can direct call traffic associated with one or more of the NPA-NXX codes to the one or more of the plurality of end office switches associated with the one or more NPA-NXX codes.
6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , further having computer-executable instructions for performing the step of tracking call traffic of each member of the group of subscriber carriers.
7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , further having computer-executable instructions for performing the step of billing each member of the group of subscriber carriers for its respective call traffic.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , further having computer-executable instructions for performing the step of reporting call traffic of each member of the group of subscriber carriers.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , further having computer-executable instructions for performing the step of updating a plurality of NPA-NXX tables each associated with one or more of the plurality of end office switches owned by one or more of the group of subscriber carriers.