RODOPI  NEW FEATURES for 5.x

New Features include:

Prepaid accounts. With prepaid accounts you can offer prepaid services (like dial-in, voice over IP) to your customers. The customer will buy a block of usage (for example 60 hours online) and Rodopi will subtract his usage from the block and will suspend the service when the block is used out. The customer can buy more blocks to extend his service.

New provisioning interface options:

Default values for items. You can specify a default value for detail items so if the customer didn’t enter anything the default value will be used.
Dropdown list and checkbox formats. Now you can visualize an item’s values in two more formats – a drop-down list of choices or a set of radio buttons.

Provisioning. The provisioning part of RODOPI is completely changed. Now RODOPI generates and uploads event scripts, e-mails, DNS files, RADIUS files and imports RADIUS usage from multithreaded Windows service. Each task runs independently so there are no more delays.

FTP event script (Passive option). You can determine whether the FTP connection should be active or passive.

Command event script (Execute option). Now you can specify whether the script should be automatically executed after saving, or not.

LDAP event scripts. New LDAP event scripts gives you possibility to manage closely services like Active Directory, Exchange server and many other LDAP enabled services.

SQL event scripts. With SQL event scripts you can connect and execute SQL statements on your RODOPI database or on another SQL database for which you have an ODBC driver installed.

HTTP event scripts. New HTTP event scripts are POSTed directly to the URL you specify so you can run your own CGI and force it to perform different tasks.

XML event scripts. New XML event scripts offer completely new technology. They are POSTed to a specified URL and the response is expected to be in XML format conforming the RODOPI’s scriptresponse.dtd schema. According to the response RODOPI will modify the account which triggered the event or will execute the event again if the response indicates that the action  failed.

Events Log with error messages. In RODOPI 5.x the Events log will show you a descriptive error message detailing why the event failed so you can perform actions to solve the problem and then re-run the script.

System state report with history. With system state report you will have real-time information on how your system is working, if there is a problem and the problem's description.

Domain name registration/renewal through PIRIN. With RODOPI 5.x you will be able to submit domain name registration requests to Names4Ever in XML format. RODOPI will automatically update the domain name with its expiration time. From RODOPI 5.x you are also able to submit requests for renewal of your existing domain names when their expiration date is close to becoming due. Localized date/time formats. RODOPI 5.x supports different formats of date/time. You can localize it to show all dates in your local format.

Hide passwords option for subscription, maintenance and customer self-care areas. RODOPI 5.x allows you to choose where passwords should be hidden.

Voice over IP support for both Lucent’s MAX MultiVoice and CISCO’s VoIP product lines. The Rodopi implementation provides billing and management support for both postpaid and prepaid billing. Rodopi supports both ANI and PIN number based identification. Multiple service plans with different options and features that can be configured by the service provider allow for system flexibility. This means the service provider can set up plans to meet customer needs that are consistent with the provider’s business plan. Rodopi supports multiple resellers as well as multiple Rodopi installations, so that providers can build their own networks of multiple locations and/or resellers.

Bandwidth Management. Rodopi 5.x supports Cisco’s NetFlow technology for billing based on bandwidth usage. In order to take the bandwidth management further, Rodopi 5.x integrates with the bandwidth manager by Allot Communications. This enables providers to set up plans that allow users to receive specified bandwidth maximums. Some plans can be set up to include bursting and overage options. Rodopi Software will bill properly for all of these various services.

Domain Name Registration at the wholesale price of $7.99 per domain name per year through Names4Ever, an ICANN accredited Registrar. This feature alone should earn most service providers more money than the cost of Rodopi in a very short time. With the retail price at around $35.00 per year there is plenty of margin. Although this feature was available in Rodopi 4.x it is improved and refined in Rodopi 5.x by allowing more flexibility and one through 10-year subscription periods.

Universal Tax Module enables Rodopi 5.x users to accommodate changing tax structures and requirements including those in Canada and the recently adopted Texas tax changes.

Flexible provisioning. Rodopi 4.x had four details an ISP could build it’s plans around. Those included “dial-in account”, “domain name”, “shell account” and “e-mail account”. This restriction created problems with introducing new services like FoIP, VoIP etc. The new Rodopi 5.x supports an unlimited number of details. It’s a matter of setting up Rodopi to add any new detail any ISP may need. This creates great opportunity for adding new types of services as the industry develops, as well as for easy integration with third-party products.

Multiple Credit Card processing options are now available that meet the latest requirements of VISA and MasterCard for transactions on the Internet. Rodopi 5.x supports Paymentech, PC Authorize, Authorize net and IC Verify. Rodopi 5.x users can finally get rid of their modems. Internet based credit card transactions are supported by RPG service.

POP Depot (a.k.a. Flat rate unlimited Roaming) will enable local or regional ISPs to subscribe dial-up services nationwide by using other Rodopi Club members POPs to provide access. Currently, Rodopi Club has over 3,000 POP throughout the USA and some internationally. All those are yours if you use Rodopi 5.x. Furthermore you can always add your own POP to the Club and get paid every time someone subscribes an account in your area. RPG will act as a Clearinghouse so that the ISP does not need to have accounts with all Rodopi Club members. The flat monthly fee is subject to negotiations with Rodopi Club members. We will propose a rate around $7 mo. per one unlimited use dial-in account. This makes Rodopi 5.x a product of choice for Virtual ISPs among others. If the ISP chooses to outsource Rodopi 5.x and use this feature, they can practically be an ISP without a single server. All the ISP needs is a web interface to monitor their operations because Rodopi 5.x is 100% web enabled.

Rodopi Payment Gateway (RPG) is a new concept in the Rodopi 5.x environment. RPG will perform three major roles.

1. It will act as a clearinghouse in the Rodopi Club shared services environment. This eliminates the need for every member to have accounts with hundreds of other members. The ISP will have only one account with RPG for all shared services.

2. RPG will provide services on a wholesale basis to those who do not want to make the investment of setting up their own services but still want to “test the waters” with new services. Services currently offered by RPG are VoIP.

3. RPG will provide some back office services to Rodopi 5.x users, which are completely and seamlessly integrated with Rodopi 5.x. Services available today include Credit Card processing over Internet. Upcoming services include collections.