Call Restrictions

Call restrictions are a set of rules to allow or disallow outgoing calls to a specific country, regional code or destination. For example, you can allow users to make overseas calls, but exclude specific countries. By default, all calls are permitted except 900 numbers.

You can also use call restrictions to select the telephony provider for calls to specific destinations. For example, the telephony provider that will handle all overseas calls.

From the Call Restrictions page you can:

  1. Create call restrictions.
  2. Delete call restrictions.
  3. Modify call restrictions.
  4. Enable or disable call restrictions for specific accounts.
  5. Export a list of call restriction details to a PDF or CSV file.
  6. Sort and search call restrictions.

Call Restrictions Management Roles

Call restrictions can have a system-wide scope (i.e. they can apply to ALL customer accounts) or apply to specific accounts (via the Customers section in the main menu). For information on account-specific call restrictions, see Manage Customer-Specific Call Restrictions.

The following requires a good grasp of user types. See User Types for details.

Only administrator-level users can edit call restrictions. Specifically:

  • System Administrators: When enabled, System Administrator call restrictions apply system-wide to ALL user types/accounts. These are usually very basic restrictions and account-specific exceptions can be applied.
  • VAR Administrators: This user cannot modify the System Administrator’s call restrictions. However, the VAR Administrator can create new call restrictions applicable to all VAR-related customers or to specific accounts.
  • Company Administrators: This user cannot modify System or VAR Administrator call restrictions. However, the Company Administrator can create new call restrictions that will apply to all or certain employees/user accounts.

Interface Overview

This page displays a list of all current call restrictions with the following information (some headings are context-specific):

COLUMN HEADING

DESCRIPTION

Checkbox

 Check the box next to one or several items in order to apply certain actions (ex: export details).

Name

 Descriptive name of the call restriction. Clicking this link opens the Call Restriction Properties. Call restrictions that cannot be modified are not clickable.

Numbers starting with

 Digits dialed to fall into this call restriction.This can be a country code, area code or phone number subject to a call restriction. Clicking this link opens the Call Restriction Properties. Call restrictions that cannot be modified are not clickable.

Rule

 In this column, the Allow icon indicates that the rule allows outbound calls while the  Deny icon indicates that the rule denies outbound calls.

Enabled

 A check mark indicates that the call restriction is active. See Enable or Disable Call Restrictions for details.

Private

 A check mark identifies call restrictions that are created by you, the VAR Administrator. Only private call restrictions can be modified or deleted by you.

Delete

 Click the Delete icon to remove a private call restriction. See Delete a Call Restriction for details.

Create a Call Restriction

A destination subject to a call restriction is defined by the initial sequence of digits dialed. For example, in North America, 01133 defines calls to France, while 01144 defines calls to the UK. Phone numbers containing letters are ignored (example: 514-555-BELL).

Firstly, determine if the new call restriction should apply to all/several accounts or to a specific account. In cases where it would apply to several (but not all) accounts, it is recommended to create a call restriction and leave it disabled. This enables you to create the call restriction rule only once and apply it to target accounts as needed.

To create a call restriction applicable to ALL or SEVERAL accounts:

  • From the main menu, click Call Restrictions.
  • Click the New button.
  • Fill in the fields as required. See Call Restriction Properties for details.
  • Click Save to apply the change.

Call Restrictions for a Specific Customer

This section describes how to create, delete, modify or activate/deactivate a call restriction applicable for a specific account.

To apply a call restriction to a specific account:

  • From the main menu, click Customers then select the Companies or Professionals tab to view the list of companies or professional accounts.
  • Click the  Rest icon corresponding to the account requiring a call restriction.
  • Fill in the fields as required. See Call Restriction Properties for details.
  • Click Save to apply the change.

Delete a Call Restriction

You can only delete the call restrictions that you have created as a VAR Administrator. These are the call restrictions that have the Delete icon. See Call Restrictions Management Roles for details.

Deleting a call restriction will affect ALL users subject to that call restriction. See Enable or Disable a Call Restriction if your intention is to disable a call restriction for a specific account.

To delete a call restriction applicable to ALL your customers:

  • From the main menu, click Call Restrictions.
  • Click the  Delete icon in the row of the call restriction to delete. Items that cannot be deleted will not have the   Delete icon. In such cases, you may either disable the call restriction or create  account level exceptions.
  • A confirmation window opens.
  • Click OK to confirm the deletion.

NOTE: See Call Restriction for a Specific Customer for account-specific call restrictions.

Modify a Call Restriction

Call restrictions that can be modified by you will be have a check mark in the Private column. See Call Restrictions Management Roles for details.

To modify a call restriction applicable to ALL your customers:

  • From the main menu, click Call Restrictions.
  • Click the name of the call restriction to modify. The call restriction properties will be displayed.
  • Edit the fields as required. See Call Restriction Properties for details.
  • Click Save to apply changes.

NOTE: See Call Restriction for a Specific Customer for account-specific call restrictions.

Enable or Disable a Call Restriction

The Enable feature provides flexibility in the way to enforce a given call restriction based on 2 scenarios:

  1. Automatically apply the call restriction to ALL accounts EXCEPT those you specify.
  2. Apply the call restriction ONLY to the accounts you specify.

To enable or disable a call restriction at the account level, see Exceptions to Call Restrictions for details.

To enable or disable a call restriction system-wide:

  • From the main menu, click Call Restrictions.
  • From the call restrictions list, click the name of the call restriction to enable or disable. 
  • Enabled checkbox:
    • Check the Enabled box to apply the call restriction to ALL accounts in the system, UNLESS otherwise specified at the account level. See Exceptions to Call Restrictions for details.
    • Uncheck the Enabled box to disable the call restriction for ALL accounts in the system, UNLESS otherwise specified at the account level. See Exceptions to Call Restrictions for details.
  • Click Save to apply the change.

Exceptions to Call Restrictions

Customer accounts are by default subject to the call restrictions that you created in the Call Restrictions page. However, you can customize how call restrictions apply to specific accounts.

To enable or disable a call restriction for a specific customer account:

  • From the main menu, click Customers then select the Companies or Professionals tab to view the list of companies or professional accounts.
  • Click the  Rest icon corresponding to the account requiring call restriction exceptions.
  • Check the box next to the call restrictions that needs to be enabled or disabled for the selected account.
  • Click the Allow button to authorize the calls handled by this call restriction or click the Deny button to refuse them.

Call Restriction Properties

To access the properties of a call restriction, click Call Restrictions from the main menu then click the name of the call restriction to view and edit its properties.

  • Name of restriction: Descriptive name for the call restriction.
  • Apply to numbers starting with: Digits dialed to fall into this call restriction. These digits correspond to the country, area code, or a phone number subject to a call restriction. See Digit formats for details.
  • Restriction type: Check the option that corresponds to the type of action associated with the call restriction rule.
    • Deny to all but not to exceptions: Once enabled, this restriction will PREVENT all users from making calls to the specified destination. However, account-specific exceptions can be applied.
    • Allow all but not to exceptions: Once enabled, this restriction will ALLOW all users to make calls to the specified destination. However, account-specific exceptions can be applied.
  • Enabled: Check this box to enable the call restriction on ALL accounts. Uncheck the box if this rule is intended to apply to several but not all accounts. This method has the advantage of creating the rule only once and to apply it as needed to the target accounts.

Call Restriction Digit Format

Call restrictions are defined by the sequence of digits that must be dialed to make a call.

For example:

  • 514 applies to all local calls dialed in the Montreal area code 514 from Montreal (Canada)
  • 01133 applies to all international calls made from Canada to France
  • 001415 applies to all international calls made from France to San Francisco in California

See countrycodes.org for help on country telephone codes and formats.

Export Call Restrictions

The Web portal allows you to export lists of call restrictions in CSV format (comma separated file) or PDF.

Export Call Restrictions to a CSV File

To export a list of call restrictions to a CSV file:

  • From the main menu, click Call Restrictions.
  • Select the call restrictions to export:
    • One or several call restrictions: Check the box next to the name of the call restrictions to export.
    • All call restrictions: Check the box at the top of the table next to the Name header. All call restrictions will automatically be checked.
  • Click the  CSV button to open the export window.
  • By default the file is named RestrictionsView.csv and ready to be saved to a directory on your computer.
    • Change the file name if needed but keep the CSV extension. Example: rename RestrictionsView.csv to MyRestrictions.csv.
    • Make sure that you are saving the file to the desired directory.
  • Click Save.

Export Call Restrictions to a PDF Document

To export a list of call restrictions to a PDF file:

  • From the main menu, click Call Restrictions.
  • Select the call restrictions to export:
    • One or several call restrictions: Check the box next to the name of the call restrictions to export.
    • All call restrictions: Check the box at the top of the table next to the Name header. All call restrictions will automatically be checked.
  • Click the  PDF button to open the export window.
  • The PDF document will automatically open in a new window and be saved to the default directory on your computer.

Search Call Restrictions

The Web Portal allows you to quickly find call restrictions using a keyword.

The first row of the call restrictions list contains blank fields in which you can type a keyword to search for a specific call restriction. For example, type "Overseas" in the Name column and press enter to view all call restrictions containing the word "Overseas".

To remove the search filter, delete the keywords typed in the first row of the table and press Enter.

Sort Call Restrictions

You can sort the call restrictions columns alphabetically or numerically (based on the type of information in the column) by clicking on any of the column headings in the table.