Least cost router

Least cost router project was completed for LungLife company (Switzerland) by xTech company in collaboration with companies Avalon's Tree (General Contractor) and Tornado (hardware design).

LCR system allows customer to choose automatically the provider whose tariff is the least for given country at a given time in a given day, and providers to gain the necessary flexibility and control to devise and provision customer-focused solutions. The system is targeted for personal customers and for companies as well. Especially developed Service Center accumulates, processes and provides information on providers, tariffs and customers and maintains all LCR devices included to it.

The idea of such service is not new. Similar service exists, for example, in Germany. But this project is supposed to provide more advanced functionality. The features are:

• Integration to Internet: customer could view his statistics at any time in Service Center site. He also can obtain all information and help in this site.
• Providers supply Service Center with tariffs of special format, then tariffs are added automatically to database and could be viewed on web site in convenient form. Providers can make the modifications in their tariffs using ordinary web browser.
• Implementation in Intranet technology: settings and operation with database are carried out by means of web browser. System has convenient and user friendly interface.
• The system supports multilingual operation, it allows one easily to add new language, so that administrator, staff, webmaster and customers can operate in their native language. The multilingual backend could be essential for countries with several state languages. Besides, it may be important for distribution purposes.

In the context of the project a software emulator of the device was developed, thus the device could be replaced by pair: computer + modem.

LCR project consists of two parts: hardware and software.

Hardware was designed by Tornado company (Russia, Academgorodok). It contains server part and client part. Client part of LCR device looks like small box connected to phone cable between telephone socket and telephone set. Server part is small box connected to COM port of database server.

Software part was developed and designed by xTech company. System is implemented in three tier technology. It contains database, FTP server, website and application to maintain database and website. The application contains administration module, provider module, staff module and webmaster module.