A call detail record is written by the switch or platform that handled the call. Typical fields:
- Parties: the calling and called numbers, and the trunk or account used.
- Timing: start time, answer time, end time and billed duration.
- Outcome: answered, busy, no answer or failed, with a technical cause code.
- Cost: the rate applied and the amount charged.
CDRs are the raw material of telecom billing. Operators and resellers rate each record against a price list to invoice their customers, then reconcile the records with what their carriers bill them. The same data feeds traffic reports (answer rate, minutes per destination), fraud detection and the investigation of failed calls.
Because CDRs hold personal data such as phone numbers and call times, access and retention should follow your data protection rules.
OVOKY's hosted softswitch keeps a CDR for every call, alongside call recordings and real-time balances for each reseller and client.