USABILITY The process of creating a chargeback system is streamlined into a three step process of establishing costs, identifying cost centers, and linking the two in a Chargeback Job. Define Billing Classes that accurately match the real cost of providing storage resources. Identify cost centers; users, user groups, paths (folders, shares, logical drives, etc.). Associate your pre-defined Billing Classes with the cost centers identified to create your orgnization specific Chargeback Jobs. Wizard-driven configuration and job definition tools make the creation and management of advanced chargeback systems straightforward.

AUTOMATION
Northern Storage Chargeback's automation features ensure a smooth and low maintenance system of internal billing and cost reporting.

• Once created, your Chargeback Jobs are self-managing; storage is metered and costs are calculated all according to your rules, but without the need for your involvement.
• Extensive scheduling features offer daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual invoices and reports.
• Automatic notifications; receive e-mail or popup notification on Chargeback Job completion.

OUTPUT FORMATS
The flexibility to export cost-related data to various file formats or printable matter enables you to augment an existing system of internal billing with storage usage and cost data.

• Generate XLS and CSV output to integrate with your billing and financial applications.
• Usage, costs and trend statistics are exported to an MS SQL database, facilitating enterprise-wide integration.
  

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MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES
A chargeback system can be based on different types of storage use; using information drawn from Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Exchange and Northern Quota Server 2003.

• Define cost centers as disk objects in Windows (drives or folders).
• Base costs on Quota Server quota size.
• Don't simply base costs on files and file size, include Microsoft Exchange mailboxes (user or user group) in your chargeback system.

FLEXIBLE PRICING MODEL
Northern Storage Chargeback provides the flexibility to match organization specific costs to organization specific cost centers.

• Implement tiered pricing models that mimic the underlying costs of supplying a certain data storage system.
• Create Billing Classes that reflect the running costs of different kinds of storage, or service levels (SLAs).
• Usage costs can be calculated on different cost centers; by user, user group, path (share, folder, logical drive, etc.).
• Generate invoices and cost reports per customer, department, etc.

TRENDING
Northern Storage Chargeback is not just a methodology for distributing existing storage costs. The second key application of this solution is the identification of future needs.

• Generate reports that demonstrate different cost patterns within your network; identify the fastest growing cost center, etc.
• Generate historical trend reports to measure the impact of chargeback, quota or user-involvement policies.
• Extrapolate historical data to establish cost projections and accurately determine necessary budgets.

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