Systems and methods for integrating a network gateway device with management systems

A method for integrating a gateway device with a management system to automatically bill a customer for access to a computer network, comprising:

• enabling a user to access, via a network gateway device, a computer network absent additional agents implemented by a user's computer;
• collecting data corresponding to the user's access to said computer network in said network gateway device;
• reconfiguring said data into call accounting record format;
• and
• transmitting the reconfigured data to the management system.

A system for integrating a gateway device with a management billing system, wherein the billing system can activate communication with the gateway device, comprising:

• a computer;
• a network gateway device in communication with said computer for connecting the computer to the computer network, wherein the network gateway device communicates with the computer absent additional agents implemented by the computer and wherein the network gateway device maintains data representative of the user's physical location and the user's access to the computer network;
• and
• a management billing system connected to said network gateway device, wherein the management system receives the data representative of the user's access to the computer network, and wherein the management system initiates communication with the gateway device to control a user's access to the computer network and a physical location's access to the computer network.

A system for integrating a gateway device with a management system to automatically bill a user for access to a computer network, comprising:

• a computer;
• a network gateway device in communication with said computer for connecting the computer to the computer network, wherein the network gateway device communicates with the computer absent additional agents implemented by the computer and wherein the network gateway device maintains data representative of the user's physical location and usage of the computer network;
• and
• a management system connected to said network gateway device for automatically billing the user based upon the physical location of the user and the usage of the computer network, wherein said management system is configured to communicate according to at least one predetermined protocol,
• wherein the network gateway device formats the data to meet one of the predetermined protocols supported by said management system, and wherein said management system receives the data formatted by the network gateway device and utilizes the data formatted by the network gateway device, including the physical location of the user and the user's network usage, for billing purposes.

A method for integrating a gateway device with a management system to automatically bill a customer for access to a computer network, comprising:

• enabling a user to access, via a network gateway device, a computer network, absent additional agents implemented by a user's computer;
• collecting data corresponding to the user's access to said computer network, including a physical location of the user and the user's network usage, in said network gateway device;
• reconfiguring said data to one of the predetermined data formats which may be received by a management system;
• and
• transmitting the reconfigured data to the management system.