ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) A computerized phone system that responds to the caller with a voice menu and connects the call to the appropriate agent.
AHT (Average Handle Time) - The period of time an employee is occupied with an incoming call.
ANI (Automatic Number Identification) Ability to recognize the number of the person calling.
ASA (Average Speed of Answer) How many seconds it takes for an operator to answer a call, on average.
ASPs (Application Service Providers) Companies that remotely host software applications and provide access to and use of the applications over the Internet or a private network.
A device that converts analog voice signals to digital signals which can then be transmitted over the Internet.
ATB (All Trunks Busy) -No trunks are available to handle the call, they or either being used or out of service at that moment.
The larger, specialized phone an operator or attendant uses to answer incoming calls and route them to the appropriate extension.
An automatic response system, such as a voice presenting options, such as press 3 for sales, 4 for parts, etc.
This term can refer to a hosted PBX feature that lets employees calling from outside the office avoid long-distance charges.
The transmission capacity of a given device or network.
A call center that allows agents to both make and receive calls as demand and strategy dictate.
A form of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions (or processes) to a third-party service provider.
A feature that allows an incoming call to a called party, which would be otherwise unavailable, to be redirected to a mobile telephone or other telephone numbers where the desired called party is situated.
A feature that will allow an unlimited number of callers to wait for an available sales representative or for resources to become accessible to assist them.
A call initiated as a VoIP call is terminated using the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
A telephone service that transmits a caller’s number to the called party’s telephone equipment during the ringing signal, or when the call is being set up but before the call is answered.
A telecom company that provides telecommunications circuits.
A term that comes from the enCOder/DECoder or Compressor-Decompressor process used for software or hardware devices that can convert a data stream.
Equipment that resides on-premise, usually at or with a business or customer.
Strategy for managing and nurturing a company’s interactions with customers and sales prospects.
The use of computers to manage telephone calls, allowing for automation possibilities and allows for the integration of text and faxing and other services.
All data transmitted over the Internet uses the same basic technology.
ISDN supplementary service.
A telephone number that rings in on a T1 circuit.
Phone technology that allows a broadband internet digital connection to be carried over existing copper phone lines, while still allowing the phone service to carry analog signals over the same line.
As an ATA receives voice packets they are stored briefly, rearranged and then processed in predefined intervals to reduce distortion.
Used in the majority of computer network connections, it is a digital networking system that involves a process known as packet switching, in which client requests are routed to their correct destination in the network.
A hardware device that converts traditional PSTN (analog/T1) signals into IP bridging the two protocols allowing them to communicate with each other.
An Asterisk PBX protocol, now most commonly refers to IAX2, that usually carries both signaling and data on the same path and is used to enable VoIP connections between servers as well as client-server communication.
Address of a computer that is connected to the Internet.
A phone that connects using Internet Protocol instead of more traditional analog lines.
A hosted PBX that has the ability to send a VoIP voice stream over a LAN/WAN circuit.
A standard digital network that lets users send voice, data, and video over one telephone line from a common network interface.
A company that provides Internet access to consumers, allowing them to connect their computers to the Internet.
International Toll-Free Service.
A feature of a hosted PBX which prompts the caller with voice messages and received input from the touch tone keys.
An office telephone system where each “outside” line appears as a button on each telephone set.
A network located in the same premise or small geographic area that is used to connect computers and other devices together through cabling or wireless connections enabling data to be sent from one point to another.
The time, usually measured in milliseconds, it takes data to travel from one point on a network to another point.
A local phone company.
A Unix-like operating system created by Linus Torvalds.
Where a person answers incoming calls and directs each call to the appropriate extension.
A central location on a network where remote diagnostics and network management are controlled.
A system of computers linked together by communication channels allowing the flow of data between the linked computers.
A licensing mechanism whereby users are allowed to use, modify, re-distribute, and even sell copies of a software program.
A private telephone switching system that allows outside phone lines from a telecommunications provider to connect to extensions within the office or building.
A physical place where a carrier has a presence for network access.
An automatic telephone dialing system that dials from a list of numbers and turns the call over to an agent when a human responds.
Allows agents to review (preview) information about the contact and choose when to dial the outbound call.
The ISDN equivalent of a T-1 circuit.
Presents contact information to the call center agent prior to dialing the phone number.
Any common carrier network that provides circuit switching between public users.
The traditional telephone network which uses pairs of copper wire to carry analog signals or digital T1 signals carrying multiple channels.
A queue is a number of calls that are waiting to be answered by agents in an ACD queue.
Ability to remotely answer calls ringing to other extensions by dialing a feature code (i.
A term that refers to the company providing the telecommunications services of toll-free telephone numbers.
The way a call is passed through the Northern telephone system.
Any computer in a network whose function is to provide user access to files, printing, communications, etc.
A signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, and instant messaging.
A call assignment strategy utilized by many call centers.
The type of dial tone sound created by electronic voicemail systems to let users know that a message is waiting to be retrieved.
Refers to the location/device from where the caller dials.
Specific to location or device where the call routes for answering.
A physical telephone or wireline.
Cell phone or tablet using cell phone carrier calling and data plans.
A telephone publically available with service operated by coins or by a credit or prepaid card.
A blended rate is one in which the termination rate is a mix or average of the varying rates for landline and mobile (for example).
The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA) was signed into law in the year 1996, by President Bill Clinton.
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