Glossary of
VoIP telephony
Looking for the definition of a technical term related to VoIP, corporate telephony or switchboards? The Kavkom glossary brings together the essential definitions in the field of virtual telephony.
A
ACD
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is an enterprise telephony feature that disperses incoming calls as efficiently as possible within a call center. An ACD system enables incoming calls to be routed to the employee best qualified to handle the call.
Agents
Depending on the profession, the term “agent” is used to refer to a tele-advisor, tele-operator, telesalesperson, etc. Whatever the name, the agent is the person who is put in contact with a customer who contacts a contact center platform (call center) via a medium (telephone, e-mail or chat). The agent is generally equipped with a computer running software called an agent station.
Unwanted call
List of outgoing calls that the company decides to block. This may involve blocking calls to premium rate numbers (VAS), foreign numbers, mobiles, etc. Creating a list of unwanted calls helps you keep your telecom bill under control.
Missed call
A missed call is any incoming call whose connection is interrupted before an agent can take the line. These calls can be categorized as abandoned or missed. Solutions such as call forwarding, IVR and voicemail are essential to reduce missed calls.
Simultaneous calls
Simultaneous call management allows you to be connected with several correspondents at the same time. So you can be on the line, receive other calls and answer them, by putting them on hold for example. This feature means you never lose a call.
Outgoing calls
Telephone call made from a call center for the purpose of prospecting or developing customer loyalty.
API
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of functions that enable applications to communicate with each other and exchange services and data, using a programming language. In telephony, the API enables data specific to telephone calls (call logs, call duration, etc.) to be exchanged between two distinct applications, such as a CRM and the company’s telephony system, without these two applications being connected.
Telephone application
A telephone application or call center application enables a company to manage all its business telephone calls and administer its calls from a computer or smartphone. Thanks to a downloadable application, companies can now manage their telephone communications on any device via an Internet connection.
ARCEP
ARCEP (Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques, des Postes et de la Distribution de la Presse) is France’s telecom regulator (as well as Internet and mail regulator). Among other things, Arcep allocates operator licenses and telephone numbers.
Telephone waiting
Call waiting refers to all situations where, in a switchboard system, the caller is placed on hold before the call is established. This may be the initial queue, between pre-hook and call completion on one of the switchboard’s extensions. It can also be a voluntary hold on the part of the called party. Music or a message on hold is usually played during this telephone hold.
Auto-switch
Auto attendant (also known as PABX/IPBX): a telephony device that connects extensions internally, filters and routes calls, places them in queues, and so on.
Automatic caller
An automatic dialer is a system that automatically dials telephone numbers en masse. Widely used by sales reps or call centers, it optimizes their productivity by enabling them to call a large number of prospects without having to dial their numbers one by one.
B
Call blocking
Also known as blacklisting, call blocking is a switchboard function that controls unwanted numbers. Calls from blocked numbers are automatically rejected. In this way, your phone lines remain free for only the most important conversations. Administrators can add or remove blacklisted numbers at any time, directly from the Kavkom dashboard.
C
Callback
The user dials a number in the country where the “call back” operates, without a call being established, and therefore without billing. An automated system calls him back and connects him to an international line. The user then dials the correspondent’s number. The call is billed at the rate of the chosen foreign operator. This system allows you to benefit from the tariffs of the country you are calling.
Call campaigns
The term phoning campaign generally refers to a direct telephone marketing campaign, which may be carried out in a customer relations center or call center, or more independently by a lone individual (salesperson, customer advisor, etc.). A phoning campaign can be aimed at customers or prospects. These are outbound calls.
Call cascade
Telephone call cascading is a method of distributing incoming calls to the lines of the people or agents who are to answer the calls. Cascade distribution indicates that the incoming call will first be routed to a line and then, if the person doesn’t answer, the call will be forwarded to another line or agent, etc.
CCaaS
Abbreviation for “Contact Center as a Service”. This refers to all Cloud contact center software accessible via subscriptions without an initial license. In other words, it’s SaaS contact center software.
CDR
Call Detail Record (CDR) is the set of used data collected about a call (fixed, VoIP, mobile). These data are collected by operators and can be reused for network optimization and management, or as part of contact follow-up.
Call center
A call center is designed to handle incoming or outgoing calls between a company and its customers. Call centers only handle telephone communications. They are tending to evolve more and more towards contact center-type structures, which encompass all the communications channels used, such as e-mail, chat and social networks.
Virtual call center
A virtual call center refers to all the services of a traditional call center hosted in the cloud. This configuration enables optimal call management by geographically dispersed agents. Virtual call centers rely on VoIP and productivity-enhancing business telephony software, such as Kavkom.
Contact Center
A contact center is an infrastructure that enables a company to manage interactions with its customers, whether in writing (e-mail, chat, etc.) or by voice (calls).
Centrex
A Centrex or Centrex IP, is a telephone switchboard hosted and managed by the supplier, generally a fixed-line telephony operator. This system enables a company to outsource its telephony management and avoid having to manage a physical switchboard in-house. Centrex telephony is also known as cloud telephony.
Click-to-Call (or 1-click call)
Click-to-call refers to the ability to initiate a call simply by clicking on a phone number or link in a web or mobile application. It’s the most emblematic feature of digital telephony. In addition to the convenience it offers on a day-to-day basis (no need to dial a number), click-to-call also makes it possible to call much more and much faster, and is therefore widely used for telephone prospecting.
Codec Opus
A codec is a program used to compress (reduce) digital data for rapid transmission over the Internet. The OPUS codec is an audio codec (voice, music, etc.) developed specifically for real-time audio exchanges over the Internet, such as calls or conference calls. As the latest codec, it is also the most effective for ensuring optimum quality communications, since it adapts better to the vagaries of Internet connections.
Unified Communications
Unified communications is the term used to describe the ability to use a single interface to manage all the communications resources generally used in the enterprise: calls, videoconferencing, internal messaging, document sharing…
Predictive dialer
A predictive dialer is a device used in call centers that predials the telephone numbers of contacts imported from a call file, then distributes successful calls to available agents. This tool enables call centers to run effective prospecting campaigns.
Conference call
Conference calls allow more than two people to take part in a telephone conversation simultaneously.
CRM
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a database that centralizes all a company’s interactions with its customers or prospects (exchanges, sales, after-sales service, etc.).
CRM software is designed to optimize the processing and analysis of customer and prospect data. The collaborative features provided by CRM software also enable a company’s various collaborators to work together efficiently.
CTI
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) is a technology used to enable a computer system to communicate with a telephony system to manage calls and other call center services. Kavkom’s CTI lets you manage every call-related task directly from your existing devices, through a single, easy-to-manage interface.
D
Dashboard
In telephony, a dashboard shows the real-time and historical call flows of the connected telephony system, i.e. calls from your company, customer support or sales team, for example. This is the supervisor’s basic control tool.
Call overflow
Call overflow refers to a situation where a call is routed to a different user (or group or team) from the one who usually handles the calls. Overflow occurs when there are too many incoming calls to be handled by the usual person.
DMC
Average Call Duration (ACD) corresponds to the average duration of calls made by a team, or a particular agent, over a given period. It is a classic productivity KPI, essential for call centers.
This duration includes call handling, but can also take into account post-call handling time.
DMT
Average Processing Time (APT) is the time it takes to process a contact’s request. It’s an indispensable contact center statistic. In the case of a telephone call, the AMD is calculated by adding the call duration with the customer and the post-call processing time required to finalize the processing of the request. DMT = call duration + post-call processing time.
DTMF
DTMF (Dual-tone multi-frequency) refers to the tones emitted when a telephone key is pressed. Technically, they are frequencies that digitally indicate which key is pressed. DTMF was introduced to avoid having to verbally tell an operator the number you’re trying to reach. It is also used in voice menus, such as type 1, type 2, to indicate your choice.
E
Discreet listening
Discreet listening is the ability to remotely listen in on a telephone conversation by a person outside the conversation, without either the caller or the called party being aware of it. Widely used in call centers by supervisors for control or training purposes.
Call recording
Simply refers to the recording of telephone conversations between the called party and the caller. The recording function is a useful solution for monitoring the quality of customer service provided by a company’s teams, or simply for keeping a record of conversations, in the event of a dispute for example. Recordings can also be used to support team coaching sessions and improve the quality of exchanges with agents.
F
Telephone queue
Telephone queuing involves placing an incoming call in a “queue” while waiting for the call recipient to become available.
Call center training
Training call center agents is an essential lever for any sales or customer service activity. Whether it’s knowing the technical aspects of products or how to handle complex situations, regular training for call center agents is essential to guarantee customer satisfaction.
G
Call groups
A call group is simply a set of telephone lines, or agents, generally grouped by skill. For example, it could be “the people who answer the company’s customer support in French”… Creating groups simplifies the creation of routing rules for incoming calls.
I
Caller ID
Feature that displays the name and/or phone number of the person calling you on your phone screen. This feature allows you to identify the caller.
Intercom
Small, low-capacity private branch exchange telephone system that doesn’t require centralized software and where connections can be obtained directly at the touch of a button.
Call interface
A call interface is an application on which an agent or user of a cloud telephony system can make and receive calls. It consists at the very least of a numeric keypad or “dialer” for dialing numbers, but often also includes access to contacts and call history (logs). Thanks to WebRTC, this interface can be accessed via a simple Chrome or Mozilla browser, with no need to install anything.
IPBX
An IPBX or IP PABX is a private branch exchange that uses Internet protocol for internal and external telephone communications. IPBX switchboards are based on the company’s local server, or on the cloud via VoIP telephony software. Kavkom’s solution dematerializes the IPBX, since no physical installation is required to set up the switchboard.
K
Call center KPIs
Call center “Keys performance indicators” are a set of measurements and rates used to analyze call center performance and assess the quality of exchanges between agents and customers. Depending on the company’s sector of activity and the different teams involved, the KPIs may differ.
L
Call recording software
Call recording software enables telephone call history to be stored for team training and performance monitoring purposes. With Kavkom’s call recording software, incoming and outgoing calls can be recorded and remain easily accessible in the CRM.
Telephony software
Telephony software improves a company’s ability to handle inbound and outbound telephone calls. Cloud-based telephony software or call center software offers various ranges of telephony functionality, and integrates with CRM, Helpdesk and other essential business tools.
M
Vocal menu
A voice menu is when a caller is asked to select the department or person they wish to reach by pressing a button on their telephone. A voice menu thus enables incoming calls to be routed to the right department or person.
Telephone on-hold message
This is the message delivered when an incoming call is in a waiting line, i.e. waiting to be picked up by a correspondent.
P
PABX
A PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange) is a private branch exchange used by companies to connect their telephones (internal lines) to the external lines of the switched telephone network (PSTN). It can also be used to implement a range of functions, in particular for managing telephone calls.
Portability
Number portability is a process that allows you to keep your phone number when you change phone providers. If you’d like to keep your existing phone numbers, Kavkom can help you transfer your numbers to your Kavkom account in just a few steps, with no service interruption.
Pre-hook
This is the automatic pick-up of an incoming call. It requires the use of a switchboard. The switchboard picks up the call automatically and plays a voice message or music on hold, replacing the usual ringing tone. This makes the caller’s time on hold more pleasant, before he or she is transferred to an available caller.
R
RGPD
Since 2018, the “General Data Protection Regulation” is a European Union regulation that constitutes the reference text for the processing and protection of personal data on residents of European territory. For a telephone operator, the GDPR implies explicitly informing users about how their call data is stored: numbers called or calling, date and time of calls, recording of conversations…
RIO
The Relevé d’Identité Opérateur (RIO) is an underlying code for all fixed and mobile telephone numbers. It facilitates portability in France, i.e. a change of operator, since it contains information on the operator to whom the number was initially assigned, on the contract, and on the use of the number (company or private individual…). It contains 12 digits or letters, and the operator in charge of the number is obliged to provide this code to the customer when requested.
Call routing by skill
Skill-based call routing is a way of directing an incoming call to the most qualified person best able to respond to the caller’s request. The most common use is to route calls according to the caller’s language.
S
SaaS
SaaS (Software as a Services) is a way of distributing software where the software is hosted by the supplier and the applications are available to its customers via the Internet (as a subscription or free of charge). This distribution method enables customers to avoid having to purchase and install software.
Call script
A call script is a guide for call center agents on how to structure a sales pitch or answer the most frequently asked questions. The script is most often used as part of a telephone prospecting campaign, but can also be used to handle incoming calls to a customer service department. Call scripting helps to reduce call handling times and improve customer satisfaction.
Outsourced customer service
Outsourced customer service is when a company subcontracts its customer relationship management tasks. Customer service outsourcing can occur when call volumes become too high to be absorbed in-house, during seasonal peaks, or for economic or space reasons. Kavkom is a telephony solution for customer service that enables better in-house or remote call management.
SDA
In corporate telephony, the DID, or “Direct Inward Dialing”, is a number assigned to each employee. This number enables them to be contacted directly, without having to go through the company switchboard.
SIP
When you make a call using IP telephony, a connection request is sent between your phone and the other party’s phone (more precisely, between the servers to which these phones are connected), before the sound itself can be exchanged. The format of these requests is standardized internationally by the SIP protocol (or Session Initialisation Protocol). By extension, “SIP” or “SIP phone” refers to IP phones, which connect using the SIP protocol.
ALS
The service-level agreement is a contract that clearly defines the commitment made by the telephony provider and its customer with regard to the availability and quality of the service provided. It is often a quantified measure of the minimum guaranteed availability, below which the supplier undertakes to compensate the customer. An SLA of 99.95%, for example, means that the service provider undertakes to ensure that the service is operational 99.95% of the time. If availability falls below 99.95%, the customer is compensated.
Softphone
A softphone – a contraction of software and telephone – is a software solution that enables telephone calls to be made via terminals other than the traditional physical landline telephone.
The softphone lets you make a call from computer to phone, phone to computer, or computer to computer.
Speech-to-Text
STT (Speech-to-Text) is a technology that automatically transforms the human voice into written text. In telephony, this technology is interesting for two reasons: firstly, it can simplify a company’s telephone answering service by directly asking the caller why he or she is calling, and directing the caller to the right person (in other words, creating an interaction with a server). On the other hand, it is the basis for all real-time telephone conversation analysis and applications, such as agent assistance in call centers, for example.
Switchboard
Technically speaking, a switchboard is an automatic switch that connects company calls to the telephone network. It’s a box that’s hosted either within the company (PABX or IPBX for its IP version), or by a service provider (Centrex).
It encompasses a range of functions: greeting, IVR, call transfer, etc., depending on the model and offer. In everyday language, it often refers to a company’s telephone answering service (“I haven’t been able to reach this company’s switchboard”)
The most recently implemented systems are based on IP technology (via the Internet).
Call statistics
Call statistics are crucial for analyzing call center performance. The most commonly analyzed KPIs are pick-up rate, missed call rate, outbound call volume, call duration, etc. Telephony software such as Kavkom offers a detailed view of call statistics from an intuitive interface. Combined with customized filters, it enables you to quickly spot problems and supervise agents individually or by team.
Supervisor
In a call center, the supervisor supervises and leads a team of agents, such as telephone agents. He/she is responsible for ensuring that the team is effective in achieving pre-defined objectives, such as the number of calls made or answered, the number of appointments booked for a prospecting team, the number of tickets handled for a support team, etc. He/she uses specific telephone tools such as real-time call monitoring or detailed call statistics per agent.
VAS
Value-added service (VAS) numbers – 08, 4- or 6-digit numbers – are contracted by companies or administrations to give access to a service linked to their activity (customer relations tool, game stage, matchmaking, content publishing, information…).
There are several types of VAS number, depending on the price charged to the caller: the 100% free service, shown in a green box, the free service and the cost of the call to the operator, shown in a gray box, and the pay service, shown in a raspberry-colored box.
IVR
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) refers to the personalized greeting menu that callers can interact with via their telephone keypad or voice recognition. The IVR enables companies to improve their telephone reception and automatically route calls to the most appropriate service or operator.
T
TaaS
TaaS (Telephony as a Services) means offering a telephony solution in Cloud mode, hosted by a provider who makes it available via the Internet. This frees you from the costs of installing a traditional telephone infrastructure, and allows you to organize it according to your company’s needs.
Abandoned call rate
The abandoned call rate is a call center performance indicator. It is calculated by dividing the number of abandoned calls by the total number of calls. In the case of inbound calls, a high rate of abandoned calls can be a sign of too long a waiting time before being answered by an agent, or of an interactive voice server that is too complex and discouraging.
Pick-up rate
The off-hook rate can measure either the rate of incoming calls picked up by a team over a given period compared to the total number of calls received, or the rate of outgoing calls picked up compared to the total number of calls made. In the first case, it is generally used to measure the quality of a support team, while in the second, it will measure the quality of an outbound call campaign, by sales staff for example.
Telco
Abbreviation for “Telephone Company”. In the broadest sense, this term covers all telephony providers. Orange is a Telco, Colt is a Telco, Kavkom is a Telco.
Average waiting time
The average waiting time is the time a caller has to wait before his or her call is answered, i.e. before an interlocutor picks up. This indicator should be monitored very closely by a customer service team, as it is a major source of irritability among callers.
Text-to-Speech
TTS (Text-to-Speech) transforms written text into a voice file. This involves transforming the text so as to define the sounds associated with the text and create the different intonations, rhythm and intensity that will be given to the reading. In telephony, “TTS” is used to create voice messages for telephone answering.
Call forwarding
In corporate telephony, a call transfer is the act of switching a call in progress to a colleague’s line, or to a call group (“I’m transferring you to technical support”).
Hot call transfer
Hot call transfer lets you talk to a colleague before transferring a call in progress (to explain the reasons for the call, for example).
SIP trunk
A SIP trunk is a service to which a company subscribes with a telephony operator, enabling it to make simultaneous calls from its IPBX over an “Internet pipe”. Communications are transported in IP from end to end, i.e. from the operator to the phones: this is known as “full IP”.
One of the characteristics of a SIP trunk is the number of channels, and therefore of simultaneous telephone calls.
U
UCAAS
UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) is the cloud variant of unified communications tools: the infrastructure is hosted by a service provider, and users access the service via the Internet.
V
VoIP
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a telecommunications technology that enables voice calls to be transmitted over the Internet. The voice is transformed into digital signals (0s and 1s) and can then be transmitted over any Internet network. Voice over IP” is gradually replacing analog PSTN technology, which transforms voice into electrical signals and uses dedicated (copper) networks to carry these signals.
W
Web callback
Web callback is a technology that allows a person to enter their phone number into a form on a website. The company owning the website then receives the callback request on the web, and a call center agent calls the person who made the request back on the number they entered.
WebRTC
WebRTC enables web browsers to communicate with each other (sound, image) directly, without the need to install specific software or plug-ins. This new technology, developed jointly by Google and Mozilla, makes it possible to use VOIP without any hardware, using a simple web browser. It’s one of the cornerstones of dematerialized corporate telephony.
