Voice Management Guide

ACD – Automatic Call Distributor. The ACD is a device for managing incoming calls to a call centre by automating distribution to the various operators according to their availability, skills and productivity. The ACD can also manage priorities, deterring and overflowing calls in the event of call peaks.

Voice reception: Implementation of a voice server for the initial processing of an incoming call.

Emergency call routing or Plan Départemental d’Acheminement des Appels d’Urgence (PDAAU): prefectures must send telecoms operators and keep the Plan Départemental d’Acheminement des Appels d’Urgence up to date. This enables callers to the emergency services to be located so that they can be routed to the right processing centre.

Active Directory: Directory service created by Microsoft in the mid-90s which centralises the identification and authentication of resources, users and services within a company.

MAC address: Hardware address assigned to the Ethernet network interface card when it is manufactured.

Agents: Depending on the business, the term “agent” may be used to refer to a tele-advisor, tele-operator, tele-salesperson, etc. Whatever the name given to the agent, it refers to the person who is put in contact with a customer using a medium (telephone, e-mail or chat) to reach a contact centre platform (call centre). The agent is generally equipped with a computer running software called an agent workstation. It provides the link between the contact centre application and the business application: CRM, helpdesk, etc.

Analogue: An electrical signal that takes on values through continuous variations analogous to those of the physical phenomenon. Communication is analogue on a conventional telephone line because it carries signals with variable frequencies of between 300 and 3400 oscillations per second (Hertz).

Company directory: service used to list the company’s switchboard directory.

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 telecoms bill under control.

Simultaneous calls: simultaneous call management means you can have n simultaneous calls during a call. This feature ensures that no calls are lost.

Outgoing calls : Telephone calls made from a call centre for the purpose of prospecting or building customer loyalty.

Video call: call that can be made via the video channel.