Telephony Glossary - Page 1

ACT! - A Windows-based Personal Information Manager from Symantec that allows users to create a contact or customer database and track details by customer or contact. When PassageWay™ Direct Connection and FastCall™ are also installed, and the customer subscribes to Caller ID, a FastCall™ macro can be set to pop an ACT! screen when a customer in the database calls.

Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) - A method of speech encoding that calculates the difference between two consecutive coded speech samples, allowing voice signals to be encoded in half the space that standard PCM requires.

Adjunct Routing - An optional DEFINITY® feature that allows calls to be routed to adjuncts such as voice mail, fax machines, music on hold, and voice response units (VRUs).

Adjunct/Switch Application Interface - (See ASAI)

Advanced Peer-Peer Communications (APPC) - High-level protocol that allows remote applications to communicate.

Agent - A worker in a Call Center who handles incoming and/or outgoing calls.

Algorithm - A standard method for solving a problem or completing a task.

Alliance of Computer Telephone Application Suppliers (ACTAS) - Industry forum specializing in CTI in the United States. Subgroup of North American Telecommunications Association (NATA).

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - Standards body within which the T1S1 committee is standardizing SCAI.

Analog - Capable of processing or transferring data whose physical quantities vary. (See also Digital.)

Analog port board - A port board to which analog devices such as analog telephones and tape recorders may be connected.

AnswerSoft - The software developer and provider of several CTI software products, including two TSAPI-compliant PEC'd ISV products offered with PassageWay™ Telephony Services. (See also Intelligent Information Router™ and Sixth Sense®.)

API - See Application Programming Interface.

Application - A business-oriented task, for example, order processing.

Application Computer Telephony - See ACT.

Application Generator - A software tool that allows the production of applications without programming.

Application Integration Service - A Lucent Technologies Professional Service that integrates customer's application software, ISV software, and PassageWay™ for Telephone Services Solution software with the switch through the ASAI link. Can be done either remotely or on site.

Application layer - For CallVisor® ASAI, the top layer and entry point to a protocol stack. The application layer accepts data delivered through the system-level software or through the Applications Interface, processes that data, and sends it down to the lower layers.

Application Programming Interface (API) - An interface between an operating system and compliant applications. Usually includes a set of functions that programmers can write into applications. TAPI and TSAPI are APIs.

Application Service Elements - See ASEs.

Application Software - The program or suite of programs that implements a business task.

Applied Computer Telephony (ACT) - A computer-specific API that enables computers running the HP 3000 and HP 3000 operating system to connect to the DEFINITY® G3 through the CallVisor® ASAI Gateway. (See also Hewlett-Packard.)

ASAI - A software message set or interface protocol on the DEFINITY® G3 for PBX to file server CTI applications. ASAI supports activities such as event notification and call control.

ASEs - The eight areas of ASAI into which its 48 individual capabilities are grouped. The eight ASEs are First Party Call Control, Third Party Call Control, Notification, Value Query, Set Value, Request Feature, and Maintenance.

Association of Computer Telephone Integration Users and Suppliers (ACTIUS) - Industry forum for in CTI in Europe. Subgroup of the Telecommunications Managers Association (TMA) in the United Kingdom.

AT&TBuzz - TAPI-compliant application packaged with PassageWayÔ Direct Connection that uses incoming "caller ID" telephone display information to screen-pop information about the caller, answer the call from the PC, put the caller on hold, or hang up.

AT&TCall - TAPI-compliant card file database application packaged with PassageWayÔ Direct Connection that enables the user to find phone numbers on the PC and autodial them with a few mouse clicks, track and keep notes on calls made using Direct Connection, and print phone lists and notes.

AT&TSet - TAPI-compliant application packaged with PassageWay™ Direct Connection that programs the user's MERLIN LEGEND® or PARTNER® telephone and prints new telephone labels using PC's Windows interface.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI) - A general industry term referring to knowledge of the calling party number (CPN). When the calling party is connected to a PBX, the number provided can be either a billing number for the PBX or the station identification number.