Terms and definitions

This section includes terms that may not be applicable to your software licensing level.

Abandoned call

An abandoned call is a call that the caller ends before the call is answered.

Account Code

Account Codes are classifiers that can be applied to call records and used to identify unique attributes about the caller or call for individual departments, projects, or services to generate reports on them. As well, they can be used by agents as classification codes for incoming calls. Account codes can be verified, non-verified, fixed length, or forced.

See Classification Codes, Fixed Length Account Codes, Forced Account Codes, Non-Verified Account Codes, Verified Account Codes.

ACD (Automatic Call Distribution)

ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) is a call distribution mechanism that distributes calls to a pool of available queue members.

ACD (state)

ACD is a state applied to a queue member while they are handling an ACD call.

ACD calls handled

See Calls Handled.

ACD calls interflowed

See Interflowed.

ACD calls offered

See Calls offered.

ACD calls requeued

See Calls requeued.

ACD handling time

ACD handling time is a parameter for MiContact Center Business that provides the sum of all events from answer to hang up of an ACD call.

ACD path

An ACD path is a predefined route that a call follows before reaching an agent. ACD paths direct callers to the agents or agent groups best suited to handle the calls. For example, a contact center can have an ACD path for sales, which routes callers to the agents taking sales orders.

Active Directory

Active Directory is a directory service created by Microsoft that is used for managing a domain. In MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics, Active Directory is synchronized with YourSite Explorer to align Active Directory security groups and users with MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics employees and employee groups within selected organizational units.

Agent

An agent is a contact center employee, assigned an Agent ID, who receives calls routed to ACD paths.

Agents available

Agents available is a real-time statistic indicating the current number of agents who are logged in and not in Make Busy or Do Not Disturb. If an agent is configured as a part of an agent group and is logged in, the agent is counted as available, even if they are not present in that agent group. This statistic can be used as a queue condition in IVR Routing.

ANI (Automatic Number Identification)

ANI (Automatic Number Identification) is a service that provides receivers of telephone calls with the caller information. ANI can be used to create screen pops for agents or to route calls by caller phone numbers. ANI identifies callers and can be used to route calls by caller phone numbers.

Answered by

Answered by is the real-time name for the number of calls answered by the first, second, third, and fourth answer points

Answering points

An answering point is a single point of communication available to callers where they can contact a contact center, such as a queue, voice mail, or extension.

ASA

See Average Speed of Answer

Average Speed of Answer

Average speed of answer (ASA) is an ACD statistic that measures how long the average caller waits on hold before the call is picked up by a queue member (including time in queue and ringing time).

Average abandon time

The average abandon time is the average number of seconds callers wait in queue before they abandon a call.

Billing options

Billing options are the surcharges that can be associated to a subscriber plan at a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis, as well as a single time as a flat rate.

Blocked call

A blocked call is a call that is unable to get into the contact center's telephone system because there are no trunks available. The caller receives a busy signal.

Busy hour

Busy hour is a statistic that highlights the busiest hour of operation of a business day.

Call abandoned parameter

The Call abandoned parameter is a queue configuration that defines short abandoned calls, determining what abandoned calls are included as abandoned in call statistics. The default the short abandon is configured at 6 seconds.

Call routing

Call routing is the set of instructions configured in Mi Contact Center Business to automate the movement of calls to their intended answering points.

Call rate

A call rate is the amount charged by a company per call. Each digital pattern is associated with a call type and call rate.

Call type

Call type categorizes calls employeesqueue members receive, enabling them to be looked up in SMDR Inspector. Call types include ACD or Non ACD, abandoned, interflowed, requeued, unavailable, or outbound.

Callback

Callback is an optional feature of telephone systems that enables callers who are unable to reach an agent in a contact center to be called back by the contact center. Mi Contact Center Business and IVR Routing offer several methods of providing callbacks, including Call me back, voice callbacks, web callbacks, and abandon callbacks.

Calls abandoned

Calls abandoned is a report field detailing the total number of calls that abandoned in queue or while the phone was still ringing at an extension. Calls abandoned ignores calls that were abandoned before the short abandoned parameter had been passed.

See Abandoned calls.

Calls abandoned (long)

Calls abandoned (long) are abandoned calls where the caller hung up after the short abandon parameter had been passed. By default, the short abandon is configured to be 6 seconds.

Calls abandoned (short)

Calls abandoned (short) are abandoned calls where the caller hung up before the short abandon parameter had been passed and are not included in the call statistics.

Calls answered

See Calls handled.

Calls handled

A handled call is a call that has been picked up answered by a queue member. A call that listens to in-queue RAD messages is not considered handled until it is answered by a queue member.

Calls interflowed

See Interflowed.

Calls requeued

Requeued calls are all calls replaced back into the same queue and offered to another agent when an agent receives an ACD call and fails to answer it after a pre-configured duration or number of rings.

Calls waiting

Calls waiting is the number of callers in a queue waiting for a queue member to become available, including those listening to Music on hold or queue announcements.

Camp on

Camp on is a notification tool that enables callers to notify an employee, who is currently on a call, that they are waiting to be answered. The employee is notified by a series of audible beeps.

Carrier plan

A carrier plan determines the cost of calls, based on the call rate charged by a phone carrier for phone service. Carrier plans enable the costing of outgoing calls using digit patterns, cost incoming calls using DNIS rates, and cost internal calls by assigning rates.

Charge bands

Charge bands are the rates charged by a carrier during time periods specified by associated time slots. Call rates are composed of charge bands.

Classification codes

Classification codes are classifiers appended to calls to categorize them, enabling reporting to examine specific categories of calls, such as those relating to specific products or services.

Clustered environment

A clustered environment is a network environment where multiple telephone systems are linked together to function as a single system.

Computer Telephony Integration

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) are technologies that merge computer functions and telephone systems, enabling PC-based telephone systems to deliver functions such as synchronized voice and data delivery, voice and data conferencing, automatic information retrieval for calls, caller-based messaging and routing, and desktop productivity tools.

Cost ceiling

A cost ceiling is the maximum charge that can be applied to a call.

Crossing percentage surcharge

A crossing percentage surcharge is a percentage markup added to the total cost of a call once the duration boundary of a call is reached.

Crossing surcharge

A crossing surcharge is a flat rate applied to a call after the duration boundary is crossed.

CTI

See Computer Telephony Integration

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a model for customer management that relies on technology to streamline and manage interactions with customers.

Date stamp

See Date/Time stamp.

Date/Time stamp

A date/time stamp is an indicator attached to a record or statistic detailing when it was created.

Delayed call

A delayed call is a call placed in the ACD queue because it cannot be immediately answered by a queue member. The ACD queue allows the client to wait for an available member rather than blocking the client from entering the system.

Dialable number

The dialable number is a digit or series of digits dialed by a caller to reach an answering point, such as an employeea queue member, an extension, a queue, or voice mail.

Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS)

Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) is a telecommunication service that identifies the phone numbers dialed by inbound callers. DNIS can be used to route calls, enabling contact centers managing multiple product lines or businesses to direct calls to the appropriate endpoint.

Digit pattern

A digit pattern is one or more numbers used to identify and cost a call. A digit pattern can be part or all of a phone number.

Discount

A discount is a percentage reduction applied to the entire cost of a call, such as for calls occurring during off-peak hours.

Division

A division is a grouping of several employee or extension groups that enable a single report to be run for several groups simultaneously.

DND

See Do Not Disturb (state).

DNIS

See Dialed Number Identification Service.

Do Not Disturb (state)

Do Not Disturb (DND) is a state that prevents queue members from receiving inbound interactions and transfers. For agents, Do Not Disturb is an employee-level configuration. When an employee is in Do Not Disturb, they enter Do Not Disturb across all agent capabilities.

Duration

The duration is the maximum call length before a surcharge is applied to a call.

Employee

An employee is a person who is employed by an organization and configured as an employee in MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics so that they have access to MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics applications and may have their associated devices reported on.

Enterprise

An enterprise is both the single site where the Enterprise Server is installed and all the connected branch offices that comprise a company.

Enterprise Server

The Enterprise Server is the central server upon which MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics is installed and from which MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics runs.

Erlang

An Erlang is a unit of measure for telephone traffic equal to one hour or 3,600 seconds of telephone interaction, such as a single call lasting one hour or six calls lasting 10 minutes.

Erlang B

Erlang B is an equation used to estimate the number of trunks required by a contact center.

Erlang C

Erlang C is a forecasting equation that uses historical Call Load data, Service Level Percentage, Service Level Time, and Wrap up Time Used to predict the resources required to keep wait times within a contact center ‘s Service Level objective for the time interval and data range selected in a forecast.

External Hot Desking Agent

See Hot Desking Agent.

Extension

An extension is an endpoint for answering calls. Extensions can be assigned to Ring Groups.

An extension is an endpoint for answering calls. Extensions can be assigned to Ring Groups., or can be logged into by agents.

First cost

First cost is the rate applied to the first segment of a call to the first cost interval. The first increment is always charged at the full first cost, regardless of whether the call exceeds the first interval or not.

First cost interval

First cost interval is the duration of the first segment of a call, to which the First cost is applied.

Fixed cost

A fixed cost is the charge applied to all calls, regardless of their duration. Fixed costs cannot be combined with any other costing rate.

Fixed cost markup/discount

A fixed cost markup/discount is the dollar amount added to or subtracted from the entire cost of a call.

Fixed Length Account Codes

Fixed Length Account Codes are verified and non-verified Account Codes that are automatically submitted to the system when the correct number of digits has been entered.

Forced Account Codes

Forced Account Codes are verified and non-verified account codes that must be entered at a specific time in a call. Forced verified account codes must be entered as soon as the phone is off the hook. Forced non-verified Account Codes must be entered after the phone number is dialed. Systems may be configured to avoid the requirement of entering a forced non-verified Account Code when making a call that must not be charged (for example, dialing a leading digit such as 8 to make a call without entering an Account Code and dialing a leading digit such as 9 to make a call that requires an Account Code).

Grade of service

The grade of service (GOS) is a measure of the likelihood of an attempted call receiving a busy signal. GOS compares the number of trunks to the level of traffic and expresses the result as a decimal fraction. A GOS of P.02, for example, indicates that a caller would have a two percent chance of receiving a busy signal.

Handled by

Handled by is the real-time statistic for the number of calls answered by the first, second, third, and fourth answer points.

Handled %

Handled % is the real-time statistic comparing the calls handled to the calls offered.

Handling time

Handling time is the measure of how long a call took to be handled by a queue member, from when the call is answered when the call is finished. Handling time includes talk time, hold time, as well as transfers and conferences on the call.

Hot Desking Agent

Hot Desking Agents are employees configured with a Hot Desking Agent ID that enables them to sit at any extension in a network and log on to that extension with all their regular work settings available. External Hot Desking Agents can hot desk remotely using any phone or headset.

Hunt group

A hunt group is a series of telephone lines grouped by the telephone system that rotates incoming calls through the lines until an available line is found and the caller is connected.

Inbound

Inbound is a descriptive term applied to forms of interaction or communication, such as a phone call, to indicate that it is being sent to a contact center from an external source.

Inbound calls

See Inbound.

Interflowed

Interflow is a mechanism that redirects interactions from queues to alternate answering points (for example, to another queue or to voicemail). Interflow statistics include interactions manually transferred from one queue to another. Interactions routed from queues to other answering points before the Short Abandon time are not included in Interflow statistics.

Interactive Voice Response

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a technology that enables callers to interact with a contact center’s phone system by pressing keys or speech recognition while following IVR dialog.

Internal calls

Internal calls are calls made from within a system to other answering points within the same system.

LAN

A Local Area Network (LAN) connects multiple computers together over short distances. LANs typically operate within a building. The computers share information, applications, and peripherals, such as printers.

Logged on

Logged on is an agent state applied to agents who have signed into the ACD system.

Logged off

Logged off is an agent state applied to agents who have signed out of the ACD system.

Longest waiting

Longest waiting is the duration, in minutes and seconds, of the call that has been waiting the longest in queue.

Make Busy (state)

Make Busy is an agent presence state applied to prevent an agent who is busy from receiving ACD calls. Agents in Make Busy are able to receive Non ACD calls. Make Busy is an employee-level configuration. When an employee is in Make Busy, they enter Make Busy across all agent capabilities.

Media servers

A media server is a server or system, such as a telephone system, used to organize and distribute communications throughout a contact center.

Minimum duration to cost

The minimum duration to cost is the length of time that may pass before a call is costed.

MiTAI

MiTAI is a Mitel implementation of TAPI that is used to connect the telephone system/PCs running windows to external applications, such as ACD controllers.

Mitel OPS Manager

Mitel OPS Manager is a Mitel software application that provides network-wide administration and maintenance for MiVoice Business and 3300 Network Elements or Nodes.

Non ACD (state)

Non ACD is a state applied to queue members involved in an incoming personal contact, a member-originated call, or a call dialed directly to their extension.

Non-verified Account Codes

Non-verified Account Codes are numbers entered onto the SMDR record for billing and call management. During a call, non-verified Account Codes can be entered as often as required.

Outbound calls

Outbound calls are calls made from within a contact center to external answering points.

Overflow

Overflow is a call distribution mechanism that queues calls against two or more agent groups to limit the delay faced by callers. If a call in an ACD queue is not answered after the configured Overflow time, then it is placed into the queue of a second agent group in addition to the first queue.

PBX

See Telephone system.

Peak Monday to Friday end hour

The Peak Monday to Friday end hour is the hour that ends the peak hour period. Regular rates apply during peak hours, from Monday to Friday.

Peak Monday to Friday start hour

The Peak Monday to Friday start hour is the hour that starts the peak hour period. Regular rates apply during peak hours, from Monday to Friday.

Percentage markup/discount

The percentage markup/discount is a percentile increase or decrease applied to the entire cost of a call.

Pooling principle

The pooling principle refers to the increased contact center efficiency gained by consolidating contact center resources.

Port

A port is a communications endpoint in MiContact Center Business used to link services.

Probability of delay

The probability of delay is a statistic that measures the likelihood of a call being delayed in the ACD queue, comparing the number of queue members to the level of traffic carried by the trunks.

PSTN

See Public Switched Telephone Network.

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)

The Public Switched Telephone Network is a global collection of Central Offices (CO) interconnected by long distance telephone switching systems.

Quality of service

Quality of service is a reflection of an agent's ability to provide excellent assistance to each customer. Quality of service can be evaluated and managed through silent monitoring systems, IT support systems, CTI, ANI, and DNIS.

Queue number

A queue number is the address of a queue or other answering point used in the telephone system. The programming associated with the queue number defines the routing and timing options available to the call.

Queue member

A queue member is an individual answering for the queue. For ACD paths, ‘members’ refers to agents in the queue’s answering agent groups. For Ring Groups, ‘members’ refers to the extensions assigned to the queue’s Ring Groups.

A queue member is an individual answering for the queue. For Ring Groups, ‘members’ refers to the extensions assigned to the queue’s Ring Groups.

RAD

See Recorded Announcement Device.

Readerboard

See Wall sign.

Real-time adherence

Adherence refers to whether or not agents are performing the activities for which they are scheduled. Workforce management tools enable supervisors to be notified of discrepancies between agents' work schedules and the actual activities they perform.

Reason Code

Reason codes are descriptive classifiers applied to Make Busy and Do Not Disturb states to provide more detailed information as to why the queue member applied the code.

Recorded Announcement Device

Recorded Announcement Device is an IVR Routing feature that provides prerecorded messages to callers waiting in the ACD queue.

Reporting number

A reporting number is the unique number assigned by the system to contact center resources for reporting purposes.

Ring Group

A Ring Group is a collection of extensions, or a single dialing point for a collection of extensions, in a business. Ring Groups are typically used to reach back office extensions. For example, a business with agents taking sales orders may also have several phone extensions in the warehouse. These warehouse phone extensions are compiled into a Ring Group, which can be reached via a single dialing point.

A Ring Group is a collection of extensions, or a single dialing point for a collection of extensions, in a business. Ring Groups are typically used to reach back office extensions. For example, a business may have several phone extensions in the warehouse. These warehouse phone extensions are compiled into a Ring Group, which can be reached via a single dialing point.

Service Level percent

The Service Level percent is the number of calls that are handled, abandoned, and interflowed before the Service Level time, compared to the total number of calls handled, abandoned, and interflowed.

Service Level time

The Service Level time is the specified time used in calculating the queue service objective in conjunction with the Service level percent, such as 80% (Service Level percent) of interactions answered within 120 seconds (Service Level time).

Silent monitoring

Silent monitoring is a MiContact Center BusinessMiVoice Analytics feature that facilitates the tracking of agent extension call handling techniques by enabling supervisors to listen to the voice interactions of internal or external calls between agentsextensions and callers.

Site

A site is a physical location of a contact center with one or more media servers. It may be the same location where the Enterprise Server is installed or a branch office.

Spectrum

Spectrum is a reporting feature configured for queues that provides a frequency distribution of calls abandoned, answered, or interflowed based on a defined time scale.

SQL

SQL is a standard query language used to enter, query, and change data in a database, as well as create and administer databases. Administration of YourSite Explorer is done using Microsoft's SQL Server.

Subroutines

Subroutines are portions of workflows that can be reused in multiple workflows.

Subscriber

A subscriber is a client or customer outside of a company to whom the organization provides a communication product or service, such as a student in a dormitory or a tenant in a rooming house.

Subsequent increment interval

Subsequent increment interval is the segment of a call that occurs after the first call interval to which the subsequent increment cost is applied.

Surcharge amount

The surcharge amount is an additional amount charged to subscribers on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or one time basis.

Surcharge per call

The surcharge per call is an additional charge applied to calls regardless of their duration.

Talk time

Talk time is the measure of the time an employee agent spends talking to callers, excluding time spent on hold.

TCP/IP

TCP/IP is the basic communication protocol of the Internet and is used as a communication protocol in private networks (intranets).

Telephone system

A telephone system is a private branch exchange (PBX) or business telephone switch used to process incoming and outgoing calls to a contact center.

Time slot

A time slot is the days and hours that a rate for a call is active. Charge bands are composed of multiple time slots.

Time to answer

Time to answer is the measure, in seconds, of how long an incoming call remained in queue before it was answered. It is primarily used as an SMDR data mining criteria.

Time stamp

See Date/Time stamp.

Toll fraud

Toll fraud is the misuse of a telephone system, either from improper calling or from carriers over-charging. In MiVoice Analytics, toll fraud is user-defined and may include specific digit patterns, internal calls, or calls that cost more than a set rate.

True talk time

See Talk Time.

Trunk

A trunk is a communication line between two telephone systems.

Trunk load

Trunk load is the duration of time from when a trunk receives a call to when the employeequeue member finishes handling the call and disconnects. Trunk load does not include Wrap Up Time.

Unavailable

Unavailable is an agent and employee state real-time column in Contact Center Client that includes agents unavailable to take calls due to being in Do Not Disturb, Make Busy, Work Timer, Reseize Timer, or Unknown.

Updated Position in Queue (UPiQ)

Updated Position in Queue (UPiQ) is a notification feature that provides messages to callers informing them of their position in queue and keeps them informed of their position if it changes, at preset intervals.

UPiQ

See Updated Position in Queue.

Verified Account Codes

Verified Account Codes are numbers entered before making a call to change the Class of Service or Class of Restriction at the station. When the call ends, the station returns to normal. Verified Account Codes can be tracked with SMDR for long-distance billing purposes and may be reported in Internal SMDR logs.

Wall board

See Wall sign.

Wall sign

A wall sign is an electronic sign used to display real-time ACD statistics to employees in a contact center.

WAN

Wide Area Network (WAN) connects multiple computers over a wide geographic area. WANs operate over telephone carrier lines through bridges or routers. Router options enable communication between high speed LAN links and slower speed WAN links, which tie LAN segments together.

Whisper Coach

Whisper Coach is a silent monitor feature that enables supervisors to converse with and coach agentsextensions handling calls without callers hearing the supervisor.

Workflow

Workflows are programed pathways in IVR Routing and Multimedia Contact Center, which control how interactions are routed to queue members.

Workforce management

Workforce management is the scheduling of contact center agents to meet forecasted resource requirements and the managing of agents to ensure they adhere to their scheduled activities.

Workforce management is the scheduling of contact center agents to meet resource requirements and the managing of agents to ensure they adhere to their scheduled activities.

Wrap Up Time

Wrap Up Time is a real-time and reporting statistic detailing the total time an agent spends in the Work Timer state.