Glossary

2 Factor Authentication (2FA)

Provides an additional layer of security when logging into storm® portals, by sending a temporary code via email or SMS to the pre-defined destination for the user trying to log in.

5 9s Resilience

See 99.999% Resilience.

99.999% Resilience

A platform or service that has 99.999% resilience offers the highest industry standard in guaranteed up-time.

A

Access Points

An access point is a public-facing telephone number, SMS short or long code, email address or web chat destination that contacts can use to send requests into your contact centre services.

ACD

Automatic Call Distribution: intelligent queuing for contact centres. ACD distributes calls to agents based on availability and skills-based rules.

Action Cell

A graphical module available in storm FLOW for creating telephony services. An action cell performs the particular function indicated by its type. For example, a Play Media action cell plays an audio prompt to the caller.

Agent

A type of user configured to receive calls from a Contact ACD queue.

Agent Group

An agent group represents a group of agents of similar function who receive communications from one or more ACD queues.

Agent Licences

Agent licences are based on a concurrent usage model. A base licence is required for each named agent account (that is, each member of staff), and a concurrent licence is required for each agent who will use the system at the same time.

Agent Opt-In

Allows an agent to opt into or out of a group of which they are a member.

Agent Ordering Rules

If a queue’s hunting matching rules find more than one available agent, agent ordering rules come into effect. Agent ordering rules are used select which agent will receive the communication.

Agent Script

Agent scripts allow agents on voice calls to read on-screen text in the DTA. Agent scripts are commonly used for dialler agents participating in OUTBOUND campaigns but can also be used for inbound agents.

Agent Skills

Agent skills are used to select agents matching certain criteria and to define the order in which agents are given communications to handle.

Allow Agents To Opt-Out

A parameter that allows an agent to opt into or out of a group of which they are a member.

Alternative Number

A contact number for a user, for example an assistant's number

ANI

Automatic number identification (ANI) is a feature of a telecommunications network for automatically determining the origination telephone number.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of machine learning to power customer responses in the best way. AI applications include NLP (Natural Language Processing) and image recognition.

Automated Call Distribution

ACD enables calls to be intelligently routed to different agents based on pre-defined rules. At a basic level, this may mean that a caller’s Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) selections in the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu define which agent skill-group they speak to (for instance, a reservations line for bookings or a customer service line for enquiries & feedback). At a more advanced level, callers can be routed depending on agent availability, the date or time of day, or any known information about the caller which can be linked to their Calling Line Identity (CLI).

See also Touchtone, IVR, CLI.

Automated Speech Recognition (ASR)

ASR allows callers to input data or navigate an IVR menu by speaking instead of using DTMF keys.

See also Touchtone, Interactive Voice Response.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI)

Transmission of the calling number ahead of connecting the call.

See also CLI.

Automated Workflows

Automated workflows process and direct communications into ACD queue

B

Broad Network Access

Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms.

Browser-based

See Portal.

C

Callbacks

A callback allows a queued contact to end the call and be called back later.

Call Barring Profile

A list of prefixes assigned to a user that bars calls from or to numbers that match the barred prefixes.

Call flow

See Interactive Voice Response.

Call Forwarding

A set of rules and conditions for diverting calls that arrive at a user's extension or destination address.

Call Forwarding Group

A group of phone numbers to which calls can be forwarded, based on pre-defined rules.

Call History

A service feature allowing agent desktop users to the see the calls they have made, received, and missed.

Call Hold

A service feature for allowing users and agents to put an active call on hold.

Calling Line Identity (CLI)

CLI is a feature which enables telephony devices to recognise the origin of an incoming call or message, usually given in the form of a phone number.

See also Automated Call Distribution, Personalisation.

Call Transfer

A service feature allowing users to transfer a call to another user, group or destination.

Call Treatment

A call treatment is a type of destination for a call. Call treatments include hunt groups, which are group of users who share a number to call. If, for example, a caller wants to speak to 'someone in Support', they can call the Support hunt group. Other call treatments are Switchboard Groups, Eavesdrop Groups and ACD queues.

Call Treatment Overflow

Part of a call treatment's 'extended' configuration. Overflow diverts a call to another call treatment, to a service such as voicemail, or to a defined service script, when a call to the original call treatment is not answered or all lines are busy.

CDR

Call Data Record: a system database record written when a call is handled by the system. These can be accessed using the View interface.

Central Application Configuration

Backend module holding configuration information for multiple storm applications.

Chatbot

See Machine Agent.

CKS® (Customer Knowledge System)

A flexible customer relationship management (CRM) tool used to store information on contacts, companies, and opportunities. CKS can be accessed via storm DTA or, when bought as a standalone solution, directly.

CLI Presentation

The number presented as the calling party's number on outbound calls.

Cloud

Cloud technology enables the provisioning of Software or Communications-as-a-Service. Instead of requiring hardware to be physically present on-premise, a solution that is ‘hosted in the cloud’ will be based on hardware and software which is physically located elsewhere, and which can be accessed remotely. Different users can be assigned separate partitions all on one platform in the cloud, allowing them all to use the same piece of hardware as if it were their own, without interfering with each other.

Communications Channels

See Multi-Channel Communications.

Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS)

Communications capabilities hosted in the cloud and delivered from a remote location, negating the need for customer-premise equipment.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

By enabling computers and telephones to exchange data, a range of new functionality becomes available. For instance, it is possible to present information on screen simultaneously with an incoming call, such as a script based upon known information linked to the caller’s CLI.

CONDUCTOR™

A workflow design tool, providing end-to-end contact centre configuration in one location. Used in storm LITE.

Accessed via www.timeforstorm.com/conductor

Completion Code

Completion codes are used by agents in DTA to provide call results that may be used in reporting and also for triggering callbacks.

Completion Code Form

A completion code form is an important tool that can be used to provide insights into the outcomes of the calls received by an agent group.

Conferencing

A service that allows the user to bring multiple people into a conference to participate in a group phone discussion.

CONTACT™

Comprises iACD® (Intelligent automated contact distribution), IP contact centre functionality, flexible multi-channel routing and queuing, agent management, and supervisor functions.

Accessed via storm STUDIO™.

Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS)

The provision of a contact centre as a service through the cloud. storm is a full-stack contact centre solution, accessible through the cloud, allowing agents to provide outstanding customer experiences wherever, whenever, and through whatever channel.

CSV (Comma Separated Values)

CSV is a common file type used to import data into multiple storm applications.

CTI Computer Telephony Integration

By enabling computers and telephones to exchange data, a range of new functionality becomes available. For instance, it is possible to present information on screen simultaneously with an incoming call, such as a script based upon known information linked to the caller’s CLI.

Custom Media List

A custom media list  is a storm folder for storing media files.

Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)

CPE solutions are based on hardware or software located at a customer’s premises. This contrasts with hosted or cloud solutions, which do not require large initial investments since it is all accessible remotely through the network.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

CRM involves the use of technology to automate and optimise key processes in the management of an organisations customer relationships, the aim being to attract and win new customers while reducing churn.

Cyclic

A form of sequential hunt mode whereby the first person to be called is moved on by one for each call that arrives at the hunt group.

D

DATA MANAGEMENT

Powerful database integration platform, used in conjunction with FLOW™ to connect data sources to inbound and outbound services, create contact lists, and store retrieved information.

Accessed via storm STUDIO.

DECT Station

A DECT handset.

Destination Address

A telephone number or SIP address for a destination such as a user, a service or a call treatment.

Direct Dial-In (DDI)

A DDI is an internal telephone extension, enabling outside callers to reach a specific person within an organisation directly instead of having to be forwarded from a switchboard.

Disaster Recovery (DR)

A disaster recovery solution is designed to address the issue of guaranteeing business continuity in the event of unforeseen technical problems.

DNS (Domain Name System)

DNS system are used to associate IP addresses with domain names.

DTA® (Desktop Task Assistant)

Content Guru’s intuitive, accessible user interface used to handle multi-channel customer interactions. The DTA is browser-based so agents can log in to answer customer queries from any internet-enabled device. With seamless integration with all storm modules, the DTA enables a contact centre to be truly omni-channel, with voice calls, emails, SMS, social media messages, and web chat, as well as PCI-DSS compliant payments all managed in this single, intuitive interface.

E

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

ERP applications bring together critical management information from a spectrum of different business processes.

Extended Configuration

A term applied to call treatments that have 'overflow rules' configured. After a timeout the call is diverted to another call treatment, to voicemail, to a destination, to a call forwarding group or to a defined service script.

Extended Details

A user's telephone numbers (other than their extension number) for example home, mobile etc.

F

FedRAMP

FedRAMP is the US government program for providing a standardised approach to security authorisation, assessment and monitoring for products and services in the cloud.  FedRAMP ensures US government agencies can use modern cloud technologies that emphasis security and protection of federal information.

File Transmit

This is a backend module responsible for sending files from storm. It is used in outbound email and SMS interactions, and for sending scheduled VIEW™ reports.

Fixed line

A fixed line connection links the customer’s premises directly to the carrier network.

FLOW™

Drag and drop automated workflow creation tool with inbound and outbound multi-channel and data integration capabilities. Accessed via storm STUDIO.

G

Geographic Numbers

Any telephone number which is linked to a specific area. In the UK, these are numbers beginning with 01 or 02, with a 4- or 5-digit area code.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A GUI is an interactive display from which a user can manipulate data and processes. All storm services are controlled from intuitive GUIs.

H

Hold Music

Music that is played to callers while they wait in queues.

Hold Prompt

The hold prompt to play while the caller waits in the queue. This is typically hold music.

Hunt Groups

With hunting, calls to a single number can be distributed to multiple extensions in a ‘hunt group’. Multiple phones can ring simultaneously to be answered by whoever picks up first, or each line can ring in series until somebody is available to answer. The idea is to reduce the number of calls being abandoned because the line is busy, helping callers get through more easily.

Hunting Rules

An 'intelligent' or ACD queue routes communications to agents in agent groups using hunting rules and ordering rules (collectively known as matching rules).

I

iACD (Intelligent Automated Contact Distribution)

iACD enables calls to be intelligently routed to different agents based on pre-defined rules. At a basic level, this may mean that a caller’s Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) selections in the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu define which agent skill-group they speak to (for instance, a reservations line for bookings or a customer service line for enquiries and feedback). At a more advanced level, callers can be routed depending on agent availability, the date or time of day, or any known information about the caller which can be linked to their Calling Line Identity (CLI).

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

IMAP is an Internet standard protocol used by email clients to retrieve email messages from a customer’s email server over a TCP/IP connection onto .

Import file

A file that contains details of either IP phones, users, agents or extensions, that can be imported into the system using a CSV file.

Inbound

Inbound traffic refers to calls and messages coming into an organisation, usually from customers or stakeholders. Most organisations beyond a certain size will use an IVR system to greet inbound callers and direct them via ACD to the service they require in the contact centre. A full contact centre solution will also include full monitoring capabilities, enabling analysis of patterns in communications traffic for the purpose of optimising operational efficiency and enhancing the customer experience

Inbound Email Mapping

The Inbound Email Mapping setting is used to assign one or more email settings to a queue. These are used when replying to an email and define the ‘from’ address to be used,

Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN)

ISDN enables the digital transmission of voice, video, data and other network services over the traditional circuits of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Intelligent Automation

storm uses Intelligent Automation to automate processes across the whole contact centre. Intelligent Automation combines Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis.

Interaction Event Service

Web service are used to send data on live calls and other events to a third party service.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR enables automated self-service over the phone, giving callers a number of options to choose from via DTMF inputs and ASR. Based on the caller’s selections, messages can be played offering access to further services, or the call can be intelligently routed to a live agent (see ACD) in a contact centre. As the first point of contact for callers trying to reach an organisation over the phone, it is crucial that IVR menus are efficiently structured and well adapted to the needs of the caller. A negative experience with the IVR leads to customer complaints and a reputation for poor service, whereas a good experience makes the customer feel valued and keeps them satisfied.

Internet Protocol Central Exchange (IP Centrex/Centrex)

IP Centrex enables PBX capabilities to be hosted in the cloud and accessed remotely, negating the need for CPE.

International Organisation for Standardisation 27001 (ISO 27001)

The international standard for data security.

International Organisation for Standardisation 9001 (ISO 9001)

The international standard for quality in service delivery.

IPEI Number

International Portable Equipment Identifier. The serial number of a DECT handset.

IVR

Interactive Voice Response. A telephone service that interacts with callers. Such a service may play prompts, capture caller information, performs lookups, and route the caller to an appropriate destination.

K

Knowledge Management

storm CKS® Knowledge Management allows the creation of a logical system of knowledge articles, which are displayed to agents to assist with servicing customer interactions.

Accessed via storm STUDIO or DTA.

L

Legacy equipment

See Customer Premise Equipment.

Licence

An individual user's right to use features of the system.

LOCK®

Content Guru’s PCI-compliant self-service card payment solution.

See also PADLOCK.

Lync Agent

Used if contacts are to be routed to this user's registered MS Skype for Business account (instead of their iPath account).

M

MAC Address

Media Access Control address. A unique physical address assigned to each network adapter in a computer, or a mobile device.

Machine Agent

storm MACHINE AGENT™ is an always-on, AI-powered robot workforce that allows customers to self-serve over any channel. These virtual assistants give customers instant access to information at any time, through any channel. This includes voice, email, web chat, and video. Customers can even make secure, PCI compliant automated payments.

Mailbox

The place where a user's voicemail messages are deposited.

Matching Rule

A call distribution rule used in the Contact ACD system.

Menu Action Cell

Routes the caller according to a DTMF keypress, automatic speech recognition (ASR), or both. A graphical module available in storm FLOW for routing the caller according to their DTMF keypress, spoken words, or both.

Mobile Internet

See Wireless Application Protocol.

MTA™ (Mobile Task Assistant)

The mobile task assistant enables agents to access storm from their mobile devices ensuring they can be online no matter where they are, with queues and availability status aligned no matter which device they log in from.

Multi-Channel Items

Includes voice calls, Email, SMS, Web Chats, OUTBOUND (DIAL) calls, and Social Media communications.

N

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

This is the use of artificial intelligence to enable computers to understand human speech and text in similar ways to humans.

Nested Group

A nested group is created when an agent group is assigned to another agent group

NOC (Network Operations Centre)

Content Guru’s NOC is responsible for monitoring the storm platform 24/7/365.

Non-Geographic Numbers (NGN’s)

Any UK telephone number beginning with 08 (0800, 0845, 0843 etc.).

Number Management / Number Routing

Flexible inbound routing management, allowing access points to be pointed to automated IVRs and contact centre services. Accessed via storm STUDIO.

O

On-Demand Self-Service

A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider.

Ordering Rules

A queue routes communications to agents in agent groups using hunting rules and ordering rules (collectively known as matching rules).

Organisation

An entity to which users belong. Multiple organisations in a hierarchical structure can use the system, sharing the system's resources but in all other respects remaining separate.

Outbound

Outbound calls are calls made by a contact centre agent or member of an organisation to a customer or stakeholder. Outbound can also refer to other forms of communications, particularly mass email or SMS messaging, useful for direct marketing campaigns, notifications, alerting and reminder services.

See also Pro-Active Contact, Inbound, Multi-Channel Communications, CRM.

Outbound Email Mapping

The Outbound Email Mapping setting is used to assign one or more email settings to an agent group. These are used when agents in the group initiate outbound emails from DTA.

Overflow Matching Rules

Overflow matching rules widen the agent selection pool when the call’s current wait time exceeds a certain value.

P

PADLOCK™

Content Guru’s PCI-compliant agent-assisted card payment solution.

See also LOCK.

Parallel Ringing

A synchronous hunt mode, whereby all numbers in the hunt group ring simultaneously.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

The standard for payment systems, set out by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. Payment systems which fail to comply with the standard can be vulnerable to data theft, which can have disastrous consequences. One little-known fact is that, according to the PCI DSS, a system which permits a live call handling agent to receive payment details cannot be considered compliant. It is essential that all payment data be kept out of the hands of third parties when a transaction is taking place, to avoid the possibility of fraud.

See also ISO 27001.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the provider. The consumer has control over the deployed applications and possibly configuration settings for the application-hosting environment but does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure.

Personal Numbering

A facility that gives a user a single contact number that can reach the user regardless of current location.

Personal Portal

The end-user interface that can be accessed by UC users in order to manage a subset of their user settings.

Presence States

A set of preconfigured system-defined or custom statuses that agent desktop users cans select to indicate their availability or unavailability in storm. For example, ‘Lunch’ or ‘In a meeting’.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX/PABX)

A PBX is a private telephone exchange used by an individual organisation as opposed to a public exchange operated by a carrier. PBXs offer greatly reduced costs on internal phone calls, as well as a range of additional telephony capabilities not available through the carrier network, including hunt groups, call forwarding and Direct Dial-In’s (DDIs) at a basic level, or full contact centre capabilities such as CPE, Contact Centre, ACD, ASR.

Private Cloud

Private Cloud refers to the cloud infrastructure that has been provisioned for exclusive use by a single organisation.

Proxy Server

Servers in the storm network that are used to direct web traffic to the required location within storm.

PSTN

Public Switched Telephone Network.

PSTN Device

A device on the Public Switched Telephone Network.

PSTN-Pairing

A storm function allowing users to pair non-storm registered telephony devices such as personal mobile phones and landline phones to the agent desktop. The users can then use these devices to make and receive calls through storm.

Public Cloud

The infrastructure of a Public cloud is provisioned for open use by the general public.

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)

The world’s public telephone network.

See also ISDN

Pull to Ground

A facility that allows a call, that was diverted by the system to a user's mobile phone, to be 'pulled back' to the user's desk phone by pressing the key sequence * 1 on the keypad of the mobile phone.

PSTN Pairing

Calls to an agents’ DTA can be directed to a device on the Public Switched Telephone Network, such as a mobile phone.

Q

Queue

A first-in first-out list of callers waiting to be serviced by an agent.

Queue Manager

This is a backend module within storm responsible for queueing interactions (for example calls, emails) and delivering these to the correct agents.

Queue Matching Rules

One or more rules applied to a queue that are used for routing queued callers to particular agent groups and, optionally, according to criteria such as time of day, waiting durations, queue length, and agent skills.

Queue Parameters

Queue parameters determine the Service Level Threshold in seconds, used by VIEW for real-time reporting purposes.

Queue Prioritisation

Queue prioritisation can be configured for cases where communications from more than one queue are be presented to the same agents. This can happen, for instance, if an agent is a member of more than one agent group, or if more than one queue is matched to the same target group. In cases where more than one queue’s matching rules have selected the same agent, queue prioritisation rules will be used to decide which communication is routed to the agent

Queue Prompts

The prompts played to callers while in a queue.

Queue Rebound Options

These options are not used with queues configured for voice calls.

Queue Settings

Defines whether an agent should automatically enter wrap mode after a call, and the completion code form and agent script associated with the queue (if required).

R

RECORDER™

Powerful storm module that delivers multi-channel recording and storage of communications, and an interface to allow recordings to be searched, downloaded and scored. Next generation recording application, providing screen recording, transcription services and sentiment analysis.

Accessed via storm STUDIO.

Redundancy/Redundant systems

A redundant system will consist of at least two independent pieces of hardware, usually at separate sites for added resilience. When one piece of hardware fails, the other(s) ensure(s) that full service continuity is maintained.

See also 99.999% Resilience.

Registrar Server

Servers used in the registration of physical handsets on the storm platform, and in call routing to and from those handsets.

Relative Weighting

Each queue or queue group is given a relative weighting chance of being routed first, by entering a numeric value against each queue. At run-time, the system uses the total of all the values entered against each queue to decide (on a call-by-call basis) which queue to route a call to first.

Repeating Messages

The prompt to play to the caller at the selected intervals while they wait in the queue. A repeating message can be a system-recorded queue position message, an estimated wait time message, or a custom message.

Resilience

See 99.999% Resilience.

Ringback Tone

The audio that is played to callers when they call storm users.

Roaming?

Used when a user will work from more than one site. For emergency calls made from the DTA web iPath or from a PSTN-paired phone, the user's CLI will include a suffix to indicate that their physical location cannot be ascertained from their CLI.

Route Plan

A route defines which service the communication will access.

RSA SecurID

A mechanism developed by RSA (a subsidiary of Dell Technologies) for performing two-factor authentication for user access to storm portals and product. It uses a static PIN plus a dynamically generated code, which is available on a mobile device or a hardware token.

S

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

See Cloud.

Scheduler

Allows creation of call routing schedules that take into account agent availability schedules.

Accessed via storm STUDIO.

SDP

Session Description Protocol.

Sequential hunt mode

A hunt mode where the members of the group are called in sequence rather than all together.

Service

Either a service type, or a feature included in a service type such as a mailbox or conferencing.

Service Level Threshold

This is used by VIEW for real-time reporting purposes

Service Type

Every storm user must be assigned a service type. A service type is a subset of the features licensed to your organisation. Creating a service type and assigning it to a user means that the user will have access to the features in that service type.

Service Type Presence States

When set to 'Inherit from organisation', availability statuses presented to users are inherited from the settings in Organisation Presence States.

Shared Voicemail

A shared voicemail treatment is used in another treatment's overflow rules, allowing calls to be forwarded to a shared voicemail box.

SHOUT™

The SHOUT portal allows the creation and monitoring of outbound SMS campaigns and automated announcement broadcasts.

Accessed via a unique URL provided by Content Guru.

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)

Protocol used for multimedia communication sessions, such as voice or video calls.

SIP Trunking

SIP Trunking provides a dedicated VoIP connection between Cloud-based telephony services and your IP-enabled on-premise PBX. They allow you to benefit from the cost savings, flexibility and features of VoIP without having to replace your existing equipment. By deploying a SIP Gateway, you can even handle VoIP calls using your existing TDM equipment and handsets.

Single Sign On (SSO)

SSO technology enables users to combine log in and password for multiple SaaS applications.  It ensures users need only their login credentials once to access all of their SSO applications.

storm SSO ensures that users logged into their Microsoft Active Directory can access their storm applications with the same credentials.

SIP

Session Initiation Protocol.

SIP Devices

Telephony devices that use Internet Protocol (IP) telephony, allowing voice and multimedia communication to take place over an Internet connection.

SMS Notification

Allows you to set up an SMS number to which a notification is to be sent whenever a message is deposited in the voicemail mailbox.

Softphone

A software phone that appears on the user's PC screen and uses the PC speakers and microphone or a headset. Apart from making calls, the softphone provides access to services such as the user's conference, recordings and mailbox.

Starcode

The user code (starcode) that the user will use to log on to an IP phone.

STUDIO™

Access point for all storm configuration, including communication routing, recording retention and IVR creation.

Accessed via www.timeforstorm.com/stormstudio.

Supervised Group

A group of users whose calls can be listened to by an administrator. Only users who are in a supervised group can be monitored.

Switchboard

The PBX Switchboard is a Conference Manager, through which operators can see callers arriving and put them through to members of the organisation or add them to conferences.

Synchronous hunt mode

A hunt mode where all the phones in the group ring simultaneously until someone answers.

T

TDM

Time Division Multiplexing. A method of transmitting voice and other data over a network by dividing the data into fixed packet lengths and assigning them to fixed time slots for transmission. These are then reassembled at the destination.

Terminal

A form of sequential hunt mode in which members of the hunt group are called in an ordered sequence.

TickIT

TickIT procedures are guidelines to help software developers conform to the ISO 9001 standard of quality in service delivery.

See also International Organisation for Standardisation 9001.

Traditional telephone system

See Integrated Service Digital Network.

Touchtone

Touchtone inputs, also known as DTMF inputs, are the key presses made by a caller. The term is usually associated with the navigation of an IVR menu.

See also DTMF, IVR.

Traffic

See Inbound.

Treatment

A treatment enables incoming calls to be routed to a group, service or queue.

Treatment Summary

The treatment summary page allows administrators to view the configuration associated with the selected treatment.

Treatment Timeout

The duration that is assigned to a treatment (an entity in a storm contact centre) for handling an incoming communication. For example, a timeout of 60 seconds assigned to a ‘Hunt Group’ treatment allows 60 seconds for the call to be routed to a hunt group. On expiry, the call may be configured to take another route (such as to a mobile phone destination).

Twinning

A feature allowing a user to automatically forward calls to a sequence of numbers. A user’s Twinning list acts as a personal ‘hunt group’.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication provides extra security by sending a 6-digit code to the agent's email address or mobile telephone after the agent has provided the correct password.

U

UC™ Unified Communications

UC (Unified Communications). storm UC™ provides user and extension management, call groups, voicemail, call forwarding and twinning functions for back office managers, administrators, and contact centre support staff.

Accessed via storm STUDIO.

User

There are two types of User: Standard - an end user who uses PBX facilities, and Administrative - an admin user who has access to storm STUDIO. (A Dual user is both an end user and an admin user.)

User Group

A group of standard users within an organisation. User groups are typically arranged in a hierarchy to reflect the organisation's structure, for example Sales, Engineering, Support etc. See User Group Type.

User Group Type

A level in the hierarchy of user groups, for example Division, Department.

User Management

This is the backend module responsible for authenticating users when logging onto storm portals such as STUDIO and DTA.

User Pairing Details

The user code (starcode) that the user will use to log on to an IP phone.

User-to-User Messaging

The User-to-User Messaging client integrated within DTA®, allowing agents to chat with other DTA users.

User Type

The user type assigned to a user governs what licences they will need.

V

VIEW™

Real time and historical reporting functions with automated scheduling and export options, threshold alerting and real-time service feedback triggers.

Accessed via storm STUDIO or DTA.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

VoIP is the technology behind internet telephony, allowing voice to be transferred via the internet instead of through a traditional ISDN connection.

See also ISDN, Centrex, SIP Trunking.

W

Web and Event Management Systems

Servers responsible for monitoring the storm platform, and raising alerts into the NOC when an error is seen or thresholds are reached.

Web Chat

storm CONTACT: Web Chat enables instant messaging between a customer and an agent or chatbot via a unique URL provided by Content Guru.

Web Chats are serviced by agents in storm DTA.

Web iPath®

The DTA Web iPath uses a WebRTC client integrated within DTA, allowing secure SIP voice calls to be made via a browser.

Accessed in storm DTA.

WebRTC

Web-based real time audio and video communication via APIs.

WFM (Workforce Management)

A system for managing agents, including call volume forecasting, scheduling agents based on availability and skill set, reporting and managing “what if scenarios” for unexpected demand spikes.

Whisper Prompt

An optional file for playing a message to an agent before they service a call or to the caller between then answering a call and being routed to an agent.

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

WAP enables users to access internet applications on their mobile phone.

Workflow Service

A storm FLOW script for handling incoming communications and providing other services in relation to such communications.

Wrap Duration

The number of seconds for which agents will remain in wrap mode before the system automatically marks them as 'Available'.

Wrap Mode

A short period of time at the end of an interaction in which an agent is put into the ‘Wrap-up’ status allowing them to perform after call duties such as making notes about the call or submitting a completion code to storm. Agents do not receive calls whilst in wrap-up.

What is the difference between a call center and a contact center?

The primary objectives of both call and contact centers are the same: to resolve customer queries and sell products.

What is CCaaS?

CCaaS is poised to take the lead over legacy Contact Center Infrastructure, but what actually is it, and what are its key features?

What is IVR?

IVR is a telephony system that allows customers to interact with it before, or instead of, speaking to a human agent.

What is an omni-channel contact center?

If you’ve heard of the term “contact center”, you may have also heard of “multi-channel” or “omni-channel”. But what do these terms mean?

What is a Cloud Contact Center?

Many organizations are choosing to move their customer communications to a cloud contact center model.  But what exactly is a cloud contact center, and how does it differ from an on-premise contact center?