Call Centers use some various types of equipment. Hese is a list of the most common type of solutions.

• ACD
• Predictive Dialer
• IVR

What is an ACD? Automatic Call Distribution/Distributor (network, phone) A specialized phone system to distribute high volume of calls evenly or according to priority to minimize waiting time, or to route calls to appropriate parties. An ACD might direct calls to agents whose lines are not busy. Alternatively, an ACD might direct calls based on what a caller selects by pressing the telephone keypad (the caller, for example, might respond to recorded system prompts to enter an account number or choose a service option).

What is Fax Broadcasting? The process of sending out faxes in bulk to an existing list.

What is a Predictive Dialer? The current generation of high-speed telephone dialing systems. The predictive dialer, in addition to dialing calls, also monitors the length of each call and develops an average call length. Once the system knows the average call length, the predictive dialer can make the next call and "hand it off" to the agent as soon as the first call has ended. This system maximizes the on-phone time of each agent, and the overall result is, more customers are contacted in a shorter period of time.

What is IVR? What is IVR? Interactive voice response: the link between people using the phone and computer databases. This technology (along with automatic speech recognition, ASR) allows callers to speak in their natural voice to complete transactions or queries over the phone. IVR is the foundation for much transaction processing applications today, such as automated attendants, internal/external directory assistance, and a multitude of self-service options. Speech recognition is fast replacing the DTMF method of IVR and is one of the most important innovations in telephony-based self-service.

What is Speech Recognition? Speech recognition describes a group of special technologies that allow callers to speak words, phrases, or utterances that are used to control applications. In the case of voice processing, speech recognition is used to replace touch-tone input, make for more intuitive menu structures, and ad a level of simplicity and security to some systems. Speech recognition, on the other hand, is a technology that uses the spoken word as input that has an effect on the logic flow and execution of the program in question.