Cloud Communications Glossary

Key Industry Terms & Definitions

ACD (Automatic Call Distributor)

A telephony system that receives incoming calls, queues them if necessary, and distributes them to available agents based on predefined rules such as skills-based routing, longest idle agent, or priority.

Agent Assist

AI-powered tools that provide real-time support to contact center agents during customer interactions. This can include suggesting relevant knowledge base articles, providing next-best-action recommendations, or automating call summaries.

API (Application Programming Interface)

A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and exchange data with each other. APIs are crucial for integrating contact center platforms with other business systems like CRMs or WFM tools.

CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service)

A cloud-based software delivery model where a provider hosts contact center applications and makes them available to businesses over the internet on a subscription basis. This eliminates the need for on-premises hardware and offers scalability and flexibility.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Software systems used to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention, and driving sales growth.

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)

A key performance indicator (KPI) that measures how satisfied customers are with a company's products, services, or a specific interaction. It is typically measured through surveys asking customers to rate their satisfaction on a defined scale.

FCR (First Call Resolution / First Contact Resolution)

A contact center metric that measures the percentage of customer inquiries or issues that are resolved during the first interaction, without requiring a follow-up call, email, or chat.

Genesys Cloud CX™

An all-in-one cloud contact center platform from Genesys that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for omnichannel customer engagement, employee collaboration, workforce engagement management (WEM), and AI-powered customer experiences.

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

A technology that allows computers to interact with humans through the use of voice and DTMF tones (keypad input). IVRs are commonly used for call routing, self-service options, and collecting information before connecting to an agent.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives. In contact centers, common KPIs include CSAT, FCR, Average Handle Time (AHT), and Service Level.

Omnichannel

A customer experience strategy that provides seamless and integrated communication across multiple channels (e.g., voice, chat, email, social media, SMS), allowing customers to switch between channels without losing context or having to repeat information.

SIP Trunking

A method of delivering voice and other unified communications services over an internet connection using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). It allows businesses to replace traditional telephone lines (like PRIs) with more flexible and cost-effective IP-based connectivity.

SLA (Service Level Agreement)

A contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the level of service expected from the provider. SLAs typically include metrics for uptime, performance, response times, and support availability.

UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service)

A cloud-based delivery model for unified communications technologies such as enterprise telephony (cloud phone systems), video conferencing, instant messaging, presence, and team collaboration, typically offered on a subscription basis.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

A technology that allows voice calls to be made over an internet connection or other IP-based networks, rather than traditional analog phone lines. It's the underlying technology for most cloud phone systems and UCaaS solutions.

WEM (Workforce Engagement Management)

A suite of tools and processes designed to optimize contact center agent performance and satisfaction. WEM typically includes capabilities like quality management, call recording, performance management, workforce management (scheduling and forecasting), and agent coaching/training.