A
A/B Testing
A method of comparing two or more variations of an AI agent’s configuration — such as greeting messages, voice settings, or prompt instructions — to determine which version performs better. Metrics like call duration, transfer rate, and customer satisfaction are tracked to identify the winning variant, enabling data-driven optimization of agent behavior.AI Agent
A software entity powered by a large language model that can autonomously handle conversations, make decisions, and execute tasks. In voice assistant platforms, an AI agent manages phone calls end-to-end: greeting callers, understanding intent, answering questions from a knowledge base, collecting information, scheduling appointments, and transferring to humans when necessary.AI Voice Assistant
An AI-powered system that conducts natural spoken conversations over the phone or through web-based interfaces. Unlike traditional IVR systems that rely on rigid menus, AI voice assistants use speech recognition, language models, and text-to-speech to hold fluid, human-like dialogues. They can handle both inbound and outbound calls autonomously.Answering Service
A service that answers phone calls on behalf of a business. Traditional answering services use human operators; AI-powered answering services use voice assistants to greet callers, take messages, answer FAQs, schedule appointments, and route urgent calls — available 24/7 without staffing constraints or per-minute operator fees.API Key
A unique identifier used to authenticate requests to an API (Application Programming Interface). In voice assistant platforms, API keys grant programmatic access to create agents, trigger calls, retrieve call logs, and manage contacts. API keys should be kept secret and rotated periodically to maintain security.ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition)
The technology that converts spoken audio into written text in real time. Also called speech-to-text (STT), ASR is the first step in a voice assistant pipeline: the caller speaks, ASR transcribes the words, and the language model processes the text to generate a response. Accuracy depends on factors like accent, background noise, and vocabulary.B
Bearer Token
An access token included in theAuthorization header of API requests to prove the caller’s identity. Bearer tokens are typically short-lived and issued after authentication. In voice platforms, they are used to securely access APIs without transmitting passwords, following the OAuth 2.0 standard.
Bot Detection
The ability to identify whether a call is answered by a human or an automated system such as a voicemail greeting or IVR menu. Voice assistant platforms use bot detection to decide whether to deliver a message, leave a voicemail, or retry the call later — improving campaign efficiency by focusing live conversations on real recipients.Business Hours Routing
A call handling strategy that routes calls differently based on the time of day and day of the week. During business hours, calls may be transferred to staff; outside business hours, an AI agent can handle them autonomously — taking messages, scheduling callbacks, or answering common questions without human intervention.C
Call Analytics
Data and metrics collected from phone calls to measure performance and identify trends. Typical analytics include call volume, average duration, outcome distribution (answered, missed, voicemail), sentiment scores, transfer rates, and peak calling times. Dashboards visualize these metrics to help businesses optimize their phone operations.Call Recording
The capture and storage of audio from phone conversations for quality assurance, compliance, training, or dispute resolution. Recordings are typically encrypted at rest and in transit, with access controls to ensure only authorized users can listen. Many jurisdictions require caller consent before recording.Call Routing
The process of directing an incoming or outgoing call to the appropriate destination. Routing decisions can be based on the caller’s phone number, the time of day, the caller’s spoken intent, agent availability, or custom business rules. Intelligent call routing reduces wait times and connects callers with the right resource faster.Call Slots
The maximum number of simultaneous calls an AI agent or phone number can handle at any given time. Call slots determine concurrency limits — if all slots are occupied, additional callers may hear a busy signal or be queued. Capacity planning ensures enough slots are available during peak periods.Call Transfer
The act of moving an active call from an AI agent to a human operator or another phone number. Transfers can be “cold” (the call is passed without context) or “warm/hot” (the AI briefs the human before connecting the caller). Effective transfers preserve conversation context so callers do not have to repeat themselves.Campaign
An organized set of outbound calls executed by an AI agent against a list of contacts. Campaigns are configured with a target contact list, an assigned agent, calling schedule, retry rules, and concurrency limits. They are used for appointment reminders, lead qualification, surveys, follow-ups, and other systematic outreach.Concurrent Calls
The number of phone calls being handled simultaneously at any point in time. Voice platforms impose concurrency limits based on plan tier, available phone numbers, and infrastructure capacity. Monitoring concurrent calls prevents overloading and ensures call quality remains consistent during high-volume campaigns.Contact
A record representing an individual or organization in the platform’s database. Contacts store details such as name, phone number, email, tags, notes, and call history. They serve as the foundation for campaigns, call logs, and CRM functionality — linking every interaction back to a specific person.Conversational AI
The branch of artificial intelligence focused on enabling natural, human-like dialogue between machines and people. It combines natural language processing, language models, dialogue management, and speech technologies to hold multi-turn conversations that feel intuitive. Voice assistants, chatbots, and virtual agents are all applications of conversational AI.CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software used to manage a business’s interactions with current and potential customers. CRM systems store contact records, communication history, deal stages, and notes. Voice assistant platforms often integrate with CRMs to log calls automatically, update contact records, and trigger follow-up workflows after conversations.D
DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency)
The signaling system used when a caller presses keys on a phone keypad. Each key produces a unique pair of audio tones that the system decodes. DTMF is used in IVR menus (“Press 1 for sales”), entering PINs, and navigating automated phone systems. AI voice assistants can detect and respond to DTMF input alongside spoken commands.Dynamic Voice Speed
The ability to adjust how fast or slow an AI agent speaks during a conversation. Dynamic speed control adapts to context — speaking more slowly when conveying important details like phone numbers and addresses, and at a natural pace during general conversation. This improves comprehension and makes the AI sound more human.E
Edge Function
A serverless function that runs at the network edge, close to the user, to minimize latency. In voice platforms, edge functions handle tasks like webhook processing, data validation, third-party API calls, and real-time event handling. They execute on demand, scale automatically, and incur costs only when invoked.Embedding
A numerical vector representation of text, audio, or other data that captures its semantic meaning. Embeddings enable similarity search — for example, matching a caller’s question to the most relevant entry in a knowledge base. They are foundational to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and semantic search systems used by AI agents.Endpoint
A specific URL or URI that an API exposes for interaction. Each endpoint corresponds to a resource or action — for example,/api/agents to list agents or /api/calls to retrieve call logs. Developers send HTTP requests to endpoints to read data, create resources, or trigger operations within the platform.