Glossary

The following terms and abbreviations are defined as they are used in the context of this information. If you do not find the term or abbreviation you are looking for, see IBM Dictionary of Computing, McGraw-Hill, 1994 or the IBM: AIX Version 4.3: Glossary, SC23"2513.

A

annotation
An alphanumeric string used to mark a grammar when it is defined. When the grammar is used in an application, both the word and the alphanumeric string are returned to the application.
ACD
Automatic call distribution or automatic call distributor. A feature that enables incoming calls to one dialed number to be routed to any member of the ACD group, all of whom can provide the same service to the calling party. Automatic call distribution enables the efficient distribution of a high volume of incoming calls.
agent
A call center employee whose job it is to handle incoming and outgoing telephone calls. Synonym for service representative.
ANI
Automatic Number Identification. A service offered by commercial telephone networks, which provides the directory billing number associated with a calling party. This is the telephone number of the incoming call, which can be used for call setup or passed by the switch to Blueworx Voice Response, which can then use it to retrieve data from business databases. Often used as a synonym for calling number.
announcement
A message played to callers, without expecting any response from them. For example: (1) “Welcome to our Telephone Banking Service.” (2) “Please wait while your order is being processed.”
application
A pointer to the Java class that provides the main entry point to a voice response service or voice application.
application group
Contains one or more applications.
application name
The name by which the Java and VoiceXML environment knows the application.
application node
A logical entity associated with a single Java virtual machine (JVM), which can be used to run Java and VoiceXML applications. The application node can be local to the voice response node, or remote from it. Contrast with voice response node. See also remote application system.
au
Format for audio files. When importing an au file, the encoding, sample size and sample rate information is taken from the au file itself. The data stored in the au file may be μ-law, a-law or PCM. For μ-law and a-law it must be single channel with 8-bit sample size. It may have any sampling rate. For PCM it may be 8-bit or 16-bit sample size (mono or stereo). When exporting to an au file the data format used is 8-bit, 8kHz, μ-law. Non-PCM au files must be mono.

B

base Blueworx Voice Response system
The Blueworx Voice Response system that provides voice processing support for voice applications.
bean
Short for JavaBean, a reusable Java component.

C

call
Telephone call.
called number
The number dialed by callers to reach the voice application, or the number dialed when making a call.
caller
(1) Any person, device, or system that makes a telephone call. (2) Often used to refer to any user of a voice application, even when Blueworx Voice Response has made an outbound call and the user is really the called party.
calling number
The number from which a call is made.
CallPath
Genesys product that provides support for call center applications.
CallPath Enterprise Server
Genesys product that provides support for call center applications.
configuration
The definition of your Java and VoiceXML environment, including the mapping of called numbers to application names, hosts, nodes, application groups, applications, speech recognition services, and text-to-speech services.
configuration database
An object in which information about the Java and VoiceXML environment is recorded, including the mapping of called number to application name. Contains one or more configurations.
configuration file
A text file used to edit and update the configuration database.

D

delimiter key
Any of the keys on the telephone keypad, which a voice application can designate for use to terminate input in the same way as the enter key is used on a computer keyboard.
disconnect
Terminate a call.
DNIS
Dialed number identification service. A service supplied by the public telephone network to identify the number actually dialed. For example, calls placed to two or more 1-800 numbers will arrive at the same call center switch. Upon arrival, DNIS tells the switch which one of the 1-800 numbers was actually dialed. DNIS can be used by Blueworx Voice Response to automatically select between several business database applications. Often used as a synonym for called number.
DTMF key
One of the keys on the telephone keypad. See dual-tone multifrequency signal.
DTMF sequence
One or more dual-tone multifrequency signals, which can be sent by an application.
DTMF signal
See dual-tone multifrequency signal.
dual-tone multifrequency signal
A signal sent by pressing one of the telephone keys. Each signal is composed of two different tones.

E

entry field
An opportunity for the caller to enter data, by pressing keys or speaking. A voice application entry field includes both the voice description (the “message”) and the length of time allowed, and, if necessary, the key to be recognized as an enter key.

G

group
See application group.

H

hang up
Terminate a call.
host
A system with an IP address. Contains one or more nodes.

I

interactive voice response (IVR) application
See voice application.
IP address
Internet Protocol address. See IP hostname
IP hostname
The name of a host used by Internet Protocol. In Java and VoiceXML environment dialogs, specify a name that is resolvable by your name server.
Java and VoiceXML environment
The code that allows a Java or VoiceXML voice application to communicate with a base Blueworx Voice Response system.

J

JavaBean
See bean.
Java Development Kit (JDK)
The set of Java technologies made available to licensed developers by Sun Microsystems. Each release of the JDK contains the following: the Java Compiler, Java Virtual Machine, Java Class Libraries, Java Applet Viewer, Java Debugger, and other tools.
Java Runtime Environment (JRE)
Software comprising the Java virtual machine and some class libraries, which enables you to run (as opposed to develop) Java applications.
Java Telephony API (JTAPI)
Java Telephony Application Programming Interface. A portable, object-oriented application programming interface for Java-based computer-telephony applications, ranging from call center applications, through voice response applications, to web page applications.
Java Virtual Machine
The platform-specific software that translates Java instructions into platform-specific instructions, thereby allowing a Java program to run on any platform.
JDK
See Java Development Kit (JDK).
JRE
See Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
JTAPI
See Java Telephony API (JTAPI).
JTAPI configuration
A user interface for configuring the JTAPI section of the CallPath Enterprise Server profile initialization file and telephony applications.
JtapiPeer
A specific implementation, by a vendor, of the Java Telephony API (JTAPI).
JVM
See Java Virtual Machine.

K

key
One of the keys on the telephone keypad. In some contexts, the DTMF signal that corresponds to a key.

L

line identifier
Identifier used for the channel or line on which an outgoing call is made.
locale
An industry-standard identifier for language and country, with an optional use-defined variant. For example, en_UK is English in the United Kingdom. You could define a locale “en_UK_fred” for a company called Fred, or recorded in Fred's voice. The locale is used to select voice segments to play in a voice application.

M

menu
A set of items from which the caller must select one.
message
Voice or other audio output played to the caller. Each message is represented by a MediaType object.

N

node
When running Java and VoiceXML applications, a logical entity associated with a single Java virtual machine (JVM). These nodes can be managed using the dtjplex command: see voice response node, application node.
nodename
The name by which the Java and VoiceXML environment knows the node.

P

plug-in
An accessory program used to alter, enhance or extend the operation of a parent application program. Plug-ins are used in the Java and VoiceXML environment to provide text-to-speech and speech recognition services.
prompt
Used only as a verb, as in “to prompt the caller for input”. The noun for what the application says is message.

R

RecoService entry
The definition of a speech recognition technology in the Java and VoiceXML environment configuration.
RecoType
The name of a speech recognition technology.

S

single system image (SSI)
A cluster of Blueworx Voice Response for AIX systems connected together using a local area network. Each system (known as a node) in the cluster is configured as either a client or a server. See also voice server node.
speech recognition technology
The software or hardware that provides speech recognition capability for your application.

T

text-to-speech technology
The software or hardware that provides speech synthesis capability for your application.
TTSService entry
The definition of a text-to-speech technology in the Java and VoiceXML environment configuration.
TTSType
The name of a text-to-speech technology

V

variant
See locale.
voice application
A computer application that communicates information and interacts with the caller via the telephone voice channel.
voice recorder
An opportunity for the caller to record voice data. Contrast with entry field.
voice response node
A logical entity associated with a single Java virtual machine (JVM), which provides for Java and VoiceXML applications the connection to the telephony and voice processing function on the base Blueworx Voice Response system. The voice response node can also be used to run Java and VoiceXML applications. Contrast with application node.
voice segment
Recorded voice data to be played to callers.
voice server node
In an AIX single system image (SSI), the system that contains the voice segments for all clients in the single system image.

W

Blueworx Voice Response
IBM product that provides support for voice applications.
wav
Format for audio files. A file encoding of wav indicates that the audio file is a Microsoft WAV file. When importing a WAV file the encoding, sample size, and sampling rate information is taken from in the WAV file itself. The data stored in the WAV file must be either in μ-law, a-law or linear encoding. For μ-law and a-law, it must be single-channel with 8-bit sample size and 6kHz or 8kHz sampling rates. For linear encoding, it must be mono or stereo and 8 or 16-bit sample size. When exporting to a WAV file, the data format used is always 16-bits, mono and 8kHz sampling rate.