Contact Center Glossary
Clear, practical definitions for contact center, CCaaS, and call center terminology. Whether you're evaluating vendors or training your team, this glossary helps you speak the language.
Featured Terms
The contact center industry is full of acronyms and jargon. We've compiled definitions for the most important terms you'll encounter when evaluating CCaaS platforms, building your contact center strategy, or training your team.
Each definition includes practical context, real-world examples, and links to related Platform28 features.
Government Contact Center
FedRAMP
Federal security authorization for cloud services
Read full definition →StateRAMP
State-level cloud security certification
Read full definition →CJIS Compliance
Criminal justice information security requirements
Read full definition →10DLC Compliance
Business texting registration requirements
Read full definition →Constituent Services
Government citizen support operations
Read full definition →311 Contact Center
Non-emergency municipal services line
Read full definition →Pricing & Licensing
Active User Pricing
Pay only for agents who log in each month
Read full definition →Named Seat Licensing
License assigned to specific users
Read full definition →Concurrent Licensing
License based on simultaneous users
Read full definition →Per-Minute Pricing
Usage-based telecom billing
Read full definition →TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
Full cost including hidden fees
Read full definition →CCaaS Fundamentals
CCaaS
Contact Center as a Service - cloud-based contact center software
Read full definition →Cloud Contact Center
Contact center software hosted in the cloud
Read full definition →Omnichannel Contact Center
Unified customer engagement across all channels
Read full definition →Multichannel vs Omnichannel
Understanding the difference between multi and omnichannel
Read full definition →Contact Center vs Call Center
Key differences between contact centers and call centers
Read full definition →UCaaS vs CCaaS
Unified Communications vs Contact Center as a Service
Read full definition →CPaaS vs CCaaS
Communications Platform vs Contact Center as a Service
Read full definition →SaaS Contact Center
Software as a Service contact center solutions
Read full definition →Contact Center Platform
Integrated software for managing customer interactions
Read full definition →Hosted Contact Center
Third-party hosted contact center infrastructure
Read full definition →Routing & Distribution
ACD (Automatic Call Distribution)
System that routes incoming calls to available agents
Read full definition →IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
Automated phone system that interacts with callers
Read full definition →Skills-Based Routing
Routing calls based on agent skills and expertise
Read full definition →Intelligent Routing
AI-powered call routing for optimal outcomes
Read full definition →Queue Management
Managing caller queues for efficient service
Read full definition →Priority Routing
Routing high-value calls before others
Read full definition →Geographic Routing
Routing calls based on caller location
Read full definition →Callback Queue
Virtual queue that calls customers back
Read full definition →Agent & Workforce
WFM (Workforce Management)
Planning, scheduling, and optimizing agent staffing
Read full definition →WFO (Workforce Optimization)
Improving overall workforce efficiency and performance
Read full definition →WEM (Workforce Engagement Management)
Engaging and empowering contact center agents
Read full definition →Erlang C
Formula for calculating call center staffing needs
Read full definition →Schedule Adherence
How well agents follow their assigned schedules
Read full definition →Agent Occupancy
Percentage of time agents spend handling contacts
Read full definition →Agent Utilization
Measure of how productively agents spend their time
Read full definition →Shrinkage
Time agents are paid but not available for calls
Read full definition →Average Handle Time (AHT)
Average duration of customer interactions
Read full definition →After Call Work (ACW)
Tasks agents complete after ending a call
Read full definition →Quality & Analytics
Quality Management
Monitoring and improving agent performance
Read full definition →Speech Analytics
Analyzing recorded calls for insights
Read full definition →Sentiment Analysis
Detecting customer emotions in conversations
Read full definition →Call Scoring
Evaluating call quality against criteria
Read full definition →First Call Resolution (FCR)
Resolving customer issues on the first contact
Read full definition →Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Contractual service performance commitments
Read full definition →Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
Measuring how satisfied customers are
Read full definition →Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Measuring customer loyalty and advocacy
Read full definition →Call Detail Record (CDR)
Detailed log of call metadata and events
Read full definition →Technology
Predictive Dialer
Automated outbound dialing system
Read full definition →AMD (Answering Machine Detection)
Detecting voicemails vs live answers
Read full definition →Screen Pop
Displaying caller info when calls connect
Read full definition →CTI (Computer Telephony Integration)
Integrating phone systems with computers
Read full definition →WebRTC
Real-time communication in web browsers
Read full definition →Softphone
Software-based phone application
Read full definition →SIP Trunking
Voice connectivity over internet protocol
Read full definition →See these concepts in action
Request a demo to see how Platform28 implements ACD, IVR, WFM, and other contact center technologies.