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Telephony 101: Giving Voice to Your Network: Page 7 of 8

3. The ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) software recognizes the call's DNIS (Dialed Number Identification Service), an 800-number feature that categorizes calls going to the same location for specific purposes.

A sales line or a support line, for instance, determines that the caller should enter a specific IVR (Interactive Voice Response) application running on the local VRU (Voice Response Unit). The call is transferred from the PBX to the IVR app on the VRU via an internal analog port.

4. The customer interacts with the IVR using either touch-tone input or voice-recognition prompts.

5. The IVR app interacts with an external database based on the customer's responses to scripted questions. Then:

(A) If the IVR app satisfies the customer's query, the session ends and the voice ports on the VRU free up for the next caller; or