Notification Server^™ Definitions & Useful Information

ASP

Application Solutions Provider

Administrator

For the purpose of using Notification Server Master Console for Groups, the administrator is the user that sets up accounts, oversees usage, provides orientation & training, and is fiscally responsible for the account. Please see "Master Console" below.

Autodialer, autodialler, dialer or automatic calling unit

An electronic device that can automatically dial telephone numbers to communicate between any two points in the telephone, mobile phone and pager networks. Once the call has been established the auto-dialer will announce verbal messages or transmit digital data (like SMS messages) to the called party.

Automatic messaging, phone messaging, voice messaging, notification messaging, telephone messaging, broadcast messaging, voice broadcast messaging, automated phone tree notification service, mass calling

A mass communications method of delivering pre-recorded phone messages to tens, hundreds or thousands of telephone and cell phone users simultaneously, including answering machines.

Automated call

A phone call to your list of phone numbers that plays your pre-recorded message, sometimes capturing a respondent's keypad press for response to a question..

Auto call campaign, call campaign,

A communications tool used to send voice messages to a number of recipients. Some uses might include HOA (home owner association) meetings, church group announcements, parent notification, meal schedules, event announcements, patient messaging, rain delays, cancellations, political calls, get out the vote, business to customer contact, reminder calls, appointment confirmation calls, meeting announcements, school closings and news, attendance confirmations, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, sale notices, special announcements, customer appreciation calls, public notification, service interruptions, fraud alerts, payment reminders, disaster recovery, notification of venue or time changes, activate recipient response for time sensitive issues, work schedule interruptions or changes,

Blast Fax

A fax that is sent to a large number of recipients.

Call tree, phone tree

A list of people and their phone numbers arranged to facilitate a chain of calls in the event of an emergency or special event that requires the immediate contact of all the people on the list. When calls are made manually the first person to be called in turn contacts a designation small group of people who then call the other people on their list, and so on.

Caller ID, caller identification, CID or calling number identification

A telephone service that transmits a caller's number to the called party's telephone during the ringing signal, or when the call is being set up, but before the call is answered. Caller ID can also provide a name associated with the calling telephone number in many areas where available. The information may be visible on a telephone's display or a separate attached device.

Calling tree

A telephone campaign in which a group of people are contacted about an issue, and each person is asked to contact other people about that issue, and so on.

Interactive voice broadcasting or interactive voice messaging

Programs that let the call recipient listen to the recorded message and interact with the system by pressing keys on the phone keypad. The system detects which key is pressed and has the programming to play various messages pre-assigned to the respective keys. This is a form of interactive voice response (IVR). Actions that can be programmed may include surveys, .information confirmation, contact preference confirmation, or navigation through a phone menu. Even more important is the feature that allows call recipients to leave their own message instead of just pressing buttons for yes, no, etc. This function can be used to allow loved ones to leave voice messages for each other when separated after a disaster, or members of a group to retrieve updates and leave updates in an emergency situation.

Interactive voice response (IVR)

A recorded voice response to a phone call can be captured, which can be transcribed to complete an information gathering activity.

Mass communication

The various means individuals and entities use to relay information to large segment of the population all at once. The most common use of this term refers to communication through a form of mass media such as television, radio, film, newspaper, or magazines. It is also sometimes used to refer to email, phone and text message contact to a large group of recipients.

Mass notification system

A medium that enables one person or group to communicate with tens, hundreds, or thousands of people everywhere, anytime.

Master Console

Master Console is a web-based application for groups that is used in conjunction with the other Notification Server accounts such as FastPhone, Large Group Plan, Outsourcing, Reseller and Emergency Hosting plans. Notification Server Master Console allows group users to have sub-accounts. The person who is the organizational administrator is the user that sets up the accounts, oversees usage, provides orientation & training, and is financially responsible for all accounts. Master Console oversight gives each individual user autonomous freedom and control of the messaging service while bringing economies of scale with management tools under one accounting authority.

Master Console empowers an account to completely control all aspects of the broadcasting and messaging service on behalf of all sub-accounts (departmental accounts, et al). Sub-accounts have the same account number but their own 1 to 3 digit "department" number which gives each owner complete control of managing, uploading and editing of all list, creation and broadcasting of all messages, each with its own password security.

The Master Console administrator, while overseeing the sub-accounts, can also act on behalf of any sub-account such as editing lists, launching a voice message, or reviewing reports online. Master Console has the authority to change sub-account owners, passwords, security, log on information and all other list management and reporting features. Master Console can monitor all resources used by a sub-account, as well as train, set up and oversee new users, and interpret reports as needed.

Sub-account

A sub-account is an account belonging to the Notification Server Master Console user group under the authority of the group administrator (organizational administrator, Master Console administrator). Each sub-account is autonomous, with oversight of (and financial responsibility for) the account under a single umbrella. Each sub-account shares the same account number, but its own 1 to 3 digit department code. Each sub-account has control of managing, uploading and editing of its lists, as well as creation & broadcasting of messages. A sub-account has its own password security. See "Master Console" definition above.

Sub-group

A term used to describe a limited partial list within a list. This is very different from Notification Server's sub-account as used for group management by Master Console. Please see definition of sub-account, Master Console, and administrator above.

Telephony

An all encompassing telecommunication term for the general use of equipment ti provide voice communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other.

Text messaging, texting

The common term for sending short (160 characters or less) text messages from mobile phone using the Short Message Service (SMS). It is available on most digital mobile phones and some personal digital assistants (PDA's) with on-board wireless telecommunications. The individual messages which are sent are called text messages, or texts.

Voice blasting

A modern communications technique that uses computer technology to send pre-recorded phone messages to hundreds or thousands of community members at once. The application of this technology has both commercial and community service use. Business phone messages can be broadcast to customers in bulk fashion or emergency alerts can be delivered to members of a community..

Voice broadcasting

A mass communication technique begun in the 1990's that broadcasts telephone messages to hundreds or thousands of call recipients at once. This technology has both commercial and community applications. Voice broadcast users can contact targets almost immediately. When used by government authorities, it may be known as reverse 911, since such notifications are intended only for use in emergencies. Targets may be members, subscribers, constituents, employees or customers. There must be some type of relationship already existing. This is NOT telemarketing, and not meant to be used as such.

Voice broadcast systems manage a database of phone lists as well as digitally recorded phone messages. Using telephony components these computers can simultaneously broadcast thousands of phone messages. Reminder messages can be sent to patients, clients, church members or volunteers. Alert messages can be delivered to community members in the event of an emergency. Call to action messages can be sent to opt-in or members of a group, team or organization. Weather related closings can be sent to employees, school groups or communities. Home owner associations can share information relating to the neighborhood and community events businesses can send announcements or communicate with clients and employees.

Personalized information can be included in the phone messages through the integration of text-to-speech software. Advanced systems include telephony boards with answering machine detection, and the ability to play a unique message to answering machines without message truncation.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

A protocol optimized for the transmission of voice through the Internet or other packet witched networks. it is often used to refer to the actual transmission of voice rather than the protocol implementing it. This is also referred to as IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband, broadband telephony and broadband phone. These can be misnomers, since by definition telephone voice quality communications are narrowband.

Voicemail, voice mail, voice-mail, vmail, VMS, messagebank, voice mail system, voice messaging system, voice message center

A centralized system of managing telephone messages for a large group of people.

To receive detailed pricing and various packaging options please select Contact Form

Voice I/S, Inc.
3767 Forest Lane #124 PMB 1187
Dallas, TX 75244
Tel: 866-940-3001