Predictive Dialer

It is a computerized system which automatically dials batches of telephone numbers for connections to agents assigned to sales or other campaigns. They are widely deployed in call-centers. They were developed from the auto dialer. Whereas the basic autodialer dials phone numbers for call center agents who are waiting for a call, the predictive dialer makes use of a variety of algorithms in order to predict both the availability of agents and called party answers and adjust the calling process to the number of agents it anticipates would be available when the call it places are expected to be answered.

It monitors the answers to the calls it places and detects how the calls it makes are answered. The dialer discards engaged numbers, unanswered calls, answers from fax machines, disconnected lines, answering machines and similar automated services. It connects those calls which are answered by people waiting sales representatives. Hence it frees agents from listening to unanswered or unsuccessful calls.

Predictive dialers work on the same principles but the architecture through which dialing is performed varies greatly between manufacturers. There are two types of dialers Hardware and software dialers. Now mixed type of predictive dialers have come up which are based on simpler hardware such as voice modems and powerful software for answering machine detection and call progress detection. These dialers are associated with a lower cost of ownership.