Phone Call Recorder

automatic number identification

Automatic number identification is a feature of telephony intelligent network services which permits subscribers to display or capture the telephone numbers of calling parties. In the U.S. it is part of Inward WATS Service (Wide Area Telephone Service). The ANI service was created by AT&T for internal long-distance billing purposes, and is not related to newer Caller ID services. Inward WATS Service is purchased by customers so that other telephone users (for example, prospective customers) can call the number toll free. The customer is issued a distinctive telephone number beginning with a special area code such as 800, or more recently, 888, 877, or 866. Subscribers to these numbers are typically called Inward WATS subscribers. A related piece of information conveyed to the Inward WATS service subscriber is the DNIS or Dialed Number Identification Service. This is the number that the caller dialed when accessing the "800" service. With the information, the service provider can have several "800," or "toll-free," numbers directed to the same call center and provide unique service based on the number dialed. It is very important to realize that, when calling a telephone number, your own telephone number and telephone line type can always be captured by ANI equipment at the destination site -- whether or not you would otherwise be able to "block" transmission of your telephone number via Caller ID. ANI is unrelated to Caller ID, therefore Caller ID blocking does not affect the delivery of your telephone number to ANI service subscribers. The destination telephone company switching office will always know the originating telephone number, whether or not you have blocked Caller ID, or have a private number listing, and can relay that information to those who subscribe to ANI delivery services. Toll-free Inward WATS number subscribers and large companies normally have access to ANI information, either instantly via installed equipment, or via a monthly billing statement. Bill collectors and private investigators have often conducted skip tracing of missing people by sending them postcards, enticing them to call their "800 numbers". The "skip" reveals his or her whereabouts by dialing the number. Residential subscribers can also obtain access to ANI information through third party companies that charge for the service.

List of telephony terms:

3gpp - a-law - abbreviated dialing - adsl - ani - answering machine - apn - automatic ring back - b-channel - baud - bell 202 modem - bit rate - bonding - bri - busy signal - cable modem - call-progress tones - call accounting - call capture - call forwarding - call originator - call park - call pick-up - call transfer - call waiting - call waiting deluxe - called party - caller id - caller id spoofing - calling party - carrier wave - cbr - ccitt - cdma - cdma2000 - cellular repeater - celp - channel - clec - clock rate - codec - collect call - conference - conference call - crc - csd - d-channel - data compression - device driver - dial-up - dial - dial tone - direct-inward-dialing - direct distance dialing - distinctive ring - dnis - dsl - dsp - dtmf - dtr - duplex - echo cancellation - edge - extension - fax - fcc - fdma - fidonet - follow-me - g.711 - g.723.1 - g.723 - g.726 - g.lite - gprs - gps - gsm - h.323 - harmonic - headphones - hscsd - hspda - iad - idsn - internet call waiting - isp - ivr - jack plug - local loop - long distance - microcontroller - mobile phone - modem - modulation - mu-law - music-on-hold - night service - off-hook - on-hook - pabx - pager - payphone - pbx - pcm - pots - prank call - precise tone plan - pstn - pulse dialling - push to talk - ring modulation - ring tone - ringback - ringing signal - rj11 - roaming - serial communications - serial port - signal noise - sim - simplex - sit - sms - softmodem - switchboard operator - tapi - tdma - telecommunications - telemarketing - telephone - telephone call - telephone card - telephone company - telephone exchange - telephone line - telephone number - telephone numbering plan - telephone operator - telephone switchboard - telephony - tts - twisted pair - umts - v.32 - v.32bis - v.34 - v.42bis - vbr - vertical service code - voicemail - voip - vox - wap - wav - wi-fi - wimax - wire