Telephony glossary

Plain-English definitions for AI calling and business phone terms

Short, sourced answers to the "what does that actually mean" questions small businesses run into when picking a phone setup or choosing between an answering service, an AI receptionist, and a business phone app.

Telephony glossary

AI receptionist

An AI receptionist is software that answers inbound business calls, captures who is calling and why, and delivers a transcript and summary to the operator. It identifies itself as an AI assistant rather than impersonating a human.

Long-form guides

Go deeper than the definition

AI receptionist for small business: what to look for

How AI receptionist platforms compare to business phone apps with AI calling, and what to look for.

Read guide →

Answering service vs AI receptionist

A decision-tree comparison of live answering services, AI receptionists, and phone apps with AI built in.

Read guide →

Why your business number shows as Spam Likely

STIR/SHAKEN, attestation levels, and number reputation — the practical fix path.

Read guide →

Try VeraDial

Verified business number with AI calling built in.

AI for outbound calling and inbound call screening, voicemail transcription, business SMS, and STIR/SHAKEN A-level caller ID — all at $9.99/mo per line.

See pricing

Open theWeb App

Live demo

Hear an AI call happen live.

Pick a scenario, verify by SMS, and watch the transcript stream as VeraDial places the call.

Try a live callNo download · 30-second setup · SMS verification