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A dialing system is a hardware/software item that performs the telephone number dialing task in a CATI system. It frees the interviewer from the dialing job and automatically delivers connected calls to them in the way specified by the CATI Supervisor. If the dialer is busy the interviewer must just wait for another connected call - they do not need to perform dialing tasks themselves. A dialer is usually a third-party service provided by a telephone company or an Internet service provider etc. A dialer works in conjunction with the CATI Supervisor module and performs the following tasks:
- It accepts the command to commence dialing in the specified dialing mode (see the explanation below) the telephone numbers contained in the sample.
- It tracks and processes the dialing results according to the specified dialing mode.
- It tracks and processes the interviewers' load level.
- It delivers the connected calls to the interviewers.
The CATI Supervisor application can use different dialer types - TCI, ProTS or another system. The differences between the dialer types mainly involve the service functions they provide (go to Managing Dialers for more information). You can perform the following operations with any dialer that is currently shown in the dialer list:
- You can add a dialer and configure the dialer settings.
- You can edit a dialer and the dialer settings.
- You can delete a dialer.
- You can connect/activate a dialer.
- You can disconnect/de-activate a dialer.
- You can view a dialer log file.
The dialer settings are displayed in the lower frame. These settings apply to all dialers that are currently used by the company. The same settings are available on the Survey View > Dialer Settings tab (go to Configuring the Survey Related Dialer Settings for more information). These settings override the company-wide settings and they are applied only to the current survey.
The CATI Supervisor module can work with a number of dialers concurrently. All available dialers are listed on the Resources > Dialer tab.
Important!
In the event multiple dialers are used with the CATI Supervisor application, they must all be of the same type; either TCI dialers, or ProTS dialers. The CATI Supervisor module cannot work with dialing systems of different types simultaneously.
The dialer must be available and operational so that the CATI Supervisor module can access it and exchange information and commands. The dialer is initially enabled by the supervisor and then it can be engaged or rejected by each interviewer who logs in to work with the CATI Interviewer Console. To allow interviewers to engage the dialer, the supervisor must connect and activate it first (go to Managing Dialers for more information).
The CATI Supervisor module monitors the current state of each dialer and displays this information (go to Managing Dialers for more information).
Figure 1 - A list of dialers used in a company
Working Without a Dialer
Companies are not required to use dialers, and companies that normally use dialers may find that for some (for example technical) reason one is not available. Surveys can be conducted without using one and the only difference will be that the dialing tasks are carried out manually.
When a dialer is not available, the Resources > Dialer tab in the Navigation menu remains accessible and the dialer list is displayed when you go to this tab. However if you attempt to connect and activate a dialer, the system presents a warning explaining that the listed dialer cannot be connected and activated because telephony is not currently enabled.
Figure 2 - The Telephony is not enabled ... message