What is a dial plan?

Outgoing calls placed through Customer Interaction Center can originate from a number of places. Because phone numbers can look very different—some with area codes, some with letters, some with country codes, and so on—Customer Interaction Center uses a pattern matching process to format and dial phone numbers in a consistent manner, regardless of how they were dialed by the user.

The dial plan defines the input patterns that Customer Interaction Center uses to change phone numbers into a standardized format. It also defines the dialing actions to take for each pattern, as well as the locations and classification for each pattern.

Customer Interaction Center uses the information in the dial plan to perform the following tasks:

• Format the phone number into a standard package.

• Determine the call classification (local, long distance, toll, etc.).

• Determine if the user is allowed to make that type of call.

• Send the appropriate numbers (7, 10, or 11 digits).

• Determine which line or lines to use for the call.

• Determine what to display on the CIC client.

• Parse and store segments of the telephone number for statistical reports.