Glossary
Virtual phone answering service
A virtual phone answering service means that a business has its calls answered outside its own office, by the staff of a service provider or by software.
Also: telephone answering service, virtual assistant for calls, virtual secretary
The term is older than today’s voice AI. For a long time it stood for office and secretarial services in which employees of a provider pick up the phone in the name of the business. Billing there is usually per call or per minute, and availability depends on the service hours.
Today the term is also used for AI phone assistants. The difference lies in how they work: software is available around the clock and holds several conversations at once, but it can only work with the knowledge and rules that have been stored. People can decide freely but are tied to working hours. Anyone assessing an offer should therefore first clarify who or what actually picks up.
Related terms: AI phone assistant · AI receptionist · AI answering machine · Per-minute pricing and flat rates
As of: 6 October 2026