Glossary
Access – Used to describe the part of the wide area (external) network or Internet connection that is concerned with linking the customer to the core.
ADSL – Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Lines are a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines, it is commonly known as broadband. ADSL is described as an asymmetric technology because the download speed is faster than the upload speed.
ATM – Asynchronous Transfer Mode: the initial network technology that underpins converged telecoms networks, and which although still in place, is rapidly being replaced with IP based technologies.
Broadband– refers to the connection used to connect sites to a network. In the UK, broadband is predominately delivered over BT copper lines or cable operators fibre connections.
Carrier – another term used to describe the telecom companies who own and/or operate the public or wide area networks. Typical examples include BT, Cable and Wireless and 8el.
CLI – Call Line Identification – that handy tool that gives you the number associated with an incoming call. This is used to lookup and display names in the address books rather than numbers.
Cloud – what service providers often talk about when referring to their core networks, particularly in a managed network.
DDI (Direct Dialling Inward) – enables inbound numbers to call users, bypassing the switchboard.
Fibre – fibre optic networks provide high speed, high bandwidth connectivity. Cable networks are already built using fibre, as well as some wide area telecom networks. Use of fibre is likely to increase.
Fixed line telephony – simply the name that service providers use when referring to lines that are permanently installed (e.g . overhead or underground) – as opposed to mobiles.
Follow me Service – this redirects your call to another telephone number, such as a mobile phone or a different extension, office or even location. It means that when the recipient is moving to another location, they will still be able to receive calls.
IP - Internet Protocol is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. It has had as much impact in the world of telephony as it has in the internet environment. IP enables ‘any to any’ communications, meaning that two devices can communicate without prior arrangement. It is also highly flexible, allowing for a whole raft of more advanced and interactive services to be created.
IP Centrex – Centrex has been provided by carriers for many years. It basically refers to provision of the kind of services businesses are used to with phone systems, but instead of needing a box installed at the customer’s site, the service is managed by the provider. IP Centrex is a further development, using the flexibility of IP-based technology to provide a greater range of more sophisticated services. Furthermore, since the network is managed by the provider, as they develop new features and functions, then these are available to customers as a simple software upgrade.
IP PBX – an internet-based version of a standard PBX. An IP PBX is typically a combination of software and hardware (i.e. a computer server) connected to external lines. IP PBXs can provide all the functionality of a traditional PBX and more. However, like PBXs they do have their limitations – e.g. if the lines go down, then there are no alternative routing options.
IP Phones – these are telephones designed to be used specifically with a VoIP service. Certain models can also carry traditional PABX services too. For instance, 8el provides IP phones that enable the user to switch between VoIP and PABX services (in some cases, companies choose to continue with their legacy PABX while gradually phasing in use of VoIP services).
ISDN – Integrated Subscriber Digital Network lines, designed to allow digital transmission of voice and data traffic via a single or multiple bonded channels.
Key Phone Systems – these phones are in effect mini-PBXs and are what many small companies use instead of a full-scale PBX. A key phone system will have direct connections to external lines (i.e. no need to dial ‘9’ for an outside line) and the ability to transfer and hold calls. Lights on the phone indicate who is engaged and which lines are ringing. This functionality can now be ported to IP phones.
Last mile – the term typically used to describe the connection between the local telephone exchange and the customer premises. In recent terms, its definition has become a bit looser.
Leased lines –People do not ‘buy’ lines from the likes of BT – they ‘lease’ them. Service providers, such as 8el, lease lines on behalf of its business customers.
Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) – this refers to the opening up of competition in the access part of the network. BT has to provide its competitors with an opportunity to provide lines to consumers, by letting them install equipment in the local exchange that was originally supplied by BT. LLU enables broadband provision.
MPLS – this stands for Multi-Protocol Label Switching and in essence, is a highly efficient way of managing IP-based traffic across a network, including both voice and data. MPLS is designed to speed up network traffic and manage flow utilising Quality of Service. Increasingly, it appears in VoIP networks that are focused on providing business customers with a high level of voice quality.
Next Generation Networks (NGN) – originally the term was developed to describe the evolution from traditional ATM networks to all-IP networks, NGN is now also used to describe the evolution towards all-IP services, whether provided via a traditional carrier or a VNO.
Number porting – as its name might suggest, this is about taking existing numbers (for instance, numbers originally provided to a company by BT) and transferring their operation and management to another service provider (such as 8el) enabling the company to maintain their current number. One of the benefits of this is that there is no need to change office stationery, advise customers and staff of new numbers, etc. Not all service providers can offer number porting.
PABX - Private Automatic Branch eXchange, now frequently known simply as a PBX. PBXs are a privately operated switching system which make connections among the internal telephones of a business and also connect them to the PSTN. As many companies find that their legacy PBXs are coming to end of life, they are increasingly looking at IP-based solutions, such as IP-Centrex-based managed services.
PBX – see PABX.
PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network, which is the traditional telephone network used to route calls nationally and internationally.
Pull to Ground – an increasingly popular feature that is possible using the Follow Me Services in VoIP. When a call is routed to the recipient’s mobile phone, he or she can then choose to then transfer that call on the nearest (IP-enabled) fixed phone mid conversation.
QoS – in technical terms Quality of Service refers to the prioritisation of different kinds of traffic over a network. For instance, voice is usually given priority over email traffic to ensure call quality. Service providers will offer different QoS levels according to their SLAs (Service Level Agreements).
SBCs – Session Border Controllers acts like a firewall for VoIP, protecting a company’s network from external view and acting as a secure gateway for traffic moving across the network to either another site or to an external network. SBCs also protect businesses from Denial of Service attacks.
SIP – Session Internet Protocol is the signalling protocol used in VoIP (it replaces H.323 as the protocol of choice) and is the language that enables VoIP phones to talk to one another and access the existing fixed line networks.
Softphone – this is a computer application that provides telephony functions, usually used in conjunction with a headset or separate handset. It is ideal for high volume environments such as call centres, or simply a sales department.
Spit – this is the term that is being used to refer to unwanted VoIP traffic, the equivalent of ‘Spam’ on email. Some VoIP services are reportedly suffering from Spit, though the reality is that a secure VoIP network, particularly one managed by an expert third party, is unlikely to have any real problems with Spit.
Telco – another name for a telecommunications service provider.
VNO – Virtual Network Operator: an operator that does not own its own wide area network, but instead, buys ‘best of breed’ lines from other telcos who do. VNOs have been very successful, largely because they realised that provision of lines is a commodity business. What makes one service better than another depends on a whole raft of other factors, e.g. developing more sophisticated services that can be delivered over those lines, ensuring service reliability and back-up through techniques such as IP Centrex and so on.
VoIP – last but by no means least! Voice over Internet Protocol is a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice through the Internet or other packet switched networks. Voice over Internet Protocol has taken the world of telephony by storm. Moreover, it has now matured into a technology that is robust and sophisticated enough for business use. According to a survey by Global Sources, enterprise VoIP sales increased by 31% in 2007 compared to 2006. Sales of traditional business telecoms systems fell by 20% over the same period.
While early versions of VoIP were dependent on one computer to another, today’s VoIP systems use devices that look (and even double up) as traditional telephone handsets. By using techniques such as IP Centrex, today’s VoIP systems can also provide consistently high voice quality, as well as creating a platform on which a range of advanced features can be built. At the same time, they allow customers to enjoy the cost savings associated with VoIP.
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