A  

analog single line station -- an extension port on a PBX/KSU that lets a
standard household type phone interface with the phone system (a.k.a.,
POTS).

analog switch -- telephone switching equipment that switches signals
without changing the analog form. The major form of analog switching is
circuit switching.

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) -- ATM is a high speed, high bandwidth
telecom transmission technology. It uses multiplexing and packet-like
switching. In ATM transmission, the usable capacity is segmented into
fixed-size cells, each with header and information fields. They can be
allocated to services on demand.

audio conferencing -- connecting more than two people into one phone
conversation.

automated attendant -- a voice processing device that answers calls with a
digital recording, then lets callers route themselves to the person or
department they want by entering the appropriate extension on their
telephone's touchtone keypad.

Automated Call Distributor (ACD) -- a feature of a phone system (i.e. key
system, PBX or central office switch) that automatically routes incoming
calls to the next available or longest idle agent or attendant in a line
hunt group.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI) -- a feature that provides the
billing phone number of the phone from which a call originated or the phone
number itself.

B  

bandwidth -- the width of a communications channel. Analog bandwidth is
measured in Hertz (cycles per second). Digital bandwidth is measured in
bits per second (bps).

Basic Rate Interface (BRI) -- one of two levels of ISDN service. The BRI
provides two bearer channels for voice and data and one channel for
signaling. See also Primary Rate Interface (PRI).

blind transfer -- when someone transfers a call without telling the person
who's calling (a.k.a. unsupervised transfer).

broadband -- loosely used term, generally refers to high-speed Internet
access (DSL and up).

C  

cable modem -- a little box used to connect your PC to the Internet via
your local cable TV provider. Cable modems deliver high-speed Internet
access; speeds vary depending on the number of users running on the
provider's cable network at one time.

call center -- a place where calls are placed or received in high volume
for the purpose of communicating with customers, vendors or employees.

Caller ID -- a service offered by the phone company that delivers the name
and/or number of the person the phone company thinks is the subscriber.

call forwarding -- a phone system or service feature that redirects
incoming calls to another extension or remote location.

call screening -- 1. a PBX feature that looks at the digits dialed by the
caller to figure out whether the call should be completed. 2. listing to a
callers voice message while they are leaving it.

call transfer -- lets you transfer a call from your phone to someone
else's.

carrier -- a company that provides telecommunications circuits. Carriers
include the local telephone company and companies like AT&T, MCI, and
Sprint.

central office (CO) -- can mean a telephone company building where
subscribers' lines are joined to switching equipment for connecting other
subscribers to each other, locally and long distance.

centrex -- a business telephone service offered by a local telephone
company from a local central office. Features include intercom, call
forwarding, call transfer, least cost routing and call hold.

circuit switching -- most all voice telephone calls are circuit switched,
where the talking parties have exclusive use of a circuit for the duration
of their call. All dial up modems are circuit switched also.

client / server -- refers to a computing system that splits the workload
between desktop PCs (called "workstations") and one or more larger
computers (called "servers") joined on a local area network (LAN).

computer telephony -- A term that describes the process of applying
computer intelligence to telecommunications devices, especially switches
and phones. The term covers many technologies, including computer-telephone
integration through the local area network, interactive voice processing,
voice mail, automated attendant, voice recognition, text-to-speech, fax,
simultaneous voice data, signal processing, video conferencing, predictive
dialing, audiotext, collaborative computing and traditional telephone call
switching.

conference call -- connecting more than two people into one phone
conversation.

CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) -- a term for connecting a computer
(single workstation or file server on a local area network) to a telephone
switch and having the computer issue the switch commands to move calls
around.

D  

Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) -- a string (usually four,
seven, or ten characters long) indicating the number dialed by a caller and
how the call should be handled. Some systems use the DNIS and trunk group
to indicate the destination for a call.

digital -- the use of a binary code to represent information (see packet
switching).

DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) -- audible tones which conform to North
American Telephone Standards. They are made by push-button phones to dial
telephone numbers, as well as to provide control or data input to a voice
processing system (a.k.a., touch tone).

E  

email message notification -- a feature of a service or phone system that
alerts you remotely via a mobile device (i.e. a cell phone or pager) when
you have an email. Typically this feature lets you see senders name and the
subject line.

Ethernet -- network architecture used for local area networks (LANs). It
operates over twisted pair wire and coaxial cable at a maximum speed of up
to 10 million bits per second (Mbps).

extension -- an additional phone connected to a line. Lets two or more
locations use the same line or line group.

F

fault-tolerant architecture -- a design that lets a system continue running
after a component of the system has failed.

fax broadcast -- automatically sends faxes to predetermined destinations.

fax on demand -- a term for the ordering of documents (such as directions
or company specials) from remote machines. In most cases, fax on demand
works with an IVR system where faxes are ordered via a phone.

Fax over IP -- a method used for sending and receiving faxes over
packet-switched networks, like the Internet or an intranet, versus the
PSTN, so as to avoid usual long distance charges.

fax server -- a server with fax boards that sits on a LAN and carries out
all fax functions. Anyone connected to the fax server can send, receive,
store, broadcast and/or forward faxes. Fax servers also allow for fax on
demand.

find me -- a service or phone system feature that lets the forwarded
numbers be programmed or re-programmed from any location.

follow me -- a service or phone system feature that will track down the
user being called no matter where they are and connect the caller to the
user.

forwarding -- a phone system or service feature that redirects incoming
calls to another extension or remote location.

G  

gateway -- a device that connects two systems, especially if the systems
use different communications protocols. For example, a gateway is needed to
connect two independent local area networks, or to connect a local area
network to a wide area network. Usually associated with IP.

H  

H.323 -- a spec that defines packet standards which provide a foundation
for audio, video and data communications across IP-based networks,
including the Internet. Gateway systems that convert data voice to PCM
voice are often termed "H.323 gateways".

headset -- a device worn on the head that replaces a traditional telephone
handset. Free your hands, free your mind.

help desk -- a department or organization you can turn to for help with
malfunctioning equipment, misunderstood user instructions and/or other
problems with your equipment.

hunt group -- a series of telephone lines set up in such a way that when
the first number is busy, the next number is hunted, and so on until a free
line is found.

I  

Internet -- an electronic communications network that connects computer
networks and organizational computer facilities around the world.

Internet fax -- sending faxes over the Internet. The two most popular
Internet faxing methods are called store-and-forward and real-time.

Internet Protocol (IP) -- the connectionless-mode network service protocol
of TCP/IP. IP lets a network communicate by providing IP addresses and by
numbering and sending TCP data packets over the network.

Internet telephony -- generally the term means the technologies and
techniques used to send voice calls -- whether they be local or long
distance -- over the Internet. But some people broaden the term to
encompass the sending of all media types (voice, fax, video, images) over
the Internet.

intranet -- basically, a private network that works like the Internet
reserved for use by people who have been given the authority and passwords
necessary to use that network.

J  

jack -- term for the terminals found at the end of cables.

jitter -- audio disruption that happens when a network provides various
latency for different packets or cells (can happen during a Voice over IP
call)

K  

key system -- the smallest type of phone switch.

KSU (Key Service Unit or Key System) -- the smallest type of phone switch.
It has equipment which lets you pick up and hold lines and do some call
control functions.

L

LAN (Local Area Network) -- the connection of several computers within a
building, usually using dedicated lines.

latency -- waiting time or time delay associated with the time it takes to
get information through a network (occurs in Voice over IP calls).

least cost routing (LCR) -- a telephone system or service feature that
automatically chooses the "least cost" long distance phone line to send out
your long distance call.

Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) -- the local phone company responsible for
delivering calls within a local area.

M  

message notification -- a service or phone system feature that notifies you
automatically via a mobile device (i.e. cell phone, pager) that you have a
message.

message waiting indicator -- a light on the phone or some symbol or letters
on the phone's display indicating there's a message waiting for the owner
of the phone.

music-on-hold -- the background music you hear when placed on hold; lets
you know the call is still connected.

N  

narrowband -- loosely used term, generally refers to a slow network
connection (i.e. dial-up).

O  

one number service -- a service that unifies voice and fax and voice mail
via a single phone number. All of your calls and faxes are forwarded to
this number and you can even check your email from any mobile or fixed
phone.

P  

PBX (Private Branch Exchange) -- a large phone system used to switch
telephones between extensions and to outside lines. For incoming and
outgoing calls.

packet switching -- sending information (whether it be voice, video, images
or data) in packets through a network (i.e. the Internet or an intranet) to
some remote location.

paging -- to give a message to someone who is somewhere, but you don't know
where.

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) -- the most common method of encoding analog
voice signal into a digital bit stream (used in Voice over IP).

personal information manager (PIM) -- a software app that organizes
personal contact information. Most support Caller ID, which lets a phone
system "pull up" a caller's personal information automatically when they
call.

personalized greeting -- a voice mail greeting customized by the user with
their own message.

POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) -- the basic service supplying standard
single line telephones, telephone lines and access to the public switched
network. (see circuit switching)

predictive dialing -- automated process where a computer chooses the person
to be called from a database and dials the number. Calls are passed to you
when a live human answers. Predictive dialers screen out busy signals,
no-answers, answering machines, network messages, and so on.

Primary Rate Interface (PRI) -- one of two levels of ISDN service. In the
United States, the PRI typically provides 23 bearer channels for voice and
data and one channel for signaling information. In Europe, PRI typically
provides 30 bearer lines.

professionally recorded prompt files -- prompts and/or greetings recorded
by a professional voice studio for your phone system. Files can be
delivered in almost any audio format.

PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) -- the worldwide voice telephone
network accessible to all those with telephones and access privileges. The
PSTN interconnects any home or office in the country with any other.

Public Internet -- the WWW, the Internet as you know and love it.

Q  

Quality of Service (QoS) -- a subjective measure of the telephone service
quality provided to your business.

R  

remote PBX support -- a feature of a phone system that allows for remote
maintenance of the system via the Internet.

router -- a device that dispatches data to the appropriate destination
within or between IP networks.

S  

skills-based routing -- a concept whereby calls are automatically routed to
the best possible person based on the skills they have.

SOHO (Small Office Home Office) -- an office which is small in size and/or
run from the home, a.k.a. you.

SQL server -- the Microsoft relational database product used for local and
central databases.

T  

T-1 -- a digital transmission line that provides 24 communications channels
in one consolidated circuit.

TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) -- Microsoft's protocol
for linking Windows-based TAPI-compliant apps to single telephones
connected to switches or to the switches themselves.

telco -- your local telephone company.

telephony server -- a telephony server is a computer whose major function
is to control phone calls (in all their permutations of fax, voice and
data).

3G (third generation) -- the third generation of mobile telecommunications.
3G systems mean mobile multimedia; personal services on-the-fly; the
convergence of digitalization, mobility and the Internet; and new
technologies based on global standards. Third generation mobile
communication systems are scheduled for operational startup in Japan and
Europe in 2001-2002. They use high-speed data transfer and radio terminal
technology.

transfer -- lets you transfer a call from your phone to someone else's.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) -- a connection-based Internet protocol
responsible for packaging data into packets for transmission over the
network by the IP protocol. TCP provides a reliable flow control mechanism
for data in a network.

trunk -- a phone line connected to the phone system used for incoming or
outgoing calls.

trunk group -- a collection of trunks associated with a single peripheral
and usually used for a common purpose.

U  

unified messaging -- the integration of different communications media
(voice, fax and email messages) accessible from a single interface, whether
it be a regular phone, wireless phone, PC or Internet-enabled PC.

unsupervised transfer -- when someone transfers a call without telling the
person who's calling (a.k.a. blind transfer).

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) -- provides power to your phone
equipment, computers, etc., in the event of a commercial power failure.

V

videoconferencing -- to communicate with others using video and audio
software and hardware to see and hear each other. Before this technology
needed T-1 speeds, but now you get acceptable quality at 128 Kbps.

voice mail -- lets you receive, edit and forward messages to one or more
voice mailboxes.

Voice over DSL (VoDSL) -- refers to the sending of voice over a DSL line.

Voice over IP (VoIP) -- refers to the sending of voice over the Public
Internet (see packet switching).

W  

WAN (Wide Area Network) -- the connection of several computers across a
wide area, normally using telephone lines.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) -- "an open, global specification that
empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and interact
with information and services instantly" -- The WAP Forum.

WAP Forum -- the industry association comprising over 200 members that has
developed the de-facto world standard for wireless information and
telephony services on digital mobile phones and other wireless terminals.

web-enabled cell phones -- a new generation of smart mobile phones that let
you do cellular Internet surfing. The most usable web-enabled cell phones
feature embedded "micro web browsers" and larger LCD screens.

web-initiated telephone conferencing -- a feature of a phone conferencing
service that lets you set up a conference call using a Web browser, rather
than paying extra to have someone do it for you.

wireless -- no wires.

wireless LANs (WLANs) -- "flexible data communication system
implemented as an extension to, or as an alternative for, a wired
LAN within a building. Using electromagnetic waves, wireless LANs
transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for wired
connections." -- The Wireless LAN Association

wireless phone system -- lets your small business make, receive and control
calls using cordless phones anywhere on your premise.

X  

xDSL -- a generic term for Digital Subscriber Line, the x means generic.

Y  

Y2K -- if you don't know the definition of this term, you probably want to
stay away from business of any type.

Z  

zero powered modem -- a modem that draws power from the phone line, so it
doesn't need to be plugged-in or run on batteries.