Glossary of VOIP Terms

ATA:

analog telephone adapter, a device that connects a traditional analog telephone and a broadband internet connection in order to make and receive VoIP calls.

Bandwidth:

Bandwidth is the volume of data that can be transmitted over a communication line in a fixed amount of time. It is expressed in bits per second (bps) or for digital devices and in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz) for analog devices. Bandwidth can also be defined as the difference between a band of frequencies or wavelengths.

Broadband:

Broadband (from the words "broad bandwidth") is a high-capacity, two-way link between a network supplier and the end user.

Circuit switched networks:

The network used by traditional telephone service for making phone calls. Unlike VoIP, which allows network traffic to move freely across the internet, circuit switched networks rely on dedicated point-to-point connections between caller and receiver.

Client (Softphone client):

The software installed in the user's computer to make calls over the Internet.

Codec:

Codec stands for coder/decoder or compression/decompression algorithm. Codecs convert analog signals to digital form and vice versa. There are several types of codecs in the VoIP world, but currently the most common are: G.711, which is the international standard for encoding telephone audio; G.723.1, and G.729, commonly used in Voice over IP (VoIP) applications due to their low bandwidth requirement; and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a cellular network and the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI):

The integration of Telephones and Computers..

E911:

E911 stands for Enhanced 911, which routes emergency calls over the Internet to 911 emergency services, allowing first responders such as police, fire, or emergency medical technicians to respond to the call.
Emergency 911 calls: This is an emergency telephone number that handles all calls related to police, fire or medical emergencies. The number, which is allotted under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), is answered by either a telephone operator or an emergency service dispatcher, who, in turn, alerts the appropriate emergency service.

FOIP:

Fax over the Internet.

H.323:

The H.323 protocol is the International Telecommunications Union - Telecommunications (ITU-T) standard for real-time multimedia communications and conferencing over packet-based networks.

IP:

Stands for Internet Protocol, which is the primary protocol used to implement the Internet.

IP address:

Used to route network traffic between sender and receiver. VoIP uses the IP addresses of both the sender and the receiver to establish and maintain a call.

IP Phone:

A phone that sends traffic over a TCP/IP network using built-in signaling protocols to route calls over the internet.

IP telephony:

The transmission of voice and fax phone calls over a packet-based network. The terms IP Telephony and VoIP are used interchangeably, but typically, IP Telephony refers to calls placed via the public internet using major carriers whereas VoIP calls are placed via what is known as private internet.

ITU:

ITU, the acronym of International Telecommunication Union, is a telecommunications standards body based in Geneva. The ITU makes recommendations on standards in telecommunications, information technology, consumer electronics, broadcasting and multimedia communications.

Kbps:

Kbps is the acronym for kilobits per second and is used to indicate the data transfer speed. If the modem speed, for instance, is 1 Kbps then it means that the modem can route data at the speed of one thousand bits per second.

MRC:

Monthly recurring charge.

NANP:

Stands for North American Numbering Plan. A telephone numbering system that has evolved the way area codes and numbers are allotted. The system was established in 1947 and covers the United States, Canada and a few neighboring areas. It uses a three-digit area code and seven-digit telephone numbers.

 

Net Phone:

A net phone uses the Voice over IP technology to make voice calls. These calls are made by converting analog sound signals into digital data packets, and then moving the packets to their destination over the net.

NOC:

Network Operation Center

NRC:

Non-recurring charge

Packet switched networks:

These are networks that break messages into small digital packets, stamp each packet with the destination IP address, and route them across different channels to their destination where they are reassembled in their proper sequence. This is done to avoid network congestion and speed up data movement from multiple sources.
Packet: A packet is a unit of data transmitted over the network in a packet-switched system. It consists of a header that stores the destination address, a data area which carries the information that is being transmitted, and a trailer which contains information to prevent errors during transmission.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P):

The term peer-to-peer is used to indicate a form of computing where two or more than two users can share files or CPU power. They can even transmit real time data such as telephony traffic on their highly ad hoc networks. Interestingly, the peer-to-peer network does not work on the traditional client-server model but on equal peer nodes that work both as "clients" and "servers" to other nodes on the network.

POTS:

POTS is the short form of plain old telephone service. It transmits voice as analog data on communication lines that are much slower when compared to today's ISDN or FDDI lines. However, not long ago POTS, which is also known as the public switched telephone network, was the standard telephone system across the world.

Protocol:

It is a convention or standard that defines the procedures to be adopted regarding the transmission of data between two computing end points. These procedures include the way the sending device should sign off a message or how the receiving device should indicate the receipt of a message. Similarly, the protocols also lay down guidelines for error checking, data compression, and other relevant operational details.

PSTN:

PSTN, which stands for Public Switched Telephone Network, refers to the telephone system that transmits analog voice data. Till recently, PSTN was the heart of all phone systems worldwide. However, most of the developed world is now switching to or has switched to telephone networks that are based on digital technologies, such as ISDN.

RJ45:

The acronym of Registered Jack-45, is a telephone connector that is used in Ethernet and the Internet

Router:

A router is a network device that that handles message transfer between computers that form part of the Internet. The messages, which are in the form of data packets, are forwarded to their respective IP destinations by the router. A router can also be called the junction box that routes data packets between computer networks.
Service provider: A service provider is a business entity that provides a communication, storage or processing service for a fee. Some of the service providers in the digital world are the Internet service provider (ISP), application service provider (ASP), storage service provider, mobile phone service provider, web hosting provider, and of course, VOIP service provider.

SIP:

SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol, the standard to make a voice call over the Internet.

Softphone:

This is a software application that is installed in the user's PC. It uses the Voice over IP technology to route voice calls over the net and provides several value added features, such as call forwarding, conference calling, and integration with applications such as Outlook for automatic dialing The audio is provided through a microphone and speakers plugged into the sound card. The only limitation of a Softphone is that the phone call has to made through a PC. Many softphone are free VOIP software downloads.

SMB:

Small and Medium Size Business.

SMS:

Short Messaqge Service Abbreviated as SMS, the transmission of short text messages to and from a mobile phone, fax machine and/or IP address. Messages must be no longer than 160 alpha-numeric characters and contain no images or graphics. Once a message is sent, it is received by a Short Message Service Center (SMSC), which must then get it to the appropriate mobile device...

Voice chat:

This is an application that enables two or more individuals to carry on a conversation over the Internet. Voice chat is also known as audio-conferencing or telephone conferencing.

Voice over IP (VOIP):

Voice over IP (VoIP) uses technology to transmit voice over the Internet in digital data that is converted to something called "packets." The packets are routed over the internet via an IP address. Once the packets reach the IP address, the digital data is reconverted into voice and transmitted from the computer to the telephone.

Voicemail:

A telephone messaging system that stores digitizes the analog voice signals on disk or flash memory in a central computer. These messages can then be retrieved by users by logging on to the server or forwarded to another voice mailbox. Most voice mail systems have auto attendant capabilities, that is they can use prerecorded messages to route callers to the appropriate person or mailbox.

IM:

Instant Messenging that allows users who are logged into an instant messaging service to exchange messages in real time.

VOIP Gateway:

This device provides the conversion interface between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and an IP network for voice and fax calls. Its primary functions include: voice and fax compression/decompression, packetization, call routing and control signaling. It also provides an interface to Gatekeepers or, billing systems, and network management systems.

VOIP PBX:

VoIP PBX, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol Private Branch eXchange, is a telephone switch that converts IP phone calls into traditional circuit-switched TDM connections. It also supports traditional analog and digital telephones.

VOIP Phone:

A VoIP phone is one that uses the Internet to route voice calls by converting the voice data into IP packets and vice versa. The phones come with built-in IP signaling protocols such as H.323 or SIP that help in the routing of data to the right destination. A VoIP phone can also be a software application that is installed in the user's PC. In this case it is known as the Softphone. Also, the calls in this case have to be made from the PC, and not through a telephone instrument.

VOIP services:

The VoIP services are packet-based services that use the Internet to move voice data. These services are much cheaper than the traditional PSTN services because the investment in infrastructure is low. They also come with several value added features which make them more lucrative than the conventional landline phone services.

Web phone:

A web phone is a device that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet.

WiFi Hotspot:

An area where a wireless access point enables users carrying wireless-enabled laptops to log on to the Internet. The limiting condition is that the access point is configured to broadcast its presence and does not require authorization for access. Generally, WiFI hotspots are located in public places like airports, train stations, libraries, marinas, convention centers, coffee shops and hotels.

WiFi phone:

A WiFI phone is one that enables users to make phone calls from public WiFi hotspots or residential WiFI network environments. Besides voice calls, these phones can be used to send e-mails wirelessly.