Telecom glossary

ANI Automatic Number Identification: 1. A service feature in which the directory number or equipment number of a calling station is automatically obtained. Note: ANI is used in message accounting. 2. The code that provides the billing number of the line or trunk that originated a call. 3. A system that identifies the billing account for a call. For 911 systems, the ANI identifies the calling party and may be used as a call back number.
Buffer Box a device that temporarily stores data, usually between two devices with different data speeds; sends data out at a speed that the slower machine can handle. Recommended to prevent CDR loss on a call accounting system (see CDR).
Call Accounting System A computer, a magnetic storage device (floppy or hard disk), software and some mechanical method of attaching itself to a telephone system. A call accounting system is used to record information about telephone calls, organize that information and prepare reports - printed or to disk. The information it captures about phone calls typically includes from which extension the call is coming, which number it is calling (local or long distance), which circuit is used for the call (WATs, MCI, etc), when the call started, how long it lasted, for what purpose the call was made (client or project, etc). A call accounting system may also include information on incoming calls - which trunk was used, where the call came from, which extension took the call, if it was transferred and to where and how long it took.See basic uses for call accounting
CDR Call Detail Records - call data generated by the PBX in the form of an ASCII file that includes records of outgoing and incoming calls, who made or received the calls, incoming and outgoing locations of the calls, call length, time call took place and other information. May be stored in a buffer box (see PBX).
Centrex a telephone business service provided by a local phone company from a local central office and provides features directly to each phone at a business without using an on-site PBX (see PBX).
CLEC Competitive (or Certified) Local Exchange Carrier - the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the door for smaller companies to compete with the ILEC (Incumbent LECs), such as RBOCs (Regional BOCs) for local, long distance, international, internet and entertainment (see BOC, LEC).
Client/Server a network architecture that lets a user at a PC request information or applications from another computer over a LAN (see LAN).
Comport communications port - also known as a serial port (see Serial Port).
 

Extranet one-to-one connections over the Internet that are not accessible to all; mainly set up by a business for their customers or business partners.
Fully Dedicated Access long distance carrier access method in which a non-local call is carried by the long distance carrier via a dedicated trunk facility for both the first and last part of the call's journey, and on the same long distance carrier's network for the entire length of the call. Also referred to as "dedicated-to-dedicated" or "on-net to on-net."
Gateway entrance/exit to a communications network; electronic repeater device that intercepts and guides electrical signals from one network to another; filters out unwanted noise.
GUI Graphical User Interface - a computer user interface that uses graphical representation instead of characters; makes the interface easier and more intuitive to use. i.e. Windows 95.
H.323 one of two main standards regarding voice transmissions over data networks; the other main standard is VoFR (see VoFR).
InterLATA services, traffic or facilities start in one LATA and terminate in another, either InterState or IntraState (see IntraLATA, LATA).
IntraLATA services, traffic or facilities that start and terminate in the same LATA (see InterLATA, LATA).
Intranet one-to-one connections over the Internet that are not accessible to all; mainly a private Internet set up internally for employee view only.
IntraState services, traffic or facilities that start and terminate in one state
IP Centric a phone system built around an IP network, not a PBX (see PBX).
 

IP Telephony allows voice traffic to travel over data networks; in the consumer market, traffic can go over the Internet; in the commercial market, this traffic typically goes over privately-owned data networks.
ISDN Integrated Services Data Network - phone line standards that allow for voice, video and data to be sent over digital phone lines or normal phone wires; data transfer rates of 64Kbps.
Key System Key telephone system (KTS): In a local environment, terminals and equipment that provide immediate access from all terminals to a variety of telephone services without attendant assistance. Note: A KTS may interface with the public switched telephone network.
Key Systems are generally most appropriate in relatively small business environments, in the range of 50 telephones. Contemporary Electronic Key Telephone Systems (EKTSs), however, often cross the line into the PBX world, providing switching capabilities, as well as impressive functionality and feature content.
LAN Local Area Network - data communications network in a confined geographic area, usually within a building or campus; connects computers, printers, modems, servers, etc.
LATA Local Access and Transport Area - local geographic areas in the US where local phone companies can offer local and long distance telephone services.
LEC Local Exchange Carrier - local phone company, can either be a BOC or an independent (i.e. Verizon); differentiates them from CLECs (see BOC, CLEC).
Modem Acronym for modulator /demodulator. 1. In general, a device that both modulates and demodulates signals. 2. In computer communications, a device used for converting digital signals into, and recovering them from, quasi-analog signals suitable for transmission over analog communications channels. Note: Many additional functions may be added to a modem to provide for customer service and control features. Synonym signal conversion equipment.
 

Parallel Port an output port on a PC that transmits data eight bits (one byte) at a time.
Partially Dedicated Access long distance carrier access method in which a non-local call is carried by the long distance carrier via a dedicated trunk facility for either the first or last part of the call's journey, and on the carrier's network for the middle part of the journey. Also called "dedicated to switched," "switched to dedicated," "on-net to off-net" and "off-net to on-net."
PBX A PBX (private branch exchange) is a telephone system within an enterprise that switches calls between enterprise users on local lines while allowing all users to share a certain number of external phone lines. The main purpose of a PBX is to save the cost of requiring a line for each user to the telephone company's central office.
The PBX is owned and operated by the enterprise rather than the telephone company (which may be a supplier or service provider, however). Private branch exchanges used analog technology originally. Today, PBXs use digital technology (digital signals are converted to analog for outside calls on the local loop using plain old telephone service).
A PBX includes: Telephone trunk (multiple phone) lines that terminate at the PBX A computer with memory that manages the switching of the calls within the PBX and in and out of it The network of lines within the PBX Usually a console or switchboard for a human operator In some situations, alternatives to a PBX include centrex service (in which a pool of lines are rented at the phone company's central office), key telephone systems, and, for very small enterprises, primary rate Integrated Services Digital Network. Among the larger manufacturers of PBXs are Lucent Technologies, Northern Telecom (NORTEL), Rolm/Siemens, NEC, GTE, Intecom, Fujitsu, Hitachi, and Mitel.
 

PMS Property Management System - A software program and computer that controls all guest billing and guest services functions in a hotel. In short, the guts of a hotel's computer system. Some telephone systems have a PMS interface which allows various degrees of integration between the telephone system and the hotel's computer systems. For example, voicemail could be administered throught the Hotel's Property Management System.
Polling 1. Network control in which the control station invites tributary stations to transmit in the sequence specified by the control station. 2. In point-to-point or multipoint communication, the process whereby stations are invited one at a time to transmit. 3. Sequential interrogation of devices for various purposes, such as avoiding contention, determining operational status, or determining readiness to send or receive data.
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network - worldwide voice telephone network accessible to anyone with a phone and access privileges.
RAM Random Access Memory - The primary memory in a computer. The "random access" part of its name comes from the fact that the next "bit" of information in RAM can be located - no matter where it is - in an equal amount of time. This means that access to and from RAM memory is extraordinarily fast. By contraast, other storage media (magnetic tape) store information serially, one bit after another. Therefore you have to search for them and your search time will depend on how from from the bit you're searching for you are. Floppy disks are faster than magnetic tape because their information is readily at hand, though the read/write head will have to search for it. Hard disks are even faster because there are multiple heads and because the disks spin faster and everything moves faster. RAM memory is the fastest of all.
Rate Table a database containing cost of a call based on area code and time of day.
 

Real time 1. The actual time during which a physical process occurs. 2. Pertaining to the performance of a computation during the actual time that the related physical process occurs, in order that results of the computation can be used in guiding the physical process.
Redundancy part of a message that can safely be omitted/deleted without ruining the integrity of a message; backup systems in case of main system failure.
Router interface between two networks that finds the best route between the two; provides network management capabilities.
Serial Port an input/output port of a PC that transmits data one bit at a time.
SMDR station message-detail recording - A record of all calls originated or received by a switching system. Note: SMDRs are usually generated by a computer.
Soft PBX a server with specialized software that works like a PBX (see PBX).
SQL Structured Query Language - commonly used with database servers; powerful language used for the creation, maintenance and viewing of databases.
Switch a mechanical or electronic device that opens or closes circuits, completes or breaks an electrical path or selects paths or circuits. Switches with more than two ports are able to route traffic.
Switched Access long distance carrier access method in which a non-local call is carried by a local exchange carrier via a Central Office trunk for the first and last part of the call's journey and on the long distance carrier's network only for the middle part of the journey. Also called "switched to switched" or "off-net to off-net."
T-1 Trunk Level 1 -dedicated phone connection with a total signaling speed of 1,544 Mbps; a T-1 is made of 24 channels which can be split to carry voice or data, each carrying 64K bits per second.
 

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - networking protocol used to connect network hosts, even with computers with very different hardware architectures and operating systems; network protocol of the Internet.
Telecommunications system A collection of individual communications networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and data terminal equipment (DTE) usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole. Note: The components of a communications system serve a common purpose, are technically compatible, use common procedures, respond to controls, and operate in unison.
Telemanagement the management of a company's telephone and telecommunications systems, from call accounting to corporate inventory management.
Toll Fraud Unlawful, unauthorized use of another's telecommunications system to make long distance phone calls. It typically involves compromising or tapping into a telephone customer's equipment, but it can also involve tricking an employee into giving away access to outside lines.
Trunk Group a group of trunks with essentially the same characteristics that run between the same two geographic points.
Trunk a communication channel between two switching systems; usually refers to large bandwidth phone channels between switching systems that handle mass quantities of voice and data simultaneously.
VoFR Voice over Frame Relay - one of two main standards regarding voice transmissions over data networks; other standard is H.323 (see H.323).
VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol - telephone calls (voice) bypass the typical public-switched telephone network and transmit voice calls over a private network (the same network that carries web, e-mail and data traffic).
WAN Wide Area Network - data communications network that extends a LAN outside its geographic area, over common carrier lines, to link other LANs (see LAN).
 

WATS WATS (wide-area telephone service) is a specialized form of fixed-rate long-distance telecommunication service. WATS lines are commonly used by businesses and government agencies. Some individuals and small corporations also have WATS subscriptions.
There are three types of WATS lines: IN-WATS (for incoming calls), OUT-WATS (for outgoing calls), or a combination of both services. IN-WATS lines have telephone numbers with certain area codes reserved expressly for that purpose, such as 800, 888, or 877. People calling these numbers are not charged a long-distance toll. Instead, the recipient (subscriber) is charged a fixed monthly rate up to a certain number of hours of usage. Beyond the limit, an additional toll is imposed. OUT-WATS lines are, in effect, fixed-rate long-distance subscriptions.
With most WATS lines, calling-zone restrictions apply. For example, it might not be possible to make or accept WATS calls to or from locations within the state where the subscriber is located, or to or from locations outside the country where the subscriber is located.
Web Browser also known as browser - software which collects documents on the World Wide Web and displays them on a computer; the two most popular are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
Web-enabled able to connect to or be used on the Internet.