Today’s PC-based systems allow for the use of conference bridges. You can set up, attend, and manage your own conferences over any touch-tone telephone by installing a conference server on your voice networks. Users can also schedule meetings using desktop software from their e-mail systems or a web browser.

A computer telephony system that uses voice storage and forwarding technology. ARUs can be passive or interactive. Passive ARUs simply play messages, whereas interactive ARUs play messages based on caller input.

A verbal option provided by a phone recording. Audio selection menus are common in automated attendant, interactive voice response, and fax-on-demand systems. They are caller input prompts. Audio menus can direct you to speak commands or press keys on a touch-tone keypad.

A form of data transmission in which bits are transmitted without the use of a synchronising clock signal. Instead, each character is delivered with a start and stop bit surrounding it to indicate the beginning and end of the information. This is in contrast to synchronous communication, when data is delivered in blocks utilising a synchronising clock.

A device that allows multiple parties to communicate over the phone. Conference bridges can be manned by a proctor or operator, or they can be supervised. Some PBXs (Private Branch Exchange) include standalone conference bridges as well as conference bridge functions These systems include circuitry that sums and balances the energy (noise) on each channel so that everyone can hear each other. More sophisticated conference bridges can “idle” the transmit side of non-speaking parties’ channels.

A high-speed digital switched service that connects subscriber CPE (customer premises equipment) to the CO via existing copper pairs (central office). DSL handles more data downstream (data flowing towards the subscriber) than upstream (data flowing away from the subscriber) (flowing towards the network).

The designation for the 2.048 Mbps ITU standard for Europe’s 30-channel digital telephone service. It is the European version of T-1 (DS-1). The bandwidth is divided into 2 signaling channels (channels 15 and 31 starting from 0) and 30 bearer channels (voice channels). A&B bit signaling (robbed bit signaling) is not used here. E-1 uses one of the control channels for signaling and the other for clock synchronization.

Full duplex refers to the ability of both ends of a communication to send and receive information at the same time without degrading the quality of the content.

A fax machine that is computer-based. Fax servers are “shared use” devices that are typically installed on a local area network (LAN). Clients on the LAN can access the fax server from their PCs in the same way that they access a network-based (shared) printer. Users can generate faxes at their workstations and have them “printed” to the fax server for transmission. Fax servers, similarly, can route incoming faxes to printers, file server directories, or individual users. Fax servers eliminate the need for users to print documents, transport them to the fax machine, and then wait for them to be transmitted after creating a cover page.

Frame Relay is a packet switching method used in data communications that uses available bandwidth only when it is required. With proper network management, this fast packet switching method is efficient enough to transmit voice communications.

IVR is a horizontal application in computer telephony that allows users to get computer-based information over the phone instead of utilising a computer. After listening to an audio menu, an IVR platform uses computer telephony components to translate callers’ touch-tones or voice commands into computer questions. “Please enter your account number using the touch-tones on your telephone,” for example. The IVR platform then “fetch” these inquiries from the host computer. In some instances, the data is stored on the same platform (self-hosted). The data is transformed into voice commands that are delivered to the caller over the phone.

A company that provides Internet access via subscription. Individuals or businesses can become subscribers. According to Jack Rickard, publisher of Boardwatch Magazine, ISPs operate on the Internet’s fourth or lowest level. Regional providers aggregate traffic from lower-order ISPs to the second, backbone level at the third level. The NAP (Network Access Point) is the highest level in North America, serving as peer-to-peer interconnection points for the largest backbones. There are three “official” NAPs: one in San Francisco, one in Chicago, and one in Pennsauken, New Jersey. ISPs use Internet routers, servers, and Rrack-mounted modems to provide a variety of services such as website hosting, FTP service, e-mail accounts, unified messaging, audio and video broadcasting, and, in some cases, Internet telephony and fax gateway services.

Any method of transmitting human voice over the Internet in real-time or near real-time. There are several parts: 1) A multimedia-equipped PC with special client software will digitise your voice on the client side. This can be accomplished using a voice modem or another method of voice encoding. 2) A direct or dial-up Internet connection allows your voice to be transmitted in packet form to its destination; 3) Connection with the far side is accomplished through IP address search, common servers, or beacons to identify the called party (and “ring” that person’s phone); 4) A similar arrangement on the far end completes the call and allows both parties to speak. PSTN/Internet gateways enable regular phone callers to make phone-to-Internet-to-phone connections. There are both PC-to-phone and phone-to-PC connections.

A VoIP telephone switching system is an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IPPBX). An IP PBX can switch between VoIP and traditional phone lines, as well as between two traditional phone users. An IP PBX, as opposed to a traditional PBX, eliminates the need for separate voice and data networks.

Internet Protocol telephony is a system in which voice information is transmitted over packet-switched IP networks rather than traditional, dedicated circuit-switched connections. Voice, fax, and video data are transmitted as data packets over packet-switched connections that avoid the tolls of traditional phone lines. VoIP is the standardised version of IP telephony, and the two terms are used interchangeably.

Any method of storing and forwarding messages in computer telephony. Fax mail, voice mail, and broadcast messaging are all examples of this. The most popular voice solution is this horizontal application. Messaging systems allow for the storage and transmission of “nonreal time” communication. A recorded voice message, for example, can be stored for later playback either locally or remotely, and a fax can be received and stored before being re-transmitted to the intended recipient. Messages can vary in content and media type, with the difference being that they are recorded or saved for later retrieval.

A modem is a device that converts digital signals to analogue signals and vice versa. Modems are used to send data signals (digital) over an analogue telephone network. A modem converts binary signals into tones that can be transmitted over a phone line. The modem’s demodulator converts the tones to binary code at the other end.

An Internet standard for storage and retrieval of email messages.

The PSTN is the world’s combined public circuit-switched telephone networks. Originally comprised of analogue telephone systems, the PSTN is now almost entirely digital and includes mobile telephones in addition to fixed telephones.

Real-time communications occur when perceptible delays between the sender and receiver are minimal and easily tolerated. Regular phone calls are made in real time. Point-to-point fax transmissions are nearly instantaneous. Voice messaging does not operate in real time.

The process of archiving a message or transmission for later playback or transmission. In contrast to real-time communication, store and forward is the foundation of all messaging systems, such as email, fax-on-demand, unified messaging, and so on. The term “store and forward” in data communications refers to the temporary buffering of packets or other data strings.

Speech recognition is a technology that allows callers to speak commands to control applications.

The Session Initiation Protocol is used to initiate and terminate voice, video, and messaging communications between two or more IP network endpoints. SIP determines the location of endpoints, whether those endpoints are available, and the capabilities of each endpoint. SIP does not provide the actual means of communication between endpoints; rather, it facilitates communication sessions.

A company that provides services to Internet, telephone, and mobile phone users.

The process of converting or transmitting voice or other signals over a long distance and then re-converting them to audible sound at the other end is referred to as telephony.

The ARPAnet transport layer protocol, which includes layers 4 and 5 of the OSI model. TCP manages TCP/IP sequential data exchange for remote hosts in a peer-to-peer network.