Glossary of Terms

A WAN is a Network covering a broad area and connecting multiple smaller Networks across local, regional, or national boundaries. Multi-site organisations can use them to link LANs together.

A voice over internet protocol phone is a desk phone that is specifically designed to use the internet as a bridge to the public telephone network and allows free calls to any other phone located on the same network.
Most VOIP phones receive their power and connect to the local network via the same Ethernet cable, this is also known as power over Ethernet or POE. VOIP phones can either be connected directly to a switch or router, or they can connect to a computer which then passes network data to the phone, however if the computer fails then the phone will lose connectivity too.
Modern VOIP phones have a selection of advanced features such as conferencing, call logs, forwarding, web connectivity and integration with internal communication systems.

Virtualisation refers to technologies designed to provide a layer of abstraction between computer hardware systems and the software running on them. With virtualisation, an entire server (including processor and storage) runs as a software image, meaning multiple virtual machines can be run on one physical machine.

VPN provides secure connections between private Networks linked through private Networks or public Networks such as the Internet. It allows remote computers to act as though they were on the same secure, local Network – ideal for linking multiple sites, home-based or remote workers. The main benefit of a VPN is the lower cost needed to support this technology compared to alternatives like traditional leased lines or remote access servers.

Unified Communications is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging, presence information, telephony, video conferencing, desktop sharing, data sharing, call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging.

When a client purchases our HPBX solution they gain access to our unified communication platform UC One. UC One is available in 3 tiers called “UC One”, “Office”, and “Office Lite ”.
UC-One: is our highest tier of unified communications and contains all of our advanced features such as mobile clients & collaboration, 3 way calling, and hot desking . UC one gives you access to a communication application that allows you to instant message, call, video call and screen share with other members of your corporate network. If you have the app installed on your smartphone you can securely take and make calls using your desk phone number. From anywhere Office: Gives clients the ability to make and receive calls from their VOIP phones. Office does not feature any of the advanced collaborative features such as being able to use your number from any device or instant messaging.
Office Lite : Typically used for fax machines or phones that are publicly accessible and require basic call functionality.

A communication line between two switching systems. The term switching system typically includes equipment in a Central Office and PBXs. A tie trunk connects PBXs. Central office trunks connect a PBX to the switching system at the Central Office.

Telephony is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunication services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software delivery method over the Internet. The software is hosted remotely, so organisations do not need to invest in additional hardware. Software as a Service removes the need for organisations to handle the installation, set-up and often daily upkeep and maintenance, meaning leaner and more responsive IT resources.

Session initiation protocol (SIP) trunks act as a bridge between a PBX and the public telephone network. If a client has their own PBX and we are supplying them with connectivity, then staff making calls would reach the public telephone network via a SIP trunk that connects to our core network.
For example, if a client wanted to make a call then the call data would go from their VOIP phone to their PBX using the local network. The data would then travel from the PBX to the exponential e core network via the EDD and from the core network to the public telephone network via SIP.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) enables calls to be routed via the Internet rather than a telephone Network.

A computer or computer program which manages access to a centralized resource or service in a Network. Comprised of four main components: GPU, memory, storage, and Network.

SDN (Software Defined Networking) is the combination of a number of different technologies and concepts being brought together to change how Networks work. Software automates the configuration and management of the Network, removing the human element and the static nature of Network control and configuration.

SD WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Networking) is a transformational approach to simplifying networking between office locations, enabling agility across the Network and cost-effectiveness. It also enables IT departments to retain more control of their Infrastructure.

RaaS (Render-as-a-Service) provides an Elastic Cloud solution that combines the flexibility of virtualised graphic processing with the security of a Private Cloud, and large-scale on-demand compute power.