C

Codec

A codec, which stands for coder-decoder, converts an audio signal into a compressed digital form for transmission and then back into an uncompressed audio signal for replay.

CentOS

A version of Linux used by FIT BOX. It is built from the same source code base as Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

D

DNS

Dynamic Name Service is an IP standard that translates a name, such as www.haditelecom.com, into IP address., such as 83.149.25.249. The software use this IP address to communicate over network.

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A method for dynamically managing the assigning of IP addresses to devices as they come online, as opposed to manually configuring "static" IP addresses for each device.

F

Firewall

A crucial piece of any company's connection to the internet. A firewall filters incoming IP traffic and permits only traffic that passes a set of rules defined within the firewall.

FXO (Foreign Exchange Office)

In FIT BOX the ports with connect to the PSTN lines are called FXO ports.

I

IP

— Internet Protocol. This is the fundamental technical foundation for all of the Internet. Everything else that uses the Internet, including voice conversations, uses IP as the vehicle to do so.

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

This technology automates interaction with telephone callers and enables users to retrieve information including balance amounts, schedules, product details, order status and many more from any telephone. Enterprises are increasing turning to IVRs to reduce the cost of sales, service and support calls.

IP Phone

A telephone that uses IP instead of traditional analog lines to connect to a PBX. These phones usually have much more intelligence and functionality than standard telephones.

P

PBX

An acronym for Private Branch eXchange. PBX telephone systems support incoming calls from the outside PSTN, placing calls between users' phones (also known as extensions) and other phones or the outside PSTN, conferencing other users together, recording voicemails, and a variety of other advanced telecommunications functions. PBX systems are broadly broken into several categories: traditional (also known as legacy); converged (also known as hybrid) or pure IP, aka IP-PBX.

• Traditional PBXsystems usually either don't support IP at all or they support it only with expensive add-on equipment.
• Converged PBX systems support IP and PSTN connections with equal force. It is the most flexible and cost-effective model.
• IP-PBX systems — as the name implies —support only IP connectivity. Any PSTN connectivity must be achieved through external converters, known as Gateways.

PRI (Primary Rate Interface)

A PRI is a truly digital circuit, containing 24 ISDN channels. One of these channels is a dchannel and used for signaling. The rest are bchannels and used to transport audio.

PSTN

Public Switched Telephone Network. The traditional telephone system, with pairs of wires that carry voice as analog signals. For higher voice traffic digital T1 or E1 lines are used which can carry multiple channels of voice and/or data.

R

Router

A specialized piece of IP equipment that, as the name implies, routes IP traffic between different sections of a company's network. Routers are often used to connect remote offices and other locations that require WAN interfaces to the main internal network.

S

Softphone

A form of IP Phone that is purely software-based and runs on a user's PC. Users employ their PC's internal or connected microphone and speakers or, more often, a cordless or USB headset to communicate.

SIP

Session Initiation Protocol. The predominant VoIP signaling protocol used by IP phones and PBX systems. While other protocols, including H.323 and IAX, exist, SIP is the most prevalent.

T

T1

In North America, T1 is a way for the PSTN to provide multiple channels of voice through only two pairs of wires. In other parts of the world this same technology, in slightly different form, is known as E1.

V

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol. Basically, this technology converts normal voice into a digital signal — much like a CD recording — and then wraps that digital signal with a set of IP header information, allowing it to travel across the Internet. The digital signal is reconverted back to a normal voice signal at its destination.

VPN

Virtual Private Network. A method for extending a company's network infrastructure to remote locations using specialized equipment that encrypts the IP traffic and performs other related functions.