The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used for initiating, maintaining, and terminating real-time sessions that include voice, video and messaging applications. SIP is used for signaling and controlling multimedia communication sessions in applications of Internet telephony for voice and video calls, in private IP telephone systems, in instant messaging over Internet Protocol (IP) networks as well as mobile phone calling over LTE (VoLTE).
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet telephony, broadband telephony, and broadband phone service specifically refer to the provisioning of communications services over the public Internet, rather than via the public switched telephone network (PSTN), also known as plain old telephone service (POTS).
A softswitch is a call switching node in a telecommunications network, based not on the specialized switching hardware of the traditional telephone exchange, but implemented in software running on a general-purpose computing platform. Like its traditional counterparts it connects telephone calls between subscribers or other switching systems across a telecommunication network. Often a softswitch is implemented to switch calls using voice over IP (VoIP) technologies, but hybrid systems exist.
A telephone hybrid is the component at the ends of a subscriber line of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) that converts between two-wire and four-wire forms of bidirectional audio paths. When used in broadcast facilities to enable the airing of telephone callers, the broadcast-quality telephone hybrid is known as a broadcast telephone hybrid or telephone balance unit.
DX 200 is a digital switching platform currently developed by Nokia Networks.
A VoIP phone or IP phone uses voice over IP technologies for placing and transmitting telephone calls over an IP network, such as the Internet, instead of the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN).
In voice telecommunications, least-cost routing (LCR) is the process of selecting the path of outbound communications traffic based on cost. Within a telecoms carrier, an LCR team might periodically choose between routes from several or even hundreds of carriers for destinations across the world. This function might also be automated by a device or software program known as a "Least Cost Router."
VocalTec Communications Inc. is an Israeli telecom equipment provider. The company was founded in 1989 by Alon Cohen and Lior Haramaty, who patented the first Voice over IP audio transceiver. VocalTec has supplied major customers such as Deutsche Telekom, Telecom Italia, and many others.
Eicon Networks Corporation was a privately owned designer, developer and manufacturer of communication products founded in 1984 with headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Eicon products are sold worldwide through a large network of distributors and resellers, and supplied to OEMs.
A service delivery platform (SDP) is a set of components that provides a service(s) delivery architecture for a type of service delivered to consumer, whether it be a customer or other system. Although it is commonly used in the context of telecommunications, it can apply to any system that provides a service. Although the TM Forum (TMF) is working on defining specifications in this area, there is no standard definition of SDP in industry and different players define its components, breadth, and depth in slightly different ways.
A media server refers either to a dedicated computer appliance or to a specialized application software, ranging from an enterprise class machine providing video on demand, to, more commonly, a small personal computer or NAS for the home, dedicated for storing various digital media. This can also mean that these servers are specialized for media for streaming
A telephony system based on host media processing (HMP) is one that uses a general-purpose computer to process a telephony call’s media stream rather than using digital signal processors (DSPs) to perform the task. When telephony call streams started to be digitized for time-division-multiplexed (TDM) transport, processing of the media stream, to enhance it in some way, became common. For example, digital echo cancellers were added to long-haul circuits, and transport channels were shaped to improve modem performance. Then, in the mid-‘80s, computer-based systems that implemented messaging, for example, used DSPs to compress the audio for storage, and fax servers used DSPs to implement fax modems.
CT Connect is a software product that allows computer applications to monitor and control telephone calls. This monitoring and control is called computer-telephone integration, or CTI. CT Connect implements CTI by providing server software that supports the CTI link protocols used by a range of telephone systems, and client software that provides an application programming interface (API) for telephony functions.
AudioCodes Ltd. is a vendor of advanced voice networking and media processing solutions for the digital workplace. The company designs, develops and sells products, solutions and services to enable enterprises and service providers to build and operate all-IP voice networks for unified communications (UC), contact centers and hosted business services.
The media phone represents a new category of broadband multimedia device that has the potential to become the 4th screen in the home, complementing the PC, TV, and mobile phone handset.
A softphone is a software program for making telephone calls over the Internet using a general purpose computer rather than dedicated hardware. The softphone can be installed on a piece of equipment such as a desktop, mobile device, or other computer and allows the user to place and receive calls without requiring an actual telephone set. Often, a softphone is designed to behave like a traditional telephone, sometimes appearing as an image of a handset, with a display panel and buttons with which the user can interact. A softphone is usually used with a headset connected to the sound card of the PC or with a USB phone.
Aculab is a privately held, UK-based limited company that was founded in 1978. It is a designer, developer and manufacturer specialising in enabling technology for telephony and communication solutions that are used in fixed line PSTN, wireless and VoIP networks. Aculab's products are sold worldwide, primarily through its direct sales organisation and also via a network of distributors and resellers. Aculab's international headquarters and R&D facilities are located in Milton Keynes, UK, with a branch office in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA.
Cloud communications are Internet-based voice and data communications where telecommunications applications, switching and storage are hosted by a third-party outside of the organization using them, and they are accessed over the public Internet. Cloud services is a broad term, referring primarily to data-center-hosted services that are run and accessed over an Internet infrastructure. Until recently, these services have been data-centric, but with the evolution of VoIP, voice has become part of the cloud phenomenon. Cloud telephony refers specifically to voice services and more specifically the replacement of conventional business telephone equipment, such as a private branch exchange (PBX), with third-party VoIP service.
Voice Elements is a Microsoft .NET development environment for building automated telephone systems. Voice Elements was released by Inventive Labs Corporation in 2008, based on their original CTI32 toolkit. Software developers who use C#, VB.NET or Delphi use Voice Elements to write telephony-based applications, such as Interactive Voice Response systems, voice dialers, auto attendants, call centers and more.
SPIRIT DSP is a Russian company that develops embedded software solutions for real-time voice and video communication over IP networks – voice and video engines. Its voice and video software platform is used by carriers, mobile messaging apps, and social networks, serving more than 1 billion users in 100 countries.
