If you are considering upgrading or improving your current traditional circuit-committed telephone network or public switched telephone network, you should not be intimidated by the difficult terms used in describing the technology. In fact, one advantage of VoIP technology is that it’s user-friendly, so you don’t need to be an expert in information technology to enjoy its benefits.
However, you need to be familiar with the basic terms before you look for a VoIP provider in Singapore.
Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) – It is a hardware that is responsible for converting the data, audio, and video signals into Internet Protocol or IP packets. These packets are transferred through the Internet. The hardware is used to connect a telephone to another line to allow the use of VoIP for calls.
Audio Response Unit (ARU) – It is a type of computer telephony system that uses voice storage and forwarding.
Bandwidth – This refers to the data that is carried from one point to another within a given time. The bandwidth is measured in 1,000 bits per second or kbps.
Broadband Telephony – Also called IP telephony, it is the communications protocol used to transmit calls on a broadband Internet.
Cloud Communications – Cloud refers to the network or remote servers that are hosted on the Internet. This means that if a company is using cloud VoIP, they are also using a form of hosted VoIP system because the servers are provided and maintained by a Singapore VoIP provider. The word cloud simply means the Internet, which is the host for the storage, management and processing of data used in cloud VoIP.
Codec – The term refers to the conversion of the analog signals to digital signals or vice versa. A software can be set up to compress and decompress the signals.
Data – This is the name for the information sent or all types of traffic sent through a network except for voice.
Data Network – These vary in size and functions, but the data network will create a way for computers to access the nodes or access points to both receive and send packets from different network connections. For example, in an IP PBX telephone system, multiple users can store, access, use, and encrypt data.
IP-PBX or IPBX – IP refers to Internet Protocol, while PBX phone system stands for Private Branch Exchange. Therefore, an IP PBX telephone system is a telephone exchange system in a building or designated are in which the calls are processed within an IP protocol. This means that the traditional telephony or PBX phone system used in the company is upgraded to allow for the use of VoIP in an IP PBX telephone system.
ISP – It stands for Internet service provider, or the third-party company in Singapore that provides the Internet access for both commercial and residential customers. Some ISP also offer additional services such as hosting, fax, and email.
ITSP – It stands for Internet Telephony service provider. Like the ISP, it is a third-party company that provides the means for companies to use their Internet connection to combine both the data and voice infrastructure, creating the VoIP. This type of VoIP is called a hosted PBX or a hosted VoIP system.
Latency – This is the duration the packet takes to get to its destination. The latency is important when transmitting data and voice through VoIP, because delays can cause problems in communication. This is one slight disadvantage when it comes to a hosted VoIP system like the cloud VoIP or hosted PBX because the third-party service provider has control over the technology.
Packet – This refers to the unit of the grouped data which contain the information that needs to be transmitted, the originator and destination, and the synchronization information. Packets are stored and forwarded in the routers.
P2P – It stands for peer-to-peer sharing of bandwidth, files, and other information in two computers.
PBX or PABX – It stands for Private Branch Exchange or Private Automatic Branch Exchange, which are systems that were used to replace traditional telephony. A hosted PBX system uses a private telephone network exchange and has more features than traditional telephony.
PTSN – It stands for public switched telephone network, which is the collection of telephone carriers in both public and private settings as well as local and international networks.
SIP – It means Session Initiation Protocol or the standard protocol that manages, initiates, and terminates peer-to-peer multimedia and communications.
SIP Trunking – This is a type of VoIP solution that utilizes a trunk to connect a VoIP gateway to the Internet. It makes use of the cloud and shared lines or existing Internet connection within the company to combine both data and voice.
Speech Recognition – This is a feature in some hosted VoIP system that allows the user to control applications by speaking.
Store and Forward – The term describes the process of storing messages and the transmission for playback. It is the basis of emails and fax-on-demand, and is also the opposite of real-time communication.
Telephony – It simply refers to the technology or the process of voice communications.
Trunk – It is the circuit that interconnects different switches where several users transmitting several data are managed. One example of a trunk is the PBX or hosted PBX.
VoIP PBX – Also called IP PBX telephone system, it is a telephony switching system for internet calls which also uses IP. It is also connected to the company’s traditional telephone lines to create a private shared network.
VoIP Phone – This is needed when setting up VoIP in your office, so make sure to contact your VoIP provider, so they can provide you with the right VoIP phone to channel your calls through the Internet for your local and international calls.
Wi-Fi Phone – This is another option if you do not have a VoIP phone, and is useful in residential settings where wireless signal is available.
