3Com ®
IP Telephony Jargon Buster and Glossary
TECHNOLOGY GUIDE
10BASE-T: Twisted pair Ethernet cable with
maximum length of 100 meters.
10Base-T 3G: Third-generation digital cellular mobile
through standard, employing UMTS.
NBX® 802.11b: Higher Rate (HR)/WiFi standard for
11 Mbps networking using the 2.4GHz frequency.
ACD: Automated call distribution.
ADSL: Asymmetric digital subscriber line.
ANSI: American National Standards Institute.
API: Application programming interface.
Asynchronous: Data transmission without
timing.
ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode— WAN
networking.
Bit: Numeric value of one or zero.
Bluetooth: Wireless standard for device-to-
device communications (www.bluetooth.com).
Bus: Term for network running off a single
cabled structure (e.g., Ethernet).
Circuit Switching: A means of creating a
connection through an end-to-end circuit.
This is open for the full duration of the
communication and a fixed portion of the
network is taken up.
CRM: Customer relationship management.
CSMA/CD: Carrier sense multiple access with
collision detect (Ethernet technology).
CTI: Computer telephony integration.
Data Link: OSI layer two specification,
comprising logical link control and media
access control.
DES: Data encryption standard.
DHCP: Dynamic host configuration protocol.
DiffServ: Differentiated services.
Ethernet: LAN technology based on bus
structure.
ETSI: European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (www.etsi.org).
Frame Relay: WAN network based on fast
packet switching.
H.323: Audio-video transmission standard (ITU).
HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language.
The presentation language used to display
web pages.
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
IAB: Internet Architecture Board.
IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering (www.ieee.org).
IP: Internet Protocol.
IPsec: IP security.
ISDN: Integrated services digital network.
ISO: International Standards Organization.
ISO Reference Mode: Seven-layer description
of an open communications system.
ITU: International Telecommunications Union.
IVR: Integrated voice response.
Kbps or Kbits/sec: Kilobits per second.
LAN: Local area network.
LAN Telephony: The convergence of voice
and data over a local area network.
LMDS: Local multipoint distribution services.
Local Loop: Analogue part of PSTN connecting
subscribers to a service.
MAN: Metropolitan Area Network.
Mbps or Mbits/sec: Megabits per second.
Modem: Modulator/demodulator.
A device that converts between analogue
tones and digital computer signals.
MPLS: Multi-protocol label switching.
NBX®: Network Based eXchange.
A registered trademark of 3Com Corporation.
 3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY
NOS: Network operating system.
OSI: Open Systems Interconnection.
Packet Switching: Communications method
that breaks data up into small packets and then
reassembles them at the receiving end. An
efficient use of a network, although bandwidth
is not guaranteed.
PAN: Personal Area Network, perhaps
based on Bluetooth or HomeRF.
PBX: Private branch exchange, also PABX, or
private area branch exchange.
NOS PCI: Peripheral component interconnect.
through POTS: Plain old telephone service.
Automatic Hold Recall Protocol: Rules controlling data flow in a
communications system.
PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network.
The official name for the fixed line telephone
network.
RSVP: Resource reservation protocol.
RTSP: Real-time streaming protocol.
Signaling: Process of passing control data
between telephony equipment.
SIP: Session initiation protocol.
TAPI: Microsoft telephone API.
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol. The family of protocols used
on the internet and some corporate networks.
Telephony: Voice communications.
TSAPI: Telephony API for Novell NetWare.
VoIP: Voice over IP, allowing voice and data
solutions to be converged over a wide
environment such as the Internet. Also
commonly used to refer to any use of Internet
Protocol for voice communications over a
dedicated WAN.
VPIM: Voice Profile for Internet Mail.
A standard that enables software-based
messaging exchange between multiple sites
and multiple voice messaging systems that
is seamless to users.
W3C: World Wide Web Consortium
standards body.
WAN: Wide area network.
WLAN: Wireless LAN.
X.25: Popular WAN standard.
X.400: Messaging standard.
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X.500: Directory services standard.
XHTML: Next generation HTML with XML tags.
XML: Extensible Markup Language. An
increasingly important standard for storing
data and linking business systems on the
internet.
Abbreviated Dialing: also known as speed
dialing, allows a list of frequently called
numbers to be stored in system memory and
accessed via a two- or three-digit code
Account Codes: allows a station user to enter
an account code that will be included in SMDR
or Call Accounting reports to detail the record
of calls made or received; codes can be forced,
optional, or standard; they can be verifiable or
not verifiable
ACD/Call Management System: an
automatic call distribution or call management
system routes calls to groups of agents based
on all agents spending an equal amount of
time on calls; systems range from simple to
elaborate and usually provide considerable
report information on trunk line usage and
agent activity; standalone ACD systems typically
are compatible with most telephone systems
Add-on Conference: allows station users to
establish a three-party conference call while on
an outside line call by adding another station
or outside line
Authorization Codes (COS Override): allows
certain station users, when visiting at another
user’s phone, to enter an authorization
code to temporarily override that phone’s
Class of Service and allow users to make
outside calls in accordance with their own Class
of Service restrictions
Auto Attendant: allows incoming trunk calls
to be answered by an automated attendant;
a caller might hear a recorded greeting
followed by transfer to a live station or
attendant, or it could give the caller dialing
instructions to reach certain users,
departments, or a live attendant
Auto Line Preference: also referred to as
Auto Line Selection, Idle Line Preference, or
Prime Line Preference, this feature allows a user
to be automatically connected to a central
office trunk line when going off-hook
Automatic Busy Redial: allows a user who
has placed an outside call to a busy number to
have the system redial the number (for multiple
attempts) until the call is connected
Automatic Hold Recall: allows calls to be
placed on hold and recalls the called party if
there is no response to the call within a
specified period of time
 3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY
Auto Route Selection (ARS): also known as
Optimal Routing, routes calls over the public
network based on the preferred (normally the
least expensive) route available at the time
the call is placed; Least Cost Routing, a similar
feature, has been considered to be a more
sophisticated version of this feature that also
includes such enhancements as time of day/day
of week routing patterns
Automatic Set Relocation: the ability to
physically move a phone without losing any
programming (such as speed dials, etc.)
Automatic Wakeup (Timed Reminder):
Auto Route Selection allows users to enter a request for a call or
signal to be generated by the system to their
(ARS) station at a specific time (for meeting reminder
or similar application)
through
Background Music (through telephones):
Call Park (with Recall) allows music to be heard through the
speakerphone of the telephone
Battery Back-up, Memory: protects memory
features (that is, the customer database) from a
power loss by using a battery back-up
Battery Back-up, System: protects the
entire system and keeps it fully operational in
the event of a commercial power failure;
feature may require only batteries and a battery
charger, or it may require an uninterruptable
power supply
Bridging: allows a specified number of station
users who share a line appearance to
simultaneously go off-hook and actively bridge
on the line; systems with this feature typically
allow multiple stations to bridge on a trunk or
feature appearance at one time; systems that
allow one additional user to bridge would be
classified as offering only the Privacy Release
(Non-Privacy) feature
Busy Override: allows users to override a busy
signal to break into an existing conversation;
most systems offer this feature in conjunction
with a warning tone that is given to both
parties of the current conversation; some
systems offer this feature with or without the
use of the warning tone
Call Accounting System: used in conjunction
with the Station Message Detail Recording
(SMDR) feature to provide detailed records
and to report on incoming and outgoing
calls through the telephone system; Call
Accounting adds calling charges to facilitate
departmental billing, client billing, and
verification of telephone company bills;
standalone Call Accounting systems are
typically compatible with most telephone
systems that incorporate SMDR
Call Coverage: allows buttons to be
shared or paired between users so that an
unanswered call can be answered (covered)
by the other user
Call Duration: alerts a station user when
an outgoing call exceeds a preset time period
as follows:
• signal: generates an alerting tone to a station
user
• display: sets an elapsed call timer for station
users equipped with display telephones
Caller Identification:
• ICLID (Incoming Line Information Database):
The name of the person calling or the caller’s
telephone number displays on the phone’s
screen. Caller ID can be provided
by the local phone company or the
service provider
• ANI: When an incoming call is received
over an ISDN trunk, the caller’s telephone
number or Automatic Number Identification
(ANI) is provided by the public telephone
network to the PBX. While routing the
call, the PBX sends the ANI to a computer
application, and customer data related to the
ANI can be displayed
• DNIS: While routing an incoming call, the PBX
sends the telephone number dialed by the
caller to a computer application. Data
relevant to this telephone number is
displayed on the user’s telephone screen or
PC. DNIS differs from ANI and ICLID since
DNIS represents the number a caller called,
while ANI and ICLID represents the number a
caller called from
Call Forward: enables users to forward calls to
any other telephone extension; forwarding can
be arranged for:
• busy calls only
• no answer calls
• all calls
• fixed: supports fixed forwarding to a pre-
assigned location, such as a manager to a
secretary; the call forward destination is
normally flexible, allowing the station user to
enter the number of the forward to
destination, but some systems also provide
fixed forwarding
• override/return: allows forwarded calls to be
overridden by another call and the forwarded
call returned to the call forwarder’s station;
for example, a manager forwards a call to a
secretary, but if the secretary receives an
important call, s/he can override the forward
condition and return that call to the manager
• off premise: supports off premise call
forwarding; most systems support call
forwarding only to other stations internal to
the system, but some systems also support
forwarding to off premise locations
Call Park: allows users to transfer calls to
parking or orbit zones where the calls remain
on hold until picked up at the same station or
at a station at another location
Call Park (with Recall): an automatic function
of some systems that recalls either the original
station or the attendant to ensure that the
caller is not forgotten when a call is placed in a
Park location for an extended period of time
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3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY
Call Pickup (Directed, Group): directed call
pickup enables any user to pick up a call
ringing at an unattended station; group call
pickup enables users to be members of a
specific group, allowing any member of that
group to dial an access code to pick up a call
ringing at an unattended member’s station
Camp-on/Call Waiting: allows users to wait
on a line when encountering a busy signal,
called party is alerted by a tone when another
party is waiting; at the completion of the initial
call the waiting party is automatically
connected to the called party
Call Pickup CCSA Access: Common Control Switching
Arrangement access; support for private
(Directed, Group) network applications
through Centralized Attendant Service (CAS-Main
or Branch): allows a system to serve as the
Handsfree Answerback location for the primary attendant(s), who can
on Intercom then answer incoming calls and route them
over special trunks to the outlying branch
offices; serves as an important feature for users
with multiple sites in a fairly close geographical
area; some systems can function as either the
main or the branch location in such an
operation, while others can only serve as a
branch location
Class of Service (CoS): enables the system
administrator to restrict or allow access to
specific features and calling privileges on
individual phones by assigning different Class
of Service codes
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI): TAPI,
a Telephone Application Programming Interface
developed by Microsoft and Intel,
is a set of functions that allows software
developers to write telephony software
applications for an individual PC. TAPI allows
Windows applications programs to control
telephony functions such as establishing,
answering, and terminating calls. Some
companies have a proprietary version of TAPI.
Conference: allows the user to set up a
conference call with four or more parties which
can be a mixture of internal and/or external
parties and, generally, at least two
of the parties can be outside trunk lines
Diagnostics (Self Testing): allows the system
to perform self diagnostic testing and alert
the attendant or system administrator via alarm
lamps or error code messages when a fault is
detected
Dial Pulse/DTMF Signaling: the system can
accept touch-tone or rotary dial stations and
outside trunk lines and convert one signaling
mode to the other as required to process
the calls
Direct Group Calling: allows users to call a
group of stations such as a sales department by
dialing a group code number
4
Direct In Lines: allows specific central office
trunk lines to be assigned to ring directly to a
station or group of stations without being
routed through the attendant position
Direct Inward Dial (DID): connects calls from
the public network directly to the dialed
extension without attendant assistance; most
systems can add or delete digits as required to
complete the call
Directory Service (on LCD phones): allows
users to enter a name via the keypad and have
the station number displayed for easier call
processing
Distinctive Ringing: the system presents calls
to the station user’s telephone with different
ringing patterns that identify the call as
originating from an outside trunk line or an
internal station, or as a callback, etc.
Do Not Disturb: prohibits calls from
terminating at a particular station
Do Not Disturb (with Override): allows
authorized users to override the Do Not Disturb
feature and have their calls ring in to the
station that is in Do Not Disturb mode
Door Phone: allows an intercom box or a
combination intercom box/electronic door lock
to be installed on an outside door and be
directly connected to a specific station or to the
system
Enhanced 911 (E911): feature transmits a
caller’s phone number and location to an
Emergency System, based on a database
Executive Override of Privacy: allows
authorized users to override the privacy feature
and join in an existing two-party conversation
External Alerting Device: the system
supports the connection of external bells,
lights, or gongs that can be placed in special
areas of the customer’s premises to facilitate
the handling of calls
External Page Interface: allows the system to
be connected to an external loudspeaker
paging system for one or more zones
Flexible Station Numbering: allows
customers to establish their own numbering
scheme for station numbers, feature access
codes, and trunk access codes, as compared to
some systems where these assignments are
fixed in the system programming
Handsfree Answerback on Intercom: allows
station users, normally those equipped with
proprietary telephones, to answer incoming
intercom calls in a handsfree mode (via an
integral speaker), even though their telephone
may not be equipped for full handsfree
operation
3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY
Healthcare Package: a special set of features
specific to the healthcare professions, including
medical centers, hospitals, and nursing homes;
some systems offer separate packages for health-
care and lodging, while others may combine
these two functions by offering only a few
features that are commonly used by both areas
Hold (Exclusive, System): allows station users
to put outside callers on hold so that they can
answer or initiate another call; these calls can
be placed on System Hold so that any other
station user with the same line appearance can
pick up the call, or they can be placed on
Exclusive Hold so that only the station user
Healthcare Package who put the caller on hold can access the call
through Hot Lines (or Manual Lines/House Phones):
allows a direct connection to be established to
On-Hook Dialing another station in the system, when a user
goes off-hook
I-Hold Indication: provides multi-line station
users with an indication as to which holding
line is the one that they placed on hold
I-Use Indication: provides multi-line station
users with an indication as to which line is the
one that they are utilizing at that time
Incoming Call Group: allows central office
trunk lines to be assigned to ring directly into a
group of stations without being routed through
the attendant
Internal Paging: allows users to place page
calls to certain groups of users or to all users
on the system via the telephone set speaker
ISDN Interface: Integrated Services Digital
Network is a switched network utilizing a
digital connection to a central office to provide
end-to-end digital connectivity and support
both voice and non-voice services. The system
can support a Primary Rate Interface (PRI) for
ISDN connections to other systems, allowing 23
circuit-switched B bearer channels (64 Kbps
each), plus one packet-switched D data
channel (16 Kbps) to be carried over a single
link; the system supports a Basic Rate Interface
(BRI), an ISDN standard that allows two circuit-
switched B bearer channels (64 Kbps each),
plus one packet-switched D data channel (16
Kbps) to be carried over a single twisted pair;
BRI can exist on the network side or the
internal line side of a telephone system
Least Cost Routing (LCR): similar to Auto
Route Selection (ARS), but generally a more
complex offering that includes routing by time
of day, day of week, and digit translation
Lodging Package: a special set of features
specific to the hotel/motel lodging industry
Main/Satellite Service: allows multiple
systems to be interconnected with special trunk
circuits to facilitate common numbering plans
and access codes; considerable feature
transparency between systems is supported
A station user in one of the satellite systems,
for example, can answer an incoming call and
transfer that call to a station user in another
satellite system just by performing the normal
hookswitch/transfer and then dialing the
extension number of the other user. An
example of a typical application is several
buildings in an office park or a college
campus that are interconnected to appear
as one large system
Manual Signaling: allows users to send a
manual signal or intercom tone to another
station user by pressing a button
Message Waiting: allows callers to light a
message waiting lamp to signal telephone
users to contact another station user or the
message center for messages; includes the
following:
• attendant-station: originated by an attendant
to a station
• station-station: originated by a station to
another station
• w/displayed messages: identifies displayed
messages such as pre-programmed or
personalized text messages that would
appear on the other user’s display phone;
only available to station users who are
equipped with display telephones
Multiple Trunk Groups: allows central office
trunk lines to be assigned to pools or groups in
applications that require more than one central
office trunk line for the same function
Music-On-Hold: alerts outside callers that they
are on hold and still connected; a CD or
cassette tape player can be plugged into the
Music-on-Hold port for flexible functionality
Night Service: allows central office trunk lines
to be assigned to different ringing locations
after normal business hours; includes the
following:
• fixed assignments: fixed for specific
telephone locations
• flexible assignments: includes ringing a night
bell that could then allow any station user to
answer the call by dialing a special pickup
code
Off-Premise Extension: supports off-site
stations, providing the same capabilities and
features as on-site stations; normally applies to
single-line sets
On-Hook Dialing: allows station users to dial
calls without lifting the handset
5
 3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY
Outgoing Call Restrictions: allows the system
to be programmed to restrict defined stations
from making outgoing calls or only calls to
specific locations
Personalized Ringing: allows station users to
program personalized ringing tones to
distinguish one ringing telephone from another
Power Failure Transfer Phones: allows
certain central office trunk lines to be directly
connected to certain telephones in the event of
a system or commercial power failure
Privacy: allows for all connections to be
Outgoing Call private, so that another user cannot
accidentally or intentionally enter an existing
Restrictions conversation
through Privacy Release (Non-Privacy): allows the
station user to control whether the Privacy
Toll Restrictions Override feature can be used and provides the flexibility
to release the privacy feature to allow another
station user with the same line appearance to
join in on the conversation
Private Lines: also known as personal lines;
enables a trunk line to be assigned to a specific
button that can only appear on certain
telephones or that only a specified station user
is allowed to access
QSIG: is an open, standards-based signaling
protocol used for inter-PBX communications.
Supported by most PBX vendors (unlike other
PBX protocols, which have historically been
proprietary), QSIG provides signaling and
feature interoperability between PBXs
Recorded Messages: allows the system to
connect callers to a recorded announcement in
conjunction with such features as Night Service,
Station Hunting, Automatic Call Distribution,
and Auto Wakeup
Remote Access (DISA): allows specified users
to dial into the system from an outside location
and be permitted access to system features and
outside lines
Saved Number Redial: allows a user to dial a
number and save it so that it can be redialed at
a later time by pressing a button or dialing an
access code
Security Alarm Interface: allows an alarm to
be placed on a door and to be connected to
the telephone system to be activated whenever
the door is opened
6
Station Hunting: allows incoming calls to
hunt through a group of assigned station users
until an available station is located; can utilize
the following formats:
• Circular Hunting: begins with the called
station number and continues through all
members until an idle station is found
• Terminal Hunting: begins with the called
station and ends with the last station in
the group
• Secretarial Hunting: routes calls to a busy
hunt group, or several busy hunt groups to a
common secretarial phone for answering
• Master or Pilot Number Hunting: begins
when the caller dials the Pilot or Master
Number assigned to the group
• Distributed or UCD-type Hunting: begins
progressively, such as at the station following
the last one to receive a call
Station Message Detail Recording (SMDR):
enables reports to be generated
that provide time, duration, and number dialed;
incoming and outgoing calls can usually be
tracked
Station Queuing/Trunk Queuing with
Callback: allows station users who encounter a
busy station or line to put themselves in queue
and go on-hook; the user receives a callback
when the line or busy station becomes
available
T1 Digital Trunk Interface: enables support of
a direct 24-channel T1 digital trunk
Tenant Service: allows more than one
organization (tenant) to share the same
telephony system; through programming,
each tenant can be restricted to its own CO
trunks, attendant consoles, and extension links;
incoming calls are directed to the
appropriate tenant
Tie Trunks: enables inter-system tie trunk links
to be added to the telephone system, for
private connections between two or more
user systems
Toll Restriction: allows the user to restrict
specified telephones from making long distance
toll calls
• 0/1: specifies calls blocked on all 0+ and
1+ calls
• area/office code: specifies calls blocked to certain
area code and/or office code combinations
• allow/deny lists: specifies lists of allowed
numbers or codes and denied numbers
or codes
Toll Restriction Override: allows authorized
users to temporarily override toll restriction
assignments on a specific phone:
• by code: specifies that authorized users can
temporarily override toll restriction by dialing
an authorization code
• by sys. abb. dialing: specifies that authorized
users can temporarily override toll restriction
by accessing specific Abbreviated Dialing
numbers
 3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY
Traffic Measurement: enables the system to
generate utilization reports on such statistics as
number of calls and duration of calls placed on
different lines or the frequency that all lines are
busy; also generates reports on the usage of
certain other features
Trunk-to-Trunk Connections: also known as
Unsupervised Conference; allows a user to
establish a connection between two outside
lines, where the user is not required to remain
in the conversation
Unified Messaging: provides access to voice,
fax, and e-mail on a PC via the telephone
Traffic Measurement
Voicemail Interface: allows the system
through to be connected to an external voicemail/
messaging system
Volume Control
Voice Synthesizer: allows the system to
(for Speaker Ringer) provide synthesized electronic voice prompts
or messages for use in conjunction with system
programming or the message
waiting feature
VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol (IP)
networking allows the transmission of
packetized and compressed voice, along with
fax and data information, over the Internet or a
corporate intranet. This can reduce the need
for more expensive leased public switched
telephone network (PSTN) tie trunk facilities,
resulting in cost savings for the customer
Voicemail/Messaging System: supports a
voicemail system to receive and store messages
from outside or internal callers and to send
messages to other internal users
VM/MS systems normally connect to the
telephone system via station or trunk ports,
support multiple users, and store messages
on tapes or disks. These systems are also
available in standalone versions that are
compatible with many telephone systems.
Typical systems are integrated with the
telephone system to alert a user to a stored
message via a message waiting indicator or
other user alert method. More sophisticated
product offerings also support networking to
facilitate intercommunication among systems
installed at multiple sites
Volume Control (for Microphone): allows
users with proprietary telephones to adjust
the outgoing volume for their telephone’s
microphone on a handsfree call
Volume Control (for Speaker/Ringer): allows
users with proprietary telephones to adjust the
volume for the incoming call ringer and the
telephone set’s speaker
7
3COM ® JARGON BUSTER AND GLOSSARY

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Specifications and other information in this document may be subject to change without notice. 200251-003 10/04