IP Telephony
IP telephony (Internet Protocol telephony) is a general term for technologies, products and services that use the Internet Protocol's packet-switched connections to support voice calling, voicemail, video calling, video conferencing, faxing and instant messaging.. See complete definition.
Top Stories
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Answer
15 Jun 2023
SIP trunking vs. VoIP: What's the difference?
SIP trunking and VoIP share some similarities, but they have key differences in origin and functions. Learn how together they form the cornerstone of IP telephony. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Mar 2023
What is a jitter buffer used for?
Jitter buffers play a key role in supporting audio quality and mitigating network anomalies. Learn how jitter buffers work and their potential drawbacks. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Mar 2022
Erlang C
Erlang C is a traffic modeling formula, primarily used in call center scheduling to calculate delays and to predict waiting times for callers. Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2021
Cisco Webex Calling bolsters business calls on private phones
Cisco Webex Calling will soon let customers' employees use their private phones to make business calls securely and in compliance with corporate policies. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2021
FCC commissioner urges more funding for satellite broadband
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said satellite-based wireless broadband should be available in remote areas where fiber isn't an option. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 Sep 2021
Service Profile Identifier (SPID)
In telecommunications, a Service Profile Identifier (SPID) is a number assigned by a phone company to a terminal on an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) B-channel. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2021
Zoom to buy cloud contact center provider Five9 for $14.7B
Zoom's acquisition of Five9 would make the company a competitor to 8x8, RingCentral, Cisco and Vonage in the growing cloud-based contact center market. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Jul 2021
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used for initiating, maintaining, modifying and terminating real-time sessions that involve video, voice, messaging and other communications applications and services between two or more endpoints on IP networks. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Mar 2021
3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project)
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaborative project between a group of telecommunications associations with the initial goal of developing globally applicable specifications for third-generation (3G) mobile systems. Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2021
News briefs: RingCentral provides calling in Salesforce
RingCentral makes it possible for customers to make calls from Salesforce, Lifesize appoints a new CEO and Fuze receives a patent for a connectivity problem detector. Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2020
Microsoft overhauls calling interface in Teams
Microsoft has started rolling out a redesigned calling interface in Teams that lets customers access voicemail, contacts and more from a single screen. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Nov 2020
What is the difference between IP telephony and VoIP?
While many IT professionals use VoIP and IP telephony synonymously, some argue for keeping a couple of subtle distinctions between the two terms in mind. Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2020
Zoom Phone to get spam blocking, 911 services
Zoom plans to roll out new features in Zoom Phone over the next several months. The enhancements include better messaging and spam-blocking technology. Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
RingCentral offers bulk SMS for reaching customers
A high-volume SMS API will let RingCentral users send thousands of messages at a time, a move that should help customers with sales and marketing promotions. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Feb 2020
Comparing UCaaS vs. CPaaS for cloud-based communications
CPaaS and UCaaS platforms are growing, as organizations move from on premises to cloud. Learn what capabilities these options offer and how they fit into your enterprise communications. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Jan 2020
Explore 6 SIP trunk providers with these comparison points
Explore these six SIP vendors and the pros and cons that they each introduce to your company's telecommunications system. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Nov 2019
Is your organization prepared to deploy SIP trunking services?
Before deploying SIP trunking services, organizations need to make sure they are prepared. Read this FAQ to learn how to prepare and protect SIP trunks. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 May 2019
Go back to the basics with a glossary of VoIP terms
This mini glossary defines essential vocabulary associated with VoIP. Read through these VoIP terms to refresh your knowledge of IP-based telephony. Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2019
G Suite for business adds enterprise voice, IT controls
Google released an enterprise phone system and plans to add new IT controls to G Suite for business in an effort to attract larger companies. Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2019
Mitel partners with Talkdesk for cloud contact center
Mitel this month will begin selling the Talkdesk cloud contact center under the brand MiCloud Connect CX. The companies are working to integrate their UC and contact center products. Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2019
Zoom Phone cloud PBX expands features, partnerships
Zoom Phone works with desk phones from Polycom and Yealink and integrates with contact center products from Five9 and Twilio. Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2019
Talkdesk cloud contact center integrates with on-premises PBXes
Talkdesk is opening its cloud contact center to on-premises PBX systems from vendors, including Avaya and Cisco -- a move that should help the company win larger customers. Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2019
Upgrades to on-premises Avaya products will be released in bits
Feature upgrades for on-premises Avaya products will roll out in 'very small, manageable' chunks moving forward, the company said. Avaya is looking to more closely align its on-premises and cloud portfolios. Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2019
Why enterprise adoption of cloud UC should accelerate in 2019
Enterprises like Pacific Dental and PTC are adopting cloud UC to get a consistent, reliable experience across various offices and geographies without overextending IT staff. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2019
Google Voice for G Suite expected to launch this spring
Google Voice for G Suite, a business version of its cloud calling service, will be available in at least nine countries, and its launch could come as soon as the early spring. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2019
Avaya delivers cloud workforce management for contact center
Users of Avaya's contact center platforms now have access to cloud workforce management software through the vendor's partnership with Verint. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2019
Yealink, Crestron release first Microsoft Teams phones
Yealink and Crestron have received certification for their Microsoft Teams phones. Microsoft is expected to greenlight devices from Polycom and AudioCodes in the near future. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2019
Avaya follows Cisco into market for UC headsets
Avaya has begun manufacturing UC headsets, following the lead of rival Cisco in a trend that is shaking up the market for such devices. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2019
Amazon contact center now supports real-time voice streaming
The Amazon contact center, Amazon Connect, now supports real-time voice streaming, a feature that opens the door to several emerging applications of AI. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Dec 2018
8x8 X Series platform wins Network Innovation Award
The 8x8 X Series combines unified communications and contact center technologies into a single cloud-based platform. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Dec 2018
Understanding MOS for voice quality
Looking to improve the quality of voice calls? Learn which mean-opinion-score models measure and rate the user experience and the factors that influence voice quality. Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2018
Online store launched for Avaya cloud products
Organizations can now buy multi-tenant Avaya cloud products through a self-service website targeted at small and midsize businesses. Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2018
New Microsoft Teams calling features narrow gap with Skype
Microsoft will complete its Microsoft Teams calling roadmap in the coming weeks, with the release of four advanced call controls targeted at enterprise users. Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2018
BroadSoft cloud calling begins to eclipse Cisco HCS
Cisco is pushing BroadSoft service providers to sell into the midmarket and above, raising questions about the future of Cisco HCS. Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2018
Cisco pushes BroadSoft partners to sell Cisco phones, displays
At BroadSoft Connections, the sponsors of which included Polycom and Yealink, Cisco wasn't shy about encouraging BroadSoft partners to begin selling Cisco phones and displays. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2018
In strategic shift, Avaya expands portfolio of open SIP phones
Avaya is doubling down on a decision to open its hardware to the software of competing UC vendors with the release of more than a dozen new open SIP phones. Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2018
Talkdesk iQ provides AI analytics, monitoring in contact center
Talkdesk iQ, the cloud contact center startup's new AI platform, includes an analytics dashboard and bot development tools. The vendor also announced a new 100% uptime SLA for enterprise calling. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Nov 2018
Migrating from PBX to VoIP: A hybrid VoIP approach
A hybrid VoIP system can be the bridge from PBX to VoIP telephony strategies. Our expert helps to highlight the advantages of a hybrid approach. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Oct 2018
How to check for packet loss to manage call quality
Network managers learn more straightforward techniques to get a more accurate reading when testing for network packet loss in order to manage call quality. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2018
Zoom enters UCaaS market with new cloud PBX service
Zoom will expand beyond its roots as a video conferencing startup and enter a crowded UCaaS market, with the release of a cloud PBX service in early 2019. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Sep 2018
When do I need to use QoS for VoIP bandwidth support?
Is your call quality suffering? Network bandwidth may be growing, but demands on it are, too. Here's what you need to know to use QoS to help solve VoIP call issues. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Sep 2018
How to troubleshoot VoIP call quality issues
Issues with VoIP calls can bring business to a halt, or at least cause headaches and undermine productivity. Learn how to troubleshoot VoIP issues effectively. Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2018
NewVoiceMedia acquisition adds contact center to Vonage cloud
The acquisition of NewVoiceMedia will add a contact center to the Vonage cloud portfolio, which already includes telephony and developer tools. Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2018
AT&T revives Office@Hand UCaaS deal with RingCentral
AT&T has recommitted to its partnership with RingCentral after telling customers earlier this year that it would soon stop supporting the startup's Office@Hand UCaaS platform. Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2018
Polycom VVX series adds four new desk phones
A new cloud-based device management service will help Polycom partners provision and troubleshoot the vendor's devices, including four new Polycom VVX series phones released this week. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2018
8x8 X Series combines UC and contact center
The cloud delivery model has made it easier to combine unified communications and contact center technologies into a single platform, as evidenced by the release of the 8x8 X Series this week. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2018
Avaya Equinox gets online UC and team collaboration for SMBs
Avaya has refreshed Avaya Equinox with online team collaboration and has integrated the software into IP Office. The changes are part of Avaya's strategy to attract more SMBs. Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2018
Polycom cloud service simplifies device management
A new Polycom cloud service will help businesses manage and monitor Polycom desk and conference room phones. The vendor plans to expand the service to cover video endpoints later this year. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2018
BroadSoft diversifies Cisco's cloud contact center portfolio
Cisco's cloud contact center portfolio now includes BroadSoft's CC-One. The vendor will use the multi-tenant platform to target small and midsize businesses. Continue Reading
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Video
13 Apr 2017
Cisco Spark Board, Polycom camera refocus on video conference rooms
While big boardroom video conferencing deployments are perhaps a thing of the past, video meetings could find a new home in small and medium-sized meeting rooms. Continue Reading