Nel seguito un elenco di acronimi e abbreviazioni impiegati nel settore Unified Communications.

3G Generic name for third generation cellular network technology, supporting circuit-switched voice and high speed data.

3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project, the industry consortium that owns the standards for GSM, IMS and LTE.

4G Generic name for fourth generation cellular network technology, supporting broadband wireless.

4G networks are all IP and don’t support TDM or circuit switching.

A-BGF Access Border Gateway Function. The network function in IMS that enforces policy on the access media path.

AGCF Access Gateway Control Function. The network function in the IMS PSTN Emulation Subsystem that emulates a P-CSCF and that controls network-based and residential Access Gateways.

AGW Access Gateway. The network function in the IMS PSTN Emulation Subsystem that connects legacy access technologies such as POTS, ISDN and T1 CAS into the IMS network.

AIN Advanced Intelligent Network. Traditional technique for layering enhanced voice services over a Class 5 switch infrastructure.

AS Application Server. The network function in IMS that provides voice and multimedia services over and above basic session setup.

ATA Analog Telephone Adapter. A form of Access Gateway that is deployed in customer premises.

ATIS Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions. A standards body accredited by the American National Standards Institute.

BGCF Breakout Gateway Control Function. The IMS function responsible for routing calls to offnetwork destinations.

BLC Broadband Loop Carrier. A network-based access device that provides both Access Gateway function for POTS and broadband services via DSL.

CAMEL Customised Applications for Mobile networks Enhanced Logic. A version of AIN used for layering enhanced voice services over a GSM-based mobile switching infrastructure.

CAS Channel-Associated Signaling. A method of signaling used for connecting legacy PBXs over T1 lines.

CDF Charging Data Function. The IMS function responsible for collecting and correlating chargeable event details for billing and charging purposes.

CDMA Code Division Multiple Access. A cellular networking technology widely used in 2G and 3G networks in North America, as an alternative to GSM.

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. An protocol used in IP networks that enables systems to obtain basic configuration, including a dynamically assigned IP address, when they start up.

DSL Digital Subscriber Line. The generic name for technologies that deliver high-speed data services over copper pairs to customer premises.

EDGE Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution. The most-widely deployed technology for supporting high speed data in 3G GSM networks.

ENUM Telephone Number Mapping. A protocol that makes use of the Domain Name System (DNS) to support the mapping of telephone numbers into domain names.

ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute.

EV-DO Evolution Data Optimized. The most-widely deployed technology for supporting high speed data in 3G CDMA networks.

FCC Federal Communications Commission.

FTTx Fiber To The X. Generic name for optical fiber in the access network, terminating at the home, the office or at the roadside curb.

GSM Global System for Mobile communications. The most widely used technology for 2G and 3G cellular networks.

HSS Home Subscriber Server. The IMS function responsible for storage of various kinds of subscriber-related data, including authentication credentials, details of services subscribed, and identity of currently assigned S-CSCF.

I-BGF Interconnect Border Gateway Function. The IMS function that enforces policy on the interconnection media path with other IMS networks.

I-CSCF Interrogating Call Session Control Function. The IMS function responsible for querying the HSS to obtain the identity of the S-CSCF to which signaling requests addressed to particular destination should be sent.

IAD Integrated Access Device. A form of Access Gateway deployed on customer premises that also supports data services.

IBCF Interconnect Border Controller Function. The IMS function responsible for session border control at the point of signaling interconnection with other IMS networks.

IETF Internet Engineering Task Force.

iFC Initial Filter Criteria. A set of structured data held in the HSS for each IMS endpoint that identifies which Application Servers are to be invoked on signaling requests to or from the endpoint.

IMS IP Multimedia Subsystem.

IP Internet Protocol.

ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network.

ISIM IP Multimedia Services Identity Module. The IMS equivalent to the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) used in GSM handsets.

ISUP ISDN User Part. The signaling protocol used for call control in the PSTN.

LTE Long Term Evolution. A broadband wireless technology that is expected to form the basis of most 4G networks.

MF Multi Frequency. A legacy signaling protocol used on PSTN trunks.

MGCF Media Gateway Control Function. The IMS function responsible for controlling Media Gateways used for interconnecting IMS networks with the PSTN.

MGCP Media Gateway Control Protocol. A protocol used by some earlier generations of Access Gateways.

MRFC Media Resource Function Controller. The IMS function responsible for controlling Media Resource Function Providers.

MRFP Media Resource Function Provider. A media server function in the IMS network, used to provide tones and announcements and to support interactive voice response applications.

NCS Network-based Call Signaling. A version of MGCP used by cable operators to support telephony services to residential gateway devices in PacketCable environments.

P-CSCF Proxy Call Session Control Function. The IMS function responsible for providing a secure edge between the access network and the IMS core network.

PBX Private Branch Exchange.

PES PSTN Emulation Subsystem. A set of IMS functions that together enable an IMS network to provide a replacement for Class 5 switching systems.

POTS Plain Old Telephone Service, based on analog transmission over copper loops.

PRI Primary Rate Interface. A PSTN interface based on ISDN protocols running over a T1 transport facility.

PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network.

RFC Request for Comments. The name used for standards documents published by the IETF.

RTP Real-Time Protocol. The IP-based protocol for transport of voice and multimedia streams.

S-CSCF Serving Call Session Control Function. The IMS function responsible for directing signaling requests to Application Servers so as to invoke services for subscribers on the network.

S-PDF Serving Policy Decision Function. The access network function that accepts requests for media policy enforcement from P-CSCF and IBCF functions, and that controls the A-BGF and I-BGF functions which enforce the requested policy.

SBC Session Border Controller. Generic name for a function that supports the secure interconnection of VoIP signaling protocols, and optionally VoIP media.

SGF Signaling Gateway Function. The IMS function responsible for mapping legacy PSTN signalling protocols such as ISUP into an IP transport for processing by the MGCF.

SIP Session Initiation Protocol. The protocol used for setting up and controlling voice and multimedia sessions in IMS networks.

TCF Transit Control Function

TDM Time Division Multiplexing. Generic name for the technology that supports circuit-switched networks such as the PSTN.

TISPAN Telecoms& Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks. The group within ETSI responsible for defining the PSTN Emulation Subsystem.

UE User Equipment. An IMS endpoint.

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol.

WIN Wireless Intelligent Networking. A version of AIN used for layering enhanced voice services over a CDMA-based mobile switching infrastructure.