Glossary of terms
| 123 |
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| 21CN: an end-to-end, next
generation IP network, designed to transform the customer experience
by delivering new, converged services rapidly and cost effectively. It
is one of the largest investments in the UK’s communications infrastructure
by a private sector company |
|
| 21CN Ethernet: a next generation
wholesale Ethernet service and the first to be built on the 21CN platform.
It will offer ten times the bandwidth of the core MPLS network, delivering
high-speed data connectivity to
corporate customers and mobile operators |
|
| A |
|
| ARPU: average revenue per
user |
|
| B |
|
| backhaul network: the network
linking a communication provider’s
network with the BT exchange |
|
| broadband: comes from ‘broad
bandwidth’ and is used to describe a high-capacity, two-way
link between an end user and an access network supplier – capable
of carrying a wide range of applications |
|
| BT Broadband Talk: enables
customers to make and receive calls over a broadband connection, using
a touch-tone telephone plugged into the router or BT Home Hub. Customers
on BT Broadband Talk get a separate phone number |
|
| BT Broadband Voice: a voice
over IP telephone service offering unlimited local and national calls
for a fixed monthly subscription |
|
| BT Business Broadband: a
broadband package specifically designed for small and medium businesses,
which was superseded in January 2007 by BT Business Total Broadband |
|
| BT Business Builder: one
of a series of SaaS (software as a service) applications designed to
help small businesses with administration and cost control |
|
| BT Business Essentials: a
package designed for customers taking their first online steps, which
includes basic website creation tools |
|
| BT Business IT Manager: a
selection of services to meet all small and medium businesses’ IT
needs – from hardware supply and set up to advice on, and support
for, systems |
|
| BT Business One Plan: the
UK’s first triple-play landline, mobile and broadband calling package
designed for businesses |
|
| BT Business Total Broadband: BT’s
most complete broadband package specifically designed for small and medium
businesses, powered by business-grade broadband with download speeds
of up to 8Mb |
|
| BT Communications Complete: a
simple, networked IP platform offering everything BT’s business
customers need to improve their communications |
|
| BT Conferencing: a business
within BT Enterprises offering global audio, video and web collaboration
services |
|
| BT Corporate Fusion: a ground-breaking
premises-based fixed-mobile convergence service for large organisations.
It enables organisations to take advantage of fixed-mobile convergence
and their increasing deployment of IP telephony and wi-fi coverage |
|
| BT Design: a BT internal
functional unit responsible for the design and deployment of the platforms,
systems and processes which support BT’s products and services |
|
| BT Digital Vault: a quick
and hassle-free service for safeguarding files stored on customers’ PCs
and laptops –including photos, emails, and other important personal
information |
|
| BT Directories: a business
within BT Enterprises offering directory enquiries, operator services
and the phone book, as well as more recently developed on-line and CD-ROM
services |
|
| BT Enterprises: a business
unit within BT Retail encompassing BT Conferencing, BT Directories, BT
Expedite, BT Payphones, BT Redcare and dabs.com |
|
| BT Expedite: a business within
BT Enterprises offering specialist store integration solutions and services |
|
| BT FON: global wireless broadband
access for BT Total Broadband customers using BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots
and the connection of other BT FON members |
|
| BT Fusion: a versatile tariff
that includes unlimited calls to UK mobiles and UK landlines made from
the office (within range of the BT Business Hub) or from a BT Openzone
hotspot |
|
| BT Global Services: BT’s
line of business providing global services (including managed networks,
outsourcing and systems integration on an agile IP infrastructure) to
multi-site organisations, such as corporate and government customers
across Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. It also serves
wholesale customers outside the UK |
|
| BT Home Hub: a stylish, powerful
feature-packed ADSL router, designed to sit at the heart of the digital
home. It can connect to up to 15 devices wirelessly, and supports BT’s
full range of services including BT Total Broadband and BT Broadband
Talk |
|
| BT Home IT Support: BT’s
IT fix-it service for broadband customers, offering straightforward jargon-free
advice and support over the phone or in the home for a wide range of
computer issues |
|
| BT Ireland: a division of
BT Retail. It operates in the consumer, business, major business and
wholesale markets throughout the island of Ireland |
|
| BT Net Protect: anti-virus
and firewall security products |
|
| BT Office Anywhere: a hand-held
device which gives users on the move the functions of an office Windows
PC. Unlike other smartphones, it comes with VoIP and the option of unlimited
VoIP calls to UK landlines |
|
| BT Openzone: a convenient,
easy to use broadband internet access service using wireless technology
(Wi-Fi). Users can access email or surf the internet from around 40,000
hot spots throughout the UK and around the world |
|
| BT Operate: a BT internal
functional unit responsible for the operation of the platforms, systems
and processes which support BT’s products and services |
|
| BT Payphones: a business
within BT Enterprises providing street, managed and private payphones
and card services |
|
| BT Pension Scheme (BTPS): The
BTPS is the group’s main final salary pension scheme, where benefits
are based on employees’ length of service and final pensionable
pay |
|
| BT Redcare: a business within
BT Enterprises offering secure intelligent monitoring and tracking services,
including alarm monitoring, CCTV, machine monitoring, secure mobile data
solutions and vehicle tracking |
|
| BT Retail: a BT line of
business offering a wide range of retail products and services to the
consumer and small to medium business markets |
|
| BT Retirement Plan (BTRP): a
defined contribution pension arrangement that was introduced for new
BT employees from 1 April 2001 |
|
| BT Softphone: an easy to
download service giving free global
PC-to-PC chat at any time of day |
|
| BT Together: a calling plan
for consumer customers, offering three low-cost calling packages |
|
| BT Tradespace: an online
trading community that brings businesses and individual sellers together
with potential customers and partners |
|
| BT Total Broadband: the
most comprehensive broadband packages yet seen in the UK. Powered by
ultra-fast download speeds of up to 8Mb, it offers free internet voice
calls, free video calls, and a suite of security software – all
brought together through the BT Home Hub. BT Total Broadband even gives
freedom to roam outside the home with Wi-Fi, via free BT Openzone wireless
minutes. There are no connection charges, and the package comes with
around-the-clock helpdesk support |
|
| BT Total Broadband Anywhere: the
UK’s first fully-inclusive mobile broadband package which offers
a high-end mobile device so that customers can always have their broadband
with them – in or out of the home |
|
| BT Vision: next generation
TV service combining the appeal of TV with the interactivity of broadband.
Customers can watch what they want when they want, and not be tied to
TV schedules. The service does not require a regular monthly subscription |
|
| BT Wholesale: a BT line
of business providing network services and solutions within the UK. It
services more than 700 communications providers, including other BT businesses |
|
| Business in
the Community: an organisation of more than 700 of the UK’s top
companies committed to improving their positive impact on society |
|
| C |
|
| Childline: the UK’s
free, 24-hour helpline for children in
distress or danger |
|
| convergence: has various
interpretations. It can mean the delivery of voice, video and data across
all networks. It also refers to the integration of fixed and mobile solutions,
sometimes on a single handset |
|
| CP: communications provider |
|
| CPS: carrier pre-selection
enables customers to choose to have certain call types carried by another
network operator |
|
| CRM: customer relationship
management |
|
| CSR: corporate social responsibility |
|
| ‘cycle time’: the
time between the start and finish of each and every customer experience – for
example the time elapsed between a customer’s initial attempt to
contact BT and receipt of the relevant service and payment of the bill |
|
| D |
|
| dabs.com: a business within
BT Enterprises, it is one of the UK’s leading internet retailers
of IT and technology products |
|
| Dow Jones Sustainability Index: assesses
2,500 companies worldwide on their performance in areas such as corporate
governance and ethical practices, investor relations, environmental management,
community investment, human rights, health and safety, diversity, supply
chain and risk management |
|
| DSL: digital subscriber
line – a broadband service where existing wires between the local
telephone exchange and a customer’s telephone sockets are transformed
into a high-speed digital line |
|
| E |
|
| Ethernet: a popular standard
or protocol for linking computers into a local area network |
|
| Ethernet Backhaul Direct: Openreach’s
new backhaul product designed to meet the increasing need for high-bandwidth
backhaul capability from customers wishing to connect their local access
circuits back to their core networks |
|
| EMEA: Europe, the Middle
East and Africa |
|
| EMP: Equivalence Management
Platform – Openreach’s transactional platform that underpins
all its interactions with communications providers. It can process up
to 100,000 orders a day |
|
| EPS: earnings per share |
|
| ESIP: Employee Share Investment
Plan – a plan under which BT can provide free shares to employees,
and employees can buy shares in BT from pre-tax salaries |
|
| G |
|
| Gb: gigabits (per second) |
|
| GCTO: BT Group Chief Technology
Office – responsible for creating BT’s innovation strategy |
|
| H |
|
| HDTV: high definition TV |
|
| I |
|
| IASB: International Accounting
Standards Board – the board which sets International Financial Reporting
Standards |
|
| ICT: information and communication
technology |
|
| IFRS: International Financial
Reporting Standards |
|
| IP: internet protocol – a
packet-based protocol for delivering data – including voice and
video – across networks |
|
| ISDN: integrated services
digital network – an all digital network that enables a host of
services to be carried together on the same circuits. It makes it possible
for any two compatible pieces of connected equipment to talk to each
other |
|
| ISO 9001: the international
quality management standard |
|
| ISO 14001: the environmental
management standard |
|
| ISP: internet service provider |
|
| L |
|
| LAN: local area network – a
network that operates within a limited geographical area, such as in
a building. It connects a variety of data devices, such as PCs, servers
and printers at a very high data rate |
|
| LLU: local loop unbundling – the
process whereby BT’s exchange lines are physically disconnected
from BT’s network and connected to other communication providers’ networks.
This enables operators, other than BT, to use the company’s local
loop to provide services to customers |
|
| M |
|
| managed solutions: where
BT has complete responsibility for end-to-end design, implementation
and control of managing and monitoring
customer networks and services |
|
| Mb: megabits (per second) |
|
| MPLS: multi-protocol label
switching – supports the rapid transmission of data across network
routers, enabling modern networks to achieve high quality of service |
|
| MVNO: mobile virtual network
operator. A mobile operator which does not own its own spectrum, and
usually does not have its own network infrastructure. Instead, MVNOs
have business arrangements with traditional mobile operators to buy minutes
of use for sale to their own customers |
|
| N |
|
| N3: the national broadband
network that BT is building for the NHS |
|
| narrowband: non-broadband,
fixed access network or line |
|
| NCC: network charge control |
|
| new wave: a collective name
for networked IT, broadband and mobility products and services, to differentiate
them from traditional voice services |
|
| O |
|
| Ofcom: the independent regulator
and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with
responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless
communications services |
|
| Openreach: Openreach looks
after the ‘first mile’ of network, from the exchange through
to homes and businesses. Its role is to provide services to all communications
providers – including other BT lines of business – on a fair,
equal and open basis |
|
| P |
|
| PPC: partial private circuit |
|
| PSTN: public switched telephone network |
|
| Q |
|
| Queen’s Award for Enterprise: the UK’s most prestigious
award for business performance |
|
| R |
|
| re-usable capabilities: a
set of re-usable components for use in product and service development.
Instead of creating new systems, and deploying new hardware/software
to build a product, product managers, network and systems designers will
increasingly pick from a catalogue of common capabilities. |
|
| ‘right first time’: the
most important measure of whether we are keeping our promises to our
customers and meeting or exceeding their expectations |
|
| Route2Learn (R2L): BT’s
learning management system |
|
| S |
|
| SME: small or medium-sized
enterprise |
|
| SMP: significant market power |
|
| U |
|
| Undertakings: a series of
legally-binding commitments BT made to Ofcom, designed to bring greater
transparency and certainty to the regulation of the telecommunications
industry in the UK. They led to the formation of Openreach |
|
| UK GAAP: United Kingdom
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
|
| US GAAP: United States Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles |
|
| USO: universal service obligation |
|
| V |
|
| V-box: BT Vision is delivered
through a set-top box – the V-box. This contains a personal digital
recorder able to store up to 80 hours of content, pause or rewind live
TV, and record programmes at the touch of a button |
|
| VoIP: voice over internet
protocol – a method of transporting speech over the internet |
|
| W |
|
| WAN: wide area network – a
network spread over a large geographical area |
|
| Wholesale Broadband Connect: a
next generation 21CN broadband service offering a range of benefits including
speeds up to 24Mb, guaranteed service level agreements, the ability to
trade speed for stability and enhanced line diagnostics |
|
| Wi-Fi: wireless networking – the
ability to connect to a network or a PC using radio as opposed to a physical
(cabling) connection |
|
| wireless cities: an initial
group of 12 cities with networks set up by BT providing wire-free, high-speed
broadband coverage which can be used for easy access to information and
services in city centre locations and offer a range of new services for
consumers, businesses and local authority workers |
|
| WLR: wholesale line rental – enables
communications providers to offer their own-branded telephony services
over the Openreach network |
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