Technical Terms:

AWP 
Amusement with Prizes - Low stake, low prize machines found in the street operation sectors. This is very much a European style of gaming with the major markets being Germany, Spain, Italy and UK. In South Africa they are referred to as LPMs (Limited Payout Machines)

ACP
Accounting, Control, Progressives - ACP is a single or multi site casino management system which links virtually all Electronic Gaming Machines. The system has 3 modules; Accounting which receives, stores and transforms data from Electronic Gaming Machines. The Control function performs detailed analysis of each machine, including the notification and identification of machine malfunctions, of unauthorized entry and monitoring of Internet connections. The data can be shown in a variety of reports and alerts. The Progressive function enables Electronic Gaming Machines to be linked to progressive, random or mystery jackpots. These jackpots can be both local and multi-site.

VLT
Video Lottery Terminal - A VLT is similar to a slot machine, except that it is connected to a centralized computer system that determines the outcome of each wager using a Random Number Generator (RNG). Although the outcome of each wager is random, VLT operators are able to program in advance the total amount and number of payouts that its central computer system will allow at its connected VLTs. In this manner, VLTs can be thought of as computerized scratch-off lottery tickets.

MPCS
Multi-Player Casino System - A complete systems consisting of up to 20 gaming terminals pre-installed with American Roulette and/or Black Jack game software. Terminals are located on a LAN and connected to a server so that multiple players can take part in games that recreate casino-like excitement in virtually any location. Operators may choose from a range of gaming cabinets or, if they prefer, select a software-only option comprising of game content and administration applications. There are two modes of play - single-player or multi-player.

PTM 
Player Tracking Module - Hardware which is placed in the slot machines incorporating a smart card leader and keypad with a display unit. Players are encouraged to register with the casino, and receive a smart card with their details. When playing slots they insert their card which records their playing details, which in turn gives the casino information on player statistics and habits. To encourage card use, players are offered incentives much like Air Miles Cards. PTMs can offer extra facilities for example cashless etc.

TTR
Table Top Roulette - Table Top Roulette is a touchscreen Roulette system. Players place their bets by tapping the numbers on the touchscreen instead of placing chips on a table. There are 3 versions of the system; The 'Live Wheel' version connects to a live manned wheel and transmits a video feed to each terminal. The 'Live Auto Wheel' version uses an enclosed live wheel and does not require an attendant. Finally, the 'Virtual' version does not use a live wheel and the action of the wheel and ball is replicated by software.

YMP
Your Money Prize - YM Prize is the local progressive that becomes an inseparable part of the appeal of any Octavian game - either on a single gaming machine or within an Octavian ExtraCash gaming system.

GLM 
Global Link Maker - A GLM is a device which collects data from Electronic Gaming Machines. The data is processed and then transmitted to the ACP server. Each site must have a minimum of 1 GLM connected to an Ethernet network. Should an Internet connection between a location and the server fail, the GLM will store the data from the Electronic Gaming Machines until the connection is restored.

CRM
Customer Relationship Management - An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the pre-sales and post-sales activities in an organization. Although the dividing lines are not crystal clear, CRM generally does not include the marketing function and could be said to be enterprise relationship management (ERM) without the marketing component. Sales force automation (SFA) evolved into CRM, which became a greatly hyped buzzword by the turn of the century. The clear objective for CRM is to enable a customer to interact with a company through various means including the Web, telephone, fax, e-mail and snail mail and receive a consistent level of quality service. The integration of all activities means that an order placed by phone can be tracked on the Web and vice versa.

ACD
Automatic Call Distributor - A computerized phone system that responds to the caller with a voice menu and connects the call to the appropriate agent. It can also distribute calls equally to agents. ACDs are the heart of call centers, or contact centers, which are widely used in the telephone sales and service departments of all organizations.
Computer telephony integration (CTI) has produced very sophisticated ACD systems. For example, a call center might want to handle 70% of all calls in 30 seconds or less, but if it can identify a high-value customer based on calling number, it may want to ensure the call is answered more quickly. In this "priority routing," the ACD must recognize the calling number via ANI or Caller ID, consult a database and then route the call accordingly. "First-party call control" uses a human to route the call after either speaking with the caller or analyzing the caller's history. "Third-party call control" routes the call automatically.
Another option is routing based on the caller entering an ID or account number into a voice response unit (see IVR). Yet another is setting up unique telephone numbers; for example, one for sales and another for service, and routing the call based on number dialed (see DNIS).
ACDs also can incorporate skills-based routing, in which the caller is routed along with the appropriate data files to the agent with the skills to handle the situation such as speaking a different language.
Handling more than phone calls, some ACDs can also route e-mail, faxes, Web-initiated calls and callback requests.

Blended Call Center 
A call center that allows agents to both make and receive calls as demand and strategy dictate. Combining automatic call distribution for incoming calls with predictive dialing for outbound calls, it makes more efficient use of an agent as each can handle the overflow of the other. In addition, the different types of calls add variety to the day and make the job less boring. See call center.

Web-enabled Call Center
A call center that receives calls from a link on a Web page. Such Web sites include a "talk" button on a page that allows visitors to obtain additional information from a human via IP telephony directly at their computers, providing of course that they have a microphone and speakers attached. If not already installed, the appropriate voice encoding and decoding (codec) plug-in must be downloaded first. See call center.

IVR
Interactive Voice Response - An automated telephone information system that speaks to the caller with a combination of fixed voice menus and realtime data from databases. The caller responds by pressing digits on the telephone or speaking words or short phrases. Applications include bank-by-phone, flight-scheduling information and automated order entry and tracking.
IVR systems allow callers to get needed information 24 hours a day. They are also used as a front end to call centers in order to offload as many calls as possible to costly human agents. In such cases, it does not replace the agent, but helps to eliminate the need for them to constantly answer simple, repetitive questions.
Most IVR systems reside in Wintel PCs equipped with special ISA or PCI board-level products that contain DSP chips. These specialized processors connect to the telephone system, which actually switches the calls. IVR systems are also networked on LANs and WANs.
Almost all turnkey platforms come with software that lets the system integrator or developer create applications quickly. Most of them allow for the building of call flows by dragging and dropping icons of functions.

CDR
Call Detail Reporting - An information system that records and reports on telephone calls. Call accounting is used by most large companies to control expenses and allocate costs to various departments as well as by hotels, hospitals and other organizations that resell calls to its clientele.

SMS 
Short Message Service - A text message service that enables short messages of generally no more than 140-160 characters in length to be sent and transmitted from a cell-phone. SMS was introduced in the GSM system and later supported by all other digital-based mobile communications systems. Unlike paging, but similar to e-mail, short messages are stored and forwarded at SMS centers, which means you can retrieve your messages later if you are not immediately available to receive them. SMS messages travel to the cell-phone over the system's control channel, which is separate and apart from the voice channel.

MMS
Multimedia Message Service - An enhanced short message service for cellphones that enables graphics, video clips and sound files to be transmitted. MMS phones are generally backward compatible with SMS and EMS.

EMS
Enhanced Message Service - An extension to the SMS short message service for cell-phones that allows for the transmission of formatted text, icons, animations and ring-tones. Introduced in the summer of 2001 by Alcatel, Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens, it allows up to 17 SMS messages to be strung together.

BLEC
Building Local Exchange Carrier - A network service provider that partners with real estate owners and managers in order to provide broadband services within an apartment house or office building. The BLEC may provide only connectivity or full ISP services including Web hosting and ASP capabilities.

DSL 
Digital Subscriber Line - A technology that dramatically increases the digital capacity of ordinary telephone lines (the local loops) into the home or office. DSL speeds are tied to the distance between the customer and the telco central office. DSL is geared to two types of usage. Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) is for Internet access, where fast downstream is required, but slow upstream is acceptable. Symmetric DSL (SDSL, HDSL, etc.) is designed for short haul connections that require high speed in both directions.
Unlike ISDN, which is also digital but travels through the switched telephone network, DSL provides "always-on" operation. At the telco central office, DSL traffic is aggregated in a unit called the DSL Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and forwarded to the appropriate ISP or data network.

ADSL
Asymmetric DSL shares the same line as the telephone, because it uses higher frequencies than the voice band. However, a POTS splitter must be installed on the customer's premises to separate the line between voice and ADSL. A version of ADSL, known as G.lite, Universal ADSL, ADSL Lite and splitterless ADSL, is geared to the consumer. It eliminates the splitter and associated installation charge, but all phones on the line must plug into low-pass filters to isolate them from the higher ADSL frequencies. ADSL is available in two modulation schemes: Discrete Multitone (DMT) or Carrierless Amplitude Phase (CAP).

RADSL 
Rate Adaptive DSL is a version of ADSL that adjusts speeds based on signal quality. Many ADSL technologies are actually RADSL.

VDSL (also VHDSL)
Very High Bit Rate DSL is an asymmetric version of DSL that is used as the final drop from a fiber optic junction point to nearby customers. VDSL lets an apartment or office complex obtain high-bandwidth services using existing copper wires without having to replace the infrastructure with optical fiber. Like ADSL, VDSL can share the line with the telephone.

HDSL
High Bit Rate DSL is a symmetric technology, which provides the same transmission rate in both directions. HDSL is the most mature DSL, because it has been used to provide T1 transmission over existing twisted pair without the additional provisioning typically required for setting up T1 circuits such as the removal of bridged taps and the installation of repeaters. HDSL requires two cable pairs and goes up to 12,000 feet, while HDSL-2 requires only one cable pair and supports distances up to 18,000 feet. HDSL does not allow line sharing with analog phones.

SDSL
Symmetric DSL is an HDSL variation that uses only one cable pair and is offered in a wide range of speeds from 144 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. SDSL is a rate adaptive technology, and like HDSL, SDSL cannot share lines with analog telephones.

ADSL Transmission
Using different frequencies in the line, ADSL allows data to ride over the same wires as voice conversations. The signals are combined and split apart at both sides. At the customer's site, the splitting is done either with an external device that must be installed by the telephone company, or it is built into the DSL modem.

Gatekeeper
In an H.323 IP telephony environment, a gatekeeper is an optional server that provides a central point for managing domains and establishing call control. It is used for call control signals, to translate user names into IP addresses, to authenticate users and to manage network resources. It also provides call authorization and accounting information.

Internet Phone
(1) A device or software application that provides the client part of an Internet telephone call. See Web phone.
(2) (Internet Phone) An Internet telephony client program for Windows from VocalTec Communications, Ltd., Northvale, NJ (www.vocaltec.com). It allows voice calls to be placed over the Internet or to a standard telephone via an ITSP in the destination city. Video capability is also included. Introduced in early 1995, Internet Phone was the first IP telephony software on the market.

ITSP
Internet Telephony Service Provider - An organization, such as an ISP or telephone company (CLEC, LEC, etc.), that supports IP telephony. Using the Internet as the primary backbone, it allows customers to make phone-to-phone calls or PC-to-phone calls. The majority of customers use an ITSP to save money on international calls, and the quality can vary substantially due to the inconsistency of the Internet. The ITSP uses IP gateways to convert between voice and IP packets.

ITXC
Internet Telephony Exchange Carrier Corporation, Princeton, NJ, www.itxc.net) An Internet telephony communications organization that provides routing, authorization and settlement (billing) services to ITSPs (Internet Telephony Service Providers) throughout the world. It provides routing information to ITSPs that enable the call to be received by a cooperating ITSP at the other end. The majority of ITXC traffic is international phone calls. Its group of affiliations form ITXC.net, a telephony network dynamically managed over the public network with more than 100 POPs worldwide.

IP Gateway
A device that converts data into the IP protocol. It often refers to a voice-to-IP device that converts an analog voice stream, or a digitized version of the voice, into IP packets.

IP Phone
A telephone that converts voice into IP packets and supports one or more telephony signaling protocols such as H.323, SIP, MGCP or MEGACO. See IP telephony. http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=IPtelephony

ITU
(International Telecommunications Union, Geneva, Switzerland , www.itu.ch) Formerly the CCITT (Consultative Committee for International Telephony and Telegraphy), it is an international organization founded in 1865 and headquartered in Geneva that sets communications standards. The ITU is comprised of more than 150 member countries. The Telecommunications Standards Section (TSS) is one of four organs of the ITU. Any specification with an ITU-T or ITU-TSS designation refers to the TSS organ.

IVR
Interactive Voice Response - An automated telephone information system that speaks to the caller with a combination of fixed voice menus and real-time data from databases. The caller responds by pressing digits on the telephone or speaking words or short phrases. Applications include bank-by-phone, flight-scheduling information and automated order entry and tracking.
IVR systems allow callers to get needed information 24 hours a day. They are also used as a front end to call centers in order to offload as many calls as possible to costly human agents. In such cases, it does not replace the agent, but helps to eliminate the need for them to constantly answer simple, repetitive questions.
Most IVR systems reside in Wintel PCs equipped with special ISA or PCI board-level products that contain DSP chips. These specialized processors connect to the telephone system, which actually switches the calls. IVR systems are also networked on LANs and WANs.
Almost all turnkey platforms come with software that lets the system integrator or developer create applications quickly. Most of them allow for the building of call flows by dragging and dropping icons of functions.

MDU
Multiple Dwelling Unit - A commercial or residential building with multiple offices or apartments. The term comes up when referring to inhouse networks that support multiple tenants. ISPs and carriers increasingly offer specialized systems for such facilities. See BLEC.

MGCP/MEGACO
Media Gateway Control Protocol/Media Gateway Controller - An IP telephony signaling protocol from the IETF. MGCP was the original protocol, which evolved into MEGACO. Both protocols are designed for implementation in IP phones that are lower cost than SIP or H.323 phones. MGCP/MEGACO requires the use of soft switches for call control and more resembles the telephony model of the circuit-switched PSTN than do SIP and H.323. The soft switch is aware of the entire call throughout its duration (it manages state) and enables operator intervention like the PSTN. MCGP/MEGACO is a combination of the SGCP and IPCD protocols, and many devices that implement MGCP/MEGACO also support SIP and/or H.323.
At the IETF, MGCP evolved into MEGACO, while work on MGCP continued at the International Softswitch Consortium (www.softswitch.org). Network Call Signaling (NCS) is CableLab's version of MGCP, and H.248 is the ITU's version.
MGCP/MEGACO uses "terminations" and "contexts." Terminations are points of connection that are assinged an ID by the media gateway and can be permanent or ephermeral (temporary). Contexts are the sessions between these terminations and are managed by the media gateway controller. Like SIP, MEGACO is a text-based protocol, unlike H.248, which is binary based.

NAT
Network Address Translation - An IETF specification that allows an organization to present itself to the Internet with one address. NAT converts the address of each LAN node into one IP address for the Internet and vice versa. It also serves as a firewall by keeping individual IP addresses hidden from the outside world.

Net2phone
(Net2phone, Inc., Newark, NJ, www.net2phone.com) A Web-to-phone service that provides Internet telephony around the globe. It also provides PC-to-PC telephony and PC-to-fax service using a browser-based Java applet or stand-alone software for Windows or Mac. Advertisements, which appear on the dialpad, supplement the low domestic and international rates. Net2phone was introduced in 1996 as a division of IDT, a Hackensack, NJ telephone reseller and ISP, and then spun off in 1999 as a separate company.

NetMeeting
Collaboration and conferencing software that comes with Internet Explorer and is available separately from Microsoft's Web site. NetMeeting includes point-to-point telephony and videophone capability over the Internet as well as multipoint whiteboard and application sharing. Starting with Version 2.0, it supports the H.323 standard. When NetMeeting is started and stopped, it sends messages to one of Microsoft's ILS directory servers. Other NetMeeting users wishing to establish a connection with someone can view the directory to determine who is currently online and available.

PCM
Pulse Code Modulation - A technique for converting analog signals into digital form that is widely used by the telephone companies in their T1 circuits. Every minute of the day, millions of telephone conversations, as well as data transmissions via modem, are converted into digital via PCM for transport over high-speed intercity trunks. In North America and Japan, PCM samples the analog waves 8,000 times per second and converts each sample into an 8-bit number, resulting in a 64 Kbps data stream (a single DS0 channel). The sampling rate is twice the 4 kHz bandwidth required for a toll-quality conversation.

ULS Server
User Location Service server - A conferencing directory server on a TCP/IP network (intranet, Internet, etc.) that is used to identify participating users. When an audio or videoconferencing program is launched, it sends its user profile and current IP address to the ULS server, so that others can query the server and find out who is currently logged on. Microsoft renamed its ULS servers to ILS servers (Internet Locator Server), and Netscape Conference uses DLS servers (Dynamic Lookup Service).

VPN
Virtual Private Network - A private network that is configured within a public network. For years, common carriers have built VPNs that appear as private national or international networks to the customer, but physically share backbone trunks with other customers. VPNs enjoy the security of a private network via access control and encryption, while taking advantage of the economies of scale and built-in management facilities of large public networks. VPNs have been built over X.25, Switched 56, frame relay and ATM technologies. Today, there is tremendous interest in VPNs over the Internet, especially due to the constant threat of hacker attacks. The VPN adds that extra layer of security, and a huge growth in VPN use is expected.

GPRS
General Packet Radio Service - An enhancement to the GSM mobile c ommunications system that supports data packets. GPRS enables continuous flows of IP data packets over the system for such applications as Web browsing and file transfer. GPRS differs from GSM's short messaging service (GSM-SMS) which is limited to messages of 160 bytes in length.

GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications - A digital cellular phone technology based on TDMA that is the predominant system in Europe, but is also used around the world. Developed in the 1980s, GSM was first deployed in seven European countries in 1992. Operating in the 900MHz and 1.8GHz bands in Europe and the 1.9GHz PCS band in the U.S., GSM defines the entire cellular system, not just the air interface (TDMA, CDMA, etc.). As of 2000, there were more than 250 million GSM users, which is more than half of the world's mobile phone population.
GSM phones use a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) smart card that contains user account information. Any GSM phone becomes immediately programmed after plugging in the SIM card, thus allowing GSM phones to be easily rented or borrowed. SIM cards can be programmed to display custom menus for personalized services.
GSM provides a short messaging service (SMS) that enables text messages up to 160 characters in length to be sent to and from a GSM phone. It also supports data transfer at 9.6 Kbps to packet networks, ISDN and POTS users. GSM is a circuit-switched system that divides each 200 kHz channel into eight 25 kHz time slots.