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These are short definitions of terms used across the papers. They are written for district leaders, not engineers. Where a legal term matters, the definition points to the source.
Terms
Auto attendant. A recorded menu that answers a call and routes it ("press 1 for the office").
Dispatchable location. The location sent with a 911 call: the validated street address plus the detail needed to find the caller, such as building, floor and room. The FCC defines it in 47 CFR 9.3.
E911 (Enhanced 911). 911 service that delivers the caller's number and location to the 911 center automatically.
Failover. An automatic switch to a backup path, such as another connection or another set of phones, when the main one fails.
Hosted (cloud) phone system. A phone system run by a provider in its own facilities and delivered over the internet. The district does not own the central equipment.
Hybrid. A mix of hosted and on-site equipment, for example a hosted system with some on-site gateways or paging.
Kari's Law. A federal law requiring multi-line phone systems to let users dial 911 directly, without a prefix, and to send a notification to a central location on site when a 911 call is made. It is implemented in FCC rules at 47 CFR 9.16.
MLTS (multi-line telephone system). A phone system that serves more than one line or station, such as a school or district system. Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'S Act rules apply to MLTS.
Next Generation 911 (NG911). 911 service built on internet-based networks, designed to handle more types of information than voice calls alone.
Number porting. Moving an existing phone number from one provider to another.
On-premise (on-site) phone system. A phone system whose central equipment sits in the district's own buildings and is run by the district or its contractor.
Paging and intercom. Equipment that lets staff speak to a classroom, building or campus over speakers.
PBX (private branch exchange). The system that connects a building's phones to each other and to outside lines. Modern PBXs use internet protocol.
PSAP (public safety answering point). The 911 center that answers emergency calls.
RAY BAUM'S Act (Section 506). A federal law under which the FCC requires dispatchable location to be conveyed with 911 calls from multi-line phone systems. See 47 CFR 9.16.
Ring group. A set of phones that ring together or in order when a number is called.
Session border controller (SBC). A device or software at the edge of a network that manages and secures voice traffic between networks, for example between a phone system and a carrier.
SIP trunk. A connection that carries voice calls between a phone system and a provider over the internet, replacing older phone lines.
Softphone. A phone application on a computer or mobile device.
TCO (total cost of ownership). The full cost over time, including equipment, licensing, support, fees and staff time, not just the monthly bill.