3G (Third Generation):
An industry term used to describe the networks needed for the next generation of wireless applications. It represents a move from circuit-switched communications - where a user has to dial into a network - to broadband, high-speed, packet-based wireless networks. Third generation networks expand the digital premise by bringing high-speed connections and increasing reliability.

Call Center:
A central place where telephone calls are processed using computer automation.  A call center usually has the ability to handle a considerable volume of phone calls simultaneously.

CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access):
Digital cellular technology that uses spread-spectrum techniques. CDMA does not assign a specific frequency to each user. Instead, every channel uses the full available spectrum. Individual conversations are encoded with a pseudo-random digital sequence.

Cellular:
A communications system that divides a geographic region into sections, called cells, to make the most use out of a limited number of transmission frequencies.  Each connection, or conversation, requires its own dedicated frequency.

Content Delivery:
The service of delivering a user’s requested information from a central server location to a remote device.

Frequency:
A measurement used to determine the number of vibrations a signal makes in one second.  Most commonly measured in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second.

GPS (Global Positioning System):
A communication system composed of 24 well-spaced satellites that orbit the Earth. The location of a vehicle equipped with a GPS receiver can be determined by calculating the time it takes for the receiver to pick up signals from three to six satellites. Accuracy is between one meter and one hundred meters, depending on the receiver.

GSM (Global System for Mobile communications):
A standard for the way data is coded and transferred through the wireless spectrum. GSM digitizes and compresses data and sends it down a channel with two other streams of user data. The standard is based on TDMA and is an alternative to CDMA.

Network:
A series of points connected by telephone lines or other means to share information.  A network can interconnect with other networks and can contain subnetworks.

Node:
A connection point on a network.  A node can be either a redistribution point or an end point for data transmissions and generally has the ability to recognize, process and forward transmissions to other nodes.

Spectrum:
The measurement of a range of electromagnetic frequencies.

Subscriber:
Someone who receives a service regularly on order.

TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access):
This protocol allows large numbers of users to access one radio frequency by allocating time slots for multiple voice or data calls. TDMA breaks down data transmission, such as a phone conversation, into fragments and transmits each fragment in a short burst, assigning each fragment a time slot. TDMA works with GSM and digital cellular services.

Telematics:
The broad industry related to using computers in concert with telecommunications systems. This includes dial-up service to the Internet, as well as all types of networks that rely on a telecommunications system to transport data.  Telematics is commonly used to refer to automobile systems that combine global positioning satellite (GPS) technology and other wireless communication systems for automatic roadside assistance and remote diagnostics.

TTS (Text to Speech):
Text to Speech software converts words from a computer document, such as a web page, into spoken words that a user can hear through stereo or computer speakers.

User Interface:
The set of dials, knobs, operating system commands, graphical display and other devices provided to allow the user to communicate and use the computer or program.

Voice Recognition:
The field of computer science that deals with designing computer systems that can recognize spoken words and carry out spoken commands.