We live in a World of Acronyms (a WoA, if you please), where you can play WoW on a PC, watch the NFL on your HDTV and, occasionally, are forced to XYZ PDQ. This obsession with acronyms has only gotten worse with the advent of Twitter (News - Alert), text messaging and general laissez-faire about, well, complete sentences. Recently, the Huffington Post ran a piece challenging readers to identify Net-speak acronyms ranging from IDEK (I Don’t Even Know) to JTLYK (Just to Let You Know). FWIW, I’d say it had me ROTFL, but IDK, WDYT?

Anyway, it got me thinking about the alphabet soup of acronyms that we see in the communications space today. It puts the WPA, the CCC and the TVA of FDR’s New Deal to shame. So here, then, are 15 communications acronyms that you need to know so you can survive in the Brave New World (BNW) of TMC (News - Alert).

1)      TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is a standard format for transmitting data in packets from computer to computer. It is a foundation for the Internet as we know it (and, just to confuse you, IP can also stand for Intellectual Property, which is a buzzy term in today’s lawsuit-happy world).

2)      IPv6: Internet Protocol Version 6. IPv6 is designed to improve routing traffic and provide a greater number of available network addresses. It is an improvement over the existing IPv4.

3)      HTML5: Hypertext Markup Language Version 5. HTML5 is the latest version of the core language used for presenting content on the Web. It is a way to render the user interface on connected screens and is said to be a more advanced, powerful language.

4)      VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP is a method of transmitting phone calls over the Internet or through IP networks.

5)      FoIP: Fax over Internet Protocol. FoIP is a method of sending and receiving faxes over a VoIP network, using digital packets for Internet transfer.

6)      IP PBX (News - Alert): Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange. An IP PBX is a business telephone system designed to convert analog voice input into digital signals to send over the Internet. It allows a VoIP system to integrate with the public switched telephone network (PSTN!).

7)      SIP: Session Initiation Protocol (News - Alert). SIP is an internationally endorsed open signaling protocol standard designed to enable the creation, management and termination of real-time communications over data networks.

8)      SBC: Session Border Controller. An SBC is a device used in VoIP networks to control the signaling and media streams involved in setting up, conducting, and tearing down phone calls.

9)      UC: Unified Communications (News - Alert). UC is the integration of a variety of communications platforms ranging from chat to VoIP to conferencing and usually encompasses other modes of communications such as voicemail and e-mail.

10)   SMS: Short Message Service. SMS is a system that allows cell phone users to send and receive text messages.

11)   IVR: Interactive Voice Response. IVR is a technology that allows a computer to recognize voice and keypad inputs, allowing callers to interact with and receive information from a database.

12)   CRM: Customer Relationship Management. CRM software is used by sales agents to keep track of previous customer interactions, sales prospects and data.

13)   BPM: Business Process Management. BPM is a management approach that brings together all aspects of a company to focus on the wants and needs of clients, promoting efficiency and innovation.

14)   MSP: Managed Service Provider. An MSP is put in charge of managing a customer’s systems and networks. These networks can be located on premise or at a third-party location.

15)   SaaS: Software as a Service. SaaS is a model of distributing software that involves applications being hosted by an independent software vendor or service provider. Those applications are then made available to customers over the Internet.

Well, that is quite a list. And it doesn’t even scratch the surface. We skipped some of the basics, like IT (Information Technology), and didn’t dive into some of the more complicated acronyms, like WDM, CALEA or DVB-S3. Heck, there are enough acronyms in the –as a Service (-aaS) family for a whole separate article (PaaS, IaaS, UCaaS, RaaS, etc.). Hey, IMHO, this was a pretty good attempt, but LMK what you think. Either way, acronyms FTW!