Feeling lost in the language of business phone systems? You’re not alone! We’ve created this jargon-free dictionary of 10 of the most common phone system terms to help.

For example, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol—this means calls are made using the internet instead of traditional phone lines, often reducing costs and adding flexibility. PBX (Private Branch Exchange) is the internal phone system that manages how calls are routed within your business. Other key terms, like IVR (Interactive Voice Response), call forwarding, and SIP trunking, are also explained in simple, easy-to-understand language so you can feel confident when choosing or managing your system.