Whether it is known in your organisation as telecare, warden call, community alarm or even an independently living system, the move from analogue to digital is very achievable. However, this can feel overly complicated due to the terminology and inconsistency of language used across the industry.
At Appello we try to keep things straightforward but admit from time to time we probably fall into the trap of using technical language.
To support you we have therefore created a glossary of terms, with definitions commonly used across the industry. We have pulled on the excellent resource created by Digital Telecare Scotland and expanded on this list with additional terms that are becoming frequently used.
2G
2G second-generation cellular network
3G
3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology.
4G
4G is the fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology, succeeding 3G
A2D
Analogue to Digital.
Alarm Device
The telecare alarm device located in a service user’s home or home-like setting.
ARC
Alarm Receiving Centre. The term can refer both to the location where telecare calls are answered, and the system on which calls are answered, for example Appello CareNet.
ATA
Analogue Terminal Adaptor. A device used to connect a standard telephone to a digital network so that the user can make calls over the Internet. The ATA acts as an intermediary between the telephone and a VoIP server, digitising voice data so that it can be transmitted over the Internet.
BS8521-1
Analogue grouped scheme signalling protocol
BS8521-2
A digital grouped scheme signalling protocol. Also known as NowIP.
BS8604
Standard for the installation of Grouped Alarm systems
BCP
Business Continuity Plans
BSI
CLI
Calling Line Identifier. Calling line identification allows the person receiving the call to see the caller’s number. Within telecare this is often used by the Alarm Receiving Centre to identify the alarm device associated with an incoming alarm call. CLI is not guaranteed to be delivered.
Cloud
In the simplest terms, ‘the cloud’ refers to storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive or via local servers on your premises. To learn more on cloud read our blog post ‘What exactly is the cloud?’.
CTI
Computer Telephony Integration. The server used to decode incoming alarm calls to a monitoring centre
Dispersed Alarm Unit
A telecare alarm installed in someone’s home, or a home-like setting in the community. Commonly these are individual units not connected to one another. See SmartLife the digital dispersed alarm from Appello.
DMP
Device Management Platform. An facility or application to monitor, manage and configure telecare alarm devices remotely. Each manufacturer has their own DMP, such as AppelloHQ.
DR
Disaster Recovery. Arrangements put in place to ensure the continued operation of a service or solution.
In telecare, Disaster Recovery arrangements are often used for monitoring solutions, these can include alternative office locations and equipment to ensure alarm calls can continue to be answered in the event of the primary facilities becoming unavailable or inoperable.
DTMF
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency. A signalling approach that sends messages as a series of combined audible frequencies (tones) over a telephone connection. The signalling protocols used by analogue telecare devices use DTMF (or a variant of them, such as STMF) to send messages between the alarm device and ARC.
DTMF does not run reliably over digital telephone lines.
EN50134-9
A digital dispersed alarm signalling protocol. Also known as SCAIP.
Encryption
A mechanism to protect data whilst in transit to ensure that data is not visible.
FTCF
First Time Call Failures, a measurement used to track the percentage of analogue calls failing over the digital telecoms network.
In a telecare environment, a call failure can occur in many forms from a complete failed connection to a call with extensive distortion on the line. The impact at worst will result in multiple attempts to reconnect costing valuable minutes in an emergency, at best it could be distortion impacting the ability for the operator and service users to converse and relay important information.
FTTP
Fibre to the Property
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation. The legislation that defines data protection and privacy in the UK and EU.
GPS
Global Positioning System.
Grouped Scheme Alarm
A telecare alarm installed in a communal/shared housing property, such as Independent Living, Specialist Housing or Sheltered Housing. A grouped scheme alarm will provide telecare services to all homes and users in the property (even communal areas) as opposed to a dispersed alarm, which provides services only to a single home/user.
GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications. A standard used to describe the protocols used by cellular mobile devices and networks.
Heartbeat
A short data message sent to the ARC to signify that a device is available and able to raise an alarm event.
Interoperability
Interoperability refers to the basic ability of different products or systems to connect and exchange information with one another. In telecare this refers to the ability for devices from one manufacturer to work with another manufacturer’s products. For instance, the Appello SmartLife dispersed alarm can work with peripherals from manufactures Tunstall and Cair.
IoT
Internet of Things. Devices, such as sensors and smart devices, that connect to the Internet to exchange data.
IP
Internet Protocol. The protocol used to send digital data over a computer network and/or the internet. Digital telecare devices use Internet Protocol to communicate between alarm devices and the monitoring centre.
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network. An international standard for end-to-end digital transmission of voice, data, and signalling.
In telecare, ISDN services have often been used to provide the telephone connection to Alarm Receiving Centres.
Confusingly, although the definition of ISDN includes the word “digital” the service does not use Internet Protocol and so is being replaced as part of the process of upgrading the UK to digital (IP) phone lines.
ISDN services are being discontinued as part of the upgrade to digital phone lines and so must be replaced.
KPI
Key Performance Indicator, often used to manage an agreed service level.
Monitoring Centre
This refers to the often 24/7 service that sits behind the telecare devices, such as that delivered by Appello Careline. Usually located in a different location to the service user (often a different area of the country) the monitoring centre, resourced with a team of call operators manage and answer any activations of a telecare device. The telecare device will connect to the monitoring centre, and the operator will be able to speak to the service users and arrange the appropriate response.
NGN
Next Generation Network. A term to describe telephone networks that carry phone calls and data in a digital form.
NOK
Next of Kin.
NowIP
A digital grouped scheme signalling protocol. Also known as BS8521-2. Further information is contained in the Playbook’s “Digital Telecare Protocols” document.
Ofcom
The UK’s communications regulator.
On Premise Deployment
A computer system or solution that is physically located in an organisation’s office / data centre.
Historically, most telecare solutions have been on-premise deployments, with servers being located in the telecare provider’s office / data centre. Some solutions, such as those delivered by Appello are now being provided as a cloud deployment instead (see definition above).
Peripherals
A term commonly used in telecare to describe the devices that connect to the main alarm device such as pendants, fall detectors, smoke alarms, sensor etc… These peripheral devices often connect with the alarm unit via a radio signal, although can be wired.
Platform
This refers to the software applications used in the monitoring centre by operators, for example Appello CareNet. The platform enables the call to be received, displayed to the operator with details of the service user and opens the communication channel between the service user and operator.
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network. The ‘traditional’ telephone network that is now being replaced with digital telephony.
SaaS
Software-as-a-Service. A method of software delivery and licensing in which software is accessed online via a subscription, rather than bought and installed on individual computers.
For instance, the Appello CareNet monitoring platform solutions is available as a SaaS solution, often based on a per service user and/or per call handler monthly fee basis.
SCAIP
Social Care Alarm Internet Protocol. An open digital social alarm protocol for dispersed alarms that enables Internet Protocol communication between dispersed alarm devices in the community and a monitoring centre.
SIM
Subscriber Identity Module. A SIM card identifies the user of a device connected to the mobile telephone network.
GSM telecare alarm devices contain a SIM card to allow them to connect to a mobile network. These SIM cards are often ‘roaming’ meaning that they can connect to any available mobile phone network as opposed to potentially your personal mobile phone which works with one network.
The SIM cards provided with telecare alarm devices are specialised “M2M” or machine to machine SIMs, meaning that they are optimised to reliably carry data traffic between non-phone devices.
SIP
Session Initiation Protocol. In IP and traditional telephony, there is a clear distinction between two different phases of a voice call. The first phase is “call setup,” and includes all of the details needed to get two telephones or telecare devices talking. Once the call has been setup, the phones enter a “data transfer” phase of the call using an entirely different family of protocols to actually move the voice packets between the two phones. In the world of VoIP, SIP is a call setup protocol that operates at the application layer.
In digital telecare SIP is used in three main ways:
– SIP based digital telephone lines are replacing traditional copper phone lines, such as ISDN.
– SIP is used by digital telecare protocols to carry signalling between the alarm device and the ARC.
– SIP is also used by digital alarm devices configured to use VoIP to set up and control the voice call to the ARC.
SLA
Service Level Agreement. Often used in service contracts to define the levels of performance that the supplier must meet.
TEC
Technology Enabled Care. An overarching term referring to the use of telecare, telehealth, telemedicine, telecoaching and self-care in providing support for individuals to live safely and independently and manage any personal health conditions.
STMF
Sequential tone multi frequency. A proprietary protocol only available to PNC users.
TEC’s
Technology Enabled Care services.
Telco
A telephone service provider, for example BT, TalkTalk, Sky, Virgin Media.
TLS
Transport Layer Security (TLS), is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide encrypted communications security over a computer network.
TSA
The industry body for technology enabled care services.
TT92
An analogue telecare signalling protocol.
TTNew
An old analogue telecare signalling protocol.
TTOld
An analogue telecare signalling protocol.
UPS
Uninterruptable Power Supply. A device that provides mains power to connected equipment in the event of a power cut.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol. Technical protocols used to send voice traffic as data over a network connection such as the Internet (or any other data network).
Some digital telecare solutions, such as those supplied by Appello can send voice calls between the alarm device and monitoring centre using VoIP.
VPN
Virtual Private Network. A technology that allows data to be sent securely over a public network (such as the Internet) by point to point connectivity.
In digital telecare VPNs are used to secure the connection between:
– The alarm device and the monitoring centre in a scenario where fixed broadband connectivity is used.
– The mobile SIM provider’s network and the monitoring centre in a scenario where mobile connectivity is used.
– VPNs may also be used to secure the connection between other elements of the solution.
