GLOSSARY
Telecom Migration Glossary
Explore plain-language definitions of the terms communications service providers use when moving customers from legacy voice platforms such as Metaswitch and BroadWorks to NetSapiens. The glossary covers migration discovery, provisioning, validation, cutover, platform consolidation and legacy-platform retirement.
Written for engineering teams, operations leaders and business decision-makers planning a telecom platform migration or consolidation.
BROWSE
Platforms & infrastructure · Planning & data · Execution & risk · Billing & operations · Modernization & economics
Popular terms
Full guides to the terms providers ask about most.
Platforms and infrastructure
BroadWorks
Cisco BroadWorks, originally developed by BroadSoft, is a carrier-grade calling and unified communications platform used by service providers to deliver hosted communications services. See BroadWorks to NetSapiens migration.
Class 5 softswitch
A softswitch that serves end subscribers directly, with features such as voicemail, call forwarding, hunt groups and hosted PBX. A Class 4 softswitch routes transit traffic between carriers instead.
Domain (NetSapiens)
A logical environment used to organize users, numbers, features, call routing and applicable settings. A domain commonly represents a customer organization, although the exact structure depends on the provider's NetSapiens design.
Legacy voice platform
A voice platform a provider still runs for existing customers but no longer plans to grow on. Running it alongside a newer platform can add cost and operational effort.
Metaswitch
A family of voice platforms, including Class 5 softswitch and calling feature servers, that service providers use for business and residential calling. See Metaswitch to NetSapiens migration.
Multi-tenant platform
A platform architecture that supports multiple customer organizations on shared infrastructure while maintaining separate users, configurations, permissions and services for each tenant.
NetSapiens
An enterprise-grade, multi-tenant unified communications platform from Crexendo, built for service providers delivering voice, video, messaging, contact center and related communications services under their own brands. See NetSapiens migration.
Reseller (NetSapiens)
A reseller level can be used to group domains together, for providers that sell through partners or manage customers in separate portfolios.
Session border controller (SBC)
A hardware or software network function positioned at the edge of a voice network to manage and secure SIP signaling and media between networks.
SIP trunk
A virtual connection that carries voice calls between a phone system or platform and the public phone network over IP, using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
Softswitch
A softswitch performs many of the call-control and routing functions historically handled by hardware telephone switches, but does so through software running on server or cloud infrastructure. Read the full definition.
UCaaS (unified communications as a service)
Calling, messaging, video and collaboration delivered from the cloud as a subscription service.
Migration planning and data
Automated provisioning
Using software, templates and APIs to create users, numbers, call flows, features and devices with little or no manual entry. Read the full definition.
Automated telecom migration
Using software to automate repeatable migration work—including data extraction, transformation, provisioning and validation—while experienced engineers manage planning, exceptions, testing and complex requirements.
Configuration normalization
Standardizing inconsistent legacy settings, such as one-off dial plans or unused feature assignments, before they move, while preserving agreed customer requirements.
Data extraction
Pulling available customer, user, feature, routing and device data out of the source platform so it can be reviewed and transformed.
Device auto-provisioning
A phone or soft client downloading its configuration from a provisioning server when it starts up, so it can register without manual setup.
Dial plan
The rules that determine how dialed numbers and extensions are interpreted, normalized and routed, including extension calling, outbound prefixes, emergency numbers and international formats.
Feature mapping
Matching each calling feature on the source platform to the appropriate services and configurations on the destination platform, and recording any feature with no direct match. See Feature Parity.
Migration discovery
The planning stage where the source environment is inventoried, data access is confirmed and exceptions are identified. Read the full definition.
Object mapping
Matching each source-platform object, such as a subscriber, group, feature or route, to the appropriate structure on the destination platform.
Otto™
Vox Matic's proprietary automated telecom migration framework. It automates repeatable data extraction, transformation and provisioning work, with automated validation checks that help identify discrepancies for review before cutover. See What Is Otto?
Service provisioning
Setting up a communications service so a customer can use it, from the account and users to numbers, call flows, features and devices.
Migration execution and risk
Data integrity
Keeping subscriber, routing and billing data accurate and complete as it moves between platforms.
E911 (enhanced 911)
Emergency calling that sends a caller's number and registered address to emergency services. Address records should be checked when numbers or users move to a new platform.
Feature parity
When the destination platform delivers the calling features and behavior customers rely on, confirmed by mapping and testing. Read the full definition.
Go/no-go decision
The checkpoint before a cutover where the team confirms validation results, open issues and readiness against agreed criteria.
Migration validation
Checking that migrated data and configuration are complete and correct before live traffic moves. Read the full definition.
Migration wave
A defined group of customers, users or services moved during the same planned cutover window. Migrations are often divided into waves to control risk and apply lessons from one group to the next.
Number porting
Moving a phone number from one carrier or switch to another while the customer keeps the same number. Read the full definition.
Post-cutover verification
Checking that calling, devices, voicemail and features work under live traffic after customers move.
Rollback plan
The agreed triggers, responsibilities and technical steps for returning affected services to the legacy environment if a cutover cannot be completed successfully.
Sandbox environment
A non-production setup of the destination platform where migrated configurations can be built and reviewed before customers move, depending on the environment and agreed scope.
Telecom migration cutover
The planned point when live service moves from the legacy platform to the new one. Read the full definition.
Billing and operations
Call detail record (CDR)
The record a voice platform creates for each call, used for usage billing, reporting and troubleshooting. Read the full definition.
Rating
The billing process that classifies and prices usage records, such as CDRs, according to the customer's billing arrangement.
Workflow automation
Using software to automate or coordinate repeatable operational steps, such as onboarding, approvals and data updates, across compatible systems. See Forge™.
Modernization and economics
Cost of doing nothing
The continuing financial and operational impact of delaying a migration, which may include legacy-platform fees, hardware, integration maintenance, duplicated workflows, engineering effort and delayed access to new revenue opportunities. See The Cost of Doing Nothing Is Rising.
Legacy platform retirement
Decommissioning a platform once its customers have moved. Read the full definition.
Migration debt
The backlog of customers left on legacy or acquired platforms when migration is delayed, and the ongoing cost of running those platforms. See when acquisition growth creates migration debt.
Migration ROI
The return a provider may get from migrating, such as lower platform costs and new service opportunities, measured against the cost and time of the migration. See assessing the financial impact of migration automation.
Post-acquisition consolidation
Moving an acquired provider's customers from inherited platforms onto the acquiring provider's main platform. See consolidating telecom platforms after an acquisition.
Telecom platform consolidation
Moving customers from several voice platforms onto one. Read the full definition.