Telecommunications, in the most general terms, means communicating voice, data, text, images, and video over long distances. More specifically, telecommunications is the science and technology of communicating by means of telephony, radio, television, or by and/or through computer networks, including the Internet. Telecommunications solutions, then, are products, services, or combinations of the two offered by companies to assist customers in making successful use of telecommunications. Telecommunication solutions most often refers to a package created specifically for business customers, rather than something devised particularly for residential or individual users. It may also refer to a general solution that can be used by everyone.
VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol), which allows calls to be made from computer to computer or phone and from phone to phone or computer, is one of the telecommunications solutions that has grown enormously in popularity. Mobile devices, such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and smartphones, as well as innovations in ways to carry telephone calls including WiFi, 3G, and both versions of 4G — WiMAX and LTE — are other examples of telecommunications solutions that partially or completely take the place of the old landline-to-landline telephone call.
Webinar software, also known as online presentation software or web conferencing software, is one of the telecommunications solutions that can save businesses a great deal of money in airfare and in lag time until people can get to a common place. It is designed to allow a wide range of sharing and interchange in a single package, often including audio, video, sharing of documents, and sharing of computer screens and other resources among colleagues who are not in the same location. Some examples are Cisco® WebEx®, Adobe® Acrobat® Connect®, and IBM® LotusLive®.
When telecommunications solutions is used to refer to the complete solution that a contractor provides to a company after being apprised of all of the company’s telecommunications needs, this often could include a phone system and wired or wireless Internet. If the latter, the solution might entail a computer network — including routers, switches, cables, etc. — with hardware including servers, desktop computers, and laptop computers, peripherals, software, a content management system, a backup system, a business dashboard, training, support, and a management portal.
Video surveillance and security camera systems are another type of telecommunications solution, although they are probably not often thought of in this category by those who don’t work with them. Security solutions employ telecommunications to allow organizations to maintain awareness and control of their building as well as their perimeter. Options include HD (high definition) video, as well as CCTV (Closed-Circuit TV) and IP (Internet Protocol) cameras.