Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to a shared computing system for use in telecommunications between end-point telecommunication devices comprising a plurality of instances of a telecommunications service component and a version control gateway configured to route a communication connection from an end-point telecommunication device to an appropriate instance, of the plurality of instances, of the service component. In some embodiments, different end-point telecommunication devices may use different instances of the service component. Some embodiments relate to a network for telecommunications between end-point telecommunication devices, a version control gateway for use in the system of the disclosure, a method of providing a telecommunications service to a user, a method of migrating a user from one software version of a telecommunications service to another, and computer programs and computer-readable media.

Abstract: A telecommunication network 20 configures a telecommunication device 11 and makes and controls communication connections between telecommunication devices. The telecommunication network 20 is configured such that, in use, on initiation of the telecommunication device 11, such as an Internet Protocol telephone or video telephone, a telecommunication device identifier to identify the telecommunication device 11 is output to a computer system or provisioning server 41 via the Internet 10. The computer system 41 receives the telecommunication device identifier and, in response, outputs to the telecommunication device 11, via the Internet 10, an indication of a telecommunication device control system or PBX 12 for use by the telecommunication device 11. The telecommunication device control system 12 is subsequently usable by the telecommunication device 11 to make and control communication connections between the telecommunication device 11 and other telecommunication devices.

Abstract: A telecommunication network 30 for telecommunications between telecommunication end point devices 36,37,38, such as telephones or video phones, the telecommunication network 30 comprising a plurality of telecommunication device control systems 40 implemented by a computer system. Each telecommunication device control system 40 is shared by telecommunication end point devices 36,37,38 allocated to it and is configured to control communication connections involving telecommunications originating from telecommunication end point devices 36,37,38 allocated to it and other telecommunication end point devices. At least some functionality of the plurality of telecommunication device control systems 40 is shared by at least some parts of the computer system.

Abstract: A telecommunication network 20 configures a telecommunication device 11 and makes and controls communication connections between telecommunication devices. The telecommunication network 20 is configured such that, in use, on initiation of the telecommunication device 11, such as an Internet Protocol telephone or video telephone, a telecommunication device identifier to identify the telecommunication device 11 is output to a computer system or provisioning server 41 via the Internet 10. The computer system 41 receives the telecommunication device identifier and, in response, outputs to the telecommunication device 11, via the Internet 10, an indication of a telecommunication device control system or PBX 12 for use by the telecommunication device 11. The telecommunication device control system 12 is subsequently usable by the telecommunication device 11 to make and control communication connections between the telecommunication device 11 and other telecommunication devices.

Abstract: A telecommunication channel data transmission controller 20 for controlling data transmission in a telecommunication channel typically forms part of a telecommunication end point device, such as a video phone 2. The data transmission controller 20 is configured to encode and transmit data in a telecommunication channel at a channel bit rate comprising a data rate and a redundancy rate; and maintain an increase in channel bit rate 70, if a packet loss rate in the telecommunication channel does not increase by increasing the channel bit rate including reducing or maintaining the data rate and increasing the redundancy rate 68.

Abstract: A telecommunication network 9 for video conference calls comprises: devices including: a plurality of telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39; and a plurality of data streaming devices 33,40 each for streaming encoded data from at least one of the telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39 to at least one other of the data streaming devices 33,40 and/or to at least one other of the telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39. The telecommunication network further comprises a controller 34 for controlling: forming of telecommunication connections between at least some devices on the network; and data streams along the formed telecommunication connections.

Abstract: We describe a system for automatic setup of an audio/computer teleconference. The system comprises node units each having a phone connection, a telephone network connection, at least one computer network connection; and a system control server. The node unit comprises code to: transmit an outgoing audio announce message into a potential conference call via said telephone network audio connection, identifying the node unit; receive via the network audio connection an incoming audio announce message from a conference call to which the node unit is already connected; determine from the incoming message, an identifier for a remote node unit connecting to the conference call; and transmit to the server, via the computer network, identifiers for the local and remote node units. The server comprises code to: receive the node unit identifiers and provide computer equipment connection data to computer equipment at node.