By Ian Trevett
If things are always done in a certain way, then the chances are they always will.
Change can be challenging. It is much easier to keep to the rules. If you upset the apple cart, then the apples go everywhere – and someone has to pick them all up.
In most industries, the insider language become so ingrained that people stop even noticing it exists .
The telecoms industry has always used unnecessarily technical language, yet those in the industry seem to be largely unaware of how much jargon is used. Few understand that this can be off-putting for potential customers.
When I joined Rubix VT in October 2021, I did an online telecoms course provided by one of our suppliers. I lost count of the number of acronyms, and it took me some time to remember what the key ones meant. I was convinced that this could be so much more accessible.
Of course, I am not the first to bemoan the number of acronyms in telecoms – yet the problem persists.
Why attempts to de-jargon telecoms have failed
Many companies recognise there is a problem and claim to offer simple or jargon-free telecoms, yet their ‘jargon-free’ web pages and brochures still lean heavily on acronyms.
Why is this?
1. Acronyms have become words
Some acronyms have become so established that they become words in their own right. Examples include:
ISDN – few non-telecoms people knew what this stood for, but there in its early years of adoption there was a vague understanding that an ISDN line was a fast digital line. If you had an ISDN line it was an upgraded option.
VOIP – Now a widespread term for internet telephony. Most know what the initials stand for, yet it is still a problematic term. Very few understand the meaning of ‘Internet Protocol’, which means the acronym is still confusing. Read here to see why we think VOIP is a terrible acronym.
2. The problem with website content
A modern-day curse is that so much web content is cannibalised from other sites. Few content writers produce genuinely new material. Content writers are not necessarily experts on a subject, yet they are expected to write on all kinds of topics without sufficient research time. What happens is a rushed writer will go to competition’s web pages and then cut, paste and disguise. And the same tech-speak gets repeated ad nauseum.
Why it matters
If an industry is made to appear too complex, it means people will be less inclined to talk about it. We want to be passionate about telecoms, without boring people to death!
If we are not confident in our knowledge, then conversation becomes more stifled.
A genuine attempt to tackle industry jargon is actually a talking point. We can empathise with the potential client about the excessive jargon and a common bond is formed.
And everyone can concentrate on how innovative telecoms can actually help a business.
