cturers of Telecommunications Hardware (Used by the Local and Long Distance Telecommunications Service Providers in their Networks) Some of the telephone system manufacturers also make other equipment used by local and long distance service providers in their networks. These may be called bridges, routers, data switches, smart modems, hubs, etc. These facilitate the trans- mission and proper routing (sending to the right destination) of voice, data and video transmissions. Some companies that were originally only in this business are trying to move into the telephone system business by manu- facturing their own versions and visions of next generation telephone systems. Data Communications Hardware Again, there is overlapping in what different companies make. What we are calling data communications hardware are the elec- tronic devices primarily used on an organization's premises in support of communications among a group of computers either at a single site or connecting multiple sites. This is often the same type of equipment used by the tele- communications service providers themselves in their own networks such as routers, bridges, data switches, etc. 286 The Telecom Handbook CHAPTER 13 Specialized Business Telephone System Manufacturers TRADING TURRET COMPANIES There is a very small group of companies who manufacture a type of telephone system called a trading turret system, some- times called a dealing system, particularly in Europe. These are large multi-button telephones, usually 60 or 120 buttons, some- what like a key system, but designed with the brokerage trader in mind. Traders require instantaneous communication with a large number of other traders. This is accomplished through point-to- point circuits that appear on the buttons of the trading turret. The newer versions of these systems are more dependent upon software which provides the appearance of a multi-button tele- phone on a computer screen. This enables access to many pages of different outside lines through which the trader can scroll. As w