SoIP stands for "Session over Internet Protocol," which refers to the use of Internet Protocol (IP) networks to transmit and manage multimedia sessions between two or more parties. Some synonyms for SoIP include Voice over IP (VoIP), which specifically refers to voice calls over IP networks. Another synonym is IP telephony, which is a general term for voice, video, and multimedia transmission over IP networks. Unified Communications (UC) is another closely related term that encompasses SoIP, as well as other forms of communication over IP networks, such as instant messaging and video conferencing. In addition, Cloud Communications and Hosted VoIP are terms that specifically refer to SoIP services delivered through cloud-based platforms.