Glossary

The vocabulary of a local-first trade business.

Definitions for the terms used across Dino AI Hub. On-premise AI, AI receptionists, field service management, and the small set of architectural concepts that distinguish a sealed appliance from a cloud subscription.

Architecture

On-premise AI: AI software that runs on hardware physically located at the customer's business rather than on a cloud provider's servers. Data and models stay on-site, eliminating per-query cloud costs, internet-dependency, and third-party data exposure. Dino AI Hub is an on-premise AI appliance for trade businesses.
On-device AI: AI inference that executes entirely on local hardware — no round-trip to a cloud API. Sometimes called edge AI or local-first AI. The compute happens where the data lives, which is faster for the user and impossible to intercept in transit.
Edge computing: A computing model where data is processed near where it's generated rather than in a centralized cloud datacenter. For a trade business, the edge is the office: a sealed appliance handles dispatch, invoicing, and AI workloads without a round-trip to a cloud provider.
Local-first software: Software designed so the canonical copy of business data lives on hardware the customer owns, with sync to cloud services as a convenience rather than a requirement. The business keeps working when the internet is down, and the data is not held hostage by a SaaS subscription.
Hub appliance: A sealed hardware unit shipped to a business pre-configured to run a specific set of software, with no setup beyond plugging it in. The Dino AI Hub appliance is an Apple Silicon Mac running the full business operating system locally — dispatch, AI voice, CRM, books, marketing — on hardware the shop owns outright.

AI

AI receptionist: A voice AI agent that answers inbound phone calls for a business — handling intake, booking, FAQs, and routing — without human staffing. Most AI receptionists are cloud services billed per minute or per call. Dino AI Hub bundles the receptionist into the on-premise hub at no per-call cost.
Answering service: A third-party staffed service that picks up business calls when in-house staff can't — Ruby, AnswerConnect, PATLive. Human operators handle intake and message-taking. Distinct from an AI receptionist in that the labor is human and billed per minute or per call.
Small business AI: AI tools sized and priced for businesses under ~50 employees — voice receptionists, appointment booking, lead scoring, marketing automation. Most small-business AI is cloud SaaS billed monthly; on-premise alternatives like Dino AI Hub are an emerging category serving owner-operated shops.

Operations

Field service management software: Software that runs the operational backbone of a service business: dispatch, scheduling, customer records, invoicing, and crew coordination. The category is dominated by cloud SaaS platforms like ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, and FieldEdge, billed per user per month.
Perpetual license: A one-time purchase that grants the right to use software indefinitely, in contrast to a subscription that lapses when payment stops. Dino AI Hub uses a perpetual on-appliance license: buy the hub once, run it for the operating life of the hardware with no recurring software fee.
BOS interface: The Business Operating System interface — the desktop view used by owners, office staff, and dispatchers on the Dino AI Hub appliance. Contains the dispatch board, CRM, books, marketing automation, and admin controls. Runs locally; no login to a third-party site.
Field interface: The mobile-first view used by technicians on a job — work-orders, customer history, on-site invoicing, photo capture, and parts lookup. Talks to the hub over local network or cellular fallback; data syncs back when the truck is in range.
Portal interface: The customer-facing view at {yourshop}.alltrix.ai where end-customers see appointments, invoices, payment links, and service history. Served from the hub, branded as the shop. End-customers never see the Dino brand unless the shop chooses to surface it.
Dispatch board: The visual schedule of crews, trucks, and jobs across a day or week. Dispatchers drag-and-drop assignments to balance workload, optimize routes, and respond to emergencies. The dispatch board is the operational heartbeat of any trade business with more than one truck on the road.

Trades

HVAC business software: Field service software specialized for HVAC contractors — load calculations, equipment registries, maintenance-agreement tracking, refrigerant compliance, and seasonal demand forecasting. The major vendors are ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, Housecall Pro, and Workiz; Dino AI Hub is an on-premise alternative.
Plumbing business software: Field service software with workflows tuned for plumbing — emergency-call routing, fixture catalogs, water-heater registries, and rough-in / trim scheduling. The category overlaps heavily with HVAC software; Dino AI Hub serves both with the same hub configured per trade.

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