Jargon Buster

(55 definitions and counting...)

3

3G:

Third-generation wireless communications. Will combine mobile phone functionality with that of laptops, TVs into a single device. Will provide broadband access.

A

Aggregator:

Software or web page that gathers RSS feeds from multiple locations and displays the contents so they can be scanned or read in a single view

Analog:

Based on waveforms rather than on binary patterns.

ASP:

Active Server Pages. A microsoft technology for creating dynamic web sites.

B

Bandwidth:

The capacity of an electronic connection or network.

Blog (weblog):

An online journal of topics; each posting can have a web address to allow others to point to it. The best blogs allow comments to be added by readers.

Bluetooth:

A short-range radio frequency technology to transmit voice and data, automatically locating and connecting and personal devices, e.g. laptops, mobile phones. Range of only 10m.

Browser:

A program that provides a view of information on the World Wide Web (internet or intranet). Microsoft's Internet Explorer is an example.

BSG:

Broadband Stakeholder Group

Business Intelligence:

Tools and systems that allow a company to gather, store, access and analyze corporate data to aid in decision-making. Generally these systems will illustrate business intelligence in the areas of customer profiling, customer support, market research, market segmentation, product profitability and statistical analysis.

C

C:

A igh-level computer language orignially developed at Bell Labs. The C language enables programmers to write code that can be compiled to run on different types of computers.

Compression:

A technique to reduce the size of files by replacing repetitive data with smaller codes.

D

DHCP:

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocl: a piece of the TCP/IP protocol suite that handles automatic assignment of IP addresses.

DLM:

Data Lifecycle Management. An older term for Information Lifecycle Management.

DNS:

Domain Name System: An Internet addressing system that uses a group of names that are listed with dots between them, working from the most specific to the most general.

Dynamic Web Site:

Websites that can respond to different parameters, allow for user registration, and have changing data on a database (in the background).

E

Encryption:

The process of encoding information to make it secure from other users.

ERP:

Enterprise Resource Planning: software packages such as Baan, SAP.

Ethernet:

A LAN topology based on Carrier Sense Multiple Access/ Collision Detection. Ethernet is one of the most common topologies in use in the world today.

EPC:

The Electronic Product Code, (EPC), is an electronically coded tag that is intended as an improvement on the UPC barcode system. The EPC is a 96-bit tag which contains a number called the Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN). GTIN gives each product its own specific identifying number, giving greater accuracy in tracking.

F

Firewall:

A security device placed on a LAN to protect it from Internet intruders. This can be a special kind of hardware router, a piece of software of both.

G

GIF:

Graphic Interchange Format: a file format for pictures, commonly used on the internet.It uses lossless compression and creates images with 8-bit colour.

GPRS:

General Packet Radio Service, sometimes referred to as 2.5G. Provided over existing mobile networks, allows users to browse the web on a phone.

GUI:

Graphical User Interface

H

HTML:

Hypertext Markup Language. The basis of all web pages, describing how text, graphics etc are organised and presented.

HSM:

Hierarchical Storage Manager. Stemming from the mainframe world around 1980, HSM shifted data that wasn't used often to cheaper storage devices.

I

IDE:

Integrated Development Environment

ILM:

Information Lifecycle Management. Data management techniques designed to help businesses get best value from their data by making it policy-based, storing data in the way that best suits the business.

ISV:

Independent Software Vendor: a company that produces software.

IT:

Information Technology (!)

J

Java

A web-oriented language developed by Sun Microsystems.

L

LAN:

Local Area Network: A computer network limited to a small area.

LMS:

Learning Management System (online training).

M

M2M:

Machine-to-Machine: Cellular communications between machines that can be remote and wireless.

Malware:

Short for malicious software, software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus or a Trojan horse.

Modem:

Shortened name for modulator/demodulator; a device to convert digital signals of a computer to analog format for transmission across telephone lines.

N

Network:

A group of computers connected so that they can communicate and share information. Most major networks are connected to the global network-of-networks, the Internet.

O

OEM:

Original Equipment Manufacturer. It is actually a misleading term for a company that has a special relationship with computer producers. Buy computers in bulk OEMs customise them for an application, selling the customised computer under their own name. The term is really a misnomer because OEMs are not the original manufacturers.

P

PDF:

Portable Document Format: the format of choice for Adobe's widely-used Acrobat digital document system.

PHP:

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor: an scripting language that can be interspersed with HTML. It can be used on any platform (Windows, Unix, Macintosh), and is free to use.

R

RFID:

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a method of remotely storing and retrieving data using devices called RFID tags. An RFID tag is a small object, such as an adhesive sticker, that can be attached to or incorporated into a product. RFID tags contain antennae to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver.

RSS feed:

An XML-based extract of information (web pages, blog entries, database information) with link to source.

S

script:

A short computer programme written in a simplified programming language such as Perl, Javascript of VBScript.

search engine:

A program providing a way to search for specific information on the Internet using keywords. The most popular is currently Google.

SOA:

Service-Oriented Architecture.

SRM:

Storage Resource management. An essential technology for ILM to allow it to monitor and assign storage capacity and move information.

T

Ticker:

Displays current stock market prices in a horizontal window or bar.

Trojan Horse:

A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. For example, a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer.

V

VAR:

Value Added Reseller

W

Weblog (Blog):

An online journal of topics; each posting can have a web address to allow others to point to it. The best blogs allow comments to be added by readers.

Webmail:

E-mail messages sent to and from wesbites, bypassing the need for special e-mail client software.

WEEE:

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: An EU directive for the handling of obsolete equipment.

WiFi:

Wireless Fidelity: any type of 802.11 compliant network. WiFi access points can support around 15 users with a rnage of 50-100m.

WiMax:

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access group set up to promote the IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard, and now refers to the wireless broadband network technology itself. Can handle voice and data, interent connection and voIP services.

X

XML:

Extensible Markup Language: A generic language developed by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) which allows the creation of standardrized HTML-like languages, using a DTD (Document Type Definition) to define tags and attributes.