Jargon Busting

Every industry has its own “in-house” language or jargon associated with it. However, it seems that the IT industry is in a league of its own in the creation of confusing terms and baffling TLAs (three letter acronyms). Listed below are some of the more common terms in use in the IT industry.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

ADSL
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for transmitting digital information at high bandwidths on existing phone lines to homes and businesses. Unlike regular dialup phone service, ADSL provides continuously available, "always on" connection. ADSL is asymmetric in that it uses a range of higher speeds to transmit downstream to the user than it uses to receive information from the user. There is also a sister product available called Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) which, as the name suggests, is symmetrical, meaning that the upstream and downstream speeds are the same.

B

Back up
The essential job of saving and storing data on a tape or other storage device, such as a CD-ROM, outside of your computer hard disk or computer network and, ideally, away from the main business premises.

Bandwidth
The capacity of data that a line or channel can carry every second. Digital bandwidth is measured in bits per second.

Bits and Bytes
When information is sent across a network, it needs to be in a digital format and uses a binary numbering system to describe each letter or number. Hence we use the term “bit”, which is abbreviated from the words “binary digit” (i.e. a “1” or a “0”). All keyboard characters are defined by a unique series of eight 1s or 0s and this series is called a byte.

Broadband
A communication operating at a bandwidth greater than 256kbps.

Browser
Software such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer to let you navigate round the Web. Many browsers are provided free of charge.

C

Cabling
Used to link computers together so that they form a network and can communicate with each other.

CD-ROM
CD-ROM is one of the most popular formats for storing large amounts of electronic information. One CD-ROM can store 400 times as much information as a standard floppy disk.

CD-R
A CD-Recorder (CD-R) is a format for recording your own CDs.

Client/server
A network that has a powerful main computer (the server or file server) and a string of computers linked to it (clients).

Convergence
Until very recently, phone calls from landlines and mobiles, TV broadcasts and internet traffic were all carried by their own discreet communications networks. Convergence is the term used to describe the coming-together of these, traditionally, separate communication media into one, managed, cost-effective network.

D

Data Compression
A process that reduces the amount of data needed to store or send a video or audio signal or large data file.

Data Storage
Any type of information - words, numbers, images, sound and music - can be created into a single electronic form - digital. Once in digital format, they can be shared, copied, and transmitted from computer to computer or can be stored on a CD Rom, computer, server or, externally, in a secure storage facility.

Desktop publishing (DTP)
Within a business, DTP is often a useful tool, as part of a document management system, in the automated publishing of price lists and catalogues. Small companies often use DTP for producing internal newsletters and reports.

Digital
The term describes the technology used to transmit data and, ever more commonly voice over networks. Phone conversations and information are converted into digital format: a series of binary electronic numbers (1s and 0s). The benefit of this is that the digital information can be transferred quickly.

DNS
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the system in the Internet that maps names of websites into IP numbers or other resource record values. The namespace of the Internet is divided into domains, and the domain will occasionally have a two-letter suffix which identifies the country of origin (e.g. www.onenortheast.co.uk).

E

Ethernet
A popular standard (or protocol) for linking computers into a local area network (LAN, see below).

F

File Types
Software programmes on a PC create files which can be saved to the memory. These files are saved with a unique filename so that it can be retrieved at a later time. The unique filename will be a combination of a name given to the file by the user and a file extension, which defines the type of file being saved. Some well-known file types are:
Doc – Microsoft Word file
Xls – Microsoft Excel file
Pdf – Adobe Acrobat file
Jpg – known as Jpeg which stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and is a standard method of compressing photgraphic images.

Firewall
A firewall’s function is controlling traffic between different “zones of trust”. The network administrator identifies the different zones of trust on his/her network and must then create a security policy which allows managed communication between zones of differing trust levels. Typical zones of trust include the Internet (a zone with no trust) and an internal network (a zone with high trust). A zone with no trust will be monitored closely to filter out unsuitable data traffic coming in and going out through the firewall.

File server
Also known as a server, this is a central, dedicated machine which runs the networking operating system that services all the other computers in the network - known as clients. All the working files of a company are stored centrally on this server.

FTP
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standard (or protocol) for transferring files from one computer to another.

G

H

HTML
HyperText Markup Language is a language designed for the creation of web pages with hypertext and other information to be displayed in a web browser. HTML is used to structure information, denoting certain text as headings, paragraphs. It can be used to describe, to some degree, the appearance and semantics of a document

Hyperlink
A connection linking different pieces of information on the Web. They appear as hot spots on a Web page in the shape of highlighted words or images. By clicking on the hyperlink, the reader can jump to another Web page.

I

Internet
The Internet is a global network of computers with millions of users all over the world. Anyone can join this network and from your computer you can send and receive information anywhere in the world - all at the cost of a local phone call, 24 hours of the day. The Internet offers many business benefits.

Intranet
An intranet is a private internet which is not necessarily linked to the Internet itself. If it is linked to the larger Internet, it will be via secure ’firewalls’ which protect your private information. Intranets are extremely useful in two situations. First an intranet can help a business which has several different kinds of computer - Windows or DOS PCs, Macintosh computers, Unix workstations - which need to talk to one another. Internet standards are designed to allow different computers and network types to communicate, so an intranet can remove many potential technical headaches. Secondly, for businesses installing their first network, setting up an intranet rather than using technology from one manufacturer has some advantages in ’future-proofing’ investment.

IP
Internetworking Protocol is one of the standards used in sending information from one PC to another PC, either across the office or across the world. However, it has become the most commonly used standard, eclipsing other protocols which performed the same work.

ISP
An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a company that provides third party access to the Internet. Customers simply use their modem to connect to the ISP which then links them to the Internet automatically. ISPs offer some standard basic services such as 24 hour Internet access, a unique e-mail address for your company, storage space for your own Web site and basic software programmes for browsing the Internet. Some ISPs, also referred to as on-line information providers, provide extra services such as access to databases of business information.

J

Java
JavaScript is a special programming language used in creating more sophisticated or enhanced Web pages - for example with animated graphics or built-in spreadsheets.

K

L

LAN (Local Area Network)
A way of linking computers, usually, in one building together so that they can share files, software, and peripherals such as a printer or CD-ROM.

M

Modem (modulator/demodulator)
A device that enables computer signals to travel over phone lines. Modems come in different speeds. Low speed modems can be sufficient for simple e-mails but if you intend to use and download information from the Internet then you should usually go for ADSL Broadband and an ADSL modem, which is usually provided by your Internet Service provider (ISP)

Multimedia
Applications combining the use of more than one media, i.e. data, voice and video.

N

O

P

PCN
PCN (Personal Communications Network) is a digital network technology operated by some of the mobile phone network operators.

PDA
A PDA (Personal Digital Assistant, also known as a palmtop) is a computer in the form of an electronic organiser, like the Psion Organiser and Apple Newton. They are becoming increasingly more powerful and can be used as an alternative to laptops, although their keyboards and displays are considerably much smaller.

Peer-to-peer
One of the simplest network arrangements, involving linking a series of computers together without the use of a server.

Peripheral
A peripheral refers to anything that is not part of the main computer unit such as the keyboard, monitor or printer.

Phishing
A form of criminal activity, characterized by attempts to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords, bank and credit card details, by masquerading as a trusted person or business in an apparently official electronic communication, such as an email or an instant message. The term phishing arises from the use of increasingly sophisticated lures to "fish" for users’ financial information and passwords.

Plug & Play 
This is an option, available to all PC users running Windows 95 or later versions, which allows multimedia peripherals, such as a CD-ROM drive, to be automatically recognised and set up to work by the operating system.

POP
ISPs link communities of customers back to a local Point of Presence (POP). This is the gateway to the internet for the ISP.

Proprietary
An operating system that can only be used on one brand of computer with software especially written for that system.

Protocol
The set of rules which govern the format and control of information being sent around a network.

Q

R

RAM
Random Access Memory - the main memory of a computer. This is the area of the computer where the users files and downloads are stored.

ROM
Read Only Memory

Router
A router acts as a junction between two or more networks to transfer data packets among them. Routers connect networks together the way that onramps or major intersections connect town/city streets to both motorways and major trunk routes. In order to route packets, a router communicates with other routers using routing protocols and using this information creates and maintains a routing table. The routing table stores the best routes to certain network destinations, the "routing metrics" associated with those routes, and the path to the next hop router.

Routing is most commonly associated with the Internet Protocol (IP), although other less-popular routed protocols are in use.

S

Scanner
Equipment which takes pictures of pieces of paper for storage in a computer system. Scanners can be used to grab photographs for desktop publishing or to store electronically accessible copies of incoming letters, invoices and so on. Once you have digital copies of documents you can cut the amount of paper you need to store, you can get access to them from anywhere on your network and, with the right software, you can search for information faster and more accurately.

SCSI
Pronounced ’scuzzy’, a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) port is a specification for connecting hard disks, CD-ROMs, printers, etc., to a computer.

Search Engines
Search Engine software packages (such as Google, Yahoo, Alta Vista, WebCrawler, Dogpile or Lycos) helps you find what you are looking for on the Web. You can type in a word or phrase to describe what you are looking for and the search engine matches this against its index, recording all likely matches. Most search engines are free.

Shareware
Shareware is a way of distributing and paying for software. Generally shareware software is distributed free via the Internet or CD-ROM. You can use it for evaluation but are trusted to send money to the authors if you want to use if regularly. Sometimes sending a payment brings a more capable version of the software together with technical support and future upgrades. For small software firms, shareware give access to markets without investing heavily in marketing and distribution. Share ware is not necessarily ’worse’ than conventional software made by large firms, though it carries the same risk as buying anything from a smaller supplier.

Spreadsheet
Software that allows you to store large amounts of numeric data. Spreadsheets are commonly used for budgets, forecasting and accounts. Data is entered in a similar way to writing a ledger. The software then enables you to analyse, track, plan and project possibilities.

Surfing
Slang for the process of moving around the Web.

T

Teleworking
Teleworking is the generic term encompassing technology such as video and data conferencing which allows people and businesses to work with each other independent of distance, often from home.

Trojans
There are two common types of Trojan horses ot trojans. One, is otherwise useful software that has been corrupted by alicious code that executes while the program is used. Examples include various implementations of weather alerting programs, computer clock setting software, and peer to peer file sharing utilities. The other type is a standalone program that masquerades as something else, like a game or image file, in order to trick the user into some misdirected complicity that is needed to carry out the program’s objectives.

Trojan horse programs cannot operate autonomously, in contrast to some other types of malware, like viruses or worms. Just as the Greeks needed the Trojans to bring the horse inside for their plan to work, Trojan horse programs depend on actions by the intended victims. As such, if trojans replicate and even distribute themselves, each new victim must run the program/trojan. Therefore their virulence is of a different nature, depending on successful implementation of social engineering concepts rather than flaws in a computer system’s security design or configuration.

Twisted Pair
Twisted Pair is a networking cabling system that uses the same kind of cables as a phone system. Traditionally, twisted pair is made of copper.

U

UPS
An UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a system which allows computers and telephone systems to continue to run for a limited period of time during a power failure. It lets you save data from your computer before the whole system crashes.

URL
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a file accessible on the Internet, such as a Web site address.

USB
Short for Universal Serial Bus, an external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards. USB also supports Plug-and-Play installation and hot plugging.
It wasn’t until the release of the best-selling iMac in 1998 that USB became widespread. It is expected to completely replace serial and parallel ports. The USB 2.0 specification was released in April 2000 and can support data rates of up to 480Mbps. 

V

VoIP
Voice over IP is one of the standards used to transmit voice calls over a converged voice and data network. Just as IP has become the most commonly used standard for sending data, so VoIP is becoming more common for voice in a converged network.

W

WAN (Wide Area Networks)
A way of linking computers at different office sites, so that they can share information and gain access to remotely located servers.
The World Wide Web The Web gives you user-friendly access to pages of business information. A collection of pages is known as a Web site. Having your own Web site lets you promote and sell your products and services to the world. Customers could browse your catalogue, place an order and pay by credit card - all on line, 24 hours a day. It’s a real opportunity for smaller businesses to compete.

X

Y

Z