Technology

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)

A TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving email.

File (In Computers)

A collection of data stored in one unit, identified by a filename. It can be a document, picture, audio or video stream, data library, application, or other collection of data.

Database Management System (DBMS) aka Database Manager

A collection of programs that enable users to store, modify, and extract information from a database.

Dynamic Link Library (DLL)

A collection of small programs, any of which can be called when needed by a larger program that is running in the computer.

Usenet

A collection of user-submitted notes or messages on various subjects that are posted to servers on a worldwide network. Each subject collection of posted notes is known as a newsgroup.

Nefsis

A communication technology that offers multipoint video conferencing with integrated voice and live collaboration solutions for businesses.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

A company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site building and virtual hosting.

Campus Area Network (CAN)

A computer network set up in the same community or nearby (such as a military installation).

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A computer network spanning geographic distance (usually connected via telephone lines, satellite links, or microwave).

Trackball

A computer pointing device consisting of a freely rotating ball in a docket with sensors that translate its rotation into movements on an on-screen cursor.

File-server system

A computer responsible for the central storage and management of data files so that other computers on the same network can access the files.

Topology

A description of any kind of locality in terms of its layout. In communication networks, this is a usually schematic description of the arrangement of a network, including its nodes and connecting lines. There are two ways of defining network geometry: The physical one and the logical (or signal) one.

Digital Modem

A device that adapts digital signals from one transmission system to another.

Satellite Modem

A device that communicates with a satellite to make a high speed Internet connection.

Template (In Documents)

A file that serves as a starting point for a new document and is pre-formatted in some way.

Smartphone

A full-featured cellular phone with many of the functions of a handheld computer.

Optical Media

A generic term that refers to any type of data storage media that uses light, usually in the form of a laser, to read and/or write data. CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray.

TIFF (aka Tag Image File Format)

A graphic and page layout file format for desktop computers, used to transfer documents between different applications and computer platforms.

Server Farm

A group of computers acting as servers and housed together in a single location. It is sometimes called a server cluster. It can either be a website that has more than one server, or an Internet service provider (ISP) that provides Web hosting services using multiple servers.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).

Cable

A group of wires for transmitting electrical signals that are bound together and usually have shared or common insulation.

Blue-Ray Disc

A high capacity DVD media.

Token ring

A local area network (LAN) in which all computers are connected in a ring or star topology and a bit-passing scheme is used in order to prevent the collision of data between two computers that want to send messages at the same time.

Zip

A medium-capacity removable floppy disk storage.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

A model for managing a company's interactions with current and future customers. Involves technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.

Digital Music Library

A musical playlist.

Global Area Network (GAN)

A network composed of different interconnected networks that cover an unlimited geographical area.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A network designed for a town or city.

Bluetooth

A network protocol for short-range wireless communications technology.

Image Scanner

A peripheral device that can translate image data into digital form so it can be stored on a disk media and manipulated by computer software.

Compact Disk (CD-ROM)

A plastic fabricated, circular medium for recording, storing, and playing back audio, video and computer data.

Laptop Computer

A portable personal computer with a clamshell form factor, suitable for mobile use.

USB Flash Drive

A portable storage device small enough to be carried on a keychain. The drive uses flash memory (nonvolatile memory that retains data when there is no access to electric power).

Intranet

A private network that is contained within an enterprise. It may consist of many interlinked local area networks and also use leased lines in the wide area network. Typically it includes connections through one or more gateway computers to the outside internet. The main purpose for it is to share company information and computing resources among employees. It can also be used to facilitate working in groups and or teleconferences

Extranet

A private network that uses the Internet protocol and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, parners, customers, or other businesses. It can be viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company.

Remote file exchange and synchronization

A process used to transfer data (voice, text, or other data) between computers

Assembler / assembly language

A program that takes basic computer instructions and converts them into a pattern of bits that the computer's processor can use to perform its basic operations.

Speech Recognition Software

A program that translates spoken words into text.

Jazz (Storage Device)

A removable hard disk storage system.

Bar Code

A series of lines of varying width, printed as on a container or product, that can be read by an optical scanner to determine charges, destinations for letters, etc.

Proxy Server aka Proxy (Computer Functions)

A server that all computers on a local network have to go through before accessing information on the Internet. Also acts as a type of network firewall.

Processor aka Microprocessor (Computer Functions)

A small chip that resides in computers and other electronic devices. Its basic job is to receive input and provide the appropriate output.

Switch

A small hardware device that sends traffic from a sender to the appropriate receiver.

Cookie

A small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user's web browser while the user is browsing that website.

Phablet

A small pocket-sized mobile device (phone/tablet hybrid) that is a bit larger than the size of an average smartphone, with a touch screen ranging in size from 5-6.1 inches.

Personal Information Management (PIM)

A software application that serves as a planner, notebook, and address book all in one.

Compiler

A special program that processes statements written in a particular programming language and turns them into machine language or "code" that a computer's processor uses.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

A standardized method for transferring data between different computer systems or computer networks. Commonly used for e-commerce purposes, to send orders to warehouses, track shipments, etc.

Optical Disc

A storage disc that holds digital information; the data is read using laser technology.

Magnetic Disks

A storage media that stores data on a disk's surface using magnetic particles.

C

A structured, procedural programming language that has been widely used both for operating systems and applications and that has had a wide following in the academic community. Many versions of Unix-based operating systems are written in this. It has bee standardized as part of the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX).

World Wide Web (WWW)

A subset of the Internet that consists of pages that can be accessed using a Web browser.

Utility Program

A system program used especially to simplify standard computer operations, as sorting, copying, or deleting files.

Computer Network

A telecommunication network that allows computers to exchange data.

Formula Translation (FORTRAN)

A third-generation (3GL) programming language that was designed for use by engineers, mathematicians, and other users and creators of scientific algorithms. It has a very succinct and Spartan syntax. Today, the C language has largely displaced this one.

Voice Over Broadband (VoBB)

A transmission technique that enables a user to make and receive telephone calls over a broadband connection.

Intelligent Mobile Hotspot

A traveling Internet connection.

QR (Quick Reference) Code

A two-dimensional bar code that can be read with a mobile device to yield a URL, text message, phone number, or other information.

Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)

A type of optical disk technology similar to a CD-ROM. Holds a minimum of 4.7 GB of data.

File Sharing Network

A type of peer-to-peer network on which persons can access the hard disks of other computers and exchange files over the internet.

Hyperlink

A web page link that, when activated, can take the software end-user to another resource of location.

Blog

A website or part of a website, where an individual can share his or her thoughts and ideas on a variety of topics.

Wiki

A website that allows anyone to add, delete, or revise content by using a web browser.

Short Messaging Service (SMS) aka Text Messaging

Ability to send and receive short text messages through telecommunication channels.

Folders (In Computers)

Allow people to organize their electronic files in their hard drive, in a way that makes sense to them.

Surge Suppressor

An electrical device designed to protect a computer against the harmful effects of power surges and spikes of sudden outages.

Object (In Computer Networks)

An entry in the computer database that contains data about things such as users, volumes, and printers.

Desktop computer

An independent personal computer that is too large to carry easily or set up quickly. It I designed to remain in the same place all the time.

Floppy Disk (Diskette)

An inexpensive storage medium that is small and portable. Its shell contains a circular, thin Mylar film that is magnetically coated.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

An interface of a computer that allows users to click and drag objects with a mouse instead of entering text at a command line.

C++

An object-oriented programming (OOP) language that is viewed by many as the best language for creating large-scale applications.

Distributed computing

Any computing that involves multiple computers remote from each other that each have a role in a computation problem or information processing.

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)

Any network using a series of wireless communication devices.

Application Program

Any program designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another XX. Examples would be: word processors, spreadsheets, database programs, web browsers, development tools, drawing, paint, and image editing programs, and communication programs.

E-Commerce

Buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet.

Fiber Optic Cable

Cable made up of super-thin filaments of glass or other transparent materials that can carry beams of light.

Systems Software

Computer software designed to operate and control the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.

Internet

Connection of two or more networks; connection may be across state or national boundaries.

Data Processing

Conversion of data into a form that can be processed by a computer.

Media Data Conversion

Converting file formats from one to another for use on various computerized devices (e.g. copying data from a magnetic tape to a CD).

Demodulate (Modem Process)

Converts audio tones back into digital signals that a computer can understand.

Desktop Publishing

Creation of documents using page layout skills on a personal computer.

Modem

Electronic device that allows computers to communicate over telephone wires or cable-TV cables.

Graphics Tablet

Electronic drawing device consisting of an electronic pen and an electronic sensitive surface.

Hypermedia

Extends the hypertext link to include links among any set of multimedia objects, including sound, motion video, and virtual reality. It can also connote higher level of user/network interactivity tan the interactivity already implicit in hypertext.

Dropbox

File storage in the cloud that eliminates the need for constantly backing up, copying and transferring files with flash drives. These files can also be shared with others easily.

Archive

Files or data compressed to save space on a computer, for software distribution, or to limit bandwidth time or use when data is transported.

Subdirectories (In Computers)

Folders located directly within a folder, as well as folders that are stored in other folders within a folder.

Device Manager (In Computers)

Found in Windows-based systems and can assist you in locating devices that are connected to your computer and assist in the driver installation (or re-installation) process.

Gateway

Hardware or software that acts as a bridge between a number of computers.

Server

In IT, this is a computer program that provides services to other computer programs (and their users) in the same or other computers.

Batch Processing

In a computer, this job is a program that is assigned to the computer to run without further user interaction. In larger commercial computers or servers, these jobs are usually initiated by a system user. Some area defined to run automatically at a certain time.

Router

In packet-switched networks such as the internet, this device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its destination. It is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each info packet based on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to.

Pointing Device

Input device that allows the computer user to control a pointer. Includes a mouse, digital pen, joystick or wheel.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

Internet connection technology delivering high bandwidth over ordinary telephone lines.

Microwave transmission

Involves sending and receiving of microwave signals over a microwave link to transmit information through the air to a receiver, usually an antenna, that decodes the message.

Client-Server System

It describes the relationship between two computer programs in which one program, the client, makes a service request from anther program, the server, which fulfills the request.

Node

Junction point joined to some or all of the other dependency lines in a network.

File Path

Location where particular files are stored on hard disk or a network drive.

Backbone

Main network line that interconnects various pieces of network, providing a path for exchange of information between different local area networks (LANs).

Operating System

Master control program in a computer that maintains disk files, runs applications, and handles devices such as the mouse and printer.

Read Only Memory (ROM)

Memory that can be read, but not changed, by a computer; most often used to store basic computer information that is used by the computer in the start-up process.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

Mobile computing device that includes function abilities such as an organizer, calendar, address book, calculator, appointment book and notepad.

File Transfer Protocol

Most commonly used to download a file from a server using the internet or to upload a file to a server.

Search engine

On the internet, it I a coordinated set of programs that includes 1) a spider (also called a "crawler" or a "bot") that goes to every page or representative pages on every Web site that wants to be searchable and reads it, using hypertext links on each page to discover and read a site's other pages 2) a program that creates a huge index (sometimes called a "catalog") from the pages that have been read, and 3) a program that receives your search request, compares it to the entries in the index, and returns results to you.

Packet Data

On the internet, the network breaks an email into parts of a certain size in bytes.

Point-of-presence (POP)

On the internet, this is an access point from one place to the rest of the Internet.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Physical computer memory where program ad software data is stored after execution form computer disk.

Media

Physical connection between network devices.

Hardware

Physical devices found inside or connected to a computer; software programs are used in conjunction with XX to provide computer functionality.

Hard Drive

Primary computer device used for permanent data storage and retrieval.

Data Migration

Process of copying electronic files and folders onto new media and in new formats as they become available.

Java

Programming language expressly designed for use in the distributed environment of the Internet. It was designed to have the "look and feel" of the C++ language, but it is simpler to use than C++ and enforces an object-oriented programming model. It can be used to create complete applications that may run on a single computer or be distributed among servers and clients in a network. It can also be used to build a small application module or applet for use as part of a Web page. Applets make it possible for a Web page user to interact with the page.

Freeware

Programming that is offered at no cost and is a common class of small applications available for downloading and use in most operating systems. Because it may be copyrighted, you may or may not be able o reuse it in programming that you are developing.

Skype

Provides an avenue for users to use the Internet to make voice and voice/video calls.

Telecenter

Public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete

Reboots a computer

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Refers to the policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices to their workplace, and to use them to access privileged company information and applications.

Pagers

Small electronic device use to receive numerical or text message from another source.

Operating Systems (OS) (Computer Functions)

Software that communicates with the hardware and allows other programs to fun. It is comprised of system software, or the fundamental files your computer needs to boot up an function.

Mobile Application

Software that runs on a handheld device or computer.

World Wide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)

Standard developed for the wide-area communication of wireless devices.

Broadband System

System capable of transmitting many signals at a time without interference between signals (i.e. a system that handles the distribution of multiple cable TV channels).

Hypertext

Text displayed on a computer display or other electronic device with references to other text which the reader can click to immediately access multiple levels of detail.

Connectivity

The ability to communicate with another system or piece of hardware or software, or with an Internet site.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

The address of a specific Web site or file on the Internet. It cannot have spaces or certain other characters and uses forward slashes to denote different directories.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

The authoring language (symbols or codes) inserted in a file intended for display on the World Wide Web.

Modulate (Modem Process)

The conversion of digital computer signals to analog audio-frequency tones.

Word Processing

The creation, retrieval, modification, storage, and printing of text using a computer or other electronic equipment.

Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL)

The first widely used high-level programming language for business applications. Many payroll, accounting, and other business application programs are written in this over the past 35 years are still in use and it is possible that there are more existing lines of programming code in this than in any other programming language. While the language has been updated over the years, it is generally perceived as out-of-date and these programs are generally viewed as legacy applications.

Disk Operating System (DOS

The first widely-installed operating system for personal computers.

Directory (In Computers)

The hierarchy of folders within folders that make up the computer system.

American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

The most common format for text files in computers and on the Internet.

Ethernet

The most widely installed local area network (LAN) technology.

Secondary storage

The physical location on which a computer's data is placed (i.e. floppy disk, hard disk, CDs, DVDs, and tapes, etc.)

Social Bookmarking

The practice of saving bookmarks to a public website so they are organized and easy to access.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

The primary organization for fostering the development of technology standards in the U.S.

Debugging

The process of locating and fixing or bypassing errors in computer program code or the engineering of a hardware device.

Client

The requesting program or user n a XX/Server relationship. For example, the user of a Web browser is effectively making XX requests for pages from servers all over the Web. The browser itself is a XX in its relationship with the computer that is getting and returning the requested HTML file. The computer handling the request and sending back the HTML file is a server.

Artificial Intelligence

The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning (the acquisition of information and rules for using the info.), reasoning (using the rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions), and self-correction.

File Extensions (In Computers)

The suffix at the end of a filename that indicates what type of file it is (i.e. .JPG, .GIF, .MP3, .ZIP, .HTML)

Root Directory (In Computers)

The top level directory of the operating system or the "highest" folder in the hierarchy. The root folder contains all other folders and can also contain files.

Telecommunications

The transmission of text, data, voice, video, and images electronically from one location to another.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

The transmitting of voice over the Internet.

Packet-switched

The type of network in which relatively small units of data through a network based on the destination address contained within each packet. Breaking communication down into packets allows the same data path to be shared among many users in the network. This type of communication between sender and receiver is known as connectionless (rather than dedicated). Most traffic over the Internet uses xxx-xxx and the Internet is basically a connectionless network.

Telepresence

The use of computer services from virtual servers available on demand over the Internet.

Cloud computing

The virtual presence of somebody whose actions are transmitted by electronic signals to a physically remote site.

Input/Output

This describes any operation, program, or device that transfers data to or from a computer. Typically, these devices are printers, hard disks, keyboards, and mouses.

Bridge

This is a physical box-type devise that connects two or more local area networks (LANs) together .

Digitized

To convert an image, graph, or other data into digital form or processing on a computer.

Analog

Transmission of information in continuously variable, alternating waves; data is read by the measurement of wavelengths over time.

Flash Memory

Type of memory not dependent upon the computer being powered up. Can be erased and rewritten.

Instant Message (IM)

Type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the internet.

Live Chat Software

Used by Internet sales websites to present a live salesperson to answer questions about a product.

Tradition Pull-Down Menus

Used in Windows- and Macintosh-based, and other platform applications to rapidly access software functionalities that are grouped in related and logical categories.

Magnetic Storage

Uses different patterns of magnetization in a magnetizable material to store data and is a form of non-volatile memory. Primarily hard disks, which are widely used to store computer data as well as audio and video signals. Includes floppy disks, magnetic recording tape and magnetic stripes on credit cards.

The Cloud

Virtual services, applications, storage and infrastructure available over the internet.

Web 2.0

Web resources that are interactive.

Tablet PC

Wireless personal computer that allows users to take notes using natural handwriting with a stylus or digital pen on a touch screen.