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
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line; The most common form of broadband, which uses existing telephone lines to transmit information and is 'always on'. It is asymmetric, which means it receives information faster than it sends it, on the basis that the majority of web users download more information than they upload.
Always-On - 'Always-on' technologies such as broadband and GPRS can receive data continually, rather than using a modem to connect to the Internet each time. This access is paid for on a rental or 'leased line' basis, rather than according to the amount of time spent on the connection.
Anti-virus Software (also known as virus defence software) - Software tools for detecting, blocking and/or removing viruses from files, e-mails or network communications. Anti-virus software can be loaded onto individual computers and servers, and can check for viruses in real-time or by regularly sweeping the entire system.
Application Service Provider (ASP) - An ASP builds, hosts, runs and sells access to applications over the Internet. This allows individuals and companies to outsource various functions by leasing or renting applications and software.
Accessibility - major consideration for choice of educational software and hardware. Barriers to access can include, for example, equipment that relies heavily on fine motor skills, on conveying information only by visual means, or systems assuming too high a level of literacy or technical skill. See also augmentative and alternative communication and assistive technology.Adventure Game - computer-based game which allows the exploration of a scenario or story in which the player is an ‘adventurer’. Adventure programs used to be in text form only, often with long narrative descriptions, but they have now incorporated graphics. Some adventure games have graphics only. The user is encouraged to make decisions based on a limited set of rules or options predetermined by the author of the program. The outcome of the game depends on the decisions made.
Agent - software tool which will search the world wide web according to a user’s specifications. Also known as a knowbot, bot or droid. See also search engine.
Analog - signal which does not vary in discrete steps, but continuously from one level to another. For storage, processing and communicating with computers, analog signals (such as the output of a microphone) are converted into digital form using analog to digital converters (A-to-D or A/D). This is called digitization, as the information is then stored in binary code. See also digital.
Anchor - on the world wide web, the target of a hyperlink, a click-able link between documents or files or between places within a document or file. Anchor and links are created using a programming language called hypertext mark-up language.
Animation - display of a sequence of images to give the impression of movement. Simple animation programs are available.
Applet - pre-written, mini-programs (sub-routines) used on a web page to operate a specific function. For example, an applet might be used to make part of a text wiggle while various colours flow through it. (From ‘application’.)
Archive - to store files which are not needed but cannot be discarded. This often involves backing up/saving to a separate hard disk, floppy disk or other storage medium. Also used for stored messages contributed to e-mail discussions, sometimes search-able by date, topic, contributor, etc.
ASCII - acronym for ‘American Standard Code for Information Interchange’. Internationally adopted standard of numerical equivalents for characters representing numbers, letters, punctuation marks, symbols, and control codes. ASCII gives rise to plain text which can be read by most computers and most text-reading software.
Assistive Technology - use of technology, including computers, to render the environment accessible to users who have learning difficulties, limited mobility or sensory impairment, e.g. switches, voice recognition programs, overlay keyboards, etc.
Attachment - file which is attached (linked) to and sent with an e-mail message.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) - for users who have limitations on their ability to communicate using natural speech, the use of technology, including computers, to assist or replace speech, such as voice boxes or speech synthesizers.
Authoring Software - programs which help relatively inexperienced users create multimedia or hypertext documents.
Return to top
B
Bandwidth - The amount of data that a line or channel can carry in a given amount of time. Digital bandwidth is measured in bps.
Back Up - to make a duplicate but separately stored copy of the contents of a computer-held data set, software application, or individual files. Back-ups should be done regularly.
Baud - unit of measurement of data transfer speed (‘baud rate’), for example over a telephone line or to a printer. A baud is one single event per second, and so it can also be a character, digit or byte. See also bits per second, characters per second.
Bit - contraction of ‘binary digit’. The smallest unit of computer information, equal to either of the digits 0 or 1, called binary because it has only two values, on or off. See also byte.
Bitmap - graphic image held by a computer as a screen representation, with each bit relating to the setting of an individual pixel on the screen.
Boolean Operator - also known as ‘logical operator’, word or symbol which defines a logical relationship between two data items. This relationship can be ‘AND’, ‘OR’ or ‘NOT’. For example, searching a database can be made more efficient by using Boolean operators with the search terms, so that only terms which occur together are retrieved (using AND) and others are excluded (using NOT).
Boot - to start up a computer. The computer is regarded as ‘bootstrapping’ itself by loading the program which starts its operating system.
BPS(Bits per Second) - The unit used to measure the speed of data transfer. It is often normally expressed in thousands, Kbps, or millions, Mbps.
Braille Notebook - portable computer in which the user keys in Braille, the system of representing letters with raised dots to allow reading by touch. The output can be printed either as Braille or in regular text format.
Broadband - A high bandwidth, high-speed Internet connection. It is always on, and you pay a flat fee for a monthly connection. The term ‘broadband' describes any connection that that can carry data at speeds of more than 128Kbps.
Browser - An application that is used to access a web server.
Bug - error or fault in computer software which causes it to malfunction.
Bulletin Board System (BBS) - electronic equivalent of a noticeboard, software on a central computer which allows users remote from it and each other to exchange information electronically via a network, e-mail or the world wide web. Information posted by users can be stored and displayed and, sometimes, software downloaded. See also listserver, Usenet.
Bursty - Computer activity which generates bursts of high-speed data traffic, rather than constant data traffic.
Byte - unit of information equal to eight bits. Usually, each byte stores one character.
Carrier - A company which operates a broadband network, mainly in Enhanced or Interactive TV.
CD-ROM (Compact Disc, Read-only memory) - A compact disc that stores computer applications, services and other data in the form of text, graphics and hi-fi stereo sound.
Cookie - A mechanism through which a web server can store and retrieve information to identify users. This information is used to personalise the content of websites for returning visitors.
Cache - temporary memory used to access frequently used instructions, thus speeding up processing time. Also denotes temporary storage of world wide web pages by browser software.
CAD/CAM (computer aided design / computer aided manufacturing) - drafting and design with the aid of a computer which can handle technical geometric detail. CAD allows the user to manipulate drawings and view them from all angles. CAM is a general term for computer support during the manufacturing process.
Card - circuit board that plugs into a computer to provide a new function, such as sound or video input and output.
Case Sensitivity - some software’s inability to construe upper and lower case versions of a letter as representing the same letter, so that, for instance, a browser may not be able to find a file if its name has an initial capital and you have given it in lower case.
Calculator-Based Ranger (CBR), calculator-based laboratory (CBL) - versions of data logging devices that connect directly to a graphic calculator. The CBR collects motion data. The CBL comes with probes that can collect voltage, light and temperature data.
CD writer (compact disk writer) - hardware device which can save information on to a CD.
Central Processing Unit - generally used to mean the microprocessor, the integrated circuit which is the controlling core of a personal computer, usually situated in the box with the hard disk. Sometimes used to refer to the box and its contents.
Chip - popular name for an integrated circuit, also called a ‘silicon chip’ as all the circuitry is etched on to a thin slice of silicon.
Client - program or computer which asks for services from a server (a resource-providing computer).
Clip art - library of copyable pictures (usually copyright-free) stored on computer disk, CD-ROM or web site, useful for importing into art, multimedia or desktop-published files.
Clipboard - temporary storage area for an item during its transfer from one part of a document to another or to another document, e.g. during cutting, copying and pasting.
Clock Speed - speed of a microprocessor expressed in megahertz (MHz) (millions of cycles per second) representing the number of instructions the computer can carry out each second.
Comm Port - hardware link (socket) into which cables can be plugged so that a computer can communicate with printers, modems, other computers etc.
Comms - short for communications, term used to refer to the linkage between computer systems to allow the transmission of information over a communications line, which can be an ordinary telephone system using a modem, a dedicated fibre optic cable or a satellite.
Compatibility - pieces of equipment and/or software which are capable of being used together without special modification or adaptation are termed ‘compatible’.
Compression - technique which reduces the amount of space required to store data. General compression techniques apply to any data, but better results can be obtained by using characteristics of the particular type of information, such as text, audio, image or video.
Computer conferencing - development of electronic mail designed to support many-to-many communication. Each conference consists of a group of users who have a common interest in the conference subject matter. Computer conferencing software enables organization, storage, structuring and retrieval of messages. In particular, messages may be organized under different topics, by author or by date of posting. See also listserver, Usenet.
Computer-mediated communications (CMC) - use of computers to communicate, as in computer conferencing and electronic mail.
Concept keyboard - particular make of overlay keyboard.
Content-free program - software providing a framework and all necessary tools and utilities for the user, but which of itself contain no data until the user enters their own. Can be used to produce a range of products.
Convergence - term applied to the way in which computing, telecommunications and, more recently, television are moving towards a common technological basis characterized by the use of digital systems.
Copy, cut and paste - techniques of duplicating or removing data from one place and inserting it elsewhere. See also clipboard.
Crash - sudden failure of software or hardware, often resulting in no response to mouse or keyboard actions.
Cursor - screen representation of a pointer which responds to mouse or keyboard movements.
Cyberspace - popular term for the internet, coined by William Gibson in his novel Necromancer, published in 1984.
Database - A system or programme in which structured data is stored.Data warehouse - A database containing large amounts of information organised to aid decision-making in an organisation. Data warehouses receive batch updates, and are configured for fast online queries to produce succinct summaries of data.
Dial-up - The use of a computer and modem to connect to a computer or the Internet using standard telephone lines. It normally describes slow speed 'narrowband' connections rather than 'Broadband'.
Domain name - A website's address, which, when entered into an Internet browser's address bar, connects the computer to the desired site, e.g. www.dti.gov.ukDownload - The process of copying files from the Internet to your computer.
Data - representation of information – facts, concepts or instructions – in a formalized manner in order that it may be communicated, interpreted or processed by human or automated means. In computing, information that may be processed by a computer.
Data Capture/Collection - acquisition and input of information for use on a computer using manual or computer input devices.
Data Logging - acquisition of information by a computer through use of sensors to measure and record environmental changes – for example, the changes in temperature of water in a pond over the period of several hours.
Data-Logging Software - software which is able to take the value of a parameter such as light level or temperature from a sensor/interface box and scale it to a meaningful measurement, such as SI units. It often also presents the value either as a big number for a class demonstration or as a value-versus-time graph.
Data Protection Act 1984 - United Kingdom Act of Parliament which sets out rules for the storage of data about individuals. Defined data users must register with the Data Protection Registrar and comply with principles of fairness, privacy, confidentiality, relevance, accuracy, accessibility and security.
Default - computer or software settings as set in the factory or by the software creator.
Desktop Computer - traditional office or personal computer. This has three or more parts linked together by cables: the system unit which houses the central processing unit and disk drives, the monitor, a keyboard and probably a mouse.
Desktop Publishing (DTP) - production via a desktop or personal computer of page layouts which combine words, graphics and images with different sizes and styles of type and form the master copies of materials such as newspapers, magazines and leaflets.
Digital - in computing, the representation of information as discrete digits, or bits. Contrasted with analog.
Digital Camera - camera which captures and stores images as digital (electronic) information. Images can be stored either on a memory chip in the camera, on disks or in some cases on plug-in memory cards.
Digital Data Network - network specifically designed for the transmission of data in digital form, so that people, computers and other devices can communicate (e.g., ISDN).
Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) - data storage medium, optical disk capable of storing high quality video as well as data such as programs, text, still images and sound (also known as ‘digital video disk’).
Digitized Speech - electronic means of recording, storing and reproducing human speech, similar to using a tape recorder. Digitized speech is increasingly used in electronic communication aids as well as or in place of synthesized speech.
Domain Name System (DNS) - hierarchical naming system used to locate computers on the internet, matching the number by which one networked computer recognizes another (the IP number) to a name which assigns the computer owner to a domain or category of user. Top-level domains are indicated by the abbreviations at the end of the name. For countries outside the US, top-level domains are countries (uk, au, fr). Within the US at the top-level and at the second level elsewhere, domain names describe degree-awarding universities (edu in the US, ac in the UK), commercial organizations (com, co), government agencies (gov), non-profit and charitable organizations (org), etc. The next level down, and often the first element of the name, is the name or alias of an organization or an individual, so that the Open University’s internet identity is open (name of organization) ac (type of organization) uk (country).
DOS (disk operating system) - standard operating system designed to manage files for personal computers, e.g. MS-DOS, developed by Microsoft for the IBM PC.
Dots Per Inch (dpi) - measure of printer or screen resolution or quality. The higher the dpi the sharper and clearer the image.
Drag - to use a mouse or similar device to move material appearing on one part of the screen to another position. The material to be moved is chosen (selected) and marked, e.g. by highlighting text or putting a boundary around an area of an image. Often called drag-and-drop.
Dynamic Geometry - software which enables the user to create and manipulate geometric diagrams using points, lines, circles and standard constructions. Angles, lengths and areas can be measured. Some versions offer co-ordinate geometry and transformation geometry. Some versions also offer linked graphing and spreadsheet facilities.
E-business - The conduct of business on the Internet. It includes, but isn't limited to, promotion and marketing, buying and selling goods and services, collaborative design, managing relationships with trading partners and online recruitment. It also applies to internal processes, such as the integration of office systems or HR management.
E-commerce - The buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet.
E-government - The provision of government services over the Internet.
Electronic signatures - Also known as digital signatures, these are the electronic equivalent of written signatures. They allow businesses to sign documents and carry out business transactions electronically.
Encryption - Network security procedure to prevent unsanctioned access. Data is scrambled before transmission and unscrambled by the authorised receiver.
E-mail - A written message sent electronically between two or more computers. They can also contain documents, images, video clips or music.
E-marketing - Using digital technologies such as the Internet, e-mail and mobile to market your business.
Ethernet - Networking standard for transferring data at high speed via radio frequencies.
Extra-net - A restricted-access website, which is used to share business information securely with clients or suppliers.
EDI (electronic data interchange) - system for exchanging trading information in standard form by computer systems through the use of electronic messaging systems – for instance, examination entries, personnel records and transactions between trading partners.
Electronic Whiteboard - interactive screen modelled on a standard whiteboard that is linked to a computer. The computer image is projected onto the screen, sometimes using a standard data projector (often ceiling mounted). The user interacts on the screen with a ‘pen’ and the screen sends information back to the computer about the pen’s movements, enabling the user to interact with various software packages.
Embed - to insert information stored in one format into information in another format, for example a graphic into a text file.
Embosser - special type of printer that can produce Braille from a computer.
Emulator - hardware or software which enables one type of computer to behave like another.
Expansion Card - card which slots into the motherboard of the computer to increase its functionality, e.g., a sound or graphics card.
Fibre Optic Cable - very thin strands of pure glass used for transmitting high volumes of data at high speed.
Field - category in a database, roughly equivalent to a column in a table. Databases contain records (which are like the rows in a table) which have the same fields of information but for different individuals or objects, e.g. a database of club members has a record for each member which contains the fields ‘name’, ‘initials’, ‘membership status’, ‘number’.
File - collection of data held on a computer as one thing with one name. A file can be a piece of work created by the user in an application such as a word processor or a database. Each file needs a unique label (file-name) in order to be accessed. See also directory.
File Transfer - to copy or move a file from one computer to another.
Firewall - A software application that blocks unwanted data and traffic to a computer network based on set security guidelines.
Fixed wireless - Refers to point-to-point transmission through the air between stationary devices.
Floppy Disk - small portable data storage medium in which the disk is flexible (as opposed to a hard disk). Currently usually a 3.5 inch disk in a rigid plastic case. See also CD-ROM, hard drive.
Fount (US font) - family of type, complete set of letters, numerals etc. of one face and style. Each fount has a name (e.g. Times New Roman, Garamond, Gill) and can be displayed in different sizes. Many founts are available in different weights and variations, such as medium, bold, medium italic and so forth. Some are designed specifically for legibility.
Free-Text Database - stores its information in normal written form: a written report, for example, could be held in full text reflecting its printed version. All words (in fields specified as search-able) can be searched for individually but, often, controlled vocabulary (such as keywords) is used as well.
Freeware - software that can be copied and used without payment to the author.
Fuzzy matching - ‘guess’ by a searching, spelling or predictive word-processing program which achieves a near match to the user’s input, so that phonetic or poor spelling, for example, is not a barrier to communication.
Gateway - A bridge between two networks, often-another name for a firewall or application proxy.
GIF (graphics interchange format) - format commonly used to store digitized images as most popular software can cope with it. See also JPEG.
Gigabyte (Gb) - 1024 megabytes or one thousand million bytes.
Graph–Plotting Software - software which allows the user to create graphs from equations. Equations can be entered with parameters using familiar notation such as y = x² - 4. Many versions offer much more than this, for example, gradient functions, scatter diagrams, and a dynamic approach to transformation geometry.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) - screen representation of the computer’s control system, enabling the user to move an on-screen cursor, usually with a mouse, and ‘click’ on pictorial representations or icons in order to make the computer perform various instructions. Mouse movements usually have keyboard alternatives.
Graphics - charts, diagrams, pictures, symbols or animations on a computer screen which may be printed out or saved to disk.
Graphics Card - circuit board that controls the screen representation of images.
Graphics Tablet - device that enables the mouse to be replace by a pen. The pen replaces all of the mouse functions.
Return to top
H
Hacking - The act of breaking into a computer program in order to steal company information, disrupt services or simply for fun.
Hard Copy - printed output from a computer as opposed to the ‘soft’ copy stored on the computer.
Hard Disk - computer storage medium, rigid disk usually made from aluminium, coated with magnetic material and hermetically sealed, fitted internally in a personal computer. See also CD-ROM, floppy disk.
Hardware - physical components of a computer or a communications system, including both mechanical and electronic parts, such as the processor, hard drive, keyboard, screen, cables, mouse and printer. Contrasted with software.
Hardware Compatibility - computers which can use the same software because they share or can use the same operating system.
Home Page - The main page of a website from which most areas of the site are accessible. It is usually the first page of the site that the user comes to.
Hotlist - user-created list of addresses (URLs) of world wide web sites or pages to allow easy revisiting. Netscape calls this ‘bookmarks’, Microsoft Internet Explorer uses the term ‘favourites’ and ANT Fresco uses ‘hotlists’.
HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language) - The mark-up language or code that can be transferred around the Internet and read by a web browser. It tells your browser how your document is structured and what it should look like.
Hub - A network device that allows a number of computers to be connected. All systems on a hub can see all the traffic on that network.
Hypermedia - conceptual term for the use of hypertext links to connect multimedia items.
Hypertext - system enabling the non-sequential connection of information, linking one computer file with another or part of another. The user can choose to follow the link or to continue using the original file sequentially. Used for the world wide web. See also hyperlink, hypertext mark-up language.
Hypertext Mark-Up Language (HTML) - computer language used to create hypertext documents such as world wide web pages. The author using HTML ‘marks up’ or defines how elements of the text will appear on the web by inserting ‘tags’ which will be invisible to the ordinary user of that page. The tags are special instructions to the computer, such as to insert a picture or to change text size and style. Tags may also define text or an image as a link to another page (a hyperlink). Text editors or word-processing packages can be used to create HTML documents, and it is useful to know how to create and edit ‘raw’ HTML, but there are also many specially designed packages enabling easy HTML creation.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) - standard for the process of requesting and transferring a page on the world wide web. For the transfer to succeed, the page must have been constructed as a hypertext document using the hypertext mark-up language.
Return to top
I beam - form the cursor takes when text is being edited.
Icon - in a graphical user interface, a small symbol or picture on the computer screen, for example representing a software package or a data file. The user clicks on the icon to start the package or open the file.
Information & Communications Technology (ICT) - application of modern communications and computing technologies to the creation, management and use of information.
Information Superhighway - usually used to mean a broadband network capable of transferring very large amounts of information, including video, still images, audio and text, at high speed between remote users. See also internet
Input Device - device which is capable of writing information to a computer system, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, sensor, scanner or microphone.
Install - to copy all the files of a software package on to a computer and make any changes needed to existing files so that the software then works. Installation or set-up programs do this for users.
Integrated Learning System (ILS) - computer-based system with a diagnostic capability that monitors and manages the delivery of curriculum material to students so that they are presented with individual programmes of work.
Integrated Package - software package, a suite of applications which have a consistent interface and include a word-processor, spreadsheet and database, bundled together. Other software may be included, such as graphics and communication modules. Data can be transferred easily between the applications.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - telecommunications standard for the transmission of digital information over ordinary telephone lines, and the name for the digital telephone network. Contains channels for digitized speech, data, image or video signals.
Interactive Video (IV) - computer linked by software to a video system which allows the user to control a video disk and explore the information on that disk; choices can be made about the order in which the exploration takes place.
Interface - equipment or software which enables a user to communicate with the ‘raw’ system they are accessing, for example, a menu or icons on a screen (see graphical user interface). Also any join between items of hardware or software, such as connections with printers. For a peripheral device such as a printer to communicate with the main computer, their interfaces must be compatible.
Internet - A system of communications networks that connects computers around the world via the TCP/IP protocol.
Internet Protocol(IP) - set of communication standards which control activity on the internet. An IP address is the number assigned to any computer connected to the internet, and is the only way in which information sent through the internet can find its way to that computer. It is a number of the form A.B.C.D where each letter represents a number from 0 to 255, e.g. 193.63.56.222. See also domain name system.
Internet Relay Chat(IRC) - method of ensuring ‘real-time’ and multi-user communication. When internet users are on line simultaneously, they can communicate by sending text messages which are read almost as quickly as they are sent – i.e., on a par with normal face-to-face conversation.
Intranet - A privately maintained computer network that can be accessed only by authorised users, typically employees within an organisation.
ISDN - (Integrated Services Digital Network) - An information transfer standard for transmitting digital voice and data over telephone lines at speeds up to 128Kbps.
ISP - (Internet Service Provider) - A company that provides access to the Internet.
J
Java - programming language designed to add interactivity and functionality to the web by enabling developers to write and distribute programs that would run on any computer regardless of the operating system.
Joystick (games stick) - input device with a stick which can move left, right, forwards and backwards to control the movement of a pointer on screen. The stick has a press switch which has the same action as the ‘select’ button on a mouse.
JPEG - acronym for ‘Joint Photographic Experts Group’, JPEG is an image-compression format which reduces the storage space the file takes up.
Kbits/sec - unit of measurement of data transfer speed, 1024 bits per second.
Keyword - particularly associated with ‘free-text’ databases, an important word within text which is marked to ease retrieval. A search using a keyword will display each individual record containing it.
Keyboard - emulator device attached to the computer which enables switch users to use standard software. A grid of numbers, letters and symbols represents the standard keyboard. The user selects the characters required by scanning the device with the switches and the information is sent to the computer. See also assistive technology.
Keyguard - rigid frame placed over the keyboard. It is raised above the keys and has holes in it to allow access to the individual keys through the holes. With a keyguard, users with poor fine motor skills may access the keyboard more accurately. An overlay keyguard works in the same way for use with an overlay keyboard. See also assistive technology.
L
LAN (Local Area Network) - A way of linking computers so that they can share information and equipment such as a printer.
Managed network - A broadband internet service which is managed by a central company.
Mobile working - Making use of mobile technology to work away from the office, i.e. mobile phone, PDA's and laptops.
Modem (modulator/demodulator) - A device that converts the digital signals from computers into analogue signals so they can be transmitted over phone lines.
Multimedia - Applications combining the use of more than one media, such as data, voice and video.
Narrowband - A term to describe slow speed dialup connections. The opposite of broadband.
Network - The physical connection of a set of computers.
Online Banking - Using the Internet to manage your finances - from paying bills to checking statements to transferring money.
Operating System - The underlying package that allows a computer to function and provides the basic services required for a user to run an application. The operating system is normally responsible for the configuration and enforcement of the security of the system itself. Functions such as authentication of users, file permissions and logging of events will be under its direct control.
PDA - (Personal Digital Assistant) - A small, mobile, handheld device that can be used for computing and information storage and retrieval - normally used for keeping diaries and address books handy.
PDF - (Portable Document Format) - The most common format in which files are saved for downloading from the web. It preserves all of the formatting of printed documents and can be viewed with Acrobat Reader, which is free to download.
Remote access - The connection of a device through communications lines such as phone lines or WANs to access applications and information hosted elsewhere.
Remote working - Working at a distance from a conventional office, using communication technologies to maintain contact and access work.
Satellite - Familiar to most people through the spread of satellite-delivered television services. Satellite transmitters have wide geographic footprints - they can reach most parts of the UK, failing only where mountains or other obstacles block the signal. Satellite broadband is particularly relevant to users who operate outside the range of ADSL or cable.
SDSL - Synchronous DSL. A variant of ADSL which offers a symmetric service.
Set-top-box (STB) - A device which receives digital signals from the broadband network and converts them into analogue signals which a traditional TV set can process.
SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) - Describes the small office or home office environment and business culture - also known as ‘virtual office'.
T
Teleworking - A type of remote working, which relies on information technology to allow people and businesses to work with each other from any location.
USB - Universal Serial Bus; a port which can be connected to a PC to download files and transport them to other computers.
Video and data conferencing - Allows users to see and speak with other users in separate locations over the web. Users can work on documents together; browse the net, and share data, thus cutting costs in travel and helping to improve efficiency.
Video-on-Demand (VoD) - One of the most popular uses of broadband services, enabling the viewer to summon, and pay for, the programme of choice at a convenient time for viewing.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) - This uses the Internet to give remote offices or individuals secure access to their organisation's network. It is a cheaper option than connecting offices with owned or leased lines.
Virtual Server - Web server that hosts a number of sites simultaneously, each with a unique domain name and IP address.
Virtual team working - Using communications technologies to work collaboratively, no matter where team members are based.
Virus - A malicious program or programming code that can cause damage to systems and potential corruption or destruction of information. These can be contracted through loading software, transmission of unchecked emails and downloading information from web sites.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) - Uses the Internet to make phone calls across computer networks. It allows you to integrate call handling and reporting with other business processes, and can be used in individual office networks or between sites.
WAN (Wide Area Networks) - A way of linking computers at different office sites so that they can share information and peripherals such as printers.
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) - The first computer language that allowed Internet access over wireless devices such as mobile phones.
Web hosting - The process of placing a web page or site on a server that can be accessed via the Internet.
Web Server - A specific type of server that contains pages, images and files that are accessed and displayed by a browser. Each page can contain links to other pages, which a user clicks on to move from one page to another.
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) - A high frequency, wireless, local area network that operates over a short distance, like an office or a coffee shop. It allows people within a specific area to connect to a company network or the Internet, without having to use wires and sockets.
Wireless - Wireless technologies have none of the restrictions of expensive and messy wires and cables - some offer the connectivity over a desktop whilst others cover a medium-sized office space or more.
Wireless Broadband - Technology enabling users within a locality to access the Internet via radio frequencies. Offered mainly by specialist service providers, wireless broadband is ideal for subscribers in remote areas as they can be brought into the network without the need for new cabling/wiring across the countryside.