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There are a lot of technical terms used in the IT and web development industries which the layman may not be entirely familiar with.
While we always strive to use plain English when talking to clients, there are inevitably occasions whereby we have to use computer terminology. So, to help you make sense of some of the jargon used in the computer world, we have compiled this handy glossary of techie terms and web speak. We hope it helps to make things a bit clearer!
Information which is stored in the memory of a computer or data storage device and can be accessed, viewed or modified using a particular program. For example, text data can be accessed using a suitable word processing program.
A structured collection of information (e.g., medical records) organized for rapid search and retrieval by a computer.
See leased line.
In computing terms, any piece of equipment such as a disk or memory stick, which is used to transfer data to or from a computer.
Database Management System. Software designed for the organisation and management of databases.
See PC.
Any piece of hardware that attaches to a computer, such as a disk drive or printer.
A method of connecting to the Internet via an ordinary telephone line. data transmission speeds are considerably slower than with other methods such as ISDN or Broadband, and the line cannot be used to connect to the Internet and make telephone calls simultaneously.
A data storage device which magnetically stores information. Can refer to hard disks or floppy disks.
Dealer Management System. A bundled software package that provides management tools for car dealerships.
Domain Name System. A system of servers located throughout the Internet that handle Internet connections and the routing of email, translating strings of text such as URLs into numerical IP addresses that can be identified by a computer.
A file which contains text data that can be displayed or printed out, such as a word processed article or a spreadsheet.
The part of a website's URL which identifies the site, for example i-zimbra.com.
To copy or transfer data from a source, such as a CD-ROM or the Internet, onto your own computer or another data storage device.
Part of a computer which reads or transfers information, usually from or onto disks, CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs.
A digital versatile disc that is designed for use as a data storage device.
Refers to web pages which have content that changes in some way, for example a set of images which display in a series, or a button which changes colour when a cursor is rolled over it using a mouse. Web pages which do not feature dynamic content are called static.
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A well-known and very popular eCommerce website which users can subscribe to and buy or sell goods through online auctions.
The practice of, and methods for, buying and selling goods over the Internet.
Electronic mail. A system for sending text messages and other data from one person to another via the Internet or another network.
The conversion of data into a securely coded form that can only be decoded and read by authorised users.
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A popular social networking website on which users can build a network of 'friends' to interact and share information and files with. Facebook also allows users to create and upload their own applications to the site for others to use. Facebook features 'targeted ads' which can be used to display adverts to a specific demographic range (e.g., women over 21 who live in Europe).
Very thin glass or plastic fibre used in modern cabling, as it is able to transmit data more quickly and with much less loss of signal over a long distance than traditional telephone lines, which transmit signal through a pair of copper wires.
A collection of related data, such as a program or document, that is stored together under one name in a computer's memory or on a data storage device.
A computer or dedicated device acting as a secure barrier between a network and the Internet. A properly configured firewall should prevent hackers and viruses from penetrating through to the network while still allowing authorised users to access the Internet for web browsing and sending and receiving email.
Software used to create multimedia animations for the web.
A website which allows users to upload photos and videos which can then be seen by other Flickr users.
A small, portable, magnetic data storage device which can be inserted into or removed from a computer's disk drive.
A company that specialises in network security appliances.
File Transfer Protocol. The standard procedure used to transfer data from one computer to another via a network, such as the Internet.
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To contact i-Zimbra, simply call us on 0870 10 10 150 or email us now.
Working with i-Zimbra is great because they know how we need to have our sites built. As a web marketing company ourselves, it is vital that our sites look great and are web standards compliant.Katherine Dawson
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