Glossary
A
Active Directory (AD) - a Microsoft product for managing network authentication in a Windows environment.
Application - a program or group of programs designed for end-users. Software can be divided into two general classes: systems software and applications software. Systems software consists of low-level programs that interact with the computer at a very basic level. This includes operating systems, compilers and utilities for managing computer resources. Also see: Applications Software.
Application Management Services - provides ongoing functional and application support of integrated enterprise application software packages such as Oracle, PeopleSoft, Siebel, and SAP; maintaining the integrity of your software package; and ensuring its ability to meet your changing business needs.
Application Server - a software engine that delivers applications to client computers or devices. An application server handles most, if not all, of the business logic and data access of the application. An application server provides a middleware interface between an operating system and the application programs of users.
Application Service Provider (ASP) - a business that provides computer-based services to customers over a network. Software offered using an ASP model is also sometimes called on-demand software. Through ASPs, the complexities and costs of specialized, complex software can be cut down. In addition, the issues of upgrading have been eliminated from the end-firm by placing the onus on the ASP to maintain up-to-date services, 24 x 7 technical support, physical and electronic security and in-built support for business continuity and flexible working.
Applications Software (also called end-user programs) - includes database programs, word processors, and spreadsheets. Figuratively speaking, applications software sits on top of systems software because it is unable to run without the operating system and system utilities.
Archiving - essentially an intelligent form of backup, i.e. storing, but logically placing information where it can easily be found and retrieved for future use.
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B
Back-end - the Web server and its corresponding host computers. This refers to any programming that runs on the server itself, rather than on the user's computer. Back-end programming is necessary to drive any type of eCommerce, or database-driven site. Also see: Front-end.
BCP - Business Continuity Planning
BI/DW - Business Intelligence/Data Warehouse
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) - the outsourcing of back office and front office functions typically performed by white collar and clerical workers. Examples include accounting, human resources, and medical coding and transcription.
Business Process Management (BPM) - refers to a set of activities organizations can perform to either optimize their business processes or adapt them to new organizational needs. As these activities are usually aided by software tools, the term BPM is synonymously used to refer to the software tools themselves.
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C
C&A - Certification and accreditation support
CAR - Client Assistance Record
Change Management - a systematic approach to keeping track of the details of your IT systems, e.g., what operating system release is running on each computer and which fixes, patches, or PTFs have been applied. It also applies to changes made to your application software.
Client Executive (CX) - a single point of contact who is assigned to your account.
Client Operational Acceptance (COA) - testing to ensure that the client's application runs properly.
CPU- Central Processing Unit; plural is CPUs
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - a management approach that enables companies to identify, attract, and increase retention of profitable customers by managing relationships with them.
CSL - Client Support Lead
CTL - Client Technical Lead
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D
Disaster Recovery (DR) - Linked inextricably with business continuity, disaster recovery is the process whereby an organization that has suffered a systems outage (for whatever reason, natural disaster, operator error, act of theft or violence, etc.) manages to retrieve its processes and data and gets them up and running again as quickly as possible.
DRP - Disaster Recovery Planning
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E
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) - is a broad term for a wide range of activities supported by multi-module application software that helps a company manage the mission-critical areas of its business.
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F
FlexAdvantage - a unique customer support service and pricing model offered by USi that offers unprecedented flexibility and usage-based pricing.
Front-end - is what the user sees and interacts with for online architectures; and the front-end is the client or user interface. Also see: Back-end.
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G
GEMC - Global Enterprise Management Center
Grid computing - applying the resources of many computers in a network to a single problem at the same time – usually a scientific or technical problem that requires a great number of computer processing cycles or access to large amounts of data. Grid computing uses software to divide and farm-out pieces of a program to as many as several thousand computers.
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H
HCM - Human Capital Management
HGC - Hosted Grid Control
HSLL - High-Speed, Low-Latency interconnects
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I
iChange - an online change management system within USi's operational support system that ensures that any change to the configuration of any system managed by USi is approved, tracked and monitored.
IDS - Intrusion Detection Systems
Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) - a comprehensive approach to managing the flow of an information system's data, from creation and initial storage, to the time when it becomes obsolete and is deleted.
Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) - the nation's leading Information Technology (IT) trade association. ITAA offers a wide assortment of public policy, business development, and peer-to-peer networking programs.
International Standards Organization (ISO) - an organization which has developed a set of international standards that can be used in any type of business, and is accepted around the world as proof that a business can provide assured quality.
IPS - Intrusion Prevention Systems
ISM - Integrated Service Model
ISVs - Independent Software Vendors
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J
J2EE - Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition - is a programming platform for developing and running distributed multi-tier architecture applications, based largely on modular components running on an application server.
Java - is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems that creates code for interactive applications that is executable on web pages by web browsers. These Java applications can execute on any platform - Mac, PC, etc.
JBOSS - (pronounced Jay Boss) is an Open Source J2EE based application server implemented in pure Java.
JDE - Java Development Environment
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L
Latency - the minimum time required to move data from one point to another.
Lean Manufacturing - a business performance improvement tool that focuses on enhancing quality, cost, delivery, and people. A manufacturing philosophy that shortens the timeline between the customer's order and shipment by eliminating waste.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) - is a protocol used to access a directory listing. Used in web browsers and email programs to enable lookup entries.
Load Testing - the process of running a number of clients simultaneously to test a client-server system and measure response times. The term is often used synonymously with performance testing, reliability testing, and volume testing.
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M
Managed Hosting - a dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting where the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc.
Managed Service Provider (MSP) - linked closely to outsourcing, managed service providers (MSPs) provide the delivery and management of network-based services, applications, and equipment to organizations. They are usually hosting companies or access providers that offer services that can include fully outsourced network management, including messaging and call center, virtual private networks, and monitoring/reporting of network servers. Term is typically interchanged with Application Service Provider or ASP.
Managed Application Services Tool (MAST) - USi's client view into the operational status of their environment. Users can check the status of cases, change requests, view backup information and live reports, check server resource utilization, and look at application-specific monitors and reports.
Messaging - the creation, storage, exchange, and management of text, images, voice, telex, fax, email, paging, and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) over a communications network.
Middleware - Software that connects two otherwise separate applications and passes data between them.
MSSP - Managed Security Services Provider
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P
Ping Power Pipe - ISPs offer co-location by providing space, power, and a link to the Internet for their customers' servers. They do not perform maintenance or troubleshooting, only a repetitive test to make sure the servers are running. The customer will be notified if the server fails.
Pinnacle - UsiPinnacle™ (patent pending) is USi's fully virtualized infrastructure backbone which optimizes computing capacity and manages storage, network, and servers across USi's comprehensive portfolio of services.
Porting Code - transferring or "porting" a piece of software or a file format so it can run on a new platform or be compiled with a new compiler.
Professional Services - infrequent, technical, or unique functions performed by independent contractors or a consultant whose occupation is rendering of such services.
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R
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) - is a type of Database Management System (DBMS) that stores data in the form of related tables. Relational databases are powerful because they require few assumptions about how data is related or how it will be extracted from the database. As a result, the same database can be viewed in many different ways.
Rich Internet Applications (RIA) - web applications that have the features and functionality of traditional desktop applications. RIA's typically transfer the processing necessary for the user interface to the web client but keep the bulk of the data (i.e. maintaining the state of the program, the data, etc.) on the application server.
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S
Sales Force Automation (SFA) - is the process whereby businesses use IT to automate business tasks such as inventory control, sales processing, and tracking of customer interactions, as well as analyzing sales forecasts and performance.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) - Gartner defines SaaS as "hosted software based on a single set of common code and data definitions that are consumed in a one-to-many model by all contracted customers on a pay-for-use basis."
SE - Solutions Engineer
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) - contracts between service providers and customers that define the services provided, the metrics associated with these services, acceptable and unacceptable service levels, liabilities on the part of the service provider and the customer, and actions to be taken in specific circumstances.
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) - in computing, expresses a software architectural concept that defines the use of services to support the requirements of software users. In an SOA environment, nodes on a network make resources available to other participants in the network as independent services that the participants access in a standardized way.
Spend Management - how companies manage and control the money they spend, with a focus on cutting operating costs and other costs associated with doing business, while getting good value from the money they spend. The term "spend management" encompasses such processes as outsourcing, procurement, and supply chain management.
SR - Service Request
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) - protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet.
Single Sign-On (SSO) - is a specialized form of software authentication that enables a user to authenticate once and gain access to the resources of multiple software systems.
SAS 70 - is an acronym for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement on Auditing Standard (SAS) 70, titled "Reports on the Processing of Transactions by Service Organizations." SAS 70 defines the professional standards used by a service auditor to assess the internal controls of a service organization and issue a service auditor's report.
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T
TAR - Technical Assistance Request
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) - one of the main protocols in TCP/IP (Internet Protocol) networks. The IP deals only with packets but the TCP enables two hosts to establish a connection and exchange streams of data.
Thin Client - a computer (client) in a client-server architecture network which has little or no application logic, so it has to depend primarily on the central server for processing activities. The word "thin" refers to the small boot image which such clients typically require - perhaps no more than required to connect to a network and start up a dedicated web browser.
TopLineISV™ - USi's SaaS enablement program designed to give Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) the immediate advantage of SaaS by delivering their software to a larger client base through USi's hosted model.
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U
USiOasis - a tool set for implementing new services and for managing the delivered services of USi. In telecom industry terms, USiOasis is USi's OSS or Operational Support System.
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V
Value Added Reseller (VAR) - a company that resells another vendor's product together with software, applications, or consulting services of its own, thus adding value.
Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) - a network of computers that behave as if they were attached to the same wire although they may be physically located on different segments of a LAN. They are configured through software rather than hardware, which make them extremely flexible.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) - away to use a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network. A virtual private network can be contrasted with an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one organization.
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