Jargon for a data-centre staffing practice that operates twenty-four hours per day and seven days per week.

An access provider is the remote computer system to which you connect your personal computer and through which you connect to the Internet . An access provider is the company that provides you with Internet access and in some cases, an online account on their computer system.

ACH refers to the electronic processing of routine payments, replacing the less efficient paper-based cheque system.

Application created by Adobe to display documents in PDF-format.

ADC refers to data entry methods and technologies that do not use a standard desktop keyboard. The most widely known ADC technology is bar coding.

This describes a small network, which consists of network devices, which only form part of the network for the duration of the communication session. Using infrared transmission or radio frequency mobile/portable devices become part of the network allowing data to be shared. A mix of wireless and wire connections is also possible enabling remote access. Adhoc networks are predicted to be the force that will drive the success of the telecommunication industry of the future.

New technology to carry high-speed data over ordinary phone lines. It is up to 70 times as fast as a 28.8 modem, and can be used concurrently with voice over the same line. It is gradually being offered to homes commercially now. It is called "asymmetric" because download speeds to the subscriber are faster than upload speeds from the subscriber

A collection of independent web sites of different companies and media networks, each of which has an arrangement with a single advertising broker.

The formal definition of the interface with a particular software application. This allows disparate applications to work together by defining the parameters required to be passed between one application and another.

A small program or application, usually written in Java, that runs on a Web browser and powers many of the fancier features (such as animation or computation). It downloads quickly and can be used by any computer equipped with a Java- or ActiveX-enabled browser. Applets are found both online and offline (for example, the calculator on Windows 95 is an applet)

A roadmap for developing applications that link business-critical processes and span multiple platforms. The Application Framework for e-business consists of a set of industry standards and technologies, proven methodology, and leadership products. This application model is based on multi-vendor, open industry standards, like HTML, TCP/IP, JavaTM, and XML.

The term Application Server is used in two ways:
1) A server program within a distributed network, which provides the business logic for an application program.
2) A server computer (I.e. hardware) which is the central location for the above-mentioned program.

To help companies get started or rapidly ramp up use of the company Intranet, these services provide self-service applications that leverage existing data and allow incremental build up.

This type of software application helps companies manage customer demand and product supply, taking into consideration constraints such as plant capacity.

A company that offers subscription services for applications and related services on a pay-per-use basis. ASPs host, manage and maintain applications at their own site and make them available via the Web. This enables smaller companies or those with limited budgets to take full advantage of the latest information technology.

This is an international standard for data transmission for voice, data, video etc. These services are delivered in fixed-length (53-byte) 'cells', to facilitate transmission. ATM allows for the integration of networks improving efficiency and manageability. Because ATM is not based on a specific type of physical transport, it is compatible with currently deployed physical networks. ATM will enable the creation and expansion of new applications such as multimedia to the desktop.

An attachment is a file attached to an email message.

A chronological record of system activities that is sufficient to enable the recovery of a sequence of events.

The process of validating the claimed identity of an end user or a device such as a host.

Authorisation is the process of granting or denying access to a network.

These are essentially a form of online business card, usually about six lines long offering a short description of your business, a phone number, an address etc. You can easily programme most email packages to insert them automatically at the end of every outgoing email. If you do not know how set up an autosignature try typing "autosignature" into the "Help" function of your email package.

B2C electronic commerce comprises commercial transactions, involving both organisations and individuals. From the technical point of view e-commerce is the processing and transmission of digitised data. E-commerce decreases the distance between producers and consumers. Consumers can make their purchase without entering a traditional shop.

B2B refers to the economic connection between business and business. This means that a company that uses the Internet for ordering from its suppliers or making payments already takes advantage of e-commerce.

A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a large pathway within a network. The term is relative to the size of the network it is serving. A backbone in a small network would probably be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network.

Back-End Systems are legacy enterprise systems that control inventory.

The process of connecting buy/sell front -end applications of an e-commerce system with the back-end systems. Companies often have different systems running the front- and back-end processes, and integration is needed.

The backend of a website is where all the communications between the customer and your site are processed. It's basically where all the work on the site is done whether it involves sending data from forms to the server, searching for information on your site, or processing online transactions.

This comprises all the non-customer-facing systems within an enterprise, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) and materials/manufacturing resource planning (MRP/MRP II) systems, financial, billing and accounting systems, human resources (HR), distribution, purchasing and procurement systems. Customer-relationship management and sales systems are also often referred to as back-office systems.

A business performance measurement system that establishes multiple measures for each business function or process to maintain a balanced focus on financial.

BAM is a recent Gartner term that combines business process management with historical analytics. The goal is to send an alert to the appropriate person when a business process is in need of intervention, along with historical and analytical information required so the decision maker can make a faster and more informed decision.

The amount of data that can be sent down a telecommunications line. Think of bandwidth as a data pipeline: the more bandwidth you have, the more quickly you can transfer your data.

A banner is an advertisement in the form of a graphic image that typically runs across a Web page. When positioned in a margin or other space ads may instead be called "buttons". The most common file format for ads is the GIF image.

Benchmarking is a point of reference against which something can be measured. IT products or systems or skills can be tested against a set of criteria or benchmark for comparative purposes. It is important for companies to benchmark, either against the market leader or against an existing standard.

Business Intelligence consolidates and analyses raw business data and turns it into conclusive, actionable information, enabling companies to tap into disparate sources of customer, operational and market data and then use this information to gain a competitive edge. It provides companies with the intelligence needed to spot trends, enhance relationships, reduce financial risk and create new sales opportunities.

The smallest unit of computer data. A bit has a single binary value, either 0 or 1. Although computers usually provide instructions that can test and manipulate bits, they generally are designed to store data and execute instructions in bit multiples called bytes. In most computer systems, there are eight bits in a byte.

Short for web log; usually a chronological record of thoughts, links, events, or actions posted on the web.

Bluetooth refers to a short-range radio technology aimed at simplifying communications among Net devices and between devices and the Internet . It also aims to simplify data synchronisation between Net devices and other computers. Bluetooth founding members include Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba.

A way for web browser users to mark a web page they want to return to later.

BPA is often used as a synonym for BPI (see below), but may not include support for long-running processes or manual processes. BPA tools generally focus on automating transactions that cross multiple applications. They may not support long-lived transactions that take hours, days or weeks to complete.

This is technology that can integrate systems in a way that enables an end-to-end business process to flow across applications. This is very similar to BPM (see below), except without the business level management capabilities.

BPM is the most commonly used term when talking about any type of process level control, management or integration - the concept of shepherding work items through a multi-step process. The items are identified and tracked as they move through each step, with either specified people or applications processing the information.

A bridge is a combination of hardware and software that connects local area networks (LANs) of similar types together.

A high-speed, high-capacity data transmission channel that sends and receives information on coaxial cable or fiber-optic cable (which has a wider bandwidth than conventional telephone lines), giving it the ability to carry video, voice, and data simultaneously.

A typical basic brochure website could have 6 pages website where the home page links to 5 other pages containing information on the company, key personnel, products/services as well as a feedback form.

Programme that allows you to access the World Wide Web. The best known include Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer

Help transform customer and operational data into knowledge, allowing companies to make better decisions, gain competitive advantage in the market, control cash flow, detect fraud, and reduce costs.