Technical support

Terms related to computer fundamentals, including computer hardware definitions and words and phrases about software, operating systems, peripherals and troubleshooting.

Schrodinger's cat - Schrödinger's cat is a famous hypothetical experiment designed to point out a flaw in the Copenhagen interpretation of superposition as it applies to quantum theory.
scientific method - The scientific method is the process of objectively establishing facts through testing and experimentation.
search operator - A search operator -- sometimes referred to as a search parameter -- is a character or string of characters used in a search engine query to narrow the focus of the search.
sensor - A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment.
shift register - A shift register is a digital memory circuit found in calculators, computers, and data-processing systems.
six degrees of separation - Six degrees of separation is the theory that any person on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries.
skunkworks project (Skunk Works) - A skunkworks project, also known as Skunk Works, is an innovative undertaking, involving a small group of people, that is outside the normal research and development (R&D) channels within an organization.
slack space (file slack space) - Slack space, or file slack space, is the leftover storage space on a computer's hard disk drive when a file does not need all the space it has been allocated by the operating system.
smart machines - A smart machine is a device embedded with machine-to-machine and/or cognitive computing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) or deep learning, all of which it uses to reason, solve problems, make decisions and even take action.
SMB (small and medium-sized business or small and midsize business) - SMB is an abbreviation for a small and medium-sized business, sometimes called a small and midsize business.
soft copy - A soft copy (sometimes spelled 'softcopy') is an electronic copy (or e-copy) of some type of data, such as a file viewed on a computer's display or transmitted as an email attachment.
soft reset - A soft reset is a restart of a device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer (PC).
software - Software is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks.
software documentation - In the software development process, software documentation is the information that describes the product to the people who develop, deploy and use it.
software package - A software package is a group of programs bundled together into a product suite.
software patch - A software patch or fix is a quick-repair job for a piece of programming designed to resolve functionality issues, improve security or add new features.
solid - A solid is a state of matter that retains its shape and density when not confined.
sound card - A sound card is a computer component responsible for generating and recording audio.
sound wave - A sound wave is the pattern of disturbance caused by the movement of energy traveling through a medium (such as air, water or any other liquid or solid matter) as it propagates away from the source of the sound.
spectrum analyzer - A spectrum analyzer is a device that measures and displays signal amplitude (strength) as it varies by frequency within its frequency range (spectrum).
square meter (meter squared) - The square meter, also called the meter squared, is the International System of Units (SI) unit of area.
stack overflow - A stack overflow is a type of buffer overflow error that occurs when a computer program tries to use more memory space in the call stack than has been allocated to that stack.
standard temperature and pressure (STP) - Standard temperature and pressure (STP) refers to the nominal conditions in the atmosphere at sea level.
statistical mean, median, mode and range - The terms mean, median, mode, and range describe properties of statistical distributions.
storage (computer storage) - Data storage is the collective methods and technologies that capture and retain digital information on electromagnetic, optical or silicon-based storage media.
storage medium (storage media) - In computers, a storage medium is a physical device that receives and retains electronic data for applications and users and makes the data available for retrieval.
storage volume - A storage volume is an identifiable unit of data storage.
synchronicity - Synchronicity is a concept developed by psychologist Carl Jung to describe a perceived meaningful coincidence.
Sysprep (System Preparation Tool) - Sysprep is Microsoft's System Preparation tool intended to duplicate, test and deliver new installations for the Windows operating system based on an established installation.
system administrator (sysadmin) - A system administrator (sysadmin) is an information technolog professional who supports a multiuser computing environment and ensures continuous, optimal performance of IT services and support systems.
tebibyte (TiB) - A tebibyte (TiB) is a unit of measure used to describe computing capacity.
technological convergence - Technological convergence is a term that describes bringing previously unrelated technologies together, often in a single device.
telecommuting - Telecommuting allows an employee to complete work assignments from outside the traditional workplace using telecommunications tools such as email, phone, chat and video apps.
Terabyte (TB) - A terabyte (TB) is a unit of digital data that is equal to about 1 trillion bytes.
theory of relativity - Albert Einstein's theory of relativity is actually two separate theories: his special theory of relativity, postulated in the 1905 paper, The Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies and his theory of general relativity, an expansion of the earlier theory, published as The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity in 1916.
token - In general, a token is an object that represents something else, such as another object (either physical or virtual), or an abstract concept as, for example, a gift is sometimes referred to as a token of the giver's esteem for the recipient.
Total Quality Management (TQM) - Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management framework based on the belief that an organization can build long-term success by having all its members -- from low-level workers to its highest-ranking executives -- focus on improving quality and, thus, delivering customer satisfaction.
touch screen - A touch screen is an electronic display screen that is also an input device.
truncation error - A truncation error is the difference between an actual and a truncated, or cut-off, value.
truth table - A truth table is a breakdown of all the possible truth values returned by a logical expression.
uptime and downtime - In computing, uptime is a measure of how long a computer or service is on and available.
value chain - A value chain is a concept describing the full chain of a business's activities in creating a product or service -- from initial receipt of materials through its delivery to market.
value-added reseller (VAR) - A value-added reseller (VAR) is a company that resells software, hardware, and other products and services that provide value beyond the original order fulfillment.
virtual - In computing, the term virtual refers to a digitally replicated version of something real, whether it's a machine, a switch, memory or even reality.
virtual reality sickness (VR motion sickness) - Virtual reality sickness (VR motion sickness) is the physical discomfort that occurs when an end user's brain receives conflicting signals about self-movement in a digital environment.
volatile - In general, volatile (from the Latin "volatilis" meaning "to fly")is an adjective used to describe something unstable or changeable.
volatile memory - Volatile memory is a type of memory that maintains its data only while the device is powered.
von Neumann bottleneck - The von Neumann bottleneck is a limitation on throughput caused by the standard personal computer architecture.
wall time - Wall time, also called real-world time, clock time, wall-clock time or -- more accurately -- elapsed real time, is the amount of time that a program or process takes to run from start to finish as measured by a person.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive - The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is a legislative act that the European Union adopted to address the growing amounts of e-waste that come from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) at the end of its life.
webmaster - A webmaster is someone who creates and manages the content and organization of a website, manages the computer server and technical programming aspects of a website, or does both.
What are COTS, MOTS, GOTS and NOTS? - COTS, MOTS, GOTS and NOTS are abbreviations that describe prepackaged software or -- less commonly -- hardware purchase alternatives.
What are metered services and how do they work? - Metered services (also called pay-per-use and consumption-based pricing) are any type of payment structure in which a customer has access to potentially unlimited resources but only pays for what they use.
What is a 3-tier application architecture? - A three-tier application architecture is a modular client-server architecture that consists of a presentation tier, an application tier and a data tier.
What is a backup storage device? - A backup storage device is a hardware component that stores duplicate copies of data.
What is a balanced scorecard and how does the methodology work? - The balanced scorecard is a management system aimed at translating an organization's strategic goals into a set of organizational performance objectives that, in turn, are measured, monitored, and changed, if necessary, to ensure that organizational goals are met.
What is a center of excellence (CoE)? - A center of excellence (CoE) is a team of skilled knowledge workers whose mission is to provide the organization they work for with best practices around a particular area of interest.
What is a checksum? - A checksum is a value that represents the number of bits in a transmission message.
What is a CIO (chief information officer), and what do they do? - The role of the CIO emerged in the late 1950s, when businesses began to incorporate computing into business operations.
What is a cloud architect and how do you become one? - A cloud architect is an IT professional who is responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing strategy.
What is a collaborative robot (cobot)? - A collaborative robot, also known as a cobot, is an industrial robot that can safely operate alongside humans in a shared workspace.
What is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)? - A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is the semiconductor technology used in most of today's integrated circuits (ICs), also known as chips or microchips.
What is a disaster recovery plan (DRP)? - A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented, structured approach that describes how an organization can quickly resume operations after an unplanned incident.
What is a farad (F)? - A farad (F) is the standard unit of electrical capacitance (C) in the International System of Units.
What is a framework? - In general, a framework is a real or conceptual structure intended to serve as a support or guide for the building of something that expands the structure into something useful.
What is a host (in computing)? - A host is a computer or other device that communicates with other hosts on a network.
What is a motherboard? - A motherboard is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer.
What is a qubit (quantum bit)? - A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the basic unit of information in quantum computing and the counterpart to the bit, or binary digit, in classical computing.
What is a remote desktop and how does it work? - A remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer's desktop and interact with it as if it were local.
What is a reseller? - In the information technology (IT) ecosystem, a reseller is a company that purchases products or services from manufacturers, vendors or distributors and then sells them to customers.
What is a robot? Definition, purpose, uses - A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks automatically with speed and precision.
What is a server? - A server is a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client.
What is a storage filer? - A storage filer is a type of file server designed and programmed for high-volume data storage, backup or archiving.
What is a supercomputer? - A supercomputer is a highly advanced computer that performs at or near the highest operational rate for computers.
What is a template? - A template is a form, mold or pattern used as a guide to create something consistently and efficiently.
What is a unique identifier (UID)? - A unique identifier (UID) is a numeric or alphanumeric string that is associated with a single entity within a given system.
What is a word in computing architecture? - In computing architecture, a word is a fixed unit of data containing a specific number of bits that can be addressed and moved between storage and the computer processor.
What is a zettabyte (ZB)? - A zettabyte (ZB) is a unit of measurement used by technology professionals and the general public to describe a computer's or other device's storage capacity.
What is an API (application programming interface)? - An application programming interface (API) is code that enables two software programs to communicate.
What is an application support engineer (ASE)? - An application support engineer (ASE) is an IT professional who is responsible for troubleshooting the software applications a company uses and ensuring that help desk tickets are resolved in a timely fashion.
What is an embedded system? - An embedded system is a combination of computer hardware and software designed for a specific function.
What is an entrepreneur (entrepreneurship)? - An entrepreneur is an individual who identifies a need in the marketplace and works to fulfill it.
What is an information system (IS)? - An information system (IS) is an interconnected set of components used to collect, store, process and transmit data and digital information.
What is an ISV (independent software vendor)? - An ISV (independent software vendor) makes and sells software products that work with computer hardware, operating systems (OSes) or software platforms made by another company.
What is assistive technology (adaptive technology)? - Assistive technology refers to devices and services that help people with disabilities and long-term health conditions perform a variety of tasks.
What is asynchronous? - In general, asynchronous -- from Greek asyn- ('not with/together') and chronos ('time') -- describes objects or events not coordinated in time.
What is binary and how is it used in computing? - Binary describes a numbering scheme in which there are only two possible values for each digit -- 0 or 1 -- and is the basis for all binary code used in computing systems.
What is bit (binary digit) in computing? - A bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit of data that a computer can process and store.
What is black box testing? - Black box testing assesses a system solely from the outside, without the operator or tester knowing what's happening within the system to generate responses to test actions.
What is brain-computer interface (BCI)? - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a device that translates signals in the brain to control some external activity.
What is business process outsourcing (BPO)? - Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a business practice in which an organization contracts with an external service provider to perform an essential business function or task.
What is call management? - Call management is a process in which inbound telephone calls are routed to call center agents.
What is classical computing? - Classical computing is another name for binary computing.
What is computer memory and what are the different types? - Memory is the electronic holding place for the instructions and data a computer needs to reach quickly.
What is computer room air conditioning (CRAC)? CRAC vs. CRAH unit differences? - A computer room air conditioning (CRAC) unit is a device that monitors and maintains the temperature, air distribution and humidity in a data center, network or server room.
What is continuous data protection (CDP)? - Continuous data protection (CDP), also known as 'continuous backup,' is a backup and recovery storage system in which all the data in an enterprise is backed up whenever any change is made.
What is cryptography? - Cryptography is a method of protecting information and communications using codes, so that only those for whom the information is intended can read and process it.
What is customer data integration (CDI)? - Customer data integration (CDI) is the process of defining, consolidating and managing customer information across an organization's business units and systems to achieve a "single version of the truth" for customer data.
What is cyberstalking and how to prevent it? - Cyberstalking is a crime in which someone harasses or stalks a victim using electronic or digital means, such as social media, email, instant messaging (IM) or messages posted to a discussion group or forum.
What is data? - In computing, data is information translated into a form that is efficient for movement or processing.