News 12 December 2019

The IT Jargon Buster: Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Tech

For those of you who, like me, are a little clueless with IT jargon.

Helen Abbott, Finance Coordinator, Fabric

Who am I?

For those who don’t know me, my name is Helen. I am the Finance Co-ordinator at Fabric IT. I have worked here for almost seven months, and before working at Fabric, I worked in an accounts role for the NHS.

What is it like stepping into an environment you are very unfamiliar with?

Daunting perhaps…IT is a complicated world, and I am not afraid to confess that upon starting here, I knew very little and had never even heard of terms such as SaaS or VoIP.

Let’s Begin…

So here I am, a woman in tech, reaching out to all those who, like me, are a little clueless and maybe don’t want to put their hand up and ask the question for fear of an IT Boffin laughing in their face.

Everyday Is A School Day

Please see my dummies guide:

1. Cookies

 

Not the edible kind, unfortunately. Usually, in the form of a text file that is stored on your computer, which is then used to remember you and your website activity.

2. ADSL

 

Internet connection which works through the copper wires of your existing phone line (Its full name is Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line!)

3. Bandwidth

 

Refers to the amount of data that can be transferred in a given time, from one point to another.

4. IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)

 

This identifies network computers like your home address has a street name and number, computers and other devices have their unique numerical label too.

5. Dark Web

 

Part of the web where all things illegal are usually based – a network of untraceable sites and activity. To access this specialist software is required along with other configurations and authorisations.

Want to learn more? See our blog on what the dark web is and why it has to exist despite all the illegal activity.

6. Hostname

 

The name or label that is given to a device on a network. This can be a single word or phrase. Hostnames were created as a convenience to get to a website without having to remember the IP address.

7. Domain Name

 

The name of a website, so what you would type into access Fabric’s site is www.fabric-it.com.

8. SIP / SIP Trunking

 

Allows VoIP & video streaming over broadband connections – connects to the phone system over the internet.

9. CALS (Client Access Licences)

 

A licence granting access to specific MS Software – can have User or Device CALS.

10. SaaS (Software as a service)

 

Software distributed to multiple users, over the internet, rather than installing on a device. It is one of three main categories of cloud computing.

 

 

So there we have it, a snippet of some techie terms that you may or may not be familiar with. Please stay tuned for Part 2. IT is an ever-changing, developing world and there is so much to know.

Maybe you have a question for one of our experienced engineers? If so, get in touch!

Helen Abbott, Finance Coordinator, Fabric

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