Mobile Computing Definitions

This glossary explains the meaning of key words and phrases that information technology (IT) and business professionals use when discussing mobile computing and related software products. You can find additional definitions by visiting WhatIs.com or using the search box below.

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  • #

    2D barcode (two-dimensional barcode)

    A 2D (two-dimensional) barcode is a graphical image that stores information horizontally as one-dimensional barcodes do, as well as vertically.

  • 4G (fourth-generation wireless)

    4G is the short name for fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile communications that supersedes 3G (third-generation wireless) and is the predecessor of 5G (fifth-generation wireless).

  • 802.11

    802.11 is a family of evolving specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs) developed and maintained by a working group of IEEE.

  • 802.11n

    802.11n is an IEEE standard for wireless networking that boosts the speed, dependability and range of wireless transmissions in wireless local area networks (WLANs).

  • A

    Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

    Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is a feature of the Windows Server operating system (OS) that extends end users' single sign-on (SSO) access to applications and systems outside the corporate firewall.

  • Android Open Source Project (AOSP)

    The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is the repository of source code and the foundation which maintains it that is responsible for the core of the Android operating system.

  • Android Oreo

    Android 8.0 Oreo is the eighth major update to the Android operating system that contains new features and enhancements for application developers.

  • Android OS

    Android OS is a Linux-based mobile operating system that primarily runs on smartphones and tablets.

  • Android Studio

    Android Studio is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Android application development.

  • antenna

    An antenna is a specialized transducer that converts electric current into electromagnetic (EM) waves or vice versa.

  • app

    'App' is an abbreviated form of the word 'application.' An application is a software program that's designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another software program.

  • app wrapping (application wrapping)

    App wrapping (application wrapping) is applying a management layer to an existing mobile app. It is typically done by an organization using third-party tools. App wrapping is done to increase an app's security, manageability and analytics.

  • Apple 3D Touch

    Apple 3D Touch was a hardware-based feature Apple introduced in iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices running iOS 9 that perceives the amount of force a user puts on the touchscreen to activate different functions.

  • Apple AirDrop

    Apple AirDrop is a native feature in iOS and macOS that lets users share data from one device to another on the same Wi-Fi network.

  • Apple Automated Device Enrollment

    The Apple Automated Device Enrollment program, formerly known as the Device Enrollment Program (DEP), is a device enrollment service that's included with Apple Business Manager (ABM) and Apple School Manager (ASM).

  • Apple Bonjour

    Apple Bonjour is a group of networking technologies designed to help devices and applications discover each other on the same network.

  • Apple Business Manager

    Apple Business Manager (ABM) is an online portal for IT administrators who deploy Mac OS, iOS and tvOS devices in an enterprise or educational setting.

  • Apple iOS

    Apple iOS is a proprietary mobile operating system that runs on mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

  • Apple TV (Apple TV 4)

    Apple TV is a set-top box that allows end users to stream multimedia content from the Internet over a television.

  • Apple User Enrollment

    Apple User Enrollment (UE) is a form of mobile device management (MDM) for Apple products that supports iOS 13 and macOS Catalina.

  • Apple Watch

    Apple Watch is a wearable smartwatch that allows users to accomplish a variety of tasks, including making phone calls, sending text messages and reading email.

  • Apple watchOS (Apple Watch operating system)

    Apple watchOS is the operating system (OS) designed specifically for the Apple Watch wearable device, with features that take advantage of the smaller screen and location of the device on the user's wrist.

  • application sandboxing

    Application sandboxing, also called application containerization, is an approach to software development and management and mobile application management (MAM) that limits the environments in which certain code can execute.

  • wireless access point

    A wireless access point (wireless AP) is a network device that transmits and receives data over a wireless local area network (WLAN), serving as the interconnection point between the WLAN and a fixed wire network.

  • B

    bluesnarfing

    Bluesnarfing is a hacking technique in which a hacker accesses a wireless device through a Bluetooth connection.

  • Bluetooth

    Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile devices, computers and other endpoints can easily communicate with each other using a short-range wireless connection.

  • C

    captive portal

    A captive portal is a webpage that the user of a public-access network is required to view and interact with before they can access the network.

  • cross-platform mobile development

    Cross-platform mobile development is an approach to developing software applications that are compatible with multiple mobile operating systems (OSes) or platforms.

  • CYOD (choose your own device)

    CYOD (choose your own device) is an employee provisioning model in which an organization allows people to select the mobile devices they would like, usually from a limited number of options.

  • What is Cisco ISE?

    Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a security policy management platform that provides secure network access to end users and devices.

  • What is COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled)?

    COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled) is a mobile device management model that allows employees to use corporate-owned mobile devices for specific types of personal use.

  • What is the consumerization of IT (IT consumerization)?

    The consumerization of IT refers to how software and hardware products designed for personal use have migrated into the enterprise and are used for work purposes.

  • D

    device-agnostic (device agnosticism)

    Device agnosticism, or device-agnostic, is the capacity of a computing component to work with various systems without requiring any particular adaptations.

  • digital video broadcasting (DVB)

    Digital video broadcasting (DVB) is a set of standards that define digital broadcasting using DVB satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasting infrastructures.

  • distributed antenna system (DAS)

    In a distributed antenna system (DAS), a single signal source is connected to a group of antennas instead of to a single antenna.

  • uplink and downlink

    In satellite telecommunication, a downlink is the link from a satellite down to one or more ground stations or receivers, and an uplink is the link from a ground station up to a satellite.

  • E

    electromagnetic interference (EMI)

    Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is unwanted noise or interference in an electrical path or circuit caused by an outside source.

  • end-user computing (EUC)

    End-user computing (EUC) is a term that refers to the technologies that IT professionals use to deploy, manage and secure the devices, applications and data that workers require to perform their jobs.

  • enterprise file sync and share (EFSS)

    Enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) is a service that allows users to save files in cloud or on-premises storage and then access them on desktop and mobile devices.

  • enterprise mobility

    Enterprise mobility is an approach to work in which employees can do their jobs from anywhere using a variety of devices and applications.

  • enterprise mobility management (EMM)

    Enterprise mobility management (EMM) is software that allows organizations to securely enable employee use of mobile devices and applications.

  • F

    FaceTime

    FaceTime is a proprietary video and audio calling service developed by Apple Inc., primarily used on iOS, iPadOS and macOS devices.

  • file sharing

    File sharing is the public or private sharing of files or folders on a networked computer.

  • fixed wireless

    Fixed wireless networking refers to the operation of wireless devices in fixed locations such as homes and offices.

  • fixed-mobile convergence (FMC)

    Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) is the trend towards seamless connectivity between fixed and wireless telecommunications networks... (Continued)

  • forward error correction (FEC)

    Forward error correction (FEC) is a method for obtaining error control in data transmission in which the source (transmitter) sends redundant data and the destination (receiver) recognizes only the portion of the data that contains no apparent errors.

  • fronthaul

    Fronthaul, also known as mobile fronthaul, is a term that refers to the fiber-based connection of the cloud radio access network (C-RAN), a new type of cellular network architecture of centralized baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio heads (RRHs) at the access layer of the network.

  • G

    geostationary satellite

    A geostationary satellite is an Earth-orbiting satellite placed at an altitude of approximately 22,300 miles or 35,800 kilometers directly above the equator.

  • Global Positioning System (GPS)

    The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a 'constellation' of 31 well-spaced satellites that orbit the Earth and make it possible for people with ground receivers to pinpoint their geographic location.

  • Google Android 4.4 KitKat

    Android 4.4 KitKat is a version of Google's operating system (OS) for smartphones and tablets.

  • Google Chrome browser

    Google Chrome browser is a free web browser used for accessing the internet and running web-based applications.

  • Google Firebase

    Google Firebase is a set of cloud-based development tools that helps mobile app developers build, deploy and scale their apps.

  • Google Hangouts

    Google Hangouts is a unified communications service that allows members to initiate and participate in text, voice or video chats, either one-on-one or in a group.

  • Google Mobile Services (GMS)

    Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a collection of applications and application programming interfaces (APIs) developed by Google for manufacturers of Android devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

  • Google Play

    Google Play, formerly known as Android Market, is the official online store for digital media distributed by Google.

  • GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

    GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is a best-effort packet-switching protocol and standard for wireless and cellular network communication services.

  • What is geolocation? Explaining how geolocation data works

    Geolocation technology identifies physical locations of devices and individuals based on information such as geographic coordinates and internet protocol addresses (IP address).

  • What is Google Drive?

    Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that allows users to store and share files online.

  • What is GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)?

    GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a digital mobile communication standard applied widely in Europe and other parts of the world.

  • H

    hertz (Hz)

    Hertz (Hz) is the standard unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI).

  • HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access)

    High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) is a packet-based mobile telephony protocol used in 3G Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) radio networks to increase data capacity and speed up download rates.

  • HTML5 mobile app

    An HTML5 mobile app is a web application developed with version 5 of HTML, a web content standard designed for handheld devices like smartphones and tablets.

  • I

    iCloud

    Apple's free iCloud service stores subscribers' photos, videos, documents, apps and more and updates everything across users' synced devices.

  • instant app (Google Android instant app)

    A Google Android instant app is a small software program that enables users to test out a portion of a native Android app without installing it on a device.

  • iOS software development kit (iOS SDK)

    The iOS software development kit (iOS SDK) is a collection of tools for the creation of apps for Apple's mobile operating system (OS).

  • iPad

    The iPad is a touchscreen tablet PC made by Apple.

  • iPad Air

    Apple's iPad Air is a tablet that is lighter and thinner than Apple's previous tablets.

  • iPhone

    The iPhone is a smartphone made by Apple that combines a computer, iPod, digital camera and cellular phone into one device with a touchscreen interface.

  • L

    laptop

    A laptop, sometimes called a notebook computer by manufacturers, is a battery- or AC-powered personal computer (PC) smaller than a briefcase.

  • LTE (Long-Term Evolution)

    LTE (Long-Term Evolution) is a fourth-generation (4G) wireless standard that provides increased network capacity and speed for cellphones and other cellular devices compared with third-generation (3G) technology.

  • What is LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)?

    LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a software protocol used for locating data about organizations, individuals and other resources, such as files and devices, on public and corporate networks.

  • M

    m-commerce (mobile commerce)

    M-commerce (mobile commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets.

  • microblogging

    Microblogging is a short blog post designed for quick and typically direct audience interactions.

  • Microsoft OneDrive

    OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) is an online cloud storage service from Microsoft.

  • Microsoft Store

    The Microsoft Store -- formerly called the Windows Store -- is an online marketplace for consumers to buy and download a variety of items.

  • mobile application development platform (MADP)

    A mobile application development platform (MADP) is a type of software that allows a business to rapidly build, test and deploy mobile apps for smartphones or tablets.

  • mobile application management (MAM)

    Mobile application management (MAM) is software that secures and enables IT control over enterprise applications on end users' corporate and personal smartphones and tablets.

  • mobile malware

    Mobile malware is malicious software specifically written to attack mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.

  • mobile operating system

    A mobile operating system (OS) is software that allows smartphones, tablet PCs (personal computers) and other devices to run applications and programs.

  • mobile service provider

    A mobile service provider (MSP) is a company that offers mobile communication services to users of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs.

  • Mobile Threat Defense (MTD)

    Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) software is meant to protect organizations and individual users from security threats on mobile platforms.

  • mobile UI (mobile user interface)

    A mobile UI (mobile user interface) is the graphical and usually touch-sensitive display on a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, that allows the user to interact with the device's apps, features, content and functions.

  • mobile workforce management (MWM)

    Mobile workforce management (MWM) is a category of software and related services used to manage employees working outside the company premises; the term is often used in reference to field teams.

  • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

    Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a communications technology developed by 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) to enable the transmission of multimedia content via text message.

  • What is a mobile VPN?

    A mobile virtual private network (mobile VPN) is a type of VPN specifically designed to maintain a stable and secure connection while a user moves across different networks.

  • What is MIMO (multiple input, multiple output)?

    MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source (transmitter) and the destination (receiver).

  • What is mobile computing?

    Mobile computing refers to the set of IT technologies, products, services and operational strategies and procedures that enable end users to access computation, information and related resources and capabilities while mobile.

  • What is mobile device management (MDM)?

    Mobile device management (MDM) software enables IT administrators to control, secure and enforce policies on smartphones, tablets and other endpoints.

  • What is mobile platform as a service (MPaaS)?

    Mobile platform as a service (mPaaS) is a specialized type of PaaS designed to provide an integrated development environment (IDE), deployment platform, lifecycle management and analytics for mobile and web applications.

  • N

    near-field communication (NFC)

    Near-field communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that uses magnetic field induction to enable communication between devices when they're touched together or brought within a few centimeters of each other.

  • notebook computer

    A notebook computer is a battery- or AC-powered personal computer generally smaller than a briefcase that can easily be transported and conveniently used in temporary spaces, such as airplanes, libraries, temporary offices and meetings.

  • O

    OTA update (over-the-air update)

    An over-the-air (OTA) update is the wireless delivery of new software, firmware or other data to mobile devices.

  • P

    personal digital assistant (PDA)

    A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a small, mobile, handheld device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedules, calendars and address book information handy.

  • push notification

    Push notification, also called server push notification, is the delivery of information from a software application to a computing device without a specific request from the client.

  • What is a personal area network (PAN)?

    A personal area network (PAN) is a small network that interconnects technology devices within a limited range of just a few meters.

  • R

    remote wipe

    Remote wipe is a security feature that allows a network administrator or device owner to send a command that remotely deletes data from a computing device.

  • RMON (Remote Network Monitoring)

    RMON (Remote Network Monitoring) provides standard information that a network administrator can use to monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot a group of distributed local area networks (LANs) and interconnecting T-1/E-1 and T-2/E-3 lines from a central site.

  • RPC over HTTP

    Remote Procedure Call over HTTP (RPC over HTTP) is a Microsoft protocol that enables Microsoft Outlook clients to access Microsoft Exchange servers over HTTP.

  • S

    satellite

    A satellite is any object that orbits something else, as, for example, the Earth orbits the sun.

  • sideloading

    Sideloading is the installation of an application on a mobile device without using the device's official application distribution method.