Browse Definitions by Alphabet
COM - COP
- computer security incident response team (CSIRT) - A computer security incident response team, or CSIRT, is a group of IT professionals that provides an organization with services and support surrounding the assessment, management and prevention of cybersecurity-related emergencies, as well as coordination of incident response efforts.
- computer worm - A computer worm is a type of malware whose primary function is to self-replicate and infect other computers while remaining active on infected systems.
- computer-aided software engineering (CASE) - Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) describes a broad set of labor-saving tools used in software development.
- computer-based training (CBT) - Computer-based training (CBT) is any course of instruction whose primary means of delivery is a computer.
- computer-generated imagery (CGI) - Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the creation of still or animated visual content using imaging software.
- computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) - A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is software that helps operations and maintenance staff identify and track the status of maintenance tasks and availability of replacement parts.
- computerized physician order entry (CPOE) - Computerized physician order entry (CPOE), also known as computerized provider order entry or computerized practitioner order entry, refers to the process of a medical professional entering and sending medication orders and treatment instructions electronically via a computer application instead of on paper charts.
- COMSEC (communications security) - Communications security (COMSEC) is the prevention of unauthorized access to telecommunications traffic, or to any information that is transmitted or transferred.
- Concurrent Versions System (CVS) - CVS also is an abbreviation for Computer Vision Syndrome.
- conduct risk - Conduct risk is the prospect of financial loss to an organization that is caused by the actions of an organization's administrators and employees.
- conductance - Conductance is an expression of the ease with which electric current flows through materials like metals and nonmetals.
- conductor - A conductor, or electrical conductor, is a substance or material that allows electricity to flow through it.
- cone of uncertainty - The cone of uncertainty is a project management tool that explains why estimates become more accurate over the span of a project's lifecycle.
- Conficker - Conficker is a fast-spreading worm that targets a vulnerability (MS08-067) in Windows operating systems.
- confidential computing - Confidential computing is a concept in which encrypted data can be processed in memory to limit access to protect data in use.
- CONFIG.SYS - CONFIG.SYS is a text file containing disk operating system (DOS) commands that tell the operating system (OS) how the computer is initially set up.
- configuration - Generally, a configuration is the arrangement - or the process of making the arrangement - of the parts that make up a whole.
- configuration drift - Configuration drift occurs naturally in data center environments when changes to software and hardware are not recorded or tracked in a comprehensive and systematic fashion.
- configuration file - A configuration file, often shortened to 'config file,' defines the parameters, options, settings and preferences applied to operating systems (OSes), infrastructure devices and applications in an IT context.
- configuration service provider (CSP) - A configuration service provider (CSP) is a component of Windows client operating systems that shows IT professionals device configuration choices and allows them to apply the settings across multiple Windows OSes.
- confirmation bias - Confirmation bias is a cognitive error in which information that supports a pre-existing belief is assigned more value than other information.
- conformed dimension - In data warehousing, a conformed dimension is a dimension that has the same meaning to every fact with which it relates.
- connection - In telecommunication and computing in general, a connection is the successful completion of necessary arrangements so that two or more parties (for example, people or programs) can communicate at a long distance.
- connectionless - In telecommunications, connectionless describes communication between two network endpoints in which a message can be sent from one endpoint to another without prior arrangement.
- Consensus Algorithm - A consensus algorithm is a process in computer science used to achieve agreement on a single data value among distributed processes or systems.
- conservation of angular momentum - Conservation of angular momentum is a physical property of a spinning system such that its spin remains constant unless it is acted upon by an external torque; put another way, the speed of rotation is constant as long as net torque is zero.
- consignment inventory - Consignment inventory is a supply chain model in which a product is sold by a retailer, but ownership is retained by the supplier until the product has been sold.
- const - Const (constant) in programming is a keyword that defines a variable or pointer as unchangeable.
- consumer data - Consumer data is the information trail customers leave behind as a result of their Internet use.
- consumer panel - A consumer panel is a group of individuals selected by a business or organization to provide input and opinion on products and services for research on consumer behavior.
- consumer privacy (customer privacy) - Consumer privacy, also known as customer privacy, involves the handling and protection of the sensitive personal information provided by customers in the course of everyday transactions.
- consumerism - Consumerism is a cultural model that promotes the aquisition of goods, and especially the purchase of goods, as a vehicle for personal satisfaction and economic stimulation.
- consumerization of IT - The consumerization of IT refers to how software and hardware products designed for personal use migrated into the enterprise and were used for work purposes.
- consumption-based pricing model - A consumption-based pricing model is a service provision and payment scheme in which the customer pays according to the resources used.
- contact center - A contact center is a central point from which organizations manage all customer interactions across various channels.
- contact center as a service (CCaaS) - Contact center as a service (CCaaS) is a framework that combines contact center hosting principles and cloud-based contact center infrastructure.
- contact center infrastructure - A contact center infrastructure is a framework composed of the physical and virtual resources that a call center facility needs to operate effectively.
- contactless payment - A contactless payment is a wireless financial transaction in which the customer makes a purchase by moving a security token in close proximity to the vendor's point of sale (POS) reader.
- container (disambiguation) - This page explains how the term container is used in software development, storage, data center management and mobile device management.
- container image - A container image is an unchangeable, static file that includes executable code so it can run an isolated process on IT infrastructure.
- Container Linux by CoreOS - Container Linux by CoreOS, originally named CoreOS Linux, is an open source operating system (OS) that provides the functionality required to deploy and manage applications within containers.
- container registry - A container registry is a collection of repositories made to store container images.
- container repository - A container repository is a collection of related container images that provide different versions of an application.
- containers (container-based virtualization or containerization) - Containers are a type of software that can virtually package and isolate applications for deployment.
- Containers as a Service (CaaS) - Containers as a service (CaaS) is a cloud service that allows software developers to upload, organize, run, scale, manage and stop containers by using a provider's API calls or a web portal interface.
- content aggregator - A content aggregator is an individual, organization or tool that gathers web content and applications from different online sources for reuse.
- content analytics - Content analytics is the act of applying business intelligence (BI) and business analytics (BA) practices to digital content.
- content delivery (content distribution, content distribution delivery, or content caching) - On the Internet, content delivery (sometimes called content distribution, content distribution delivery, or content caching) is the service of copying the pages of a Web site to geographically dispersed servers and, when a page is requested, dynamically identifying and serving page content from the closest server to the user, enabling faster delivery.
- content filtering - Content filtering is a process involving the use of software or hardware to screen and/or restrict access to objectionable email, webpages, executables and other suspicious items.
- content management (CM) - Content management (CM) is the process for collection, delivery, retrieval, governance and overall management of information in any format.
- Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) - Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) is a specification for allowing users to share and access data across multiple content management (ECM) systems.
- content management system (CMS) - A content management system (CMS) is a software application or set of related programs that help create and manage digital content.
- content marketing platform (CMP) - A content marketing platform (CMP) is a software solution that helps content marketing teams plan, envision, collaborate and create materials that successfully raise brand awareness, improve lead generation and increase revenue.
- content personalization - Content personalization is a branding and marketing strategy in which webpages, email and other forms of content are tailored to match the characteristics, preferences or behaviors of individual users.
- content services platform - A content services platform is cloud-based SaaS software that enables users to create, share, collaborate on and store text, audio and video content.
- content sprawl - Content sprawl is a condition of an organization's content assets in which proliferation and unmanaged growth have led to an unwieldy mass that is difficult to manage.
- content-addressed storage (CAS) - Content-addressed storage (CAS) -- also called content-addressable storage -- is a method for storing fixed content as objects and providing fast access to that content.
- context awareness - Context awareness is the ability of a system or system component to gather information about its environment at any given time and adapt behaviors accordingly.
- context menu (right-click menu) - A context menu is a pop-up menu that provides shortcuts for actions the software developer anticipates the user might want to take.
- context switch - A context switch is a procedure that a computer's CPU (central processing unit) follows to change from one task (or process) to another while ensuring that the tasks do not conflict.
- context window - A context window is a textual range around a target token that a large language model (LLM) can process at the time the information is generated.
- contextual marketing - Contextual marketing is an online marketing strategy model in which people are served with targeted advertising based on their search terms or their recent browsing behavior.
- contingency budget (cost contingency) - Contingency, in the context of project management, is an amount of money that is included to cover potential events that are not specifically accounted for in a cost estimate.
- contingency plan - A contingency plan is a course of action designed to help an organization respond effectively to a significant future incident, event or situation that may or may not happen.
- contingent workforce - A contingent workforce is a labor pool whose members are hired by an organization on an on-demand basis.
- continual service improvement - Continual service improvement (CSI) is a method to identify and execute opportunities to improve IT processes and services, and to objectively measure the effects of these efforts over time.
- Continuity of Care Document (CCD) - A Continuity of Care Document (CCD) is an electronic, patient-specific document detailing a patient's medical history.
- Continuity of Care Record (CCR) - The Continuity of Care Record, or CCR, provides a standardized way to create electronic snapshots about a patient's health information.
- continuous authentication - Continuous authentication is a method of verification aimed at providing identity confirmation and cybersecurity protection on an ongoing basis.
- 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.
- continuous delivery (CD) - Continuous delivery (CD) is an approach for software delivery in which development teams produce and test code in short but continuous cycles, usually with high degrees of automation.
- continuous deployment - Continuous deployment is a strategy for software development and releases in which every code change is automatically run through a pipeline of tests and inspections before being pushed into production.
- continuous integration (CI) - Continuous integration (CI) is a software development practice in which frequent, isolated changes are immediately tested and reported on when they're added to a larger codebase.
- continuous learning - Continuous learning is the ongoing expansion of knowledge and skill sets.
- continuous modeling (data center continuous modeling) - Continuous modeling is an approach to data center management that supplements infrastructure management (DCIM) tools with engineering simulation tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
- continuous performance management - Continuous performance management, in a human resource (HR) management context, is the supervision of an employee's performance through one-on-one discussions and ongoing feedback from supervisors during regularly scheduled check-ins.
- continuous quality - Continuous quality is a systematic approach to finding and fixing software defects during all phases of the software development cycle.
- contract theory - Contract theory is the study of how people and organizations develop legal agreements in situations with uncertain conditions, unknown factors and information asymmetry.
- control framework - A control framework is a data structure that organizes and categorizes an organization’s internal controls, which are practices and procedures established to create business value and minimize risk.
- control loop - A control loop is a system made up of all the hardware components and software control functions needed for the measurement and adjustment of a variable that controls an individual process.
- control plane (CP) - The control plane is the part of a network that carries signaling traffic and is responsible for network routing.
- control system - A control system is a set of mechanical or electronic devices that regulates other devices or systems by way of control loops.
- controller (computing) - A controller, in a computing context, is a hardware device or a software program that manages or directs the flow of data between two entities.
- ControlUp - ControlUp is a monitoring software company that sells tools IT professionals can use to manage, monitor and analyze virtual desktop and application performance.
- CONUS (continental United States) - Refers to the continental United States.
- converged data center - A converged data center pre-integrates server, storage and networking hardware with management, hypervisor and operating system platforms, as well as applications and services.
- converged infrastructure - Converged infrastructure is an approach to data center management that packages compute, networking, servers, storage and virtualization tools on a prequalified turnkey appliance.
- converged network adapter (CNA) - A converged network adapter (CNA) is a single network interface device that provides the functionality of both a Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapter (HBA) and a TCP/IP Ethernet network interface card (NIC).
- conversational AI - Conversational AI is a type of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand, process and generate human language.
- conversational marketing - Conversational marketing is marketing that engages customers through dialogue.
- conversion rate optimization - In online marketing, conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a strategic approach to increasing the percentage of website visitors who follow a desired call to action.
- convolutional neural network (CNN) - A convolutional neural network (CNN or convnet) is a subset of machine learning.
- cookie - A cookie is information that a website puts on a user's computer.
- cookie poisoning - Cookie poisoning is a type of cyber attack in which a bad actor hijacks, forges, alters or manipulates a cookie to gain unauthorized access to a user's account, open a new account in the user's name or steal the user's information for purposes such as identity theft.
- cooperative (co-op) - A cooperative, often shortened to “co-op,” is a business that is owned and operated by and for the benefit of its members.
- cooperative games - Cooperative games are games where players work with one and other in order to achieve a common objective.
- coopetition (co-opetition) - Coopetition is a business strategy that uses insights gained from game theory to understand when it is better for competitors to work together.
- COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled) - COPE (corporate-owned personally-enabled) is a business model in which an organization provides its employees with mobile computing devices and allows the employees to use them as if they were personally-owned notebook computers, tablets or smartphones.
- COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ) - The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) is a federal law that imposes specific requirements on operators of websites and online services to protect the privacy of children under 13.
- copy data management (CDM) - Copy data management (CDM) is an approach to reducing storage consumption that involves eliminating the unnecessary duplication of production data.