IT management
Learn about the core elements of IT management, including operations, tech support and personal computing, as well as terms related to IT careers, certifications and project management.

Certifications
This glossary contains definitions related to IT Certifications.
-
cloud architect
A cloud architect is an IT professional who is responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing strategy.
-
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is a certification and globally recognized standard for appraising an IT auditor's knowledge, expertise and skill in assessing vulnerabilities and instituting IT controls in an enterprise environment.
-
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is an advanced certification that indicates that an individual possesses the knowledge and experience required to develop and manage an enterprise information security (infosec) program.
IT career paths
-
chief transformation officer (CTO)
Chief transformation officer is an executive role, often in the C-suite, that focuses on bringing about change as well as growth in revenue and profit to an organization.
-
information technology (IT) director
An information technology (IT) director is the person in charge of technology within an organization. IT directors manage technology resources and employees to ensure that IT operations run smoothly.
-
nonprofit organization (NPO)
A nonprofit organization (NPO) is one that is not driven by profit but by dedication to a given cause that is the target of all income beyond what it takes to run the organization.
IT Operations
Terms related to the processes and services implemented and managed by an organization’s information technology (IT) department. Topics covered include systems management, configuration management, API management and DevOps, as well as real-time performance monitoring and management.
-
synthetic monitoring
Synthetic monitoring is the use of software to simulate user interactions with a system.
-
distributed applications (distributed apps)
Distributed applications (distributed apps) are applications or software that run on multiple computers within a network at the same time and can be stored on servers or cloud computing platforms.
-
firmware
Firmware is programming that's written to a hardware device's non-volatile memory.
Personal computing
Terms related to personal computers, including definitions about computers sold as consumer products and words and phrases about laptops, tablets and smartphones.
-
virtual asset
A virtual asset is a digital representation of an item that has value in a specific environment.
-
distributed applications (distributed apps)
Distributed applications (distributed apps) are applications or software that run on multiple computers within a network at the same time and can be stored on servers or cloud computing platforms.
-
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) is a feature of Windows-based OSes -- included since Windows 98 and Windows ME -- that enables a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol client to automatically assign an IP address to itself when there's no DHCP server available to perform that function.
Project management
Terms related to project management, including definitions about project management methodologies and tools.
-
project charter
A project charter is a formal short document that states a project exists and provides project managers with written authority to begin work.
-
system of systems (SoS)
A system of systems (SoS) is the collection of multiple, independent systems in context as part of a larger, more complex system.
-
Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze (Kurt Lewin Change Management Model)
Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze or Kurt Lewin's Change Management Model is a model to understand and manage organizational change.
Technical support
Terms related to computer fundamentals, including computer hardware definitions and words and phrases about software, operating systems, peripherals and troubleshooting.
-
digital accessibility
Digital accessibility is design of technology products and environments to help people with various disabilities not be impeded or otherwise unable to partake in use of the service, product or function.
-
accumulator
An accumulator is a type of register for short-term, intermediate storage of arithmetic and logic data in a computer's central processing unit (CPU).
-
binary-coded decimal
Binary-coded decimal is a system of writing numerals that assigns a four-digit binary code to each digit 0 through 9 in a decimal (base 10) number.