IT standards and organizations

Terms related to information technology (IT) standards, including definitions about IT organizations and words and phrases about policies and compliance.

Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) - Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is a connection-oriented network protocol for transmitting multiple streams of data simultaneously between two endpoints that have established a connection in a network.
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) - Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a digital modulation technique used in digital cellular telephone and mobile radio communication.
Top searches of 2008 - What were people searching the WhatIs.
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.
transparency - Transparency is the quality of being easily seen through, while transparency in a business or governance context refers to being open and honest.
transport layer - The transport layer is Layer 4 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model.
UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration) - UDDI, or Universal Description, Discovery and Integration, is an Extensible Language Markup (XML)-based standard to describe, publish and find information about web services.
Unicode - Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that is maintained by the Unicode Consortium, a standards organization founded in 1991 for the internationalization of software and services.
Universal Naming Convention (UNC) - The Universal Naming Convention (UNC) is a standard for naming resources -- such as files and devices -- that are shared by computers on a network.
Universal Process Notation (UPN) - Universal Process Notation is a method for illustrating the steps in a business process.
USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB) - USB 3.0 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transfer standard that is backwards compatible with USB 2.
Uuencode (Uuencode/Uudecode) - Uuencode (also called Uuencode/Uudecode) is a popular utility for encoding and decoding files exchanged between users or systems in a network.
velocity - Velocity is a vector expression of the displacement that an object or particle undergoes with respect to time.
vertical market - A vertical market is made up of companies that offer goods and services to meet the needs of customers in a specific industry or niche market.
VistA EHR - VistA EHR, more formally known as the VistA Computerized Patient Record System, is an open source electronic health record (EHR) system developed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
volt-ampere (VA) - A volt-ampere (VA) is a measurement of power in a direct current (DC) electrical circuit.
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) - The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is an international organization that creates standards for the World Wide Web.
watt-hour (Wh) - The watt-hour, which is symbolized Wh, is a unit of energy equivalent to one watt of power expended for one hour of time.
well-known port numbers - The well-known port numbers are the port numbers that are reserved for assignment by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for use by the application end points that communicate using the Internet's Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
What are Common Criteria (CC) for Information Technology Security Evaluation? - Common Criteria (CC) is an international standard (ISO/IEC 15408) for evaluating information technology security products.
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 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 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 registration authority (RA)? - A registration authority (RA) is an entity that is authorized to verify user requests for a digital certificate and also to tell a certificate authority (CA) to issue that certificate to the user.
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 Request for Comments (RFC)? - A Request for Comments (RFC) is a formal document created by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that outlines technical specifications, organizational notes and standards relevant to internet and networking technologies, including protocols such as routing, addressing and transport technologies.
What is a standard operating procedure (SOP)? - A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions for performing a routine activity.
What is a think tank? - A think tank is an organization that gathers a group of interdisciplinary scholars to perform research around particular policies, issues or ideas.
What is an electronic health record (EHR)? - An electronic health record (EHR) is an individual's official health document that's shared among multiple facilities and agencies.
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 IP address (Internet Protocol address)? - An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique numerical identifier for every device or network that connects to the internet.
What is ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)? - ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is the most common character encoding format for text data in computers and on the internet.
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 Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)? - BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the protocol that enables the internet's global routing system.
What is Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)? - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is part of the U.
What is change control? - Change control is a systematic approach that includes the various steps needed to process changes made to a product or system.
What is Clinical Document Architecture (CDA)? - Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) is a popular, flexible markup standard developed by Health Level Seven International (HL7).
What is Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code? - Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a medical code set that enables physicians and other healthcare providers to describe and report the medical, surgical, and diagnostic procedures and services they perform to government and private payers, researchers and other interested parties.
What is cybersecurity? - Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks and data from digital threats.
What is Data Encryption Standard (DES)? - Data Encryption Standard (DES) is an outdated symmetric key method of data encryption.
What is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)? - DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network management protocol used to dynamically assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to any device on a network so it can communicate.
What is DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine)? - DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is an international standard protocol for managing and transmitting medical images and related data.
What is enterprise architecture (EA)? - An enterprise architecture (EA) is a conceptual blueprint that defines an organization's structure and operation.
What is Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)? - Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is a protocol for wireless networks that expands the authentication methods used by Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), a protocol often used when connecting a computer to the internet.
What is FTP? - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.
What is HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)? - HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a proprietary specification designed to ensure compatibility between video and audio devices over a single digital interface.
What is HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)? - The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting the best use of IT and management systems to advance the healthcare industry.
What is HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act of 2009? - The HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act of 2009 is legislation that was created to stimulate the adoption of electronic health records (EHR) and the supporting technology in the United States.
What is HL7 (Health Level Seven International)? - HL7 (Health Level Seven International) is an accredited, not-for-profit organization that develops frameworks and standards used worldwide for health IT applications to retrieve, exchange, share and integrate electronic health information.
What is HTTP and how does it work? Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the set of rules for transferring files -- such as text, images, sound, video and other multimedia files -- over the web.
What is ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification)? - The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, also known simply as ICD-9-CM, is the U.
What is ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)? - ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer error-reporting protocol that's used to communicate data transmission problems.
What is ICT (information and communications technology)? - ICT (information and communications technology) is the infrastructure and components that enable modern computing.
What is IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)? - IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a standard retrieval protocol for receiving email.
What is incremental innovation? - Incremental innovation is a series of small improvements or upgrades made to a company's existing products, services, processes or methods.
What is IPsec (Internet Protocol Security)? - IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a suite of protocols and algorithms for securing data transmitted over the internet or any public network.
What is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)? - Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is responsible for identifying network devices and routing traffic across the internet.
What is IT automation? A complete guide for IT teams - IT automation is the use of instructions to create a clear, consistent and repeatable process that replaces an IT professional's manual work in data centers and cloud deployments.
What is ITIL? A guide to the IT Infrastructure Library - ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework designed to standardize the selection, planning, delivery, maintenance and overall lifecycle of IT services within a business.
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.
What is Microsoft? - Microsoft is the world's largest vendor of computer software and a leading provider of cloud computing services, video games, computer and gaming hardware, search and other online services.
What is PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)? - The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a widely accepted set of policies and procedures intended to optimize the security of credit, debit and cash card transactions and protect cardholders against misuse of their personal information.
What is PeopleSoft? - PeopleSoft is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suite owned by Oracle Corporation.
What is Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE)? - Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) is a network protocol that facilitates communication between network endpoints.
What is quality assurance (QA)? - Quality assurance (QA) is any systematic process of determining whether a product or service meets specified requirements.
What is RAID (redundant array of independent disks)? - RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places on multiple hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs) to protect data in the case of a drive failure.
What is remote desktop protocol (RDP)? - Remote desktop protocol (RDP) is a secure network communications protocol developed by Microsoft.
What is Routing Information Protocol (RIP)? - Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a distance vector protocol that uses hop count as its primary metric.
What is short message service center (SMSC)? - The short message service center (SMSC) is the portion of a mobile phone network that handles text message operations.
What is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)? - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application-layer protocol for monitoring and managing network devices on a local area network or wide area network.
What is Six Sigma and how does it work? - Six Sigma is a business methodology for quality improvement that measures how many defects there are in a current process and seeks to systematically eliminate them.
What is SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)? - SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving emails over a network such as the internet.
What is SSH (Secure Shell) and How Does It Work? - SSH (Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell) is a network protocol that gives users -- particularly systems administrators -- a secure way to access a computer over an unsecured network.
What is SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)? - SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a networking protocol that secures connections between web clients and web servers over internal networks or the internet by encrypting the data sent between those clients and servers.
What is systems thinking? - Systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system's constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems.
What is TCP/IP? - TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet.
What is the 11th dimension in M-theory? - The 11th dimension is a characteristic of spacetime that has been proposed as a possible answer to questions that arise in superstring theory.
What is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the United States' national public health agency.
What is the Common Information Model (CIM)? - The Common Information Model (CIM) is a computer industry standard that defines device and application characteristics so system administrators and management programs can control devices and applications from different manufacturers.
What is the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA)? - The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) allows United States government agencies and non-government entities to share information with each other as they investigate cyberattacks.
What is the data link layer in the OSI model? - The data link layer is the protocol layer in a program that handles how data moves in and out of a physical link in a network.
What is the domain name system (DNS)? - The domain name system (DNS) is a naming database in which internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
What is the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)? - The Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) is a United States federal law designed to protect the personally identifiable information of licensed drivers from improper use or disclosure.
What is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)? - The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act or GLBA), also known as the Financial Modernization Act of 1999, is a federal law enacted in the United States to control the ways financial institutions deal with the private information of individuals.
What is the NSA and how does it work? - The National Security Agency (NSA) is a federal government surveillance and intelligence agency that's part of the U.
What is the OSI model? The 7 layers of OSI explained - The OSI model (Open Systems Interconnection model) is a multilayered reference model that shows how computer systems and applications communicate over a network.
What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? Definition and summary - The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) is a federal law that established sweeping auditing and financial regulations for public companies.
What is the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol? How does it work? - The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a client-server communication protocol used for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports and other resources on a network.
What is TLS (Transport Layer Security)? Definition & Uses - Transport Layer Security (TLS) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard protocol that provides authentication, privacy and data integrity between two communicating computer applications.
Wien's constant - Wien's constant is a physical constant that is used in defining the relationship between the thermodynamic temperature of a black body (an object that radiates electromagnetic energy perfectly) and the wavelength at which the intensity of the radiation is the greatest.
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) - Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a set of specifications from Microsoft for consolidating the management of devices and applications in a network from Windows computing systems.
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) - Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a specification for a set of communication protocols to standardize the way wireless devices, such as mobile phones and radio transceivers, can be used for internet access, including email, the web, newsgroups and instant messaging.
WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) - WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) is a wireless local area network security standard officially supported by the Chinese government.
work - Work is force applied over distance.
World Wide Web (WWW) - The World Wide Web -- also known as the web, WWW or W3 -- refers to all the public websites or pages that users can access on their local computers and other devices through the internet.
XML (Extensible Markup Language) - XML (Extensible Markup Language) is used to describe data.
XML Schema Definition (XSD) - XML Schema Definition or XSD is a recommendation by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to describe and validate the structure and content of an XML document.
yottabyte (YB) - A yottabyte (YB) is a measure of theoretical storage capacity and data volumes equal to 2 to the 80th power bytes, or approximately a million trillion megabytes (MB).
Zigbee - Zigbee is a standards-based wireless technology developed to enable low-cost, low-power wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) and internet of things (IoT) networks.