Software applications

Definitions related to software applications, including tech terms about software programs for vertical industries and words and phrases about software development, use and management.

freeware - Freeware (not to be confused with free software) is a type of proprietary software that is released without charge to the public.
front end and back end - Front end and back end are terms used by programmers and computer professionals to describe the layers that make up hardware, a computer program or a website which are delineated based on how accessible they are to a user.
functional testing - Functional testing is a process used to evaluate software during development to ensure that it meets the application's intended requirements and specifications.
fuzz testing (fuzzing) - Fuzz testing (fuzzing) is a quality assurance technique used to discover coding errors or bugs and security loopholes in software, operating systems and networks.
fuzzy search - A fuzzy search is a technique that uses search algorithms to find strings that match patterns approximately.
garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) - Garbage in, garbage out, or GIGO, refers to the idea that in any system, the quality of output is determined by the quality of the input.
Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles (the Principles) - Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles is a framework for managing records in a way that supports an organization's immediate and future regulatory, legal, risk mitigation, environmental and operational requirements.
genomics - Genomics is the study of human genes and chromosomes.
Gmail - Gmail (pronounced Gee-mail) is a free web-based email service that provides users with 15 GB of storage for messages and the ability to search for specific messages.
GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) - GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is a graphical user interface (GUI) and set of computer desktop applications for Linux operating system (OS) users.
good automated manufacturing practice (GAMP) - Good automated manufacturing practice (GAMP) is a set of guidelines manufacturers and other automation users follow to maintain operational efficiency and reliability.
Google ChromeOS - Google ChromeOS, formerly Chrome OS, is a lightweight operating system (OS) built on ChromiumOS, an open source OS that shares the same code base as ChromeOS.
Google Docs - Google Docs, first released in 2006, is a free web-based word processor in which documents can be created, edited and stored as part of the Google Docs Editors suite of free web applications.
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 Maps - Google Maps is a web-based service that provides detailed information about geographical regions and sites worldwide.
Google Play - Google Play, formerly known as Android Market, is the official online store for digital media distributed by Google.
Google Sheets - Google Sheets is a web-based application that enables users to create, update and modify spreadsheets and share the data live online.
GraalVM - GraalVM is a tool for developers to write and execute Java code.
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.
grid computing - Grid computing is a system for connecting a large number of computer nodes into a distributed architecture that delivers the compute resources necessary to solve complex problems.
guest operating system (guest OS) - A guest operating system is the operating system installed on either a virtual machine (VM) or partitioned disk.
gzip (GNU zip) - Gzip (GNU zip) is a free and open source algorithm for file compression.
hackathon - A hackathon, also known as a codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software program.
Hadoop - Hadoop is an open source distributed processing framework that manages data processing and storage for big data applications in scalable clusters of computer servers.
hamburger icon (slide drawer navigation) - A hamburger icon is a navigational symbol in user interface (UI) design.
HashiCorp - HashiCorp is a software company that provides a suite of modular DevOps infrastructure provisioning and management products.
headless content management system (headless CMS) - A headless content management system (CMS) delivers back-end capabilities for editing, organizing and storing all types of digital information, without regard to how that content is published, displayed or used.
health informatics - Health informatics is the practice of acquiring, studying and managing health data and applying medical concepts in conjunction with health information technology systems to help clinicians provide better healthcare.
Health Information Exchange (HIE) - Health information exchange (HIE) is the electronic transmission of healthcare-related data among medical facilities, health information organizations -- companies that oversee and govern the exchange of this data -- and government agencies according to national standards.
Health IT (health information technology) - Health IT (health information technology) is the area of IT involving the design, development, creation, use and maintenance of information systems for the healthcare industry.
Healthcare CIO (healthcare chief information officer) - A healthcare CIO is a healthcare executive with an influence over technology purchasing and other IT business decisions.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP Enterprise, HPE) - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP Enterprise, also known as HPE) is an American multinational company that specializes in business IT (information technology).
HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) - The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to promote the best use of IT and management systems in the healthcare industry.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) - HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
HL7 (Health Level Seven International) - HL7 (Health Level Seven International) is a set of standards, formats and definitions for exchanging and developing electronic health records (EHRs).
hybrid application (hybrid app) - A hybrid app is a software application that combines elements of both native apps and web applications.
IBM IMS (Information Management System) - IBM IMS (Information Management System) is a database and transaction management system that was first introduced by IBM in 1968.
IBM Watson supercomputer - Watson was a supercomputer designed and developed by IBM.
ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) - The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), is a global standard for classifying and coding mortality and morbidity data.
ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) - The ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) is a system used by physicians and other healthcare providers to classify and code all diagnoses, symptoms and procedures recorded in conjunction with hospital care in the United States.
ICD-10-PCS (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System) - The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) is an American adaptation of the World Health Organization's ICD-10 system, tailored for procedural coding in inpatient and hospital settings.
ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification) - ICD-9-CM is the current medical coding standard used in hospitals in the United States.
identity management (ID management) - Identity management (ID management) is the organizational process for ensuring individuals have the appropriate access to technology resources.
IDoc (intermediate document) - IDoc (intermediate document) is a standard data structure used in SAP applications to transfer data to and from SAP system applications and external systems.
image metadata - Image metadata is text information pertaining to an image file that is embedded into the file or saved to a separate file that is associated with the image file.
image recognition - Image recognition, in the context of machine vision, is the ability of software to identify objects, places, people, writing and actions in digital images.
in-app purchase (IAP) - An in-app purchase (IAP) is something bought from within an application, typically a mobile app running on a smartphone or other mobile device.
Inbox Zero - Inbox Zero is a rigorous approach to email management that aims to keep an inbox empty -- or almost empty -- at all times.
infographic - An infographic (information graphic) is a representation of information in a graphic format designed to make the data easily understandable at a glance.
Information and Content Exchange (ICE) - Information and Content Exchange (ICE) is an XML-based standard protocol for electronic business-to-business (B2B) asset management.
information extraction (IE) - Information extraction (IE) is the automated retrieval of specific information related to a selected topic from a body or bodies of text.
information lifecycle management (ILM) - Information lifecycle management (ILM) is a comprehensive approach to managing an organization's data and associated metadata, starting with its creation and acquisition through when it becomes obsolete and is deleted.
information systems (IS) - An information system (IS) is an interconnected set of components used to collect, store, process and transmit data and digital information.
instance - In object-oriented programming (OOP), an instance is a specific realization of any object.
integrated development environment (IDE) - An integrated development environment (IDE) is a software suite that consolidates basic tools required to write and test software.
integration server - An integration server is a type of computer server that facilitates the interaction between different operating systems (OSes), services and applications across an enterprise IT environment.
integration testing or integration and testing (I&T) - Integration testing -- also known as integration and testing (I&T) -- is a type of software testing in which the different units, modules or components of a software application are tested as a combined entity.
intelligent character recognition (ICR) - Intelligent character recognition (ICR) is the computer translation of manually entered text characters into machine-readable characters.
interactive voice response (IVR) - Interactive voice response (IVR) is an automated telephony system that interacts with callers, gathers information and routes calls to the appropriate recipients.
internet of medical things (IoMT) or healthcare IoT - The internet of medical things (IoMT) is the collection of medical devices and applications that connect to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks.
interrupt - An interrupt is a signal emitted by a device attached to a computer or from a program within the computer.
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).
ISV (independent software vendor) - An ISV (independent software vendor) makes and sells software products that run on one or more computer hardware or operating system (OS) platforms.
IT as a Service (ITaaS) - IT as a Service (ITaaS) is a technology-delivery method that treats IT (information technology) as a commodity, providing an enterprise with exactly the amount of hardware, software, and support that it needs for an agreed-on monthly fee.
IT chargeback system - An IT chargeback system is an accounting strategy that applies the costs of IT services, hardware or software to the business unit in which they are used.
IT controls - An IT control is a procedure or policy that provides a reasonable assurance that the information technology (IT) used by an organization operates as intended, that data is reliable and that the organization is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
IT distributor - An IT channel distributor is a business that acts as an intermediary between vendors and value-added resellers (VARs) or system integrators (SIs) in the distribution of software or hardware.
IT operations management (ITOM) - IT operations management (ITOM) is a strategic approach to managing an organization's information technology needs.
iterative - In the world of IT and computer programming, the adjective iterative refers to a process where the design of a product or application is improved by repeated review and testing.
iTunes U - iTunes U is a dedicated section of Apple's iTunes Music Store that features educational audio and video files from universities, museums and public media organizations for free download to PCs and mobile devices.
JAR file (Java Archive) - A Java Archive, or JAR file, contains all of the various components that make up a self-contained, executable Java application, deployable Java applet or, most commonly, a Java library to which any Java Runtime Environment can link.
JAVA_HOME - JAVA_HOME is an operating system (OS) environment variable which can optionally be set after either the Java Development Kit (JDK) or the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed.
JAX-WS (Java API for XML Web Services) - Java API for XML Web Services (JAX-WS) is one of a set of Java technologies used to develop Web services.
Jira - Jira is an application lifecycle management (ALM) tool from Atlassian that provides different packages to suit various customer needs.
jitter buffer - In voice over IP (VoIP), a jitter buffer is a shared data area where voice packets can be collected, stored, and sent to the voice processor in evenly spaced intervals.
joint application development (JAD) - Joint application development, frequently shortened to JAD, is a methodology that involves the client or end user in the design and development of a software application through a succession of collaborative workshops called JAD sessions.
Joint Commission - The Joint Commission is an independent group that presently accredits 20,500 healthcare facilities in the United States by performing onsite evaluations.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) - JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a text-based, human-readable data interchange format used to exchange data between web clients and web servers.
keylogger (keystroke logger or system monitor) - A keylogger, sometimes called a keystroke logger, is a type of surveillance technology used to monitor and record each keystroke on a specific device, such as a computer or smartphone.
kill switch - A kill switch in an IT context is a mechanism used to shut down or disable a device or program.
knowledge management (KM) - Knowledge management is the process an enterprise uses to gather, organize, share and analyze its knowledge in a way that's easily accessible to employees.
Kubernetes operator - A Kubernetes operator is a method for application packaging and deployment that extends Kubernetes' capabilities to manage more complex, stateful workloads.
laboratory information system (LIS) - A laboratory information system (LIS) is computer software that processes, stores and manages data from patient medical processes and tests.
language modeling - Language modeling, or LM, is the use of various statistical and probabilistic techniques to determine the probability of a given sequence of words occurring in a sentence.
Lean software development - Lean software development is a concept that emphasizes optimizing efficiency and minimizing waste in the development of software.
low-code and no-code development platforms - Low-code/no-code development platforms are software development tools and environments that allow enterprise developers and citizen developers to create new applications using drag-and-drop components, linking them together and creating mobile or web apps.
machine translation - Machine translation technology enables the conversion of text or speech from one language to another using computer algorithms.
MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015) - MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015) is U.
manufacturing execution system (MES) - A manufacturing execution system (MES) is an information system that connects, monitors and controls complex manufacturing systems and data flows on the factory floor.
marketing automation - Marketing automation is a type of software that allows companies to effectively target customers with automated marketing messages across channels including email, websites, social media and text messages to generate sales leads.
McKesson Corp. - McKesson Corp.
Meaningful Use - In the context of health IT, meaningful use is a term used to define minimum U.
meaningful use stage 3 - Meaningful use stage 3 is the third phase of the federal incentive program that details requirements for the use of electronic health record systems by hospitals and eligible healthcare professionals.
medical imaging (radiology) - Medical imaging, also known as radiology, is the field of medicine in which medical professionals recreate various images of parts of the body for diagnostic or treatment purposes.
medical scribe - A medical scribe is a professional who specializes in documenting patient encounters in real time under the direction of a physician.
medical transcription (MT) - Medical transcription (MT) is the manual processing of voice reports dictated by physicians and other healthcare professionals into text format.
Meditech (Medical Information Technology Inc.) - Meditech (Medical Information Technology Inc.
menu - A menu is a set of options presented to the user of a computer application to help them find information or execute a function.
mHealth (mobile health) - mHealth (mobile health) is a general term for the use of mobile phones and other wireless technology in medical care.
micro app - A micro app is a small, mobile application that is designed to perform one, simple task.