Glossary Letter B

B - Susceptance (symbolized B) is an expression of the ease with which alternating current (AC) passes through a capacitance or inductance.

B channel - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the B-channel is the channel that carries the main data.

B-channel - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the B-channel is the channel that carries the main data.

B-channel (bearer channel) - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the B-channel is the channel that carries the main data.

B-tree - A B-tree is a method of placing and locating files (called records or keys) in a database.

B2B - On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers.

B2B (business-to-business) - On the internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services or information (aka e-commerce) between businesses, rather than between businesses and consumers.

B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer) - B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer) adds consumer e-commerce to the B2B (business-to-business) model, allowing a company to market its product or service more effectively by entering a B2B relationship with a company whose expertise is selling online.

B2C - B2C is short for business-to-consumer, or the retailing part of e-commerce on the Internet.

B2C (Business2Consumer or Business-to-Consumer) - B2C -- short for business-to-consumer -- is a retail model where products move directly from a business to the end user who has purchased the goods or service for personal use.

B2E - B2E is business-to-employee, an approach in which the focus of business is the employee, rather than the consumer (as it is in business-to-consumer, or B2C) or other businesses (as it is in business-to-business, or B2B).

B2E (Business2Employee or Business-to-Employee) - B2E is business-to-employee, an approach in which the focus of business is the employee, rather than the consumer (as it is in business-to-consumer, or B2C) or other businesses (as it is in business-to-business, or B2B).

B2G - On the Internet, B2G is business-to-government (a variation of the term B2B or business-to-business), the concept that businesses and government agencies can use central Web sites to exchange information and do business with each other more efficiently than they usually can off the Web.

B2G (Business2Government or Business-to-Government) - On the Internet, B2G is business-to-government (a variation of the term B2B or business-to-business), the concept that businesses and government agencies can use central Web sites to exchange information and do business with each other more efficiently than they usually can off the Web.

B8ZS - B8ZS (bipolar 8-zero substitution, also called binary 8-zero substitution, clear channel, and clear 64) is an encoding method used on T1 circuits that inserts two successive ones of the same voltage - referred to as a bipolar violation - into a signal whenever eight consecutive zeros are transmitted.

B8ZS (bipolar 8-zero substitution, binary 8-zero substitution, clear channel, clear 64) - B8ZS (bipolar 8-zero substitution, also called binary 8-zero substitution, clear channel, and clear 64) is an encoding method used on T1 circuits that inserts two successive ones of the same voltage - referred to as a bipolar violation - into a signal whenever eight consecutive zeros are transmitted.

BA - Business analytics (BA) is the practice of iterative, methodical exploration of an organization's data, with an emphasis on statistical analysis.

BAA - A broad agency announcement (BAA) is a notice from the government that requests scientific or research proposals from private firms concerning certain areas of interest to the government.

Babbage - If John von Neumann is the father of modern computing, then the English mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage can be considered its grandfather.

BABOK Guide (Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) - The guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge, or the BABOK Guide, is a book from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) that provides essential support and direction to business analysts (BAs) by presenting a collection of the activities that comprise business analysis.

Baby Bluetooth - Wibree, also called Baby Bluetooth, is a low-power wireless local area network (WLAN) technology that facilitates interoperability among mobile and portable consumer devices such as pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless computer peripherals, entertainment devices and medical equipment.

baby botnet - A micro-botnet, also called a mini-botnet or baby botnet, is a small network of Internet-connected computers that have been hijacked to attack specific companies or individuals within a company.

Back Orifice - Back Orifice is a rootkit program designed to expose the security deficiencies of Microsoft's Windows operating systems.

back-end - Front-end and back-end are terms used to characterize program interfaces and services relative to the initial user of these interfaces and services.

back-pressure sensor - A back-pressure sensor is a transducer that detects and measures the instantaneous torque that a robot motor applies.

Backblaze - Backblaze backs up data that cannot be retrieved if a computer breaks or is lost.

backbone - A backbone is a larger transmission line that carries data gathered from smaller lines that interconnect with it.

backdoor - A backdoor is a means to access a computer system or encrypted data that bypasses the system's customary security mechanisms.

backdoor (computing) - A backdoor is a means to access a computer system or encrypted data that bypasses the system's customary security mechanisms.

backdoor selling - Backdoor selling is the unscrupulous practice of seeking information beyond what is publicly available as a means of gaining a competitive advantage for a contract or sale.

backfire effect - The backfire effect is the tendency of some people to resist accepting evidence that conflicts with their beliefs.

backhaul - Backhaul, a term probably derived from the trucking industry, has several usages in information technology.

backlink - In Hyper-G and possibly other hypertext systems, a backlink is a link back to the page or one of the pages that currently link to the page you're using.

Backoff - Backoff is point-of-sale malware that uses memory scraping to steal credit card data from Windows-based retail machines on which it is installed.

backplane - A backplane is an electronic circuit board containing circuitry and sockets into which additional electronic devices on other circuit boards or cards can be plugged; in a computer, generally synonymous with or part of the motherboard.

backpropagation algorithm - Backpropagation (backward propagation) is an important mathematical tool for improving the accuracy of predictions in data mining and machine learning.

backronym - An acronym (pronounced AK-ruh-nihm, from Greek acro- in the sense of extreme or tip and onyma or name) is an abbreviation of several words in such a way that the abbreviation itself forms a word.

backscatter - Backscatter body scanning is an X-ray-based technology that yields a high-resolution image of a person's body beneath their clothing and reveals concealed objects.

backscatter body scanning - Backscatter body scanning is an X-ray-based technology that yields a high-resolution image of a person's body beneath their clothing and reveals concealed objects.

backscatter spam - Backscatter spam, also called misdirected bounce spam or NDR spam, is a strategy for sending unsolicited email messages that takes advantage of the fact that certain types of mail transfer agent (MTA) programs return the entire message to the sender when a recipient's email address is invalid.

backscatting - Backscatter body scanning is an X-ray-based technology that yields a high-resolution image of a person's body beneath their clothing and reveals concealed objects.

backside bus - In a personal computer with an Intel processor chipset that includes a Dual Independent Bus (DIB), the frontside bus is the data path and physical interface between the processor and the main memory (RAM).

backslash - The backslash ( \ ) is a typographic and/or keyboard mark that is widely used in programming languages and other computing contexts.

backtracking - Directory traversal is a form of HTTP exploit in which a hacker uses the software on a Web server to access data in a directory other than the server's root directory.

backup - Backup refers to the copying of physical or virtual files or databases to a secondary location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe.

Backup and Recovery Quizzes - We've gathered a collection of quizzes to test your knowledge of backup and recovery.

backup and recovery testing - A backup and recovery test is the process of assessing the effectiveness of an organization’s software and methods of replicating data for security and its ability to reliably retrieve that data should the need arise.

Backup and recovery: Do you speak geek? - A quiz about backup and recovery.

backup as a service (BaaS) - Backup as a service uses external providers to deliver cloud-based backup services to an enterprise.

backup domain controller - Primary domain controller (PDC) and backup domain controller (BDC) are roles that can be assigned to a server in a network of computers that use the Windows NT operating system.

backup domain controller (Windows NT) - A backup domain controller (BDC) is a role a Windows NT computer takes on to help manage access to network resources.

backup log - Backup log is a feature of backup applications that records the events that occur during a backup process.

backup on the Web - Online data backup (remote data backup) is a method of off-site storage in which data is regularly backed up over a network on a remote server, typically hosted by a provider.

backup storage device - A backup storage device is used to make copies of data that is actively in use.

backup with DAT USB - A DAT USB drive is a tape drive with digital audio tape (DAT) that can be plugged into a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection as a simple and relatively low-cost way to back up data routinely, especially on servers.

backward chaining - Backward chaining is the logical process of inferring unknown truths from known conclusions by moving backward from a solution to determine the initial conditions and rules.

backward combatible - Backward compatible (sometimes 'backward-compatible' or 'backwards compatible') refers to a hardware or software system that can successfully use data from earlier versions of the system or with other systems.

backward compatibility - Backward compatible (sometimes 'backward-compatible' or 'backwards compatible') refers to a hardware or software system that can successfully use data from earlier versions of the system or with other systems.

backward compatible - Backward compatible (sometimes 'backward-compatible' or 'backwards compatible') refers to a hardware or software system that can successfully use data from earlier versions of the system or with other systems.

backward compatible (backward compatibility) - Backward compatible (sometimes 'backward-compatible' or 'backwards compatible') refers to a hardware or software system that can successfully use data from earlier versions of the system or with other systems.

backward explicit congestion notification - In a frame relay network, FECN (forward explicit congestion notification) is a header bit transmitted by the source (sending) terminal requesting that the destination (receiving) terminal slow down its requests for data.

backward mapping - Backward mapping (also known as inverse mapping or screen order) is a technique used in texture mapping to create a 2D image from 3D data.

backward mapping (inverse mapping or screen order) - Backward mapping (also known as inverse mapping or screen order) is a technique used in texture mapping to create a 2D image from 3D data.

bacn - Bacn (pronounced as "bacon") is Internet slang for email that a user wants to read, but not right away.

bacon - Bacn (pronounced as "bacon") is Internet slang for email that a user wants to read, but not right away.

bad block - A bad block is an area of storage media that is no longer reliable for storing and retrieving data because it has been physically damaged or corrupted.

bad neighborhood - A bad neighborhood, in an SEO context, is a group of linked websites with poor reputations and search rankings.

BadBIOS - BadBIOS is a BIOS-level Trojan that can affect Windows, Macintosh, Linux and BSD systems.

baffle (data center hot aisle containment) - Baffle paneling covers unwanted space between racks, under the raised floor and above dropped ceilings in the data center, reducing energy consumption and power use.

bag of words model (BoW model) - The bag of words model (BoW model) is a reduced and simplified representation of a text document with selected parts of the text.

BAI2 file format - BAI2 file format is a specialized and standardized set of codes used for cash management by the Bank Administration Institute (BAI).

Baidu - Baidu is a Chinese technology, internet search and internet services company.

bait and switch - Bait and switch is a fraudulent practice in which a seller advertises a special deal but makes only a very small number of the items available for purchase.

baklava code - Baklava code is programming that is unnecessarily complicated by the inclusion of too many layers.

BAL - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating systems.

BAL - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating system.

BAL (Basic Assembler Language or branch-and-link) - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating systems.

balanced scorecard - The balanced scorecard is a management system aimed at translating an organization's strategic goals into a set of performance objectives that, in turn, are measured, monitored and changed if necessary to ensure that the organization's strategic goals are met.

balanced scorecard - The balanced scorecard is a management system aimed at translating an organization's strategic goals into a set of performance objectives that, in turn, are measured, monitored and changed if necessary to ensure that the organization's strategic goals are met.

Ballerina language - Ballerina language is an open-source, cloud-native programming language designed to ease the burden of integration development associated with enterprise applications.

balloon for wireless - A Stratellite is a rigid framed airship that hovers in a fixed position in the lower stratosphere and carries one or more repeaters to create wireless communication networks.

balun - A balun is a device that joins a balanced line (one that has two conductors, with equal currents in opposite directions, such as a twisted pair cable) to an unbalanced line (one that has just one conductor and a ground, such as a coaxial cable).

BAM - Business activity monitoring (BAM), also called business activity management, is the use of technology to proactively define and analyze critical opportunities and risks in an enterprise to maximize profitability and optimize efficiency.

band - In telecommunication, a band - sometimes called a frequency band - is a specific range of frequencies in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum, which is divided among ranges from very low frequencies (vlf) to extremely high frequencies (ehf).

bandpass filter - A bandpass filter is an electronic device or circuit that allows signals between two specific frequencies to pass, but that discriminates against signals at other frequencies.

bandwagon effect - The bandwagon effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby people do something mostly because others are doing it, often ignoring their personal principles or underlying evidence.

bandwidth - Network bandwidth is the capacity of a wired or wireless network communications link to transmit the maximum amount of data from one point to another over a computer network or internet connection in a given amount of time -- usually, one second.

bandwidth test - A bandwidth test is a program that sends one or more files of known size over a network to a distant computer (for example, your own computer), measures the time required for the file(s) to successfully download at the destination, and thereby obtains a theoretical figure for the data speed between two or more points, usually in kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps).

bandwidth test (testing your bandwidth) - A bandwidth test is a program that sends one or more files of known size over a network to a distant computer (for example, your own computer), measures the time required for the file(s) to successfully download at the destination, and thereby obtains a theoretical figure for the data speed between two or more points, usually in kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps).

bang-bang (bang-bang control) - Bang-bang control is a type of control system that mechanically or electronically turns something on or off when a desired target (setpoint) has been reached.

bank identifier code - A bank identifier code (BIC) is a unique identifier for a specific financial institution.

Bank Secrecy Act - The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), also known as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, is legislation passed by the United States Congress in 1970 that requires U.

Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) - The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), also known as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, is legislation passed by the United States Congress in 1970 that requires U.

banner - Depending on how it's used, a banner is either a graphic image that announces the name or identity of a site (and often is spread across the width of the Web page) or is an advertising image.

banner grabbing - Banner grabbing is the act of capturing the information provided by banners, configurable text-based welcome screens from network hosts that generally display system information.

banner screen - A banner screen is a configurable text “welcome” display from a network host system.

BANT - BANT is an acronym that stands for “Budget, Authority, Need, Timing.

BAPI - SAP BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface) is a standard interface to the business object models in SAP products.

bar - In programming, bar is a metasyntactic variable that is used to temporarily represent a function.

bar code - A bar code (often seen as a single word, barcode) is the small image of lines (bars) and spaces that is affixed to retail store items, identification cards, and postal mail to identify a particular product number, person, or location.

bar code (or barcode) - A bar code (often seen as a single word, barcode) is the small image of lines (bars) and spaces that is affixed to retail store items, identification cards, and postal mail to identify a particular product number, person, or location.

bar code reader - A barcode reader, also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a bar code.

Bar Coded Medication Administration - Bar Coded Medication Administration (BCMA) is a hospital inventory control system that uses barcodes in the distribution of prescription medications with the goal of ensuring the patient is receiving the correct medication.

Bar Coded Medication Administration (BCMA) - Bar Coded Medication Administration (BCMA) is a hospital inventory control system that uses barcodes in the distribution of prescription medications with the goal of ensuring the patient is receiving the correct medication.

bar graph - A bar graph is a pictorial rendition of statistical data in which the independent variable can attain only certain discrete values.

barcode - A bar code (often seen as a single word, barcode) is the small image of lines (bars) and spaces that is affixed to retail store items, identification cards, and postal mail to identify a particular product number, person, or location.

barcode data - Barcode data (sometimes called point-of-sale data) is information from barcodes that is automatically gathered as a consumer's purchases are put through a check-out.

barcode data (point-of-sale data, POS data) - Barcode data (sometimes called point-of-sale data) is information from barcodes that is automatically gathered as a consumer's purchases are put through a check-out.

barcode printer - A barcode printer is a printer designed to produce barcode labels which can be attached to other objects.

barcode reader - A barcode reader, also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a bar code.

barcode reader (POS scanner, bar code reader, price scanner) - A barcode reader, also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a bar code.

bare metal environment - A bare metal environment is a computer system or network in which a virtual machine is installed directly on hardware rather than within the host operating system (OS).

bare metal restore - In disaster recovery, a bare metal restore is the process of reformatting a computer from scratch after a catastrophic failure.

bare-metal cloud - Bare-metal cloud is a public cloud service installed directly on hardware with no virtualized infrastructure.

bare-metal hypervisor - A bare-metal hypervisor, also known as a Type 1 hypervisor, is virtualization software that has been installed directly onto the computing hardware.

bare-metal provisioning - Bare-metal provisioning is the process of installing an operating system (OS) or Type 1 hypervisor directly on a computer's hardware.

barnacle - In a computer, a barnacle is unwanted programming, such as adware or spyware, that is downloaded and installed along with a user-requested program.

Barnum effect (Forer effect) - The Barnum effect is the tendency for an individual to personalize a generalization that could apply to anyone.

barter economy - A barter economy is a cashless economic system in which services and goods are traded at negotiated rates.

base address - A base address is a unique location in primary storage (or main memory) that serves as a reference point for other memory locations called absolute addresses.

base station - In telecommunications, a base station is a fixed transceiver that is the main communication point for one or more wireless mobile client devices.

baseband - Describes a telecommunication system in which information is carried in digital form on a single unmultiplexed signal channel on the transmission medium.

baseband unit (BBU) - A baseband unit (BBU) is a device that interprets baseband frequencies in telecom systems including computer networks, the internet, phone networks and radio broadcasting systems.

baseband video - Composite video, also called baseband video or RCA video, is the analog waveform that conveys the image data in a conventional National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) television signal.

baseboard management controller - A baseboard management controller (BMC) is a specialized service processor that monitors the physical state of a computer, network server or other hardware device using sensors and communicating with the system administrator through an independent connection.

baseboard management controller (BMC) - A baseboard management controller (BMC) is a specialized service processor that monitors the physical state of a computer, network server or other hardware device using sensors and communicating with the system administrator through an independent connection.

Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) - The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) is a group of international banking authorities who work to strengthen the regulation, supervision and practices of banks and improve financial stability worldwide.

Basel II - Basel II is an international business standard that requires financial institutions to have enough cash reserves to cover risks incurred by operations.

Basel III - Basel III is a set of standards and practices created to ensure that international banks maintain adequate capital to sustain themselves during periods of economic strain.

baseline - What is a baseline?In project management, a baseline is a known state by which something is measured or compared.

bash - Bash (Bourne Again Shell ) is the free version of the Bourne shell distributed with Linux and GNU operating systems.

bash (Bourne Again Shell) - Bash (Bourne Again Shell ) is the free version of the Bourne shell distributed with Linux and GNU operating systems.

Bash Cheat Sheets - We've gathered cheat sheets for fast reference to Bash-related information.

BASIC - BASIC was an early programming language that is still among the simplest and most popular of programming languages.

BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) - BASIC was an early programming language that is still among the simplest and most popular of programming languages.

Basic Assembler Language - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating system.

Basic Assembler Language - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating systems.

Basic Assembler Language (BAL) - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating system.

basic I/O system - BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a personal computer's microprocessor uses to get the computer system started after you turn it on.

basic input/output system - BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a personal computer's microprocessor uses to get the computer system started after you turn it on.

basic IO system - BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a personal computer's microprocessor uses to get the computer system started after you turn it on.

Basic Rate Interface - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), there are two levels of service: the Basic Rate Interface (BRI), intended for the home and small enterprise, and the Primary Rate Interface (PRI), for larger users.

Basic Rate Interface (BRI) - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), there are two levels of service: the Basic Rate Interface (BRI), intended for the home and small enterprise, and the Primary Rate Interface (PRI), for larger users.

bastion host - On the Internet, a bastion host is the only host computer that a company allows to be addressed directly from the public network and that is designed to screen the rest of its network from security exposure.

Basware - Learn about Basware, a Finland-based vendor of networked purchase-to-pay, e-invoicing, procurement, and financing software and services.

batch - In a computer, a batch job is a program that is assigned to the computer to run without further user interaction.

batch file - A batch file is a text file that contains a sequence of commands for a computer operating system.

batch job - In a computer, a batch job is a program that is assigned to the computer to run without further user interaction.

batch processing - In a computer, a batch job is a program that is assigned to the computer to run without further user interaction.

battery - A battery is an electrochemical cell (or enclosed and protected material) that can be charged electrically to provide a static potential for power or released electrical charge when needed.

battery life - Battery life is a measure of battery performance and longevity, which can be quantified in several ways: as run time on a full charge, as estimated by a manufacturer in milliampere hours, or as the number of charge cycles until the end of useful life.

battery management system (BMS) - A battery management system (BMS) is an electronic regulator that monitors and controls the charging and discharging of rechargeable batteries.

battery memory effect - The battery memory effect is a reduction in the longevity of a rechargeable battery's charge, due to incomplete discharge in previous uses.

baud - Baud was the prevalent measure for data transmission speed until replaced by a more accurate term, bps (bits per second).

Baxter industrial robot - Baxter is an industrial robot produced by Rethink Robotics of Boston, Massachusetts.

Bayesian filter - A Bayesian filter is a program that uses Bayesian logic, also called Bayesian analysis, to evaluate the header and content of an incoming e-mail message and determine the probability that it constitutes spam.

Bayesian logic - Named for Thomas Bayes, an English clergyman and mathematician, Bayesian logic is a branch of logic applied to decision making and inferential statistics that deals with probability inference: using the knowledge of prior events to predict future events.

Bayesian statistics - Bayesian statistics is a mathematical approach to calculating probability in which conclusions are subjective and updated as additional data is collected.

Bayonet Neil-Concelman - A BNC (Bayonet Neil-Concelman, or sometimes British Naval Connector) connector is used to connect a computer to a coaxial cable in a 10BASE-2 Ethernet network.

BBCs - Buffer credits, also called buffer-to-buffer credits (BBCs), allow data communication in a Fibre Channelstorage area network (SAN) where there are long spans of fiber opticcable.

BBS - A bulletin board system (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network.

bc set - In the R/3 system from SAP, a Business Configuration Set (BC Set) is a management tool that allows the user to record, save, and share customized settings.

Bcc - In Eudora and perhaps other email facilities, you'll see the abbreviations "Fcc" and "Bcc".

Bcc (blind carbon copy or blind courtesy copy) - In Eudora and perhaps other email facilities, you'll see the abbreviations "Fcc" and "Bcc".

BCDR - Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) are closely related practices that describe an organization's preparation for unforeseen risks to continued operations.

BCI - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

BCMA - Bar Coded Medication Administration (BCMA) is a hospital inventory control system that uses barcodes in the distribution of prescription medications with the goal of ensuring the patient is receiving the correct medication.

BCP - A company's disaster recovery policy is enhanced with a documented DR plan that formulates strategies, and outlines preparation work and testing.

BDC - Primary domain controller (PDC) and backup domain controller (BDC) are roles that can be assigned to a server in a network of computers that use the Windows NT operating system.

beacon (proximity beacon) - A beacon, in the context of location-based services, is a small hardware device that enables data transmission to mobile devices when the users are within a specific range of the device.

beacon probing - Beacon probing is a networking troubleshooting feature in VMware vSphere that pinpoints failures with physical Ethernet adapters and physical switches.

beamforming - Beamforming is a type of RF (radio frequency) management in which an access point uses multiple antennas to send out the same signal.

beaming - In infrared transmission, beaming is the communication of data between wireless devices using a beam of infrared light.

Bean - In its JavaBeans application program interface for writing a component, Sun Microsystems calls a component a "Bean" (thus continuing their coffee analogy).

bearer channel - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the B-channel is the channel that carries the main data.

Bearer Independent Call Control - Bearer Independent Call Control (BICC) is a signaling protocol based on N-ISUP that is used to support narrowband ISDN service over a broadband backbone network without interfering with interfaces to the existing network and end-to-end services.

Bearer Independent Call Control (BICC) - Bearer Independent Call Control (BICC) is a signaling protocol based on N-ISUP that is used to support narrowband ISDN service over a broadband backbone network without interfering with interfaces to the existing network and end-to-end services.

BECN - In a frame relay network, FECN (forward explicit congestion notification) is a header bit transmitted by the source (sending) terminal requesting that the destination (receiving) terminal slow down its requests for data.

becquerel - The becquerel is the derived unit of radioactivity in the International System of Units (SI), symbolized Bq and equal to one disintegration or nuclear transformation per second.

BEDO DRAM - BEDO DRAM (Burst Extended Data Output DRAM) is a type of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that can send data back to the computer from one read operation at the same time it is reading in the address of the next data to be sent.

BEDO DRAM (Burst Extended Data Output DRAM) - BEDO DRAM (Burst Extended Data Output DRAM) is a type of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that can send data back to the computer from one read operation at the same time it is reading in the address of the next data to be sent.

BeeMe (MIT Media Lab) - BeeMe is a web-based social experiment that will be hosted by the MIT Media Lab at 11pm on October 31, 2018.

beep code - A beep code is the audio signal given out by a computer to announce the result of a short diagnostic testing sequence the computer performs when first powering up (called the Power-On-Self-Test or POST).

beeper - A pager is a small telecommunications device that receives (and, in some cases, transmits) alert signals and/or short messages.

bees algorithm - The bees algorithm is a method of problem solving that mimics the behavior of honeybees to find the optimum solution.

Beginner's All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code - BASIC was an early programming language that is still among the simplest and most popular of programming languages.

Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code - BASIC was an early programming language that is still among the simplest and most popular of programming languages.

beginning of life (BOL) - Beginning of life (BOL), in the context of manufacturing and product lifecycles, is the first stages of a product’s existence.

behavior blacklisting - Behavior blacklisting is a security method based on detecting specified suspicious actions on the part of software or human agents and blocking access accordingly.

behavior whitelisting - Behavior whitelisting is a security method in which permissable actions within a given system are specified and all others are blocked.

behavior-based security - Behavior-based security software scans for deviations from the norm and decides whether an anomaly poses a threat or can simply be ignored.

behavior-driven development (BDD) - Behavior-driven development (BDD) is an Agile software development methodology in which an application is documented and designed around the behavior a user expects to experience when interacting with it.

behavioral biometrics - Behavioral biometrics are based on human activity such as typing patterns.

behavioral economics - Behavioral economics is the study of economic decision-making by individuals and institutions.

behavioral targeting - Behavioral targeting is the presentation of content and marketing based on the previous choices of users across websites.

Bel - In electronics and communications, the Bel expresses the logarithmic ratio between two levels of signal power, voltage, or current.

Believe it or Not (Answers) - This one is false -- in fact, the Difference Engine was powered by steam.

Bell Communications Research - Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) provides certain centralized research and standards coordination for the regional Bell operating companies (RBOC)s.

bell curve - A bell curve is a form of graph that is used to visualize the distribution of a set of chosen values across a specified group that tend to have a central, normal values, as peak with low and high extremes tapering off relatively symmetrically on either side.

Bell operating company - BOC (Bell operating company) is a term for any of the 22 original companies (or their successors) that were created when AT&T was broken up in 1983 and given the right to provide local telephone service in a given geographic area.

Bellcore - Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) provides certain centralized research and standards coordination for the regional Bell operating companies (RBOC)s.

Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) - Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) provides certain centralized research and standards coordination for the regional Bell operating companies (RBOC)s.

benchmark - A benchmark is a point of reference by which something can be measured.

benefit corporation - Benefit corporation is a type of corporate structure recognized by some state governments in the United States.

benefits administration - Benefits administration is the process of assembling and managing the benefits an organization provides to employees.

BeOS - BeOS is a personal computer operating system that its makers describe as designed for the multimedia applications of the future.

Beowulf - Beowulf is an approach to building a supercomputer as a cluster of commodity off-the-shelf personal computers, interconnected with a local area network technology like Ethernet, and running programs written for parallel processing.

BER - In telecommunication transmission, the bit error rate (BER) is the percentage of bits that have errors relative to the total number of bits received in a transmission, usually expressed as ten to a negative power.

Berkeley Software Distribution - BSD (originally: Berkeley Software Distribution) refers to the particular version of the UNIX operating system that was developed at and distributed from the University of California at Berkeley.

BERT language model - BERT is an open source machine learning framework for natural language processing (NLP).

BES - BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is a middleware program that allows BlackBerry devices to access corporate messaging and collaboration software such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

bespoke - Bespoke (pronounced bee-SPOHK) is a term used in the United Kingdom and elsewhere for an individually- or custom-made product or service.

best practice - A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has been proven to reliably lead to a desired result.

best practices - A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has been proven to reliably lead to a desired result.

beta - In software development, a beta test is the second phase of software testing in which a sampling of the intended audience tries the product out.

beta test - In software development, a beta test is the second phase of software testing in which a sampling of the intended audience tries the product out.

Betamax - Betamax is a videocassette recording (VCR) technology that uses magnetic tape 1/2 inch (1.

betamaxed - To be betamaxed is to have your superior product lose out in the market to an inferior one as a result of marketing, influence or some other factor unrelated to product quality.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) - The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a non-profit accreditor of ethical businesses.

Betteridge's law (of headlines) - Betteridge's law (of headlines) is an adage that states "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.

BetterWhois - BetterWhois, named after the original whois, lets you look up registration information from all Internet domain name registrars at the same time.

BetterWorks - BetterWorks is cloud-based software that helps employees continuously manage their performance and align their goals to the objectives of the organization.

bevel - In graphic design, bevel is a raised effect created by applying highlight and shadow colors to the inside and outside edges of the border of an image or text area in order to create the illusion that the image or text area has three dimensions.

BEx - In the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW), BEx (Business Explorer) is the reporting tool used to work with data in the BW database.

BEx (Business Explorer) - In the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW), BEx (Business Explorer) is the reporting tool used to work with data in the BW database.

bezel - A bezel is the border between the screen and frame of a computer monitor, smartphone or any other computing device.

Bezier curve - A Bezier curve is a mathematically defined curve used in two-dimensional graphic applications.

BGAN - BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) is a mobile communications system created to transmit broadband wireless voice and data communications almost anywhere on the earth's surface.

BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) - BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) is a mobile communications system created to transmit broadband wireless voice and data communications almost anywhere on the earth's surface.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) - BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the protocol underlying the global routing system of the internet.

BHIE - Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE) is a health information sharing project that builds on the previously established Federal Health Information Exchange (FHIE) program.

BI - Self-service business intelligence (BI) is an approach to data analytics that enables business users to access and work with corporate data even if they do not have a background in statistical analysis, BI or data mining.

BI - Real-time business intelligence is an approach to data analytics that enables business users to get up-to-the-minute data by directly accessing operational systems.

BI - Business intelligence (BI) is a technology-driven process for analyzing data and presenting actionable information to help executives, managers and other corporate end users make informed business decisions.

bi-level image - A bi-level image is a computer image in which each pixel (picture element) is represented by only one bit, which can be either on or off.

BIA - A business impact analysis (BIA) identifies and examines the effects of natural or human-caused disasters on critical business functions.

bias - Bias is direct current (DC) deliberately made to flow, or DC voltage deliberately applied, between two points for the purpose of controlling a circuit.

BIC - A business information center (BIC) is an incubator for entrepeneurs designed to offer information, education, training and access to other services at one location.

BIC - A bank identifier code (BIC) is a unique identifier for a specific financial institution.

BIC (bank identifier code) - A bank identifier code (BIC) is a unique identifier for a specific financial institution.

BICC - Bearer Independent Call Control (BICC) is a signaling protocol based on N-ISUP that is used to support narrowband ISDN service over a broadband backbone network without interfering with interfaces to the existing network and end-to-end services.

BICC - A business intelligence competency center (BICC) is a team of people that, in its most fully realized form, is responsible for managing all aspects of an organization's BI strategy, projects and systems.

bid for placement - Bid for placement is a paid inclusion search engine marketing model in which advertisers select keywords and bid per click for first link placement in search results using those terms.

Bidirectional Health Information Exchange - Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE) is a health information sharing project that builds on the previously established Federal Health Information Exchange (FHIE) program.

Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE) - Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE) is a health information sharing project that builds on the previously established Federal Health Information Exchange (FHIE) program.

bidirectional replication - Bidirectional replication is a method of replication between storage media such as hard disks or virtual disks in different locations, in which data can be transmitted in either direction.

bifurcation - In the biometric process of fingerscanning, a bifurcation is a point in a finger image at which two ridges meet.

Big 4 - The Big 4, also known as the Final 4, are the four largest international accounting and professional services firms.

Big 4 (Final 4) - The Big 4, also known as the Final 4, are the four largest international accounting and professional services firms.

big bang adoption - Big bang adoption is a hardware or software migration method that involves getting rid of the existing system and transferring all users to the new system simultaneously.

Big Blue - Big Blue refers to IBM, which has used blue as a branding color in its logo and elsewhere.

big box store - A big box store is a very large brick and mortar retail location which sells a variety of merchandise, usually at a low price.

Big Chief tablet - The Big Chief tablet was for many years the most popular brand of paper writing tablet among school children.

Big Chief tablet (writing tablet) - The Big Chief tablet was for many years the most popular brand of paper writing tablet among school children.

big data - Big data is an evolving term that describes any voluminous amount of structured, semistructured and unstructured data that has the potential to be mined for information.

big data - Big data is a combination of structured, semistructured and unstructured data collected by organizations that can be mined for information and used in machine learning projects, predictive modeling and other advanced analytics applications.

big data analytics - Big data analytics is the often complex process of examining big data to uncover information -- such as hidden patterns, correlations, market trends and customer preferences -- that can help organizations make informed business decisions.

Big data analytics vocabulary quiz - Take our 10-question quiz to test your knowledge of essential big data analytics terminology or see our glossary of terms to study up ahead of time.

big data as a service (BDaaS) - Big data as a service (BDaaS) is the delivery of statistical analysis tools or information by an outside provider that helps organizations understand and use insights gained from large information sets in order to gain a competitive advantage.

big data CRM (big data customer relationship management) - Big data CRM (big data customer relationship management) refers to the practice of integrating big data into a company's CRM processes with the goals of improving customer service, calculating return on investment on various initiatives and predicting clientele behavior.

big data engineer - A big data engineer is an information technology (IT) professional who is responsible for designing, building, testing and maintaining complex data processing systems that work with large data sets.

big data management - Big data management is the organization, administration and governance of large volumes of both structured and unstructured data.

big data storage - Big data storage is a compute-and-storage architecture that collects and manages large data sets and enables real-time data analytics.

big iron - A mainframe (also known as 'big iron') is a high-performance computer used for large-scale computing purposes that require greater availability and security than a smaller-scale machine can offer.

Big Mother - Big Mother is the concept of pervasive parenting, in which parents use modern geolocation, wireless and video technologies to constantly track the activities of a child.

Big Switch Big Network Controller - Big Network Controller is the SDN controller for the Open Software Defined Network (SDN), a product suite for network virtualization released in November of 2012 by Big Switch Networks.

Big Switch Networks - Big Switch Networks is a network virtualization and SDN (software-defined networking) company that was founded in 2010.

Big Switch Networks Big Tap - Big Tap is a network monitoring application that runs on Big Network Controller, the SDN controller for the Open Software-Defined Network (SDN).

Big Switch Networks Big Virtual Switch - Big Virtual Switch is a data center network virtualization application that runs on Big Network Controller, the SDN controller for the Open Software-Defined Network (SDN).

Big Tech - Big Tech is a term that refers to the most dominant and largest technology companies in their respective sectors.

big-endian - Big-endian and little-endian are terms that describe the order in which a sequence of bytes are stored in computer memory.

big-endian and little-endian - Endianness is a term that describes the order in which a sequence of bytes are stored in computer memory.

bill of lading (BoL, B/L) - A bill of lading (also seen as B/L and BoL) is a document given to a shipper by the carrier that details the shipment and serves as a means of transferring the title of goods.

bill of materials - A bill of materials (BOM) is a comprehensive inventory of the raw materials, assemblies, subassemblies, parts and components, as well as the quantities of each, needed to manufacture a product.

bill of materials (BOM) - A bill of materials (BOM) is a comprehensive inventory of the raw materials, assemblies, subassemblies, parts and components, as well as the quantities of each, needed to manufacture a product.

billable hours - Billable hours are the amounts of an employee’s work time that can be charged to a client.

billions of bits per second - Gbps stands for billions of bits per second and is a measure of bandwidth on a digital data transmission medium such as optical fiber.

bimodal IAM (bimodal identity access management) - Bimodal identity and access management (IAM) uses two forms of credentials, internal and external, as a method of authentication.

bimodal IT (bimodal information technology) - Bimodal IT is a two-tiered IT operations model that allows for the creation of IT systems and processes that are stable and predictable as well as agile and fast.

binary - Binary describes a numbering scheme in which there are only two possible values for each digit: 0 and 1.

binary 8-zero substitution - B8ZS (bipolar 8-zero substitution, also called binary 8-zero substitution, clear channel, and clear 64) is an encoding method used on T1 circuits that inserts two successive ones of the same voltage - referred to as a bipolar violation - into a signal whenever eight consecutive zeros are transmitted.

binary coded decimal - Binary coded decimal (BCD) is a system of writing numerals that assigns a four-digit binary code to each digit 0 through 9 in a decimal (base-10) numeral.

binary digit - A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in a computer.

binary file - A binary file is a file whose content must be interpreted by a program or a hardware processor that understands in advance exactly how it is formatted.

binary large object - In computers, a BLOB (binary large object), pronounced BLAHB and sometimes spelled in all lower case, is a large file, typically an image or sound file, that must be handled (for example, uploaded, downloaded, or stored in a database) in a special way because of its size.

binary prefix multipliers - Kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, pebi, and exbi are binary prefix multipliers that, in 1998, were approved as a standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in an effort to eliminate the confusion that sometimes occurs between decimal (power-of-10) and binary (power-of-2) numeration terms.

Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless - BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) is Qualcomm's open source application development platform for wireless devices equipped for code division multiple access (CDMA) technology.

binary search - A binary search, also called a dichotomizing search, is a digital scheme for locating a specific object in a large set.

binary search (dichotomizing search) - A binary search, also called a dichotomizing search, is a digital scheme for locating a specific object in a large set.

binary tree - A binary tree is a method of placing and locating files (called records or keys) in a database, especially when all the data is known to be in random access memory (RAM).

binary-safe function - A binary-safe function is a function or operation that can be performed on a binary file without modifying the contents of the file.

binaural sound (binaural beats) - Binaural sound is audio that is recorded through specialized dual microphone setups, allowing for a stereophonic 3D audio effect that simulates sound as heard when physically present.

bind - In computer programming, to bind is to make an association between two or more programming objects or value items for some scope of time and place.

binder - In file management, a binder is a software utility that combines two or more files into a single file.

BinHex - BinHex is a utility for converting (encoding) Macintosh files into files that will travel well on networks either as files or e-mail attachments.

binning and grouping - Binning and grouping is form of data visualization in which individual data values are sorted into classes or categories and depicted graphically to help explain the significance of the data.

binomial distribution - Binomial distribution is a type of formula in mathematics and statistics for predicting probabilities where there are two possible outcomes over a set of instances.

bio-inspired computing - Bio-inspired computing is a research method aimed at solving problems using computer models based on the principles of biology and the natural world.

BioAPI - The BioAPI Consortium is a group of over 90 organizations whose goal is to encourage and promote the growth of biometric technology by developing an industry-wide application programming interface (API.

BioAPI Consortium - The BioAPI Consortium is a group of over 90 organizations whose goal is to encourage and promote the growth of biometric technology by developing an industry-wide application programming interface (API.

biochip - A biochip is a collection of miniaturized test sites (microarrays) arranged on a solid substrate that permits many tests to be performed at the same time in order to achieve higher throughput and speed.

biochip transponder - An injectable ID chip, also called a biochip transponder, is an electronic device that is inserted under the skin of an animal to provide the animal with a unique identification number.

biofeedback - Biofeedback is a system that monitors biological data from users and trains them to improve their physiological responses, with the goal of improving physical and mental health and performance.

biogas - Cow power is a term for the conversion of manure to usable energy.

bioinformatics - Bioinformatics is the science of developing computer databases and algorithms for the purpose of speeding up and enhancing biological research.

biomechatronics - Biomechatronics is the interdisciplinary study of biology, mechanics, and electronics.

biomedical informatics - Biomedical informatics is the branch of health informatics that uses data to help clinicians, researchers and scientists improve human health and provide healthcare.

biometric - Biometrics is the measurement and statistical analysis of people's unique physical and behavioral characteristics.

Biometric Application Programming Interface - This glossary provides definitions for the most commonly encountered terms or concepts for the Biometric Application Programming Interface (BAPI).

Biometric Application Programming Interface (BAPI): Glossary - This glossary provides definitions for the most commonly encountered terms or concepts for the Biometric Application Programming Interface (BAPI).

biometric authentication - Biometric verification is any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits.

biometric authentication - Biometric authentication is a security process that relies on the unique biological characteristics of individuals to verify they are who they say they are.

biometric identification - Biometric verification is any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits.

biometric payment - Biometric payment is a point of sale technology in which a customer submits biometric data, such as a fingerprint, to authorize the deduction of funds from a bank account.

biometric verification - Biometric verification is any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits.

biometrics - Biometrics is the measurement and statistical analysis of people's unique physical and behavioral characteristics.

biomimetics (biomimicry) - Biomimetic refers to human-made processes, substances, devices, or systems that imitate nature.

bionics - Bionics is the replication of biological systems by mechanical and electronic systems.

bioplastic - A bioplastic is a substance made from organic biomass sources, unlike conventional plastics which are made from petroleum.

bioprinting - Although bioprinting is still in the experimental stage and is currently used primarily in scientific study rather than applied science, the possibility of creating functional replacement tissues or organs could one day transform medical treatment.

biorobotics - Biorobotics is the use of biological characteristics in living organisms as the knowledge base for developing new robot designs.

BIOS - BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a personal computer's microprocessor uses to get the computer system started after you turn it on.

BIOS (basic input/output system) - BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a computer's microprocessor uses to start the computer system after it is powered on.

BIOS attack - A BIOS attack is an exploit that infects the BIOS with malicious code and is persistent through reboots and attempts to reflash the firmware.

BIOS password - A BIOS password is a security precaution that requires a computer user to log into the machine's basic input/output system (BIOS) before a computer will boot up.

BIOS rootkit - A BIOS-level rootkit is programming that exists in a system's memory hardware to enable remote administration.

BIOS rootkit attack - A BIOS-level rootkit attack, also known as a persistent BIOS attack, is an exploit in which the BIOS is flashed (updated) with malicious code.

Biosense - Biosense is the first foray into the field of bioinformatics for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

biotechnology (biotech) - Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to manufacture products intended to improve the quality of human life.

bipolar 8-zero substitution - B8ZS (bipolar 8-zero substitution, also called binary 8-zero substitution, clear channel, and clear 64) is an encoding method used on T1 circuits that inserts two successive ones of the same voltage - referred to as a bipolar violation - into a signal whenever eight consecutive zeros are transmitted.

bipolar signaling - Bipolar signaling, also called bipolar transmission, is a baseband method of sending binary data over wire or cable.

bipolar signaling (bipolar transmission) - Bipolar signaling, also called bipolar transmission, is a baseband method of sending binary data over wire or cable.

bipolar transistor - A bipolar transistor is a semiconductor device commonly used for amplification.

bipolar transmission - Bipolar signaling, also called bipolar transmission, is a baseband method of sending binary data over wire or cable.

birdie - A birdie is a false, or phantom, signal that appears in a superheterodyne wireless receiver.

BIRT (Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools) - BIRT (Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools) is an open source technology platform sponsored by the Eclipse Foundation that consists of a visual report designer and a runtime component for Java and Java EE environments.

bis - The word (also used as a prefix or suffix) bis, applied to some modem protocol standards, is Old Latin for "repeat" (akin to Old High German "twice").

BISDN - BISDN is both a concept and a set of services and developing standards for integrating digital transmission services in a broadband network of fiber optic and radio media.

Bison - Bison is a program that converts the formal description of a computer language grammar into a C language program that can parse the syntax and symbols of that grammar into instructions that the computer can execute.

bistable gates - Flip-flops, also called bistable gates, are digital logic circuits that can be in one of two states.

bit - A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in a computer.

bit (binary digit) - A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in a computer.

bit depth - In digital audio, bit depth describes the potential accuracy of a particular piece of hardware or software that processes audio data.

bit error rate - In telecommunication transmission, the bit error rate (BER) is the percentage of bits that have errors relative to the total number of bits received in a transmission, usually expressed as ten to a negative power.

bit error rate (BER) - In telecommunication transmission, the bit error rate (BER) is the percentage of bits that have errors relative to the total number of bits received in a transmission, usually expressed as ten to a negative power.

bit map - A bit map (often spelled "bitmap") defines a display space and the color for each pixelor "bit" in the display space.

bit padding - Bit padding is the addition of one or more extra bits to a transmission or storage unit to make it conform to a standard size.

bit per second - In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps or bit/sec) is a common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers.

bit rate - In digital telecommunication, the bit rate is the number of bits that pass a given point in a telecommunication network in a given amount of time, usually a second.

bit robbing - Bit robbing is a technique used in signaling on the T-carrier system, the widely-used system for transmitting both voice and data in digital form in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and in private networks.

bit rot - Bit rot is the slow deterioration in the performance and integrity of data stored on storage media.

bit slicing - Bit slicing is a method of combining processor modules to multiply the word length.

bit stream - A bit stream is a contiguous sequence of bits, representing a stream of data, transmitted continously over a communications path, serially (one at a time).

bit stuffing - Bit stuffing is the insertion of one or more bits into a transmission unit as a way to provide signaling information to a receiver.

Bit Torrent - BitTorrent is a content distribution protocol that enables efficient software distribution and peer-to-peer sharing of very large files, such as entire movies and TV shows, by enabling users to serve as network redistribution points.

bit/sec - In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps or bit/sec) is a common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers.

Bitcoin - Bitcoin is a digital currency (also called crypto-currency) that is not backed by any country's central bank or government.

Bitcoin address - A Bitcoin address is a digital identifier that serves as a location where the cryptocurrency can be sent.

Bitcoin ATM - A Bitcoin ATM is an automated teller machine that lets users buy, sell and transfer the cryptocurrency, just as regular ATMs provide financial services related to traditional currencies.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) - Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is an altcoin version of the popular Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin mining - Bitcoin mining is the processing of transactions in the digital currency system, in which the records of current Bitcoin transactions, known as a blocks, are added to the record of past transactions, known as the block chain.

BitLocker - BitLocker is an operating system-level extension to Vista that combines on-disk encryption and special key management techniques.

Bitly - Bitly is a URL shortener service that enables users to truncate webpage links.

bitmap - A bit map (often spelled "bitmap") defines a display space and the color for each pixelor "bit" in the display space.

BITNET - BITNET is a network of academic sites comparable to but separate from the Internet.

BitPim - BitPim is a cross-platform, open source application for managing data on cell phones that use the CDMA mobile telephony protocol.

bits per second - In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps or bit/sec) is a common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers.

bits per second (bps or bit/sec) - In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps or bit/sec) is a common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers.

BitTorrent - BitTorrent is a content distribution protocol that enables efficient software distribution and peer-to-peer sharing of very large files, such as entire movies and TV shows, by enabling users to serve as network redistribution points.

bitwise - Bitwise operations manipulate data at the bit level rather than with bytes or larger units of data, as is more common.

bitwise operator - Because they allow greater precision and require fewer resources, bitwise operators, which manipulate individual bits, can make some code faster and more efficient.

Bixby Voice - Bixby Voice is an AI-based voice assistant created by Samsung for their mobile devices and adds voice control for Samsung’s digital assistant, Bixby.

BizDevOps (Business, Development and Operations) - BizDevOps, also known as DevOps 2.

BizTalk - BizTalk is an industry initiative headed by Microsoft to promote Extensible Markup Language (XML) as the common data exchange language for e-commerce and application integration on the Internet.

black body - A blackbody (sometimes spelled "black body") is a theoretically ideal radiator and absorber of energy at all electromagnetic wavelength s.

black box (black box testing) - Black box testing assesses a system solely from the outside, without the operator or tester knowing what is happening within the system to generate responses to test actions.

black box AI - Black box AI is any artificial intelligence system whose inputs and workings are not accessible to the user or another interested party.

black hat - Black hat refers to a hacker who breaks into a computer system or network with malicious intent.

black hat link building - Black hat link building is techniques used to drive traffic to a website by exploiting website loopholes, enabling a site to rank higher than it should through organic search means.

black hat SEO - Black hat SEO is a type of unscrupulous search engine optimization tactic used to raise a website's search engine results page (SERP) ranking illegitimately or lower the ranking of a competitor's site.

black hole - The term "black hole" is sometimes used to refer to an imaginary place where objects, files, or funds go when they get lost for no apparent reason.

black level - On a display or television monitor, black level is the technical term for what is usually called brightness.

black level (brightness) - On a display or television monitor, black level is the technical term for what is usually called brightness.

black swan event - A black swan event is an incident that occurs randomly and unexpectedly, and has a major effect on operations.

Black Tuesday - Patch Tuesday is the unofficial name of Microsoft's scheduled release of the newest security fixes for its Windows operating system and related software applications, as detailed in the Windows Security Updates Guide.

BlackBerry - The BlackBerry is a handheld device made by RIM (Research In Motion) that is widely used in the enterprise for its wireless email handling capability.

BlackBerry 10 - BlackBerry 10 is a mobile operating system from Research in Motion.

BlackBerry Balance - BlackBerry Balance is a feature of BlackBerry Enterprise Server that allows IT administrators to deploy, secure and remove specific applications and data on BlackBerry smartphones.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server - BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is a middleware program that allows BlackBerry devices to access corporate messaging and collaboration software such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) - BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is a middleware program that allows BlackBerry devices to access corporate messaging and collaboration software such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

BlackBerry Hub - BlackBerry Hub is a BlackBerry 10 application that lets users access and respond to emails, text messages and social network activity.

Blackberry Secure Work Space - BlackBerry Secure Work Space is an option for BlackBerrry Enterprise Service (BES) 10 that allows administrators to secure and manage non-BlackBerry devices through the BES management console.

BlackBerry World - BlackBerry World is the official app store for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets.

blackbody - A blackbody (sometimes spelled "black body") is a theoretically ideal radiator and absorber of energy at all electromagnetic wavelength s.

blackbody radiation - A blackbody (sometimes spelled "black body") is a theoretically ideal radiator and absorber of energy at all electromagnetic wavelength s.

blackhole - A blackhole list, sometimes simply referred to as a blacklist, is the publication of a group of ISP addresses known to be sources of spam, a type of e-mail more formally known as unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE).

blackhole list - A blackhole list, sometimes simply referred to as a blacklist, is the publication of a group of ISP addresses known to be sources of spam, a type of e-mail more formally known as unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE).

blackhole list (blacklist) - A blackhole list, sometimes simply referred to as a blacklist, is the publication of a group of ISP addresses known to be sources of spam, a type of e-mail more formally known as unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE).

blacklist - A blackhole list, sometimes simply referred to as a blacklist, is the publication of a group of ISP addresses known to be sources of spam, a type of e-mail more formally known as unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE).

blacklist - A blacklist, in IT, is a collection of entities that are blocked from communicating with or logging into a computer, site or network.

blackout period - A blackout period is a duration of time when access to something usually available is prohibited.

blade PC - A blade PC, also called a PC blade, is a computer that is entirely contained in a thin, modular circuit card placed in a centralized, secure location such as a server rack.

blade PC (or PC blade) - A blade PC, also called a PC blade, is a computer that is entirely contained in a thin, modular circuit card placed in a centralized, secure location such as a server rack.

blade server - A blade server, sometimes referred to as a high-density server, is a compact device containing a computer used to manage and distribute data in a collection of computers and systems, called a network.

blended agent - A blended agent, in a call center or contact center context, is an agent who manages both incoming and outgoing calls and applications as needed.

blended attack - A blended threat is an exploit that combines elements of multiple types of malware and perhaps takes multiple attack vectors to increase the severity of damage and the speed of contagion.

blended exploit - A blended threat is an exploit that combines elements of multiple types of malware and perhaps takes multiple attack vectors to increase the severity of damage and the speed of contagion.

blended threat - A blended threat is an exploit that combines elements of multiple types of malware and perhaps takes multiple attack vectors to increase the severity of damage and the speed of contagion.

blind carbon copy - In Eudora and perhaps other email facilities, you'll see the abbreviations "Fcc" and "Bcc".

blind courtesy copy - In Eudora and perhaps other email facilities, you'll see the abbreviations "Fcc" and "Bcc".

BLOB - In computers, a BLOB (binary large object), pronounced BLAHB and sometimes spelled in all lower case, is a large file, typically an image or sound file, that must be handled (for example, uploaded, downloaded, or stored in a database) in a special way because of its size.

BLOB (binary large object) - In computers, a BLOB (binary large object), pronounced BLAHB and sometimes spelled in all lower case, is a large file, typically an image or sound file, that must be handled (for example, uploaded, downloaded, or stored in a database) in a special way because of its size.

block - A block is a contiguous set of bits or bytes that forms an identifiable unit of data.

block cipher - A block cipher is a method of encrypting text (to produce ciphertext) in which a cryptographic key and algorithm are applied to a block of data (for example, 64 contiguous bits) at once as a group rather than to one bit at a time.

block diagram - A block diagram is a visual representation of a system that uses simple, labeled blocks that represent single or multiple items, entities or concepts, connected by lines to show relationships between them.

block storage - Block storage is an approach to data storage in which each storage volume acts as an individual hard drive that is configured by the storage administrator.

blockchain - Blockchain is a type of distributed ledger for maintaining a permanent and tamperproof record of transaction-based data.

blockchain dApp - A blockchain dApp is an evolving concept that describes a blockchain-enabled website in which the management of assets and organizations is decentralized.

blockchain economy - The blockchain economy is a scenario and potential future environment in which the technology replaces current monetary systems, potentially on a global basis.

blockchain storage - Blockchain storage is a way of saving data in a decentralized network which utilizes the unused hard disk space of users across the world to store files.

blog - A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption.

blog (weblog) - A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption.

Blog terms: Glossary - This is a WhatIs.

Blogger - Blogger is a free Web log service from Google that allows users to share text, photos and videos.

blogging - A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption.

Blogging Cheat Sheets - We've gathered resources from around the Web to help you create or maintain a blog.

blogosphere - Blogosphere is a term some writers have used to describe the grassroots and interactive journalism made possible by participants in blogs (logs or journals maintained on the Internet) and the symbiotic relationship between bloggers and traditional journalists.

blogroll - A blogroll is a list of blogs, usually placed in the sidebar of a blog, that reads as a list of recommendations by the blogger of other blogs.

Bloom Energy Server (Bloom box) - A Bloom Box, officially known as an Bloom Energy Server, is a modular stack of solid oxide fuel cells that can produce electricity.

BLOT - BLOT (build, lease, operate, transfer) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization designs, finances and builds a facility on leased public land.

BLOT (build, lease, operate, transfer) - BLOT (build, lease, operate, transfer) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization designs, finances and builds a facility on leased public land.

Blowfish - Blowfish is an encryption algorithm that can be used as a replacement for the DES or IDEA algorithms.

Blu-ray - Blu-ray is an optical disc format designed to display high definition video and store large amounts of data.

blue bomb - A "blue bomb" (also known as "WinNuke") is a technique for causing the Windows operating system of someone you're communicating with to crash or suddenly terminate.

blue bomb (WinNuke) - A "blue bomb" (also known as "WinNuke") is a technique for causing the Windows operating system of someone you're communicating with to crash or suddenly terminate.

Blue Book - The Blue Book is the informal name for the standard specification document for stamped multisession (also known as the enhanced CD or E-CD) disk format, developed in 1995 from a supplement to Philips and Sony's 1988 Orange Book.

Blue Button - The Blue Button initiative is a national program that allows patients to access and download personal health information into a simple text file or PDF that contains all of the personal medical data or it can be separated by data class or by date range.

Blue Cloud - Blue Cloud is an approach to shared infrastructure developed by IBM.

Blue Gene - Blue Gene is a supercomputer development project at IBM for a series of high-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC) arcitectures with minimal power demands.

blue laser - A blue laser is a laser (pronounced LAY-zer) with a shorter wavelength than the red laser used in today's compact disc and laser printer technologies and the ability to store and read two to four times the amount of data.

Blue Moon Lander - Blue Moon Lander is a spacecraft being designed to land on the lunar surface by 2024.

blue ocean strategy - Blue ocean strategy is a business plan of action developed by W.

Blue Origin - Blue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company focused on developing and flying rocket-powered vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing (VTVL) vehicles for providing access to suborbital and orbital space.

blue pill rootkit - The blue pill rootkit is malware that executes as a hypervisor to gain control of computer resources.

blue screen of death - The blue screen of death (BSOD), is the informal name given by users to the Windows general protection fault (GPF) error.

blue screen of death (BSOD) - Officially called the stop screen, or stop error, the blue screen of death (BSOD) is a most unwanted error, second only to malware or ransomware in indicating that a user is in for a very bad day.

Blue Tooth - Bluetooth technology allows computers, mobile devices and accessories to easily interconnect with each other.

blue/green deployment - A blue/green deployment is a software deployment strategy that relies on two identical production configurations that alternate between active and inactive.

Bluebird - OpenNMS (Open Network Management System) is the first enterprise-grade network management platform developed under the open source model.

BlueGene - Blue Gene is a supercomputer development project at IBM for a series of high-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC) arcitectures with minimal power demands.

Bluejacking - Bluejacking is the practice of sending messages between mobile users using a Bluetooth wireless connection.

BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) - BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) is a vulnerability in the Remote Desktop (RDP) protocol that affects Windows 7, Windows XP, Server 2003 and 2008.

bluesnarf - Bluesnarfing is the theft of information from a wireless device through a Bluetooth connection.

bluesnarfing - Bluesnarfing is the theft of information from a wireless device through a Bluetooth connection.

Bluetooth - Bluetooth technology allows computers, mobile devices and accessories to easily interconnect with each other.

Bluetooth 2.0+EDR - Bluetooth 2.

Bluetooth 4.0 - Bluetooth 4.

Bluetooth brick - A Bluetooth brick is a battery-powered, sealed device that has sensors for monitoring and communicating information such as temperature or vibration levels.

Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) - Also marketed as Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth LE was introduced in the Bluetooth 4.

Bluetooth virus - A mobile phone virus is a computer virus specifically adapted for the cellular environment and designed to spread from one vulnerable phone to another.

Bluetooth worm - A mobile phone virus is a computer virus specifically adapted for the cellular environment and designed to spread from one vulnerable phone to another.

Bluetoothing - Toothing (sometimes called Bluetoothing) is the practice of contacting strangers via a Bluetooth wireless connection to flirt.

BMC - A baseboard management controller (BMC) is a specialized service processor that monitors the physical state of a computer, network server or other hardware device using sensors and communicating with the system administrator through an independent connection.

BMI - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

BNC - A BNC (Bayonet Neil-Concelman, or sometimes British Naval Connector) connector is used to connect a computer to a coaxial cable in a 10BASE-2 Ethernet network.

BNC (Bayonet Neil-Concelman or British Naval Connector) - A BNC (Bayonet Neil-Concelman, or sometimes British Naval Connector) connector is used to connect a computer to a coaxial cable in a 10BASE-2 Ethernet network.

BO2K - Back Orifice is a rootkit program designed to expose the security deficiencies of Microsoft's Windows operating systems.

board - A card (or expansion card, board, or adapter) is circuitry designed to provide expanded capability to a computer.

board - In computers, a board, depending on usage, can be short for motherboard, the physical arrangement of a computer's basic components and circuitry, or it can refer to an expansion board (or card or adapter), which fits into one of the computer's expansion slots and provides expanded capability.

board support package - A board support package (BSP) is essential code code for a given computer hardware device that will make that device work with the computer's OS (operating system).

BOB - A Branch Office Box (BOB) is a server appliance that has been optimized to provide distributed support for simple utility functions that are required locally but are difficult to provide over a WAN.

BOC - BOC (Bell operating company) is a term for any of the 22 original companies (or their successors) that were created when AT&T was broken up in 1983 and given the right to provide local telephone service in a given geographic area.

BOC (Bell operating company) - BOC (Bell operating company) is a term for any of the 22 original companies (or their successors) that were created when AT&T was broken up in 1983 and given the right to provide local telephone service in a given geographic area.

Bochs - Bochs (pronounced 'box') is an open source PC emulator that supports a wide variety of operating systems.

body area network (BAN) - A body area network (BAN) is the interconnection of multiple computing devices worn on, affixed to or implanted in a person’s body.

body cam (bodycam) - A body cam (bodycam) is an audio/video recording device that is clipped to one’s clothing, on the torso.

bodyshopping - Body shopping, sometimes spelled as one word (bodyshopping), is an IT-centric outsourcing / sub-contracting model.

bogey - The term bogie, also spelled bogey, refers to a false blip on a radar display.

bogie - The term bogie, also spelled bogey, refers to a false blip on a radar display.

bogie (bogey) - The term bogie, also spelled bogey, refers to a false blip on a radar display.

bogomips - Bogomips is a measurement provided in the Linux operating system that indicates in a relative way how fast the computer processor runs.

bogon - A bogon is an illegitimate IP address that falls into a set of IP addresses that have not been officially assigned to an entity by an internet registration institute, such as the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA).

Bohr radius - The Bohr radius, symbolized as 0, is the mean radius of the orbit of an electron around the nucleus of a hydrogen atom at its ground state (lowest-energy level).

boil the ocean - To boil the ocean, in a business context, is to increase the scope of a project or task until it is practically impossible to accomplish as envisioned.

boilerplate - In information technology, a boilerplate is a unit of writing that can be reused over and over without change.

BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) - BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) is a distributed computing infrastructure based on a centralized server and volunteer computer resources.

bolt-on - On the Internet, bolt-on, perhaps inspired by add-on, is used to describe products and systems that can be quickly but securely attached to an existing Web site.

Boltzmann's constant - Boltzmann's constant, also called the Boltzmann constant and symbolized k or k B, defines the relation between absolute temperature and the kinetic energy contained in each molecule of an ideal gas.

BoM - A bill of materials (BOM) is a comprehensive inventory of the raw materials, assemblies, subassemblies, parts and components, as well as the quantities of each, needed to manufacture a product.

Bombay Stock Exchange - The Bombay Stock Exchange or BSE is Asia's oldest stock exchange.

bone conduction headphones - Bone conduction headphones -- sometimes called 'bonephones'-- are headphones that transmit sound waves through the bones in a user's skull instead of their ear canal.

BOO - BOO (build, own, operate) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization builds, owns and operates some facility or structure with some degree of public involvement.

BOO project - BOO (build, own, operate) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization builds, owns and operates some facility or structure with some degree of public involvement.

BOO project (build, own, operate project) - BOO (build, own, operate) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization builds, owns and operates some facility or structure with some degree of public involvement.

book of business - Book of business is another name for an account or client list.

booking engine - A booking engine is a software as a service (SaaS) application used by hospitality businesses to provides guests with the opportunity to reserve a property online.

bookmark - Using a World Wide Web browser, a bookmark is a saved link to a Web page that has been added to a list of saved links.

bookmark portal - A bookmark portal is a free application service provider (ASP) Web site that allows registered users to save "bookmark" (Netscape) or "favorite" (Internet Explorer) Web links so that they can be accessed at any time from any Internet-connected device.

bookmarklet - A bookmarklet is a JavaScript applet that runs directly in the browser.

books (text) online - Fortunately, there is a way to find out whether a given book exists online as viewable text:The On-line Books Page (http://digital.

books online - Fortunately, there is a way to find out whether a given book exists online as viewable text:The On-line Books Page (http://digital.

Boole, George - George Boole (1815-1864) was a British mathematician and is known as the founder of mathematical logic.

Boolean - The term "Boolean," often encountered when doing searches on the Web (and sometimes spelled "boolean"), refers to a system of logical thought developed by the English mathematician and computer pioneer, George Boole (1815-64).

Boolean operator - Boolean operators are a common type of search operator, sometimes referred to as a search parameters, which are characters or strings of characters – including words and phrases – that are used in a search engine query to narrow the focus of the search.

BOOT - BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) is a project funding model based on a financial agreement between a private contractor and a public organization.

boot - To boot (as a verb; also "to boot up") a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM).

BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) - BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) is a project funding model based on a financial agreement between a private contractor and a public organization.

Boot Camp - Boot Camp is a program that allows users of Intel-based Macintosh computers to run the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.

boot loader - A boot loader, also called a boot manager, is a small program that places the operating system (OS) of a computer into memory.

boot loader (boot manager) - A boot loader, also called a boot manager, is a small program that places the operating system (OS) of a computer into memory.

boot manager - A boot loader, also called a boot manager, is a small program that places the operating system (OS) of a computer into memory.

boot partition - A boot partition is a disk partition responsible for holding Windows system files when booting up Windows.

boot sector - A boot sector is a specially assigned section of a storage drive containing the files required to start the operating system (OS) and other bootable programs such as antivirus programs, drive partitioning software, backup tools and diagnostic disks.

boot sector virus - A boot sector virus is malware that infects the computer storage sector where startup files are found.

boot storm - A boot storm is what happens when a lot of end users log on to their computers at the same time.

boot up - To boot (as a verb; also "to boot up") a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM).

Boot2Docker - Boot2Docker is a minimalist Linux distribution with the sole purpose to run Docker containers.

bootable floppy - A bootable floppy is a diskette containing a back-up copy of your hard disk master boot record (MBR).

booting - To boot (as a verb; also "to boot up") a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM).

BOOTP - BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) is a protocol that lets a network user be automatically configured (receive an IP address) and have an operating system booted (initiated) without user involvement.

BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) - BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) is a protocol that lets a network user be automatically configured (receive an IP address) and have an operating system booted (initiated) without user involvement.

Bootstrap - Bootstrap is a free and open source front-end development framework for the creation of websites and web apps.

Bootstrap Protocol - BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) is a protocol that lets a network user be automatically configured (receive an IP address) and have an operating system booted (initiated) without user involvement.

bootstrapping - Bootstrap is a free and open source front-end development framework for the creation of websites and web apps.

BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) - BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) is a business model that allows consumers to shop and place orders online and then pick up their purchases in the brick-and-mortar store, often within the same day.

born digital - Born digital, in reference to people, is a description of individuals who have grown up with the current state of near-ubiquitous computing, enabled by technology like smartphones and pervasive wireless networks.

Boston Dynamics - Boston Dynamics is an American robotics research and development company, known for producing numerous robot designs and their ongoing testing in real-world environments and simulated tasks.

bot - A zombie (also known as a bot) is a computer that a remote attacker has accessed and set up to forward transmissions (including spam and viruses) to other computers on the Internet.

bot - A bot (short for "robot") is a program that operates as an agent for a user or another program or simulates a human activity.

bot (robot) - A bot (short for 'robot' and also called an internet bot) is a computer program that operates as an agent to either simulate a human activity or for a user or another program.

bot herder - A bot herder is a hacker that seeks out vulnerable computers and infects them so that they can be controlled as a botnet.

bot network - A botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include PCs, servers, mobile devices and internet of things devices, that are infected and controlled by a common type of malware, although users are often unaware of it.

bot worm - A bot worm is a self-replicating malware program that resides in current memory, turns infected computers into zombies (or bots) and transmits itself to other computers.

bot-worm - A bot worm is a self-replicating malware program that resides in current memory, turns infected computers into zombies (or bots) and transmits itself to other computers.

botnet - A botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include PCs, servers, mobile devices and internet of things devices, that are infected and controlled by a common type of malware, although users are often unaware of it.

botnet - A botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include personal computers (PCs), servers, mobile devices and internet of things (IoT) devices, that are infected and controlled by a common type of malware, often unbeknownst to their owner.

botnet sinkhole - A botnet sinkhole is a target machine used by researchers to gather information about a particular botnet.

botnet topology - A botnet topology is the network structure by which botnet interconnections are organized.

Boto - Boto is a software development kit (SDK) designed to improve the use of the Python programming language in Amazon Web Services.

bottleneck - A bottleneck is a stage in a process that causes the entire process to slow down or stop.

botworm - A bot worm is a self-replicating malware program that resides in current memory, turns infected computers into zombies (or bots) and transmits itself to other computers.

Boulwarism - In negotiation, a Boulwarism is an offer or counter-offer that is not meant to be negotiated.

bounce - Bounce e-mail (sometimes referred to as bounce mail) is electronic mail that is returned to the sender because it cannot be delivered for some reason.

bounce email - Bounce e-mail (sometimes referred to as bounce mail) is electronic mail that is returned to the sender because it cannot be delivered for some reason.

bounce email (bounce mail) - Bounce e-mail (sometimes referred to as bounce mail) is electronic mail that is returned to the sender because it cannot be delivered for some reason.

bounce mail - Bounce e-mail (sometimes referred to as bounce mail) is electronic mail that is returned to the sender because it cannot be delivered for some reason.

bounce rate - Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors to a given website that leave the site after viewing only a single page.

bouncing - Bouncing is the tendency of any two metal contacts in an electronic device to generate multiple signals as the contacts close or open; debouncing is any kind of hardware device or software that ensures that only a single signal will be acted upon for a single opening or closing of a contact.

Bourne Again Shell - Bash (Bourne Again Shell ) is the free version of the Bourne shell distributed with Linux and GNU operating systems.

Bourne shell - The Bourne shell is the original UNIX shell (command execution program, often called a command interpreter) that was developed at AT&T.

boustrophedon - Boustrophedon (from Greek for ox-turning) is writing that proceeds in one direction in one line (such as from left to right) and then in the reverse direction in the next line (such as from right to left).

Box (Box.net) - Box is an online file-sharing, storage and collaboration service provider that caters to individual users as well as businesses.

box plot - A box plot is a graphical rendition of statistical data based on the minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum.

BPA - Business process automation (BPA) is the technology-enabled automation of activities or services that accomplish a specific function or workflow.

BPaaS (Business Process as a Service) - Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) is a form of business process outsourcing (BPO) that employs a cloud computing service model.

BPCP - A company's disaster recovery policy is enhanced with a documented DR plan that formulates strategies, and outlines preparation work and testing.

BPCS - Business Planning and Control System (BPCS) is a popular system of application programs for manufacturing and other industries that is developed and sold by Systems Software Associates (SSA).

BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) - BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) is an XML-based language that enables task-sharing in a distributed computing or grid computing environment.

BPL - Broadband over Power Line (BPL) is a technology that allows Internet data to be transmitted over utility power lines.

BPM - Business process management (BPM) is the discipline of improving a business process from end to end by analyzing it, modelling how it works in different scenarios, executing improvements, monitoring the improved process and continually optimizing it.

BPMI - Established in August 2000, the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) is a non-profit organization that exists to promote the standardization of common business processes, as a means of furthering e-business and B2B development.

BPMN - Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a method of illustrating business processes in the form of a diagram similar to a flowchart.

BPO - Business process outsourcing, or BPO, is a business practice in which one organization hires another company to perform a task (i.

BPR - Business process reengineering (BPR) is an approach to change management in which the related tasks required to obtain a specific business outcome are radically redesigned.

bps - In data communications, bits per second (abbreviated bps or bit/sec) is a common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers.

BPS - A bulk power system (BPS) is a large interconnected electrical system made up of generation and transmission facilities and their control systems.

Braille display - A Braille display is a device, typically attachable to a computer keyboard, that allows a blind person to read the contents of a display one text line at a time in the form of a line of Braille characters.

brain computer interface - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

brain dump - A brain dump (sometimes spelled braindump, or brain-dump) is a complete transfer of accessible knowledge about a particular subject from your brain to some other storage medium, such as paper or your computer's hard drive.

brain fingerprinting - Brain fingerprinting is a controversial technique that is advocated as a way to identify a terrorist or other dangerous person by measuring the "brainprint" of that person when shown a particular body of writing or an image that was previously familiar (such as of a training camp or manual).

brain hacking - Brain hacking is the application of techniques and/or technologies to affect an individual’s mental state, cognitive processes or level of function.

brain hijacking - Brain hijacking is the application of principles from fields including neuroscience, behavioral psychology and sociology to develop compulsive elements for consumer technologies.

brain machine interface - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

brain-computer interface - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

brain-computer interface (BCI) - Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

brain-dump - A brain dump (sometimes spelled braindump, or brain-dump) is a complete transfer of accessible knowledge about a particular subject from your brain to some other storage medium, such as paper or your computer's hard drive.

braindump - A brain dump (sometimes spelled braindump, or brain-dump) is a complete transfer of accessible knowledge about a particular subject from your brain to some other storage medium, such as paper or your computer's hard drive.

brainjacking - Brainjacking is the hacking of neural implants, surgically implanted devices, which interface with the brain and the central nervous system.

brainstorming - Brainstorming is a group problem-solving method that involves the spontaneous contribution of creative ideas and solutions.

branch and link - BAL (Basic Assembler Language) is a version of IBM's assembler language (sometimes called assembly language) for its System/360 and System/370 mainframe operating systems.

branch in a box - A Branch Office Box (BOB) is a server appliance that has been optimized to provide distributed support for simple utility functions that are required locally but are difficult to provide over a WAN.

branch office box - A Branch Office Box (BOB) is a server appliance that has been optimized to provide distributed support for simple utility functions that are required locally but are difficult to provide over a WAN.

branch office box (BOB) - A Branch Office Box (BOB) is a server appliance that has been optimized to provide distributed support for simple utility functions that are required locally but are difficult to provide over a WAN.

branch predication - Predication (also called branch predication) is a process implemented in Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC)-based processors and their compilers to increase performance by eschewing branch prediction (a common technique used in modern processors), where a wrong guess by the processor brings a performance penalty.

branch-in-a-box - A Branch Office Box (BOB) is a server appliance that has been optimized to provide distributed support for simple utility functions that are required locally but are difficult to provide over a WAN.

branching - Branching is the practice of creating copies of programs or objects in development to work in parallel versions, retaining the original and working on the branch or making different changes to each.

brand - A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually marketed.

brand ambassador - A brand ambassador is an advocate of a particular company's products and services.

brand equity - Brand equity is the perceived value a company gains by having a known name, logo or other identifier.

brand essence (brand mantra) - Brand essence, also known as a brand mantra, is a short statement that expresses the core of what that brand represents or the image it seeks to project.

brand experience - Brand experience is a type of experiential marketing that incorporates a holistic set of conditions created by a company to influence the feeling a customer has about a particular product or company name.

brand journalism - Brand journalism is a mix of content marketing, public relations and corporate communications.

brand loyalty - Brand loyalty is an emotional tie to a brand that leads to a consumer to continue and expand their purchases for products from the same brand.

brand personality - Brand personality is the association of human characteristics with a brand name so that consumers can relate to it.

brand recognition - Brand recognition is the extent to which a consumer can correctly identify a particular product or service just by viewing the product or service's logo, tag line, packaging or advertising campaign.

brand spoof - Phishing is a form of fraud in which an attacker masquerades as a reputable entity or person in email or other communication channels.

brand spoofing - Phishing is a form of fraud in which an attacker masquerades as a reputable entity or person in email or other communication channels.

brandjacking - Brandjacking is an act that allows an individual or company to assume or exploit a brand's identity to undermine that brand.

breach detection system (BDS) - Breach detection systems (BDS) are a category of applications and security devices designed to detect the activity of malware inside a network after a breach has occurred.

bread crumb trail - On a Web site, a breadcrumb trail is a navigation tool that allows a user to see where the current page is in relation to the Web site's hierarchy.

bread crumbing - On a Web site, a breadcrumb trail is a navigation tool that allows a user to see where the current page is in relation to the Web site's hierarchy.

breadcrumb trail - On a Web site, a breadcrumb trail is a navigation tool that allows a user to see where the current page is in relation to the Web site's hierarchy.

breadcrumbs - On a Web site, a breadcrumb trail is a navigation tool that allows a user to see where the current page is in relation to the Web site's hierarchy.

break/fix - For IT services companies, break/fix is a method of providing IT support to customers.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures - Breakthrough Energy Ventures is the $1 billion investment fund associated with the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, a group promoting clean tech innovation.

breathalyzer cell phone - A breathalyzer cell phone, also known as a sobriety cell phone, is a cellular telephone handset equipped with a built-in device for detecting the presence of ethyl alcohol vapor in the breath.

breathalyzer cell phone (sobriety cell phone) - A breathalyzer cell phone, also known as a sobriety cell phone, is a cellular telephone handset equipped with a built-in device for detecting the presence of ethyl alcohol vapor in the breath.

BREW - BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) is Qualcomm's open source application development platform for wireless devices equipped for code division multiple access (CDMA) technology.

BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) - BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) is Qualcomm's open source application development platform for wireless devices equipped for code division multiple access (CDMA) technology.

BRI - In the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), there are two levels of service: the Basic Rate Interface (BRI), intended for the home and small enterprise, and the Primary Rate Interface (PRI), for larger users.

brick server - A brick server is a compact computer server module without a chassis that can come in various processor, RAM, I/O, and storage configurations and is designed to fit into rack locations similar to those for blade servers.

bricks and mortar - Bricks and mortar refers to businesses that have physical (rather than virtual or online) presences - in other words, stores (built of physical material such as bricks and mortar) that you can drive to and enter physically to see, touch, and purchase merchandise.

bridge - A bridge is a class of network device that’s designed to connect networks at OSI Level 2, which is the data link layer of a local-area network (LAN).

bridge disc - A CD-Bridge Disc (sometimes just called a bridge disc) is a compact disc (CD) format that includes extra information on a CD-ROM XA (extended architecture) track, so that the disc can be played on either a CD-i (interactive) player attached to a television, or a CD-ROM XA drive attached to a computer.

bridge disk - A CD-Bridge Disc (sometimes just called a bridge disc) is a compact disc (CD) format that includes extra information on a CD-ROM XA (extended architecture) track, so that the disc can be played on either a CD-i (interactive) player attached to a television, or a CD-ROM XA drive attached to a computer.

bridge tap - A bridge tap is an extraneous length of dangling, unterminated cable on a communications line, usually left over from an earlier configuration, that can cause impedance mismatches and other undesired effects in transmissions.

bright-line rule - A bright-line rule, also known as a bright-line test, is a directly-stated law or standard that is worded to avoid room for interpretation and also contains a break-down of objectives.

brightness - On a display or television monitor, black level is the technical term for what is usually called brightness.

brightness - Hue, saturation, and brightness are aspects of color in the red, green, and blue (RGB) scheme.

bring your own apps (BYOA) - Bring your own apps (BYOA) is the trend toward employee use of third-party applications and cloud services in the workplace.

Bring Your Own Authentication (BYOA) - Bring Your Own Authentication (BYOA) is a computing concept in which employee-owned devices are used as authentication credentials within the enterprise.

bring your own bandwidth (BYOB) - Bring your own bandwidth (BYOB) is a voice communications service in which a business purchases the voice services only and uses their own internet connection from their existing internet service provider (ISP) to host the voice service.

bring your own cloud (BYOC) - BYOC is a movement whereby employees and departments use their cloud computing service of choice in the workplace.

bring your own everything (BYOx) - Bring your own everything (BYOx) is a term that refers to employees' use of personal technology to perform work tasks.

bring your own network (BYON) - When a network administrator talks about BYON, he is describing the ability that employees have to create a wireless hot spot at work.

bring your own technology - Bring your own technology (BYOT) is a policy that allows employees or students to use their own personal electronic devices at work or scho.

bring your own wearables - Bring your own wearables (BYOW) is a trend toward the use of employee-owned wearable computing devices in a business setting.

British Naval Connector - A BNC (Bayonet Neil-Concelman, or sometimes British Naval Connector) connector is used to connect a computer to a coaxial cable in a 10BASE-2 Ethernet network.

British Standard 10012:2009 - British Standard 10012:2009 (BS 10012:2009) is a standard enacted by the U.

British Standards Institution - The British Standards Institution (BSI) is a service organization that produces standards across a wide variety of industry sectors.

British Standards Institution (BSI) - The British Standards Institution (BSI) is a service organization that produces standards across a wide variety of industry sectors.

British thermal unit - A British thermal unit (Btu) is a standard unit of energy that is used in the United States and sometimes in the U.

British thermal unit (Btu) - A British thermal unit (Btu) is a standard unit of energy that is used in the United States and sometimes in the U.

broad agency announcement - A broad agency announcement (BAA) is a notice from the government that requests scientific or research proposals from private firms concerning certain areas of interest to the government.

broad agency announcement (BAA) - A broad agency announcement (BAA) is a notice from the government that requests scientific or research proposals from private firms concerning certain areas of interest to the government.

broadband - In general, broadband refers to telecommunication in which a wide band of frequencies is available to transmit information.

broadband dialup - High-speed dialup, sometimes advertised as broadband dialup, is an Internet service provider (ISP) feature that speeds up data transfer by using a special server, called an acceleration server, to act as a bridge between the user's dialup connection and a Web page.

Broadband Global Area Network - BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) is a mobile communications system created to transmit broadband wireless voice and data communications almost anywhere on the earth's surface.

Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network - BISDN is both a concept and a set of services and developing standards for integrating digital transmission services in a broadband network of fiber optic and radio media.

Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (BISDN) - BISDN is both a concept and a set of services and developing standards for integrating digital transmission services in a broadband network of fiber optic and radio media.

Broadband over Power Line - Broadband over Power Line (BPL) is a technology that allows Internet data to be transmitted over utility power lines.

Broadband over Power Line (BPL) - Broadband over Power Line (BPL) is a technology that allows Internet data to be transmitted over utility power lines.

Broadband Over Powerline - Broadband over Power Line (BPL) is a technology that allows Internet data to be transmitted over utility power lines.

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program - The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is an initiative within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) created to promote the development and adoption of broadband throughout the United States, particularly in unserved and underserved areas.

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) - The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is an initiative within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) created to promote the development and adoption of broadband throughout the United States, particularly in unserved and underserved areas.

broadband voice gateway - A broadband voice gateway is a device that allows you to make telephone calls over a high-speed Internet connection rather than through a regular telephone outlet without having to go through your computer.

broadcast - In general, to broadcast (verb) is to cast or throw forth something in all directions at the same time.

broadcast flag - The broadcast flag is the Advanced Television Systems Committee's proposed copy protection encoding for broadcast digital television (DTV) signals.

Broadvision - BroadVision makes sophisticated e-commerce software for companies who want to sell and service products over the Web.

brochureware - Brochureware refers to Web sites or pages that are produced by taking an organization's printed brochure and translating it directly to the Web without regard for the possibilities of the new medium.

brogrammer - A brogrammer is a male programmer with traits often associated with fraternity brothers (bros) rather than the coder's stereotypical geek persona.

broken window theory - Broken window theory is the concept that each problem that goes unattended in a given environment affects people's attitude toward that environment and leads to more problems.

broker - A broker is someone or something that acts as an intermediary third party, managing transactions between two other entities.

brontobyte - A brontobyte is a measure of memory or data storage that is equal to 10 to the 27th power of bytes.

brouter - A brouter (pronounced BRAU-tuhr or sometimes BEE-rau-tuhr) is a network bridge and a router combined in a single product.

brownfield (brownfield deployment, brownfield site) - A brownfield deployment, in information technology, is the installation and configuration of new hardware or software that must coexist with legacy IT systems.

brownfield deployment - In networking, a greenfield deployment is the installation and configuration of a network where none existed before, for example in a new office.

brownout reset - A brownout reset is a circuit that causes a computer processor to reset (or reboot) in the event of a brownout, which is a significant drop in the power supply output voltage.

browser - A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.

browser extension - A browser extension is a small application that adds a capacity or functionality to a browser.

browser extension malware - Extension malware is any browser extension that was developed intentionally with coding that causes undesirable behaviors or whose code has been compromised by an attacker to do so.

browser hijacker - A browser hijacker is a malware program that modifies web browser settings without the user's permission and redirects the user to websites the user had not intended to visit.

browser hijacker (browser hijacking) - A browser hijacker is a malware program that modifies web browser settings without the user's permission and redirects the user to websites the user had not intended to visit.

browser isolation - Browser isolation is a cybersecurity model for web browsing that can be used to physically separate an internet user’s browsing activity from their local machine, network and infrastructure.

Browser Shortcut Cheat Sheets - Browser shortcuts cheat sheet collection.

browser virtualization (in desktop virtualization) - Virtualizing a browser helps companies run mission-critical applications in legacy browsers.

browser-safe palette - Go directly to the 216-color browser-safe palette table 136 browser colors with names When specifying colors for Web page backgrounds, fonts, and other elements for 256-color displays (the most common display capability), you will probably want to choose from the 216 colors that look the same on both PC and Mac operating systems.

browserless Web - The browserless Web describes communication over the World Wide Web between programs rather than between people (with their Web browsers) and the server programs at Web sites.

brushing scam - A brushing scam is an exploit in which a vendor ships a package to an unwitting receiver who hadn’t ordered it and then submits positive reviews that are supposedly from the verified owner.

brute force - Brute force (also known as brute force cracking) is a trial and error method used by application programs to decode encrypted data such as passwords or Data Encryption Standard (DES) keys, through exhaustive effort (using brute force) rather than employing intellectual strategies.

brute force attack - Brute force (also known as brute force cracking) is a trial and error method used by application programs to decode encrypted data such as passwords or Data Encryption Standard (DES) keys, through exhaustive effort (using brute force) rather than employing intellectual strategies.

BS 10012:2009 - British Standard 10012:2009 (BS 10012:2009) is a standard enacted by the U.

BS 10012:2009 (British Standard 10012:2009) - British Standard 10012:2009 (BS 10012:2009) is a standard enacted by the U.

BS 15000 - ISO 20000 is a global standard that describes the requirements for an information technology service management (ISM) system.

BS 25999 - BS 25999 is the British Standards Institution (or BSI) standards for business continuity management.

BS 7799 - ISO/IEC 17799: Code of Practice for Information Security Management is a generic set of best practices for the security of information systems.

BS7799 - ISO/IEC 17799: Code of Practice for Information Security Management is a generic set of best practices for the security of information systems.

BSA - The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), also known as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, is legislation passed by the United States Congress in 1970 that requires U.

BSA | The Software Alliance - BSA | The Software Alliance is an advocate for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy.

BSB - In a personal computer with an Intel processor chipset that includes a Dual Independent Bus (DIB), the frontside bus is the data path and physical interface between the processor and the main memory (RAM).

BSD - BSD (originally: Berkeley Software Distribution) refers to the particular version of the UNIX operating system that was developed at and distributed from the University of California at Berkeley.

BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) - BSD (originally: Berkeley Software Distribution) refers to the particular version of the UNIX operating system that was developed at and distributed from the University of California at Berkeley.

BSD licenses - BSD licenses are a low restriction type of license for open source software that does not put requirements on redistribution.

BSI - The British Standards Institution (BSI) is a service organization that produces standards across a wide variety of industry sectors.

BSM - The balanced scorecard is a management system aimed at translating an organization's strategic goals into a set of performance objectives that, in turn, are measured, monitored and changed if necessary to ensure that the organization's strategic goals are met.

BSOD - The blue screen of death (BSOD), is the informal name given by users to the Windows general protection fault (GPF) error.

BSRAM - Burst SRAM is used as the external L1 and L2 memory for the Pentium microprocessor chipset.

BT - Business technology (BT) is a term that points specifically to the technology used by businesses to treat information.

BTM - Business technology management (BTM) is a term for a group of services intended to help businesses that might not have their own information technology (IT) department.

BTOP - The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is an initiative within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) created to promote the development and adoption of broadband throughout the United States, particularly in unserved and underserved areas.

BTP - The Business Transaction Protocol (BTP) is an XML-based protocol being developed by the Business Transactions Technical Committee (BT TC) of the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) as a standardized Internet-based means of managing complex, ongoing business-to-business (B2B) transactions among multiple organizations.

Btu - A British thermal unit (Btu) is a standard unit of energy that is used in the United States and sometimes in the U.

bubble help - In a computer user interface, bubble help is text information that is displayed in a small balloon or box when a computer user moves the mouse cursor over a selected user interface element, such as the iconic items in a task bar.

bubble network - A bubble network is a series of interconnected virtual machines (VMs) that communicate through a virtual network switch (vSwitch) and remain isolated from the physical network.

bucket brigade - A man-in-the-middle attack is one in which the attacker secretly intercepts and relays messages between two parties who think they are communicating directly with each other.

buckypaper - Buckypaper is a strong and lightweight substance manufactured from compressed carbon nanotubes, which are long, cylindrical carbon structures consisting of hexagonal graphite molecules attached at the edges.

buckytube - A carbon nanotube (CNT) is a miniature cylindrical carbon structure that has hexagonal graphite molecules attached at the edges.

buckytubes - A carbon nanotube (CNT) is a miniature cylindrical carbon structure that has hexagonal graphite molecules attached at the edges.

buddy icon (buddy avatar) - In AOL instant messaging, a buddy icon (sometimes called a buddy avatar) is a small image that a user can add to the lower left-hand corner of an instant message to represent the user or a buddy in their buddy list.

buddy list - In instant messaging (IM) applications on a personal computer (PC), or on a cellular telephone with text display, a buddy list is a list of people a user wants to keep track of.

budgeting, planning and forecasting (BP&F) - Budgeting, planning and forecasting (BP&F) is a three-step strategic planning process for determining and detailing an organization's long- and short-term financial goals.

buffer - A buffer is a data area shared by hardware devices or program processes that operate at different speeds or with different sets of priorities.

buffer credits - Buffer credits, also called buffer-to-buffer credits (BBCs), allow data communication in a Fibre Channelstorage area network (SAN) where there are long spans of fiber opticcable.

buffer credits or buffer-to-buffer credits (BBCs) - Buffer credits, also called buffer-to-buffer credits (BBCs), allow data communication in a Fibre Channelstorage area network (SAN) where there are long spans of fiber opticcable.

buffer flush - A buffer flush is the transfer of computer data from a temporary storage area to the computer's permanent memory.

buffer overflow - A buffer overflow occurs when a program attempts to write more data to a fixed length block of memory, or buffer, than the buffer is allocated to hold.

Buffer Under Run Error Proof - BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) is a technology developed by Sanyo that allows compact disc (CD) recording to automatically stop in the event of an unplanned interruption and then to resume recording.

buffer underflow - Buffer underflow, also known as buffer underrun or buffer underwrite, is a threat to data that typically occurs when the temporary holding space during information transfer, the buffer, is fed at a lower rate than it is being read from.

buffer-to-buffer credits - Buffer credits, also called buffer-to-buffer credits (BBCs), allow data communication in a Fibre Channelstorage area network (SAN) where there are long spans of fiber opticcable.

bug - In computer technology, a bug is a coding error in a computer program.

bug bounty program - A bug bounty program, also called a vulnerability rewards program (VRP), is a crowdsourcing initiative that rewards individuals for finding errors in software.

bug convergence - In a software development project, bug convergence is the point at which the number of bugs fixed exceeds the number of bugs reported.

Bugbear - Bugbear is a computer virus that spread in early October, 2002, infecting thousands of home and business computers.

build - In a programming context, a build is a version of a program.

build lease operate transfer - BLOT (build, lease, operate, transfer) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization designs, finances and builds a facility on leased public land.

build or buy (make or buy) - Build or buy, often expressed as make or buy, is the fundamental decision as to whether to develop something in-house or purchase it from an external supplier.

build own operate - BOO (build, own, operate) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model in which a private organization builds, owns and operates some facility or structure with some degree of public involvement.

build own operate transfer - BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) is a project funding model based on a financial agreement between a private contractor and a public organization.

build server - A build server is a machine on which a software project can be continuously built from changes that are committed to the repository.

build to order - Build to order is a methodology and manufacturing practice where a product is created once a confirmed order is received.

build tool - A build tool is a programming utility that automates a software build task, such as ensuring that the proper source code files are compiled and that the proper object files are linked, after changes have been made to a program.

build your own app (BYOA) - Build your own app (BYOA) is an increasing trend towards the creation of applications by people without software development skills.

build your own broadband (BYOB) - Build your own broadband (BYOB) is a community- or individual-driven initiative to lay foundations for high-speed internet, instead of the work being performed by a traditional internet service provider (ISP) or government.

build-measure-learn (BML) - Build-measure-learn (BML) is a process of building a product, measuring consumer metrics and learning from them to better respond to customer needs and improve the product for the ultimate sustainability of the company.

building information modeling (BIM) - Building information modeling (BIM) is traditional architectural computer aided design (CAD) with 3D modeling that also incorporates best practice processes and additional information about specifications, materials, functionality, maintenance and even continued history.

building management system - Building management system (BMS) is a computer system that tracks power used by IT equipment and air conditioning systems in the data center.

built in obsolescence - Planned obsolescence is the concept that a product should be designed and produced with the knowledge that it will only be popular, useful and functional for a limited length of time.

built-in administrator account - The built-in administrator account is the first account created when an OS is installed on a new standalone server, member server or workstation.

built-in obsolescence - Planned obsolescence is the concept that a product should be designed and produced with the knowledge that it will only be popular, useful and functional for a limited length of time.

bulk data transfer - Bulk data transfer is a software application feature that uses data compression, data blocking and buffering to optimize transfer rates when moving large data files.

bulk power system - A bulk power system (BPS) is a large interconnected electrical system made up of generation and transmission facilities and their control systems.

bulk power system (BPS) - A bulk power system (BPS) is a large interconnected electrical system made up of generation and transmission facilities and their control systems.

bulletin board service - A bulletin board system (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network.

bulletin board system - A bulletin board system (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network.

bulletin board system (BBS) - A bulletin board system (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network.

Bullfighter - Bullfighter is a software application that searches documents for jargon, overworked terms, and unnecessarily complicated sentences.

Bullwhip Effect - The bullwhip effect is a supply chain phenomenon describing how small fluctuations in demand at the retail level can cause progressively larger fluctuations in demand at the wholesale, distributor, manufacturer and raw material supplier levels.

Bump - Bump is a free software program (app) that allows two phones to transfer contact information when the phone owners "bump" hands.

bump mapping - Bump mapping is a technique used in graphics programs to produce the appearance of textured surfaces.

bunch of redundant independent clouds (BRIC) - A BRIC architecture stores fragments of data across multiple cloud providers to protect against cloud outages or data loss.

bundling - In purchasing, bundling is the practice of marketing two or more products or services in a single package with one price.

bunny suit - A bunny suit is an coverall garment worn over street clothes to prevent skin and hair from being shed in a clean room environment.

burn - Burn is a colloquial term meaning to write content to a CD, DVD, or other recordable disc.

burn down chart - A burn down chart is a visual representation of the amount of work that still needs to be completed before the end of a project.

BURN Proof - BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) is a technology developed by Sanyo that allows compact disc (CD) recording to automatically stop in the event of an unplanned interruption and then to resume recording.

burn-in - Burn-in is a test in which a system or component is made to run for an extended period of time to detect problems.

BURN-Proof - BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) is a technology developed by Sanyo that allows compact disc (CD) recording to automatically stop in the event of an unplanned interruption and then to resume recording.

BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) - BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) is a technology developed by Sanyo that allows compact disc (CD) recording to automatically stop in the event of an unplanned interruption and then to resume recording.

burner phone - A burner is an inexpensive mobile phone that is designed for temporary use, after which it may be discarded.

Burning Man - Burning Man is an annual week-long experiment in temporary community.

burnout - Burnout is persistent exhaustion and a lack of engagement caused by long-term stress, usually as a result of multiple workplace and personal responsibilities.

burst - Burst is a term used in a number of information technology contexts to mean a specific amount of data sent or received in one intermittent operation.

Burst Extended Data Output DRAM - BEDO DRAM (Burst Extended Data Output DRAM) is a type of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that can send data back to the computer from one read operation at the same time it is reading in the address of the next data to be sent.

burst SRAM - Burst SRAM is used as the external L1 and L2 memory for the Pentium microprocessor chipset.

burst SRAM (SynchBurst SRAM) - Burst SRAM is used as the external L1 and L2 memory for the Pentium microprocessor chipset.

burstiness - Burstiness is an intermittent type of data transmission.

bus - In a computer or on a network, a bus is a transmission path on which signals are dropped off or picked up at every device attached to the line.

bus master - A bus master is the program, either in a microprocessor or more usually in a separate I/O controller, that directs traffic on the computer bus or input/output paths.

bus network - A bus network is an arrangement in a local area network (LAN) in which each node (workstation or other device) is connected to a main cable or link called the bus.

bus number - In project management, the bus number is the number of team members whose loss would endanger a project.

bus number (What's your bus number?) - In project management, the bus number is the number of team members whose loss would endanger a project.

Bush, Vannevar - An electrical engineer by training, Vannevar Bush is credited with having the idea of hypertext or "instant cross-referencing," decades before the term itself was conceived by Ted Nelson and before the concept was widely implemented on the World Wide Web.

business activity monitoring - Business activity monitoring (BAM), also called business activity management, is the use of technology to proactively define and analyze critical opportunities and risks in an enterprise to maximize profitability and optimize efficiency.

business activity monitoring (BAM) - Business activity monitoring (BAM), also called business activity management, is the use of technology to proactively define and analyze critical opportunities and risks in an enterprise to maximize profitability and optimize efficiency.

business agility (BA) - Business agility (BA) is an concept whereby organizations seek to approach their operations and resources in a flexible, responsive manner.

business analytics - Business analytics (BA) is the practice of iterative, methodical exploration of an organization's data, with an emphasis on statistical analysis.

business analytics (BA) - Business analytics (BA) is the iterative, methodical exploration of an organization's data, with an emphasis on statistical analysis.

Business Application Programming Interface - SAP BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface) is a standard interface to the business object models in SAP products.

business capability - Business capabilities are one way of representing the highest conceptual-level view of an enterprise architecture.

business case - A business case is a written or verbal value proposition that is intended to educate a decision maker and convince them to take some kind of action.

Business case analysis and a business case guide - A business case is an argument, usually documented, that is intended to convince a decision maker to approve some kind of action.

Business Configuration Set - In the R/3 system from SAP, a Business Configuration Set (BC Set) is a management tool that allows the user to record, save, and share customized settings.

Business Configuration Set (BC Set) - In the R/3 system from SAP, a Business Configuration Set (BC Set) is a management tool that allows the user to record, save, and share customized settings.

business continuance - Business continuity is the ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during, as well as after, a disaster has occurred.

business continuity - Business continuity is the ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during, as well as after, a disaster has occurred.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) are closely related practices that describe an organization's preparation for unforeseen risks to continued operations.

Business Continuity Institute (BCI) - The Business Continuity Institute, which was started in 1994 and is headquartered out of the United Kingdom, is an international organization that offers accreditation and certification, networking, published resources, training and guidance for business continuity professionals.

business continuity management (BCM) - Business continuity management (BCM) is a framework for identifying an organization's risk of exposure to internal and external threats.

business continuity plan - A company's disaster recovery policy is enhanced with a documented DR plan that formulates strategies, and outlines preparation work and testing.

business continuity plan (BCP) - A business continuity plan (BCP) is a document that consists of the critical information an organization needs to continue operating during an unplanned event.

business continuity plan audit - A business continuity plan audit is a formalized method for evaluating how business continuity processes are being managed.

business continuity policy - Business continuity policy is the set of standards and guidelines an organization enforces to ensure resilience and proper risk management.

business continuity software - Business continuity software is an application or suite designed to make business continuity planning/business continuity management (BCP/BCM) processes, metrics and compliance more efficient and accurate.

business counterintelligence (business CI) - Business counterintelligence (business CI) is the collective efforts designed to protect an organization’s sensitive information from unauthorized access.

business cycle - The business cycle is a repeated four-stage sequence of growth, stagnation and decline in a free-enterprise economy.

business email compromise (BEC, man-in-the-email attack) - A business email compromise (BEC) is an exploit in which the attacker gains access to a corporate email account and spoofs the owner’s identity in order to commit fraud .

business event management - Business event management is the practice of incorporating business logic into labeling events, communicating events and handling events.

Business Explorer - In the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW), BEx (Business Explorer) is the reporting tool used to work with data in the BW database.

business impact analysis - A business impact analysis (BIA) identifies and examines the effects of natural or human-caused disasters on critical business functions.

business impact analysis (BIA) - Business impact analysis (BIA) is a systematic process to determine and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident or emergency.

business information center - A business information center (BIC) is an incubator for entrepeneurs designed to offer information, education, training and access to other services at one location.

business information center (BIC) - A business information center (BIC) is an incubator for entrepeneurs designed to offer information, education, training and access to other services at one location.

Business Information Warehouse - SAP Business Warehouse (BW) is a model-driven data warehousing product based on the SAP NetWeaver ABAP platform.

business innovation - Business innovation is an organization's process for introducing new ideas, workflows, methodologies, services or products.

business integration - Business integration is a strategy wherein the goal is not only to sync IT and business cultures and objectives, but also to assimilate technology into business strategy and goals.

business intelligence - Business intelligence (BI) is a technology-driven process for analyzing data and presenting actionable information to help executives, managers and other corporate end users make informed business decisions.

business intelligence (BI) - Business intelligence (BI) is a technology-driven process for analyzing data and delivering actionable information that helps executives, managers and workers make informed business decisions.

Business Intelligence (BI) Guides - We've gathered a collection of our learning guides and tutorials about business intelligence.

Business Intelligence (BI) Quizzes - We've gathered quizzes to test your knowledge of business intelligence (BI).

business intelligence architecture - A business intelligence architecture is the framework for the various technologies an organization deploys to run business intelligence and analytics applications.

business intelligence competency center - A business intelligence competency center (BICC) is a team of people that, in its most fully realized form, is responsible for managing all aspects of an organization's BI strategy, projects and systems.

business intelligence competency center (BICC) - A business intelligence competency center (BICC) is a team of people that, in its most fully realized form, is responsible for managing all aspects of an organization's BI strategy, projects and systems.

business intelligence dashboard - A business intelligence dashboard, or BI dashboard, is a data visualization and analysis tool that displays on one screen the status of key performance indicators (KPIs) and other important business metrics and data points for an organization, department, team or process.

Business Intelligence Trends and Technologies (Quiz) - This business intelligence quiz tests your knowledge of the new approaches to dealing with business data and new technologies that enable them.

Business lingo: Make it snappy! (Quiz) - We all know time is money.

business logic - Business logic is the programming that manages communication between an end user application and a database.

business logic attack - A business logic attack is an exploit that takes advantage of a flaw in programming managing the exchange of information between a user interface and the application's supporting database.

business method patent - A business method patent is part of a larger family of patents known as utility patents, which protect inventions, formulas and processes.

business metric - All organizations use business metrics in order to monitor, track and quantify the state of their internal and external processes.

business model - A business model is the conceptual structure supporting the viability of a business, including its purpose, its goals and its plans for achieving them.

business model innovation - Business model innovation is the implementation of unique concepts to support a company's viability, including the development of new processes for delivering products and services to customers.

business performance management - Corporate performance management (CPM) is the area of business intelligence involved with monitoring and managing an organization's performance.

business plan - A business plan is a document demonstrating the feasibility of a prospective new business and providing a roadmap for its first several years of operation.

Business Planning and Control System - Business Planning and Control System (BPCS) is a popular system of application programs for manufacturing and other industries that is developed and sold by Systems Software Associates (SSA).

Business Planning and Control System (BPCS) - Business Planning and Control System (BPCS) is a popular system of application programs for manufacturing and other industries that is developed and sold by Systems Software Associates (SSA).

business portal - The enterprise information portal (EIP), also known as a business portal, is a concept for a Web site that serves as a single gateway to a company's information and knowledge base for employees and possibly for customers, business partners, and the general public as well.

business process - A business process is an activity or set of activities that can accomplish a specific organizational goal.

business process automation - Business process automation (BPA) is the technology-enabled automation of activities or services that accomplish a specific function or workflow.

business process automation (BPA) - Business process automation (BPA) is the use of technology to complete business processes with minimal human intervention.

business process contingency plan - A company's disaster recovery policy is enhanced with a documented DR plan that formulates strategies, and outlines preparation work and testing.

business process discovery - Business process discovery, also called process discovery, is a collection of tools and techniques used to define, map and analyze an organization�s existing business processes.

business process governance - Business process governance, also called process governance or business process management (BPM) governance, is the use of rules to manage BPM programs and initiatives.

business process improvement (BPI) - Business process improvement (BPI) is a management exercise in which enterprise leaders use various methodologies to analyze their procedures to identify areas where they can improve accuracy, effectiveness and/or efficiency and then redesign those processes to realize the improvements.

business process management - Business process management (BPM) is the discipline of improving a business process from end to end by analyzing it, modelling how it works in different scenarios, executing improvements, monitoring the improved process and continually optimizing it.

business process management (BPM) - Business process management (BPM) is the discipline of improving a business process from end to end by analyzing it, modelling how it works in different scenarios, executing improvements, monitoring the improved process and continually optimizing it.

Business Process Management Initiative - Established in August 2000, the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) is a non-profit organization that exists to promote the standardization of common business processes, as a means of furthering e-business and B2B development.

Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) - Established in August 2000, the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) is a non-profit organization that exists to promote the standardization of common business processes, as a means of furthering e-business and B2B development.

business process management software - Business process management software (BPMS) helps companies design, model, execute, automate and improve a set of activities and tasks that, when completed, achieve an organizational goal.

business process mapping - Business process mapping is the visual display of every step involved in accomplishing a specific organizational goal.

business process modeling - Business process modeling, often called process modeling, is the analytical representation or illustration of an organization's business processes.

Business Process Modeling Language (BPML) - Business Process Modeling Language (BPML) is an Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based metalanguage developed by the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) as a means of modeling business processes, much as XML is, itself, a metalanguage with the ability to model enterprise data.

Business Process Modeling Notation - Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a method of illustrating business processes in the form of a diagram similar to a flowchart.

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) - Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a method of illustrating business processes in the form of a diagram similar to a flowchart.

business process monitoring - Business process monitoring is real-time scrutiny of an activity or set of activities that have been set up to accomplish a specific organizational goal.

business process outsourcing - Business process outsourcing, or BPO, is a business practice in which one organization hires another company to perform a task (i.

business process outsourcing (BPO) - Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a business practice in which an organization contracts with an external service provider to perform an essential business task.

business process professional - A business process professional is a person whose job is involves using business process management (BPM) technologies and techniques to enable the continuous improvement, optimization and transformation of an organization’s business processes.

business process reengineering - Business process reengineering (BPR) is an approach to change management in which the related tasks required to obtain a specific business outcome are radically redesigned.

business process reengineering (BPR) - Business process reengineering (BPR) is an approach to change management in which the related tasks required to obtain a specific business outcome are radically redesigned.

business process transformation - Business process transformation (BPT) is an effort to significantly improve the actions required to accomplish an organizational goal.

business process visibility - Business process visibility, also called process visibility, is the ability to accurately and completely view the processes, transactions and other activities operating within an enterprise.

business resilience - Business resilience is the ability an organization has to quickly adapt to disruptions while maintaining continuous business operations and safeguarding people, assets and overall brand equity.

business risk - A risk, in a business context, is anything that threatens an organization's ability to generate profits at its target levels.

business rule - A business rule is a statement that describes a business policy or procedure.

business rules engine (BRE) - A business rules engine (BRE) is a software component that allows non-programmers to add or change business logic in a business process management (BPM) system.

business rules management - Business rules management (BRM) is the administration and automation of business rules.

business service management (BSM) - Business service management (BSM) is an approach to overseeing information technology that emphasizes treating IT offerings as part of the larger enterprise strategy, and provisioning IT resources based on an understanding of the business' most pressing needs.

business service provider (BSP) - A business service provider (BSP) is a company that rents third-party software application packages to their customers.

business services - Business services is a general term that describes work that supports a business but does not produce a tangible commodity.

business structure - A business structure is a category of organization that is legally recognized in a given jurisdiction and characterized by the legal definition of that particular category.

business sustainability - Business sustainability is the management and coordination of environmental, social and financial demands and concerns to ensure responsible, ethical and ongoing success.

business technologist - A business technologist is an IT (information technology) professional with a combination of broad general knowledge of technology along with an understanding of non-technical aspects of a business, including corporate and competitive strategies, marketing and finances.

business technology - Business technology (BT) is a term that points specifically to the technology used by businesses to treat information.

business technology (BT) - Business technology (BT) is a term that points specifically to the technology used by businesses to treat information.

business technology management - Business technology management (BTM) is a term for a group of services intended to help businesses that might not have their own information technology (IT) department.

business technology management (BTM) - Business technology management (BTM) is a term for a group of services intended to help businesses that might not have their own information technology (IT) department.

Business to Business - On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers.

Business to Consumer - B2C is short for business-to-consumer, or the retailing part of e-commerce on the Internet.

Business to Employee - B2E is business-to-employee, an approach in which the focus of business is the employee, rather than the consumer (as it is in business-to-consumer, or B2C) or other businesses (as it is in business-to-business, or B2B).

Business to Government - On the Internet, B2G is business-to-government (a variation of the term B2B or business-to-business), the concept that businesses and government agencies can use central Web sites to exchange information and do business with each other more efficiently than they usually can off the Web.

Business Transaction Protocol - The Business Transaction Protocol (BTP) is an XML-based protocol being developed by the Business Transactions Technical Committee (BT TC) of the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) as a standardized Internet-based means of managing complex, ongoing business-to-business (B2B) transactions among multiple organizations.

Business Transaction Protocol (BTP) - The Business Transaction Protocol (BTP) is an XML-based protocol being developed by the Business Transactions Technical Committee (BT TC) of the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) as a standardized Internet-based means of managing complex, ongoing business-to-business (B2B) transactions among multiple organizations.

business warehouse - SAP Business Warehouse (BW) is a model-driven data warehousing product based on the SAP NetWeaver ABAP platform.

business-IT alignment - Business-IT alignment is the correspondence between the business objectives and the Information Technology (IT) requirements of an enterprise.

business-to-business - On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers.

Business2Business - On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers.

Business2Consumer - B2C is short for business-to-consumer, or the retailing part of e-commerce on the Internet.

Business2Employee - B2E is business-to-employee, an approach in which the focus of business is the employee, rather than the consumer (as it is in business-to-consumer, or B2C) or other businesses (as it is in business-to-business, or B2B).

Business2Government - On the Internet, B2G is business-to-government (a variation of the term B2B or business-to-business), the concept that businesses and government agencies can use central Web sites to exchange information and do business with each other more efficiently than they usually can off the Web.

busy lamp field (BLF) - A busy lamp field (BLF) is a light on a VoIP phone -- also known as an IP phone -- that tells end users when another extension within the system is in use by displaying a clear status on the phone's display.

but aren't - A sniglet is a word that should be in the dictionary but isn't.

butt splice - In digital audio production, a butt splice is the abrupt connection of one audio file to another audio file so that they become one continuous audio file.

butterfly effect - Chaos theory is the study of nonlinear dynamics, in which seemingly random events are actually predictable from simple deterministic equations.

butterfly effect - The butterfly effect is the notion that a small initial factor may have a part in determining greater and unpredictable changes in large, complex systems.

buyer personas - A buyer persona is a composite representation of a specific subdivision of a market segment.

buying signals - Buying signals are behavioral cues that indicate the intentions of prospective or existing customers in terms of their readiness to buy.

buzz marketing - Buzz marketing, also known as viral marketing or word-of-mouth marketing, aims to foster consumer conversations about products and services and spread a company's message via social media.

buzzword - A buzzword is a term or phrase that becomes very popular in some specific context, usually for a limited period of time before becoming outdated.

buzzword bingo - Buzzword bingo is a game played during meetings with cards featuring buzzwords such as "incentivize," "outside the box," "push the envelope," and "wave a dead chicken") in place of the numbers of traditional bingo cards.

BW - SAP Business Warehouse (BW) is a model-driven data warehousing product based on the SAP NetWeaver ABAP platform.

BYE packet - A BYE (or Goodbye) packet is a type of Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) packet that is sent when a participant in a multicast event leaves the session.

BYOD (bring your own device) - BYOD (bring your own device) is the increasing trend toward employee-owned devices within a business.

BYOD policy - A BYOD policy, or bring-your-own-device policy, is a set of rules governing a corporate IT department’s level of support for employee-owned PCs, smartphones and tablets.

BYOE (bring your own encryption) - BYOE (bring your own encryption) is a cloud computing security model that allows cloud service customers to use their own encryption software and manage their own encryption keys.

BYOI (bring your own identity) - BYOI (bring your own identity) is an approach to digital authentication in which an end user's username and password is managed by a third party such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Amazon.

BYOT - Bring your own technology (BYOT) is a policy that allows employees or students to use their own personal electronic devices at work or scho.

BYOT (bring your own technology) - Bring your own technology (BYOT) is a policy that allows employees or students to use their own personal electronic devices at work or scho.

bypass - Bypass, in general, means either to go around something by an external route rather than going through it, or the means of accomplishing that feat.

Bypass IVRS - Talk to a real person - cheatsheet - Cheat sheet quick look-up for how to get a real person on the telephone.

byte - In most computer systems, a byte is a unit of data that is eight binary digits long.

byte caching - Byte caching is a method of reducing the amount of repetitious data that is sent back and forth in a network as a means of streamlining network performance.

byte code - Bytecode is computer object code that is processed by a program, usually referred to as a virtual machine, rather than by the "real" computer machine, the hardware processor.

bytecode - Bytecode is computer object code that is processed by a program, usually referred to as a virtual machine, rather than by the "real" computer machine, the hardware processor.

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Glossary Letter C