Jargon buster
A
Anti-virusThis is software that attempts to protect your computer from malicious internet-transferred malware (malicious software normally designed to be intrusive or damaging to your computer such as viruses, Trojan horses and worms).
Applications are software programmes designed to run on mobile devices such as mobiles and tablets, however some apps are developed for desktop use.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is computer algorithms capable of performing human actions such as recognition, perception and decision-making.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), more commonly known as broadband, is a high-speed digital line enabling internet access. ADSL has good download speeds (typically up to 24MB/s) but can be slower for uploading (up to 1.5Mb/s).
An Auto Attendant, or Automated Attendant (AA), is a voice menu system that greets callers and offers a number of choices as to where their call can be directed. Callers can select an option using their phone keys in order to route their own call.
An auto dialler, or automatic dialler, is a device or software that automatically dials from a list or customer database, frequently used in call centres. When the call is answered, the auto dialler can play a pre-recorded message or connect the call to an available agent.
Delivers the most basic form of storage availability — recoverable data.
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) answers and routes incoming calls to groups or individuals within an organisation. Commonly used in call centres, the ACD system disperses calls to available agents based on a set of instructions (e.g. longest idle, next available agent, specific skills etc.) enabling the call to be answered and dealt with as quickly as possible.
B
Back-endThe server side of a client/server system. A ‘front-end’ application is one that application users interact with directly. A ‘back-end’ application or program serves indirectly in support of the front-end services.
A software or hardware system that copies or “shadows” the contents of a server, providing redundancy.
Bandwidth is what dictates the speed at which data can be transmitted within a circuit; the bigger the bandwidth, the faster the data transmission.
Basic Rate Interface (BRI) is an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) primarily used for homes or small businesses. A BRI comprises two data channels (also known as bearer channels/B-channels) and one control channel (also known as a delta channel/D-channel) and can facilitate two independent calls.