35 Technology Terms Every Entrepreneur Should Know
Every field has its own "lingo" that goes with the territory. The tech industry is a prime example of this, with dozens of acronyms and complex software terms that may make you feel like you're reading another language.
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| 35 Technology Terms Every Entrepreneur Should Know |
Even if you're not running a tech company, you likely use a lot of technology to help run your business. Knowing common techy terms gives you credibility, broadens your knowledge base and allows you to ask the right questions to get ahead. Here are 35 terms you should be familiar with as an entrepreneur, regardless of your product or service.
Computer/Internet
Server hosting. Servers are devices that support a company's computer and Internet networks, and "host" all its associated data. They are typically owned by Internet service providers (ISPs), which lease out server space in addition to providing customers with Internet connectivity. Businesses without the in-house technical support necessary to maintain a server typically rent space on a remote server or use a managed hosting service. These services provide businesses with their own servers and also provide full-time technical support.
Other businesses may lease their servers from ISPs and self-maintain them. Having a dedicated server, as this is known, is cheaper than using managed hosting services, but it's only feasible for companies with technical expertise. [See Related Story: The Tech Tools Small Business Owners Rely on Most]
Data center. A data center is a facility that houses computer and data-storage systems, including servers. Many data centers are owned by ISPs or large companies, like Google or Amazon. Linux hosting. Linux is an open-source operating system that can be installed on Web-hosting servers. Many servers run Microsoft operating systems, but some businesses believe that Linux is a more secure and reliable option, and so prefer to choose Web-hosting services that run Linux.
Back end. What you see when you click on a Web page is the front end. The back end is everything else behind the scenes of that page, like Web servers, databases or applications that make the page work. When developing your website, what is in the back end can have an effect on what search engines see.
Virtual private network (VPN). A VPN allows users to connect to a private network from anywhere for added security. For instance, instead of using the public network at a local coffee shop or hotel room, which comes with a heightened security risk, employees can connect to your private network with the same security as if they were in the office.
Web app. This is a Web page that looks and acts like an app on a smartphone or tablet. Web apps provide viewers with a familiar format and more intuitive navigation, and are immediately mobile friendly.
Application programming interface (API). An API is what helps different components of software work together so that they all seem to operate as a single software. Such interfaces are very common and help coordinate numerous "moving parts" to make a program or app easy to use.
Technology stack. There are many different components to a network, from security to navigation. A technology stack describes the layering of those components, like data management, logins and retention. Benjy Weinberger, lead programmer at foursquare.com, told Business Insider that a common example of a technology stack is the LAMP stack: Linux for the operating system, Apache for the Web server, MySQL for the database and PHP (or Python) for the server coding environment.
Domain name service (DNS). Every domain name is translated into numbers as an IP address when it is entered into a browser's address bar. The DNS is a directory of those numbers.
Open source. Open source describes code that is available publicly and that anyone can use. People can take it and modify it for their purposes.
Machine learning. An example of machine learning is Siri, Apple's AI (artificial intelligence) personal assistant. By inferring a general set of rules, refined by use, the algorithm finds an approximate solution in place of having a specific algorithm for each individual function.
Cloud
Cloud hosting. Companies that don't lease servers may instead pay for data to be stored on virtual servers. These servers are said to be based in the cloud if they can be accessed only with an Internet connection. Businesses typically access cloud-based servers through software interfaces specific to their cloud-hosting service providers. Cloud backup. Data backed up in the cloud is transferred from a business to the data-storage provider's servers over the Internet. Cloud backup, also called online backup, can be set up to occur automatically, making it a convenient data-storage option. It's also an affordable service because it does not require the use of any additional hardware on the part of the business.
Software as a Service (SaaS). Otherwise known as"software on demand," this is a term associated with cloud computing. SaaS is a way of delivering business software via the Internet. SaaS usually can be paid for on a monthly basis, making it more affordable than other software options. Many business-management software packages, such as project management software, are now also available in SaaS form.
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