Top 10 IT Acronyms That All IT Managers Should Know

You are definitely advised to read this blog article at your earliest convenience if you don’t know what “API, PHP and VPN” stand for and if buzzwords like big data, IT compliance and managed services leave you scratching your head. We’ve put together a list of the top 10 IT terms that every IT manager simply has to know.

API is an interface that connects programs to the software system. It lets developers use hardware, operating system or framework functions or a standard library without having to address the individual components directly.

The term Big Data describes a vast quantity of data that can be collected in virtually any area. Special solutions are used to store, process and analyze the information, promising fresh insight into environmental and trend research, system and production control or consumer buying habits and risk affinity, among other things.

PHP is a script language with server-side interpretation that previously went by the alternative name of Personal Home Page Tools. PHP is used to create dynamic websites and web applications. Open source code and database support are the main advantages of PHP.

The dictionary definition of compliance is obedience to rules, regulations and laws. IT compliance means a company’s adherence to all requirements with relevance to IT. They include issues such as data protection, data storage, availability and information security. Compliance is a crucial factor in license management as well, where it addresses the question of whether the number and versions of purchased license are congruent with the software actually installed on the devices. Targeted SAM (Software Asset Management) is a perfect way of keeping things under control.

This term describes precisely defined services that a provider performs on behalf of its customers.

Managed Services come in different shapes and forms, including IT security services, storage services or application services. Unlike outsourcing, it does not involve the exodus of entire departments, and instead refers only to clearly delimited, predefined areas of IT on the basis of an SLA (Service Level Agreement).

A VPN connection extends a private (closed) network across a public network. It is enabled by VPN software that communicates with the network router and is installed on the computer with which the user connects to the network. For instance, a VPN will allow an employee to access the company network from a home office. The benefit of a VPN connection is that all services can be used, so also programs that are exclusively available on the intranet.

Customer relationship management describes a company’s focus on its customers and the inherent strategy it applies for the complete planning, control and implementation of all interactive processes. CRM also includes database marketing and suitable CRM software as a control tool. Moreover, strategic documentation and administration of customer relationships enable more profound relationship marketing. One of the most important goals of CRM is to introduce a long-term quality to relationships between the company and its customers.

These business administration software solutions control business processes. Several inter-communicative application programs or IT systems are deployed in an ERP system to support resource planning throughout the organization. This improves the flow of communication within the company, while introducing more efficient cooperation in the sense of e-collaboration as well.

Areas of use: ERP systems are used in many different areas of a company, but especially in finance, merchandise management and warehousing, production planning, picking, accounting, sales and HR. In this regard, an ERP system deployed in a manufacturing company will ensure that all components and materials required to assemble a product are available at the right location, at the right time and in the right quantity.

Cloud computing means nothing other than the provision of IT services via the Internet. A distinction is made between three types:

• Private cloud: The cloud service is made available in the company’s own IT architectures. The benefit is that the cloud can be adapted to suit the precise needs of the company.
• Public cloud: Essentially this is the opposite of the private cloud, as the applications are made available by an external, publicly accessible service provider. The Internet is used to access the data cloud. Examples include webmail services or the paid services in Microsoft Office 365.
• Hybrid cloud: A hybrid cloud blends the characteristics of private and public clouds. Certain services are Internet-based, while information critical to data protection is processed inside the company.

This term is used in cloud computing to describe a variety of service models. A distinction is made between SaaS – Software as a Service, IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service und PaaS – Platform as a Service.

• SaaS: A provider makes software available to users in this business model. The customer uses the software without acquiring ownership. The provider is also responsible for licensing, maintaining and managing the software it provides.
• IaaS: Like in SaaS, this service involves the provision of a virtualized IT infrastructure. In other words the customer uses the server, storage, network and other data center infrastructures as abstract, virtualized services that are accessed via public or private networks, generally using the Internet. The user is responsible for the content of the virtual machines provided, as well as for managing the operating system and applications.
• PaaS: Both hardware and software are made available in this service model. The solution enables the development, testing, use and administration of individual applications in the cloud. The platform is frequently selected to develop and run SaaS solutions. PaaS users can develop, test and maintain applications, without incurring the acquisition costs for infrastructure and software environments. The Microsoft Windows Azure platform is an example of a PaaS solution.