Tech terms for dummies

May 04, 2017

Do you sometimes feel like you cannot follow or comprehend what tech people are talking about – especially since they speak in acronyms all the time? Well, we know just how you feel, which is why we have compiled the most common terms used and explain them in simple terms to hopefully make it a little easier for you to understand.

 

Beginning with the basics and moving to more complex terms, here is a small glossary to get you started:

 

 

IoT
You might have heard the saying the “Internet of Things” (IoT) in conversation at work or with friends or during a lecture or talk. What is being referred to here is the multitude of devices that intelligently connect and interact with each other via the Internet – think vehicles, kitchen appliances, heart monitors etc. i.e. a physical world that is a giant information system.

 

URL
Standing for Uniform Resource Locator, a URL refers to a location (or address) of a web or mobile site accessed via the Internet. RSAWEB’s URL is https://www.rsaweb.co.za/.

 

MSP
An MSP is a Managed Service Provider. Essentially that means an IT service provider like us, that hosts and manages servers, networks and applications for and on behalf of its customers.

 

VDC
A Virtual Data Centre (VDC) is just that, a virtual representation of a physical data centre complete with servers, storage and networking components. The only difference to an actual centre is that the infrastructure is cloud based.

 

Cloud

The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. When people talk about keeping their files in the cloud, it means they are storing them on the Internet using a software program. This allows them to access their files from anywhere that has an Internet connection.

 

DRaaS
Most customers will require Disaster Recovery as a Service (DraaS) from their service providers. Effectively this is a backup service that will protect the customer’s applications and data from being disrupted in the event of a disaster allowing normal business to continue. This may also be referred to as Business Continuity as a Service (BCaaS).

 

SaaS
Uber, Airbnb, Shopify, Linkedin, Dropbox, Slack and Zendesk are all examples of Software as a Service (SaaS) companies whereby customers pay to use software over the Internet. It is also known as hosted software or on-demand software.

 

 

See, not so confusing anymore, right? There are many more, so should you get stuck on a tech term, simply use trusty old Google for a quick and easy explanation in the results. And if you need a little more, simply go to techopedia.com for more information.

 

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