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 Investment Professionals Access Account Open Account Fund PerformanceRetirement |
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| Webcasts Press Center Forms and Prospectus About the AdvisorFrank Talk |
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Techie Talk – a glossary of terms for the IT illiterate B2B & B2C: In e-commerce, these phrases are acronyms for “business-to-business” and “business-to-consumer,” referring to entire marketing and delivery systems, directed at wholesale and retail target audiences, respectively. Bandwidth: This refers to the capacity of a communications channel to carry data of all types, including audio and video signals. Broadband: A pipeline that can carry many data streams at once. Broadband services, such as cable modem (see “Modem”) and DSL (see “DSL”) web access, transmit data much more rapidly than traditional modem service. Cross-platform: Software or device that is compatible with more than one type of computer-operating system and, therefore, is well suited for use on the Internet. DSL: A “digital subscriber line,” that carries data, including video, over standard telephone lines up to 25 times faster than traditional modems. Firewall: A security-based device and/or software that selectively blocks outside access to a computer or network, increasingly used to counter hacking attempts and web-related viruses. Gateway: Hardware and software that combine data, voice and video signals on a network. Gateways allow the convergence of Internet and broadcast content. IT: Information technology. Modem: This acts as a bridge, converting “on” and “off” digital data into an analog signal by modulating and demodulating the frequency of electronic waves. Open Source: Non-proprietary software that can be freely distributed and modified by companies and individuals. Router: A device, including software, that determines the best route on which to transmit data between networks. Server: A computer or software that manages data used by other computers. Types include web, file and database servers. Computers receiving the data are called clients. T1 & T3: Expensive, commercially-employed broadband pipelines predating cable modems and DSL. Thin Client: A computer with little or no storage that depends entirely on a server. Wireless Data: Data transmission by broadcast tower or satellite to web-enabled devices such as laptop computers, cell phones, navigation systems and hand-held computers. |
