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Glossary

3-D printing Uses machines to make solid objects, layer by layer, languages, accomplish physical tasks, use a perceptual apparatus,
from specifications in a digital file. Also known as additive and emulate human expertise and decision making.
manufacturing. attribute A piece of information describing a particular entity.
3G networks Cellular networks based on packet-switched augmented reality A technology for enhancing visualization.
technology with speeds ranging from 144 Kbps for mobile users Provides a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world
to over 2 Mbps for stationary users, enabling users to transmit environment whose elements are augmented by virtual
video, graphics, and other rich media, in addition to voice. computer-generated imagery.
4G networks The next evolution in wireless communication is authentication The ability of each party in a transaction to
entirely packet switched and capable of providing between 1 ascertain the identity of the other party.
Mbps and 1 Gbps speeds; up to ten times faster than 3G automation Using the computer to speed up the performance of
networks. Not widely deployed in 2010. existing tasks.
autonomic computing Effort to develop systems that can manage
acceptable use policy (AUP) Defines acceptable uses of the themselves without user intervention.
firm’s information resources and computing equipment,
including desktop and laptop computers, wireless devices, backward chaining A strategy for searching the rule base in an
telephones, and the Internet, and specifies consequences for expert system that acts like a problem solver by beginning with a
noncompliance. hypothesis and seeking out more information until the
acceptance testing Provides the final certification that the system hypothesis is either proved or disproved.
is ready to be used in a production setting. balanced scorecard method Framework for operationalizing a
accountability The mechanisms for assessing responsibility for firms strategic plan by focusing on measurable financial, business
decisions made and actions taken. process, customer, and learning and growth outcomes of firm
advertising revenue model Web site generating revenue by performance.
attracting a large audience bandwidth The capacity of a communications channel as measured
affiliate revenue model an e-commerce revenue model in which by the difference between the highest and lowest frequencies
Web sites are paid as "affiliates" for sending their visitors to other that can be transmitted by that channel.
sites in return for a referral fee. behavioral models Descriptions of management based on
agency theory Economic theory that views the firm as a nexus of behavioral scientists’ observations of what managers actually do
contracts among self-interested individuals who must be in their jobs.
supervised and managed. behavioral targeting Tracking the click-streams (history of clicking
agent-based modeling Modeling complex phenomena as systems behavior) of individuals across multiple Web sites for the purpose
of autonomous agents that follow relatively simple rules for of understanding their interests and intentions, and exposing
interaction. them to advertisements which are uniquely suited to their
agile development Rapid delivery of working software by breaking interests.
a large project into a series of small sub-projects that are benchmarking Setting strict standards for products, services, or
completed in short periods of time using iteration and continuous activities and measuring organizational performance against
feedback. those standards.
analytic platform Preconfigured hardware-software system that is best practices The most successful solutions or problem-solving
specifically designed high-speed analysis of large datasets. methods that have been developed by a specific organization or
analytical CRM Customer relationship management applications industry.
dealing with the analysis of customer data to provide information big data Datasets with volumes so huge that they are beyond the
for improving business performance. ability of typical relational DBMS to capture, store, and analyze.
Android A mobile operating system developed by Android, Inc. The data are often unstructured or semi-structured.
(purchased by Google) and later the Open Handset Alliance as a biometric authentication Technology for authenticating system
flexible, upgradeable mobile device platform. users that compares a person’s unique characteristics such as
antivirus software Software designed to detect, and often fingerprints, face, or retinal image, against a stored set profile of
eliminate, computer viruses from an information system. these characteristics.
application controls: Specific controls unique to each bit A binary digit representing the smallest unit of data in a
computerized application that ensure that only authorized data computer system. It can only have one of two states, representing
are completely and accurately processed by that application. 0 or 1.
application server Software that handles all application operations blade server Entire computer that fits on a single, thin card (or
between browser-based computers and a company’s back-end blade) and that is plugged into a single chassis to save space,
business applications or databases. power and complexity.
apps Small pieces of software that run on the Internet, on your blog Popular term for Weblog, designating an informal yet structured
computer, or on your cell phone and are generally delivered over Web site where individuals can publish stories, opinions, and
the Internet. links to other Web sites of interest.
artificial intelligence (AI) The effort to develop computer-based blogosphere Totality of blog-related Web sites.
systems that can behave like humans, with the ability to learn Bluetooth Standard for wireless personal area networks that can
transmit up to 722 Kbps within a 10-meter area.

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