The IT industry is dominated by acronyms and technical terms, which even some insiders confuse at times. With so many terms that are similar sounding, it’s no wonder. Do IT terms confuse you? Learn these common acronyms and you’ll be talking the tech talk in no time. Share on X
Tech Acronyms
Every industry has its own set of acronyms that can leave outsiders scratching their heads, and IT is no different. Here are 10 commonly used acronyms and their definitions.
- IoT
- BYOD
- HaaS
- IoT
- ISP
- LAN
- Mbps
- SaaS
- SSL
- VoiP
1) BaaS
No more tapes or hard drives to be changed by staff onsite. BaaS is one of many services available in the cloud.
2) BYOD
Bring Your own Device: If your employer denotes this, then you need to bring your own laptop to work.
3) HaaS
This can refer to an outside company owning and managing the servers and workstations in your office or having servers located and managed in a secure off-site location.
4) IoT
Internet of Things: promotes everyday connectivity between everything. It allows things and people to transmit information automatically over a network, without interacting with a computer. (Think of a tire pressure sensor in your car.)
5) ISP
Internet Service Provider: The company you pay monthly to connect your home or office to the Internet.
6) LAN
Local area network: A network connecting computers and devices physically near each other, such as in your home or office. Every computer connected to your router is on your LAN.
7) Mbps
Megabits per second: A measure of network speed. For instance, your ISP may offer 60Mbps and provide only 53. Not to be confused with MBps (note the capital B), which stands for Megabytes
8) SaaS
software that is deployed over the Internet rather than installed on a computer. Many services can be deployed through the cloud, but SaaS is what most people think of when they talk about “cloud computing
9) SSL
Secure Sockets Layer: A secure protocol developed for sending information securely over the Internet. When you visit a website starting with “https,” the “s” indicates the website is secure.
10) VoiP
Voice Over Internet Protocol: Technologies and services that allow you to talk to other people over the Internet, as an alternative to landlines and cellphones.
The Value of Hiring an Expert Team
Knowing these basic IT terms can help demystify the jargon, but for real IT expertise, it pays to hire a managed service provider. The value of managed services is often reduced to talk of cost-cutting and taking a mess off your hands. However, the real value is in the ways that managed services help to streamline operations, innovate with new technologies, and drive more IT value to your business.
Contact Us to learn more about managed IT services in Houston.
