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How To Speak I.T.

23 Tech Acronyms You Should Know.

Have you wondered about the difference between bits and bytes, but never took the time to figure it out? Ever mistake LAN for WAN, or confuse vLAN for VPN? Curious why “memory” and “storage” are talked about separately?

If it sounds like IT people are speaking a different language, then you may benefit from learning some of these common IT terms.

This information technology (IT) vocab list will stop your head from spinning the next time you need tech support. And used correctly, some of these words might just impress that special tech enthusiast in your life.

Here is a list of 23 commonly used acronyms in IT, along with a practical description of each:

1. IP (Internet Protocol): The IP is a set of rules for routing packets of data over a network. It is the language that computers speak to each other. If computers didn’t speak the same language, the internet would be useless. The IP makes it possible to share information with anyone in the world.
   Bonus: An IP Address is a unique numerical identifier for every device that connects to the internet. Typically assigned by your internet service provider (ISP), your IP Address tells other devices where to send their data packets.
2. ISP (Internet Service Provider): An ISP is a company that provides internet access to individuals and businesses. ISPs can provide internet via cable, fiber, or satellite. Most people subscribe to an ISP for their home internet and are familiar with popular companies like AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, and Viasat.
3. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol): TCP/IP is the complete set of protocols that govern the way data is sent over the Internet. This is the full language computers speak to each other — the alphabet, grammar, and all.
4. DNS (Domain Name System): While the IP Address is a numerical tag for each device, the DNS gives each device a name so people can search the web with words. The DNS database stores a name, IP address, and other information for every device on the internet. We can think of the DNS as the phonebook of the internet — everyone is listed with a name and their number.
   Bonus: When you search for a website on the address bar, you’re performing a DNS Query. You’re asking the DNS database of your ISP to find the IP address of your target destination, which is a server somewhere that’s hosting the website you searched.
   The DNS database also stores your whole browsing history. Typically, people use the default DNS provided by their ISP. However, there are third-party DNS servers that put a stronger emphasis on security and privacy.
5. API (Application Programming Interface): APIs are a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. The API is a bridge between existing software code and new software code. Most software applications have their own unique API. An API tells programmers how to write code that can communicate with or expand upon an existing software application. A common example of an API in action is the weather app on your phone. Your phone uses the weather channel’s API to request data about upcoming weather, then displays it back to you on a nicer GUI.
6. CPU (Central Processing Unit): The CPU is the main processing unit of a computer. This acronym is sometimes used as a synonym for “computer,” but technically it is just one component of a computer. The CPU is the computer’s logic brain. CPUs are made up of “cores” (dual-core, quad-core, etc.) and the more cores, the higher the computational power.
7. GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): The GPU is the processing unit in computers that renders graphics. GPUs are very popular among online gamers, as the quality of your GPU determines the resolution of the game. The GPU is similar to the CPU, as both are silicon-based microprocessors. But the GPU is the computer’s graphical brain. As such, the GPU is specialized for different tasks than the CPU. One major difference is that, compared to CPUs, GPUs have more, smaller cores.
8. GUI (Graphical User Interface): A GUI (pronounced “gooey”) is a type of user interface that uses graphical elements, like buttons and menus, to interact with a computer. Before GUIs, users had to enter line-by-line commands to interact with a computer. With GUIs, we can now use a mouse cursor to visually navigate through applications, files, and the internet.
9. Bytes: Bytes in I.T. are the standard unit of measurement for data size. Bytes are often grouped together by the thousand, million, billion, and even by the trillion. Each byte represents a letter, number, or symbol that relates to the data being coded. A single byte is made up of 8 bits. Each bit has two possible values: either a 1 or 0. This string of 8 bits then spells out a number in binary code, allowing the byte to represent any value between 0 and 255 (two to the power of eight equals 256 possibilities). Each of these values is associated with a letter, number, or symbol, and that’s how data is encoded to binary. Put a bunch of bytes together and you have yourself a Word document, spreadsheet, or video game.
   KB (Kilobyte): Thousand bytes.
   → 1 KB = 1,024 bytes
   MB (Megabyte): Million bytes.
   → 1 MB = 1,024 KB = 1,000,000+ bytes
   GB (Gigabyte): Billion bytes.
   → 1 GB = 1,024 MB = 1,000,000,000+ bytes
   TB (Terabyte): Trillion bytes.
   → 1 TB = 1,024 GB = 1,000,000,000,000+ bytes
   PB (Petabyte): Quadrillion bytes.
   → 1 PB = 1,024 TB = 1,000,000,000,000,000+ bytes
   Bonus: When you see internet speeds advertised as MBPS or GBPS, they are usually referring to Megabits per second, which is the unit of speed for data transfer. On the other hand, Megabytes are the unit of size for data capacity. Because these two words are so close and confusing, people often say “Megabits per second” (Mbps) or “Megabytes per second” (MBps) interchangeably. Misinterpreting this, though, might mean your internet is 8x slower than you expect it to be. To really impress the tech-lover in your life, ask if they’re talking about bits or bytes.
10. IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second): IOPS is the unit of measurement for how quickly your device can communicate with a particular data-storage solution. While MBPS and GBPS are the standard unit of measurement for upload/download speeds from the internet, IOPS is the standard unit of measurement for read/write speeds to a local storage device. All of these acronyms refer to speed of data transmission.
    You might be thinking to yourself: shouldn’t this one be “IOOPS”? I completely agree with you. Don’t shoot the messenger — we simply say IOPS (pronounced “eye-ops”) in the industry. I typically elongate it as “Input/Output per Second” or “Operations per Second” but I don’t usually call it by its full name. I’ve also heard people say “Information Operations per Second.” In every case, the meaning is the same: IOPS is a measurement of how fast your device can communicate with a data-storage system.
11. SSD (Solid State Drive): SSDs are a type of storage device that use flash memory instead of traditional magnetic disks. SSDs allow data to be accessed faster than traditional HDDs. However, they are more difficult and expensive to manufacture, so they generally have a lower amount of total storage capacity. Typically, you can find SSDs in the 100GB to 2TB range. These can be combined in a NAS system for SSD storage of 10TB or higher.
    Bonus: the largest single SSD available, as of Spring 2023, is 100TB… but this would cost you a cool $40,000. The smaller SSDs described above are just a few hundred dollars each.
12. HDD (Hard Disk Drive): HDDs are another type of storage device that uses electro-magnetic disks to store large amounts of data. The disk rotates at high speeds underneath a reader, much like CDs and DVDs. HDDs are capable of storing more total memory than SSDs, however they are less efficient at communicating data to users and software applications. You can find HDDs ranging from 8GB to 120GB for personal computers, and HDDs ranging from 256GB to 20TB for industrial computers. Like SSDs, HDDs can be combined into a NAS system for total storage capacity of 100TB all the way up to 5PB of data.
13. RAM (Random Access Memory): RAM is a type of memory that can be accessed quickly by the CPU. Information stored on the RAM card doesn’t last for long. The RAM is responsible for assisting the CPU in executing commands. Important data is saved to the drive, and other data is erased when it is no longer needed.
    Bonus: RAM cards are called “volatile storage” which means the memory is lost when the power turns off. HDDs and SSDs are “non-volatile storage” which means they keep their data, even when the computer’s power shuts off. This is why RAM space is called “memory” while hard-drive space is called “storage.”
14. NAS (Network Attached Storage): NAS solutions are external, physical storage devices that combine multiple drives together to store large amounts of data. NAS systems can use HDDs or SDDs or a combination of both. NAS systems also use RAM cards alongside the memory drives, much like your personal computer does at home. NAS devices are usually rack-mounted alongside other servers. Since NAS solutions can store Terabytes to Petabytes of data, they are most common for industrial, research, or commercial use.
15. LAN (Local Area Network): A LAN is a network of computers that are located in a relatively small area, such as an office building or a home. Typically LANs connect devices together in just a single location.
16. WAN (Wide Area Network): A WAN is a network of computers spread across a geographically dispersed area. Often, WANs are used by companies to share data across multiple office buildings that are geographically separated. A WAN essentially connects multiple LANs together.
17. vLAN (Virtual Local Area Network): A vLAN is a sub-network within a LAN. vLANs allow certain devices to be separated from others for security purposes.
18. VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN is a secure, point-to-point network that allows users to access a particular LAN, even when they aren’t in range. It creates an encrypted connection via a public network, such as your home internet. We can think of VPNs as a type of WAN, but a VPN is configured for each individual device whereas WANs work with multiple devices.
19. HTML (HyperText Markup Language): HTML is the markup language used to create web pages. Coding in HTML allows you to design the interface of a website, structuring how the content is formatted and displayed. HTML is one of the coding languages used for “front-end programming” along with CSS and JavaScript.
20. HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): HTTP is the protocol used to transfer hypertext documents, such as web pages, over the Internet. TCP/IP is the language of data transfer between computers, and HTTP is the instruction manual for re-creating the web page once that data is received.
21. HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure): HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP that uses encryption to protect data is it is transferred across the internet.
    Bonus: this protocol is more secure than regular HTTP because of a vulnerability associated with the standard DNS architecture. If the “phone book” of an ISP gets hacked, malicious actors can misrepresent themselves online. HTTPS uses an additional security protocol called SSL/TLS ontop of the standard TCP/IP to encrypt online communications and protect your data.
22. IT (Information Technology): The use of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, edit, and transmit data. Most companies have an internal IT Department or worth with an IT MSP to manage their internal computers, network equipment, user accounts, cybersecurity, and data backup/recovery processes.
23. MSP (Managed Services Provider): MSPs are responsible for managing and optimizing the performance of a company’s IT infrastructure. The many nodes of an IT environment include internet routers, switches, access points, firewalls, hard-wired cable or fiber connections, employee desktops, laptops, mobile devices, as well as online systems like email servers, data storage systems, and multi-factor authentication. MSPs assist with network management, data security and backup protection, user device support, cloud platform migration and management, procurement of IT equipment, and other as-needed IT services. In general, MSPs are responsible for managing the security and performance of companies’ IT environments.

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Don’t embarrass yourself the next time you ask for tech support! With this list of IT insider language, you’ll be excited for the next meeting with your IT department.

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