Tech glossary A–Z

Comparing two versions of a web page, email, or feature with different groups of users to see which performs better. Data & Analytics

A software system that uses an AI model to plan and carry out multi-step tasks, often by calling tools, APIs, or other programs on its own. Artificial Intelligence

An AI assistant built into an application that helps a person with tasks as they work, while the person stays in control of decisions. Artificial Intelligence

The policies, roles, and processes an organization uses to decide how AI is built, bought, used, and monitored responsibly. Artificial Intelligence

Rules, filters, and checks placed around an AI system to keep its inputs, outputs, and actions within safe and acceptable limits. Artificial Intelligence

Application Programming Interface: a defined set of rules that lets one piece of software request data or services from another. Software Development

A server that sits in front of backend services and handles routing, authentication, rate limiting, and monitoring for API requests. Cloud & DevOps

A unique code that identifies an application or user when it calls an API, used to control access, track usage, and apply billing. Cybersecurity

Educational technology that adjusts content, difficulty, and pacing for each learner based on how they perform. EdTech

AI systems designed to pursue goals with some autonomy, planning steps, using tools, and acting on results rather than only answering prompts. Artificial Intelligence

An iterative approach to software development that delivers work in small increments and adapts to feedback instead of following a fixed upfront plan. Software Development

A finite, well-defined sequence of steps for solving a problem or performing a computation. Software Development

Systematic errors in an algorithm or AI model that produce unfair outcomes for certain people or groups. Artificial Intelligence

AI technology that listens to a consented clinician-patient conversation and automatically drafts the clinical note for review. HealthTech

An individual who invests personal money in an early-stage startup, usually in exchange for equity or convertible notes. Business & Retail Tech

The yearly value of a company's subscription or contract revenue that is expected to repeat, a key metric for SaaS businesses. Business & Retail Tech

Structuring content so search engines, voice assistants, and AI tools can pull it out as a direct answer to a user's question. Business & Retail Tech

The field of computer science focused on building systems that perform tasks normally associated with human intelligence. Artificial Intelligence

Technology that overlays digital information such as images, text, or 3D objects onto a live view of the real world. Hardware & Industry 4.0

The process of verifying that a user, device, or system is who or what it claims to be. Cybersecurity

A cloud feature that automatically adds or removes computing resources based on demand, so applications stay responsive without overpaying. Cloud & DevOps

A US electronic network, known as ACH, that moves money between bank accounts in batches for payroll, bill payments, and transfers. FinTech

The server-side part of an application that handles data storage, business logic, and integrations, out of the user's direct view. Software Development

A link from one website to another; search engines treat links from reputable, relevant sites as a signal of trust and authority. Business & Retail Tech

The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given time, usually measured in bits per second. Cloud & DevOps

A model, known as BaaS, in which licensed banks provide their infrastructure through APIs so other companies can offer financial products. FinTech

Datasets so large, fast-moving, or varied that traditional tools struggle to store and process them efficiently. Data & Analytics

The measurement of unique physical or behavioral traits, such as fingerprints or facial features, to identify or authenticate people. Cybersecurity

The first decentralized cryptocurrency, launched in 2009, which uses a public blockchain and proof of work to record transactions. Web3 & Blockchain

A shared, append-only digital ledger in which records are grouped into blocks that are cryptographically linked in sequence. Web3 & Blockchain

A release method that runs two identical production environments and switches traffic from the old one to the new one once it is ready. Cloud & DevOps

Building and growing a company using personal savings and revenue from customers rather than outside investment. Business & Retail Tech

A network of compromised computers or devices controlled remotely by an attacker, often used for spam, fraud, or DDoS attacks. Cybersecurity

An attempt to break into an account or decrypt data by systematically trying many possible passwords or keys until one works. Cybersecurity

A program in which an organization rewards independent researchers for responsibly reporting security vulnerabilities in its systems. Cybersecurity

A documented plan for keeping essential business operations running during and after a disruption such as an outage, disaster, or cyberattack. Business & Retail Tech

A scam in which criminals impersonate or take over a business email account to trick staff into sending money or sensitive data. Cybersecurity

Tools and practices that collect, analyze, and present business data, usually through reports and dashboards, to support decisions. Data & Analytics

A short-term financing option, known as BNPL, that lets shoppers split a purchase into installments, often interest-free if paid on time. FinTech

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery or Deployment: practices that automatically build, test, and release code changes. Cloud & DevOps

Central Processing Unit: the main processor in a computer that executes program instructions and coordinates other components. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A small, fast storage layer that keeps copies of frequently used data so future requests can be served more quickly. Software Development

A deployment approach that sends a new software version to a small share of users first, then expands it if no problems appear. Cloud & DevOps

The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, product, organization, or activity, usually measured in CO2 equivalent. Green Tech

A digital form of a country's official currency, known as a CBDC, issued and backed directly by its central bank. Web3 & Blockchain

A prompting technique that asks a language model to work through a problem step by step before giving its final answer. Artificial Intelligence

A reversal of a card payment initiated by the cardholder's bank, usually after the customer disputes a charge. FinTech

A software program that holds a conversation with people through text or voice, answering questions or helping complete simple tasks. Artificial Intelligence

The percentage of customers or subscribers who stop using a product or cancel a subscription during a given period. Business & Retail Tech

Copying data from computers, servers, or applications to storage run by a cloud provider so it can be restored if the original is lost. Cloud & DevOps

Delivering computing resources such as servers, storage, databases, and software over the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis. Cloud & DevOps

The process of moving applications, data, and workloads from on-premises servers or one cloud to a cloud environment. Cloud & DevOps

The practice of having other developers examine code changes before they are merged, to catch bugs and keep quality consistent. Software Development

An intensive, short-term training program that teaches practical programming or tech skills, typically over a few weeks to several months. Tech Careers

A field of AI that enables computers to interpret and understand images and video. Artificial Intelligence

Paying by tapping or holding a card, phone, or wearable near a payment terminal, using short-range wireless technology. FinTech

A lightweight, portable package that bundles an application with its dependencies so it runs the same way across different environments. Cloud & DevOps

A geographically distributed network of servers that delivers web content from locations close to each user to improve speed. Cloud & DevOps

Software, known as a CMS, that lets people create, edit, organize, and publish website content without writing code. Software Development

The maximum amount of text, measured in tokens, that a language model can consider at one time, including the prompt and its reply. Artificial Intelligence

The process of improving a website or app so a higher percentage of visitors complete a desired action, such as buying or booking. Business & Retail Tech

A set of Google metrics that measure real-world page experience: loading speed, responsiveness to input, and visual stability. Business & Retail Tech

An attack that uses usernames and passwords stolen from one breach to try logging in to many other websites automatically. Cybersecurity

A digital currency secured by cryptography and typically recorded on a decentralized blockchain rather than issued by a central bank. Web3 & Blockchain

The average amount a business spends on sales and marketing to win one new customer, known as CAC. Business & Retail Tech

Software, known as a CDP, that combines customer data from many sources into unified profiles that marketing and other tools can use. Data & Analytics

Software and practices, known as CRM, for managing a business's interactions with customers and prospects in one shared system. Business & Retail Tech

An insurance policy that helps cover financial losses from cyber incidents such as data breaches, ransomware, and online fraud. Cybersecurity

The practice of protecting computers, networks, software, and data from unauthorized access, attacks, and damage. Cybersecurity

Distributed Denial of Service: an attack that floods a website or network with traffic from many sources to make it unavailable. Cybersecurity

Four measures of software delivery performance: deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and time to restore service. Software Development

An incident in which sensitive, protected, or confidential information is accessed, stolen, or disclosed without authorization. Cybersecurity

A facility that houses servers, storage, and networking equipment, along with the power and cooling systems needed to run them. Cloud & DevOps

Finding and correcting errors, duplicates, and inconsistencies in data so it is accurate and usable for analysis. Data & Analytics

The policies, roles, and processes that determine how an organization's data is managed, protected, accessed, and kept accurate. Data & Analytics

A central repository that stores large volumes of raw data in its original format until it is needed for analysis. Data & Analytics

A data architecture that combines the low-cost, flexible storage of a data lake with the structure and query performance of a data warehouse. Data & Analytics

Tools and policies, known as DLP, that detect and stop sensitive data from being shared, leaked, or moved outside approved channels. Cybersecurity

An approach to data architecture that gives business domains ownership of their own data, shared as products across the organization. Data & Analytics

An automated series of steps that moves data from one or more sources, transforms it, and delivers it to a destination for use. Data & Analytics

Presenting data as charts, graphs, maps, or other visuals so patterns, trends, and outliers are easier to understand. Data & Analytics

A system that stores cleaned, structured data from many sources, optimized for reporting and business analysis. Data & Analytics

Decentralized Finance: financial services such as lending, borrowing, and trading built on blockchains using smart contracts. Web3 & Blockchain

The process of finding, understanding, and fixing errors, or bugs, in software code. Software Development

A branch of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers to learn patterns from large amounts of data. Artificial Intelligence

Synthetic audio, video, or images generated or altered with AI to convincingly show someone saying or doing something they did not. Artificial Intelligence

A culture and set of practices that unite software development and IT operations to deliver software faster and more reliably. Cloud & DevOps

How easy, efficient, and pleasant it is for software developers to do their work with a given set of tools, processes, and platforms. Software Development

A type of generative AI model that creates images, audio, or video by starting from random noise and refining it step by step. Artificial Intelligence

A virtual model of a physical object, process, or system that is updated with real-world data to simulate and predict its behavior. Data & Analytics

The plans, tools, and processes an organization uses to restore its IT systems and data after a major outage, attack, or disaster. Cloud & DevOps

A popular platform for building, sharing, and running applications inside containers. Cloud & DevOps

The internet's directory service that translates human-friendly domain names into the numeric IP addresses computers use. Cloud & DevOps

An electronic way to sign documents and agreements online, legally recognized for many transactions in most countries. Tech for Local Business

Discarded electronic devices such as phones, laptops, and batteries, which contain both valuable materials and hazardous substances. Green Tech

Extract, Transform, Load: a process that pulls data from sources, cleans and reshapes it, and loads it into a destination such as a data warehouse. Data & Analytics

Gathering information about the Earth's surface, oceans, and atmosphere using satellites, aircraft, and drones, often as imagery and sensor data. Space Tech

Educational technology: digital tools, platforms, and services designed to support teaching and learning. EdTech

Processing data close to where it is generated, such as on devices or local servers, instead of sending everything to a distant data center. Cloud & DevOps

A digital version of a patient's medical history that can be shared securely among authorized healthcare providers. HealthTech

Financial services such as payments, accounts, cards, lending, or insurance built directly into non-financial apps and platforms. FinTech

A list of numbers (a vector) that represents a word, sentence, image, or other item so that similar items have similar vectors. Artificial Intelligence

The process of converting readable data into scrambled ciphertext that only someone with the correct key can decode. Cybersecurity

Security software, known as EDR, that continuously monitors computers and servers to detect, investigate, and stop threats. Cybersecurity

Protecting devices such as laptops, phones, and servers that connect to a network from malware, exploitation, and misuse. Cybersecurity

A programmable blockchain platform, launched in 2015, that runs smart contracts and has its own cryptocurrency called Ether. Web3 & Blockchain

Methods and tools that help people understand why an AI model produced a particular prediction or decision. Artificial Intelligence

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, an HL7 standard for exchanging healthcare data between systems using modern web APIs. HealthTech

A switch in software that turns a feature on or off for some or all users without deploying new code. Cloud & DevOps

An instant payment service run by the US Federal Reserve that lets banks and credit unions send and receive payments in seconds, around the clock. FinTech

A machine learning approach where models are trained across many devices or servers without moving the raw data to a central location. Artificial Intelligence

Giving a language model a handful of worked examples inside the prompt so it can follow the same pattern for a new input. Artificial Intelligence

Technology that transmits data as pulses of light through thin strands of glass or plastic, enabling very high-speed communication. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A practice that brings engineering, finance, and business teams together to manage cloud spending and get the most value from it. Cloud & DevOps

Financial technology: software and services that improve or automate financial services such as payments, lending, and investing. FinTech

Further training a pre-trained AI model on a smaller, specific dataset so it performs better on a particular task or style. Artificial Intelligence

A security system that monitors network traffic and allows or blocks it based on a set of rules. Cybersecurity

Low-level software stored on a hardware device that controls how the device starts up and operates. Hardware & Industry 4.0

Information a business collects directly from its own customers and audience, such as purchases, sign-ups, and website activity. Data & Analytics

A large AI model trained on broad data that can be adapted to many tasks, such as writing, coding, or image analysis. Artificial Intelligence

A reusable foundation of code, tools, and conventions that developers build applications on top of. Software Development

The part of an application that users see and interact with directly, such as web pages and app screens. Software Development

A developer who works on both the frontend and backend of an application, from user interfaces to servers and databases. Tech Careers

A feature that lets a language model request a specific software function, with structured inputs, so an application can take an action or fetch data. Artificial Intelligence

General Data Protection Regulation: the European Union's law governing how organizations collect, use, and protect personal data. Cybersecurity

Graphics Processing Unit: a processor with thousands of small cores designed for parallel work, used for graphics and AI. Hardware & Industry 4.0

Applying game elements such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards to non-game activities to boost engagement and motivation. EdTech

The transaction fee paid to process an operation or run a smart contract on a blockchain network such as Ethereum. Web3 & Blockchain

AI systems that create new content, such as text, images, audio, video, or code, based on patterns learned from training data. Artificial Intelligence

Adapting content so it is accurately found, cited, and summarized by AI-powered search and chat tools that generate answers. Business & Retail Tech

A circular orbit about 35,786 km above the equator where a satellite circles at the same rate Earth rotates, so it appears fixed in the sky. Space Tech

A free, open-source distributed version control system that tracks changes to code and lets many developers collaborate safely. Software Development

A way of managing infrastructure and deployments where the desired system state is stored in Git and automatically applied by software agents. Cloud & DevOps

A free listing from Google that shows a business's details, such as hours, location, photos, and reviews, in Search and Maps. Tech for Local Business

A query language and runtime for APIs that lets clients request exactly the data they need in a single request. Software Development

Designing, using, and disposing of computers and IT systems in ways that reduce energy use and environmental impact. Green Tech

Connecting an AI model's answers to verified sources or real data so its responses are based on facts rather than guesswork. Artificial Intelligence

A data-driven, experiment-heavy approach to marketing and product design focused on rapidly finding ways to grow a business. Business & Retail Tech

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a 1996 US law that sets rules for protecting the privacy and security of health information. HealthTech

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure: the encrypted version of HTTP, the protocol browsers use to load web pages. Cybersecurity

A time-limited event, often lasting a day or a weekend, where people collaborate intensively to build software or hardware prototypes. Tech Careers

When an AI model produces information that sounds plausible but is false, fabricated, or not supported by its source material. Artificial Intelligence

Technology that creates a sense of touch through vibrations, forces, or motions to give users physical feedback. Hardware & Industry 4.0

Transforming data of any size into a fixed-length string, called a hash, using a one-way mathematical function. Cybersecurity

The use of technology, including software, devices, and data, to improve healthcare delivery, outcomes, and efficiency. HealthTech

A decoy system or resource deliberately set up to attract attackers so their methods can be detected and studied. Cybersecurity

A computing setup that combines on-premises infrastructure or a private cloud with public cloud services, managed as one environment. Cloud & DevOps

A setting chosen before training a machine learning model, such as learning rate or number of layers, that shapes how the model learns. Artificial Intelligence

A numeric label assigned to each device on a network that uses the Internet Protocol, used to route data to the right destination. Cloud & DevOps

The policies and tools, known as IAM, that control who can access which systems and data, and what they are allowed to do. Cybersecurity

An organization's structured process for detecting, containing, investigating, and recovering from security incidents. Cybersecurity

Using a trained machine learning model to make predictions or generate outputs on new data. Artificial Intelligence

Managing and provisioning servers, networks, and cloud resources through machine-readable configuration files instead of manual setup. Cloud & DevOps

A cloud model, known as IaaS, in which a provider rents out computing resources such as virtual servers, storage, and networking on demand. Cloud & DevOps

The first time a private company sells shares to the public on a stock exchange, allowing anyone to invest in it. Business & Retail Tech

The use of technology to change how insurance is designed, sold, priced, and managed. FinTech

A software application that combines a code editor, debugger, build tools, and other features to help developers write software. Software Development

Testing that checks whether different parts of a software system, such as services, databases, and APIs, work correctly together. Software Development

A fee paid by the merchant's bank to the cardholder's bank on each card transaction, forming a large part of card processing costs. FinTech

The network of physical devices, from home appliances to industrial sensors, that connect to the internet to collect and share data. Hardware & Industry 4.0

The ability of different systems, devices, or applications to exchange data and work together without special effort from users. HealthTech

Software that tracks stock levels, orders, sales, and deliveries so a business knows what it has and when to reorder. Tech for Local Business

JavaScript Object Notation: a lightweight, text-based format for storing and exchanging structured data. Software Development

A compact, signed token format used to securely pass identity and permission claims between a client and a server. Cybersecurity

Bypassing the restrictions on a device or an AI model, either to remove manufacturer limits or to make a model ignore its safety rules. Cybersecurity

A widely used, object-oriented programming language designed to run on any device with a Java Virtual Machine. Software Development

The programming language of the web, used to make websites interactive and, with Node.js, to build servers and tools. Software Development

Variation in the time it takes data packets to arrive over a network, which can disrupt real-time audio, video, and gaming. Cloud & DevOps

An open-source, browser-based environment that mixes live code, results, charts, and explanatory text in a single document. Data & Analytics

A visual workflow method that uses a board of columns and cards to track tasks and limit work in progress. Software Development

The core part of an operating system that manages hardware, memory, processes, and communication between software and devices. Software Development

A measurable value that shows how effectively a person, team, or company is achieving an important objective. Business & Retail Tech

Software or hardware that secretly records the keys a user types, often to steal passwords and other sensitive information. Cybersecurity

Screens in a restaurant kitchen, known as a KDS, that show incoming orders digitally and replace printed order tickets. Tech for Local Business

The process financial and other regulated businesses use to verify customers' identities and assess risks such as fraud or money laundering. FinTech

A training technique in which a smaller student model learns to imitate a larger teacher model, keeping much of its skill at lower cost. Artificial Intelligence

A structured network of entities, such as people, places, and concepts, and the relationships between them. Data & Analytics

An open-source platform that automates deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications across clusters of machines. Cloud & DevOps

A focused web page designed for one goal, such as collecting sign-ups or selling a product, usually reached from an ad, email, or search result. Business & Retail Tech

An AI model trained on vast amounts of text to understand and generate human-like language, code, and other content. Artificial Intelligence

The time delay between a request being sent and a response beginning to arrive, usually measured in milliseconds. Cloud & DevOps

A methodology for building businesses by testing assumptions quickly with real customers and iterating based on evidence. Business & Retail Tech

Software for creating, delivering, tracking, and managing educational courses and training programs. EdTech

Light Detection and Ranging: a sensing method that measures distances with laser pulses to build detailed 3D maps of surroundings. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A free, open-source operating system kernel, first released in 1991, that powers most servers, Android phones, and countless devices. Software Development

How quickly and easily an asset can be bought or sold, or converted into cash, without significantly affecting its price. FinTech

A system that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers so no single server is overwhelmed. Cloud & DevOps

Optimizing a business's online presence so it appears in search results for nearby customers, including map listings and near me searches. Tech for Local Business

The region of space roughly 160 to 2,000 km above Earth, home to the International Space Station and many communication satellites. Space Tech

A development approach that lets people build applications mainly through visual interfaces and drag-and-drop components with little hand-written code. Software Development

A scheme that rewards repeat customers with points, discounts, or perks, encouraging them to keep buying from the same business. Tech for Local Business

A branch of AI in which computers learn patterns from data to make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed for each case. Artificial Intelligence

Malicious software designed to damage, disrupt, spy on, or gain unauthorized access to computers and networks. Cybersecurity

An attack in which someone secretly intercepts communication between two parties, letting them read or alter the data being exchanged. Cybersecurity

An outsourced security service, known as MDR, in which a provider monitors an organization's systems around the clock and responds to threats. Cybersecurity

Outsourcing day-to-day IT management, such as support, security, backups, and updates, to an external provider for a regular fee. Tech for Local Business

Software that runs repetitive marketing tasks automatically, such as sending emails, segmenting contacts, and following up on leads. Business & Retail Tech

A network in which devices, or nodes, connect directly to multiple other nodes and relay data for each other. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A home or office Wi-Fi system that uses several linked access points to spread one strong, continuous wireless network across a whole space. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A loosely defined vision of persistent, shared virtual worlds where people interact, work, play, and trade using avatars. Hardware & Industry 4.0

An architecture style in which an application is built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate over APIs. Software Development

The simplest version of a product that delivers enough value to early users to test a business idea and gather feedback. Business & Retail Tech

A model design that splits a neural network into specialized sub-networks and activates only a few of them for each input. Artificial Intelligence

Software, known as MDM, that lets an organization configure, secure, and monitor the phones, tablets, and laptops used for work. Cybersecurity

An app or phone feature that stores payment cards, bank links, or balances so users can pay with their phone. FinTech

An open standard, known as MCP, that defines how AI applications connect to external tools, data sources, and services in a consistent way. Artificial Intelligence

The gradual decline in an AI model's accuracy as real-world data or conditions change from those it was trained on. Data & Analytics

The process of testing an AI model against defined tasks and criteria to measure how accurate, reliable, and safe it is. Artificial Intelligence

A software design in which an application is built and deployed as a single unit, with all features sharing one codebase. Software Development

The observation that the number of transistors on a computer chip roughly doubles about every two years. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A setup in which several AI agents, each with its own role or tools, work together or hand off tasks to reach a shared goal. Artificial Intelligence

A strategy of using services from two or more public cloud providers rather than relying on a single one. Cloud & DevOps

A login method that requires two or more different types of proof of identity, such as a password plus a code from your phone. Cybersecurity

AI systems that can process and combine multiple types of input or output, such as text, images, audio, and video. Artificial Intelligence

A field of AI focused on enabling computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language. Artificial Intelligence

A short-range wireless technology, known as NFC, that lets devices exchange data when held a few centimetres apart. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A bank or banking service that operates entirely online through apps, without traditional physical branches. FinTech

A state in which the greenhouse gases an organization or country emits are balanced by the amount it removes from the atmosphere. Green Tech

A machine learning model made of layers of connected nodes, loosely inspired by the brain, that learns patterns by adjusting connection weights. Artificial Intelligence

A specialized processor designed to run AI and machine learning tasks efficiently, often built into phones and laptops. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A broad category of databases that store data in formats other than traditional relational tables, such as documents, key-value pairs, or graphs. Data & Analytics

An open-source runtime that lets developers run JavaScript outside the browser, commonly used to build servers and tools. Software Development

A unique digital token recorded on a blockchain that represents ownership of a specific item, such as artwork, a collectible, or a ticket. Web3 & Blockchain

An open standard that lets users grant an app limited access to their data on another service without sharing their password. Cybersecurity

Objectives and Key Results: a goal-setting framework pairing an ambitious objective with a few measurable results that show progress. Business & Retail Tech

Organic Light-Emitting Diode: a display technology in which each pixel produces its own light, enabling deep blacks and thin, flexible screens. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A cloud storage method that keeps data as individual objects with metadata in a flat structure, suited to large amounts of unstructured files. Cloud & DevOps

The ability to understand what is happening inside a software system by examining the data it produces, such as logs, metrics, and traces. Cloud & DevOps

AI that runs directly on a phone, laptop, or other device instead of sending data to remote cloud servers for processing. Artificial Intelligence

Software that lets customers see availability and book appointments, tables, rooms, or classes online without calling the business. Tech for Local Business

Software that lets customers place orders for pickup or delivery through a business's website or app, usually with online payment. Tech for Local Business

A system in which banks securely share customer financial data with authorized third-party apps through APIs, with the customer's consent. FinTech

Software whose source code is publicly available under a license that lets anyone use, study, modify, and share it. Software Development

An AI model whose trained parameters, or weights, are published so anyone can download, run, and adapt it, subject to its licence. Artificial Intelligence

Technology, known as OCR, that reads printed or handwritten text in images and scanned documents and turns it into editable text. Artificial Intelligence

Automated coordination and management of multiple systems, services, or tasks so they work together as a complete workflow. Cloud & DevOps

When a machine learning model learns its training data too closely, including noise, and performs poorly on new, unseen data. Artificial Intelligence

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a set of security requirements for any organization that stores, processes, or transmits card data. Cybersecurity

A passwordless sign-in credential based on FIDO2 and WebAuthn that uses a cryptographic key pair stored on your device instead of a password. Cybersecurity

An app that securely stores and fills in passwords, so you can use a strong, unique password for every account without memorizing them. Cybersecurity

An online advertising model, known as PPC, in which advertisers pay each time someone clicks their ad rather than for impressions. Business & Retail Tech

A service that securely captures and transmits payment details from a customer to the banks and networks that approve the transaction. FinTech

A company that handles the technical and financial steps of card and digital payments between a merchant, card networks, and banks. FinTech

An authorized, simulated cyberattack on a system to find and fix security weaknesses before real attackers exploit them. Cybersecurity

Any information that can identify a specific person, alone or combined with other data, such as a name, email, or ID number. Cybersecurity

A social engineering attack that uses fake emails, messages, or websites to trick people into revealing information or installing malware. Cybersecurity

The practice of building an internal developer platform that gives software teams self-service tools to build, deploy, and run applications. Cloud & DevOps

A cloud model that provides a ready-to-use environment for building, deploying, and running applications without managing servers. Cloud & DevOps

The hardware and software a business uses to ring up sales, take payments, issue receipts, and track transactions, often called a POS. Tech for Local Business

Encryption and digital signature methods designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers while running on today's ordinary hardware. Cybersecurity

A data center efficiency metric, known as PUE, that divides total facility energy use by the energy used by IT equipment alone. Green Tech

Using historical data, statistics, and machine learning to forecast future outcomes or behaviors. Data & Analytics

A security rule that people, programs, and devices should have only the minimum access needed to do their job, and no more. Cybersecurity

The point at which a product satisfies a strong market demand, so customers actively want, use, and recommend it. Business & Retail Tech

A website built with modern web technologies that behaves like an installable app, with features such as offline use and notifications. Software Development

The practice of designing and refining instructions given to AI models to get more accurate, useful, and reliable outputs. Artificial Intelligence

An attack that hides instructions in text an AI system reads, tricking it into ignoring its original rules or taking unintended actions. Cybersecurity

A blockchain consensus mechanism in which validators lock up cryptocurrency as collateral to earn the right to propose and confirm blocks. Web3 & Blockchain

A blockchain consensus mechanism in which miners compete to solve computational puzzles to add new blocks and secure the network. Web3 & Blockchain

A request to merge a set of code changes into a shared codebase, giving teammates a chance to review and discuss them first. Software Development

A popular, general-purpose programming language known for readable syntax, widely used in AI, data science, automation, and web development. Software Development

A two-dimensional barcode made of black and white squares that stores information such as a web link or payment details for quick scanning. FinTech

A restaurant menu customers open on their own phones by scanning a QR code at the table, instead of using a printed menu. Tech for Local Business

The process of ensuring software meets requirements and quality standards through planning, testing, and continuous improvement. Software Development

Reducing the numerical precision of an AI model's weights, for example from 16-bit to 4-bit numbers, to make it smaller and faster. Artificial Intelligence

A type of computing that uses quantum-mechanical effects such as superposition and entanglement to process information in new ways. Hardware & Industry 4.0

The basic unit of information in a quantum computer, which can represent 0, 1, or a superposition of both at once. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A request for data or information from a database, search engine, or other system, usually written in a specific language or format. Data & Analytics

An API that follows Representational State Transfer principles, using standard HTTP methods and URLs to work with resources. Software Development

Malware that encrypts or steals a victim's files and demands payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to restore access or prevent leaks. Cybersecurity

Restricting how many requests a user, device, or application can make to a service within a set time period. Cloud & DevOps

An open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces out of reusable components, originally developed at Facebook. Software Development

Payment systems that move money between bank accounts within seconds, at any time of day, every day of the year. FinTech

Restructuring existing code to make it cleaner, simpler, or easier to maintain without changing what the software does. Software Development

A statistical and machine learning method for predicting a continuous numerical value based on the relationship between variables. Data & Analytics

A compact pattern language used to search, match, and manipulate text, such as finding email addresses or validating phone numbers. Software Development

A type of machine learning in which an agent learns by trial and error, receiving rewards or penalties for its actions. Artificial Intelligence

A training method, known as RLHF, that improves an AI model by rewarding responses people rate as more helpful, accurate, or safe. Artificial Intelligence

A database that stores data in tables of rows and columns and links related tables through shared keys, usually queried with SQL. Data & Analytics

Using connected medical devices to collect patients' health data at home and share it with healthcare providers for review. HealthTech

Monitoring and influencing how a business is perceived online, especially through reviews, ratings, and search results. Tech for Local Business

A web design approach that makes pages automatically adapt their layout to fit any screen size, from phones to large monitors. Software Development

An advertising business run by a retailer that sells ad space on its websites, apps, and stores, targeted using its own shopper data. Business & Retail Tech

A technique that improves AI answers by first retrieving relevant documents and then giving them to a language model as context. Artificial Intelligence

A server that sits in front of web servers and forwards client requests to them, adding security, caching, and load balancing. Cloud & DevOps

Software bots that mimic human actions on a computer, such as clicking, typing, and copying data, to automate repetitive tasks. Software Development

The amount of time a startup can keep operating before running out of cash, based on its current spending. Business & Retail Tech

An auditing framework from the AICPA that assesses how a service company protects customer data, based on five trust services criteria. Cybersecurity

Structured Query Language: the standard language for storing, querying, and managing data in relational databases. Data & Analytics

An attack in which malicious input is inserted into a database query, tricking the application into exposing or altering data. Cybersecurity

A group of satellites working together as a system to provide coverage, such as global internet, navigation, or Earth imaging. Space Tech

Structured data code added to web pages that tells search engines exactly what the content is, such as a product, recipe, event, or business. Business & Retail Tech

An Agile framework in which a small team delivers work in fixed-length iterations called sprints, with defined roles and regular reviews. Software Development

The practice of improving a website and its content so it ranks higher in unpaid search engine results and attracts more visitors. Business & Retail Tech

A cloud-based approach, known as SASE, that combines networking and security services so users connect safely from anywhere. Cybersecurity

Education that teaches employees to recognize and avoid cyber threats such as phishing, scams, and unsafe handling of data. Cybersecurity

A security system, known as SIEM, that collects and analyzes log data from across an organization to detect threats and support investigations. Cybersecurity

A team and facility that monitors an organization's systems around the clock to detect, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity

Search that finds results based on the meaning of a query rather than exact keyword matches. Data & Analytics

A version numbering scheme in the form MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH that signals whether a software update adds features, fixes bugs, or breaks compatibility. Software Development

A material, most commonly silicon, whose electrical conductivity can be controlled, forming the basis of computer chips and electronics. Hardware & Industry 4.0

Using natural language processing to determine whether a piece of text expresses a positive, negative, or neutral opinion. Data & Analytics

A cloud model where developers run code without managing servers, and the provider automatically handles scaling and charges per use. Cloud & DevOps

A contract between a service provider and a customer that defines expected service quality, such as uptime, and what happens if it is not met. Cloud & DevOps

An infrastructure layer that manages communication between microservices, handling traffic routing, security, and monitoring outside the application code. Cloud & DevOps

An authentication method, known as SSO, that lets people log in once and access many applications without signing in to each separately. Cybersecurity

An approach, known as SRE, that applies software engineering to operations to keep systems reliable, scalable, and efficient. Cloud & DevOps

A compact language model, typically with a few hundred million to around ten billion parameters, built to run efficiently on modest hardware. Artificial Intelligence

A program stored on a blockchain that automatically executes predefined actions when its conditions are met. Web3 & Blockchain

An electricity network that uses digital sensors, communication, and automation to balance supply and demand more efficiently. Green Tech

Phishing carried out through SMS or other text messages, tricking people into clicking malicious links or sharing personal information. Cybersecurity

Manipulating people into breaking security practices, such as sharing passwords or granting access, rather than attacking technology directly. Cybersecurity

Interpersonal and personal abilities, such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, and adaptability, that help people work well with others. Tech Careers

A detailed list, known as an SBOM, of all the components, libraries, and versions that make up a piece of software. Cybersecurity

A packaged set of tools, libraries, documentation, and code samples that helps developers build software for a specific platform or service. Software Development

The structured series of stages software goes through, from planning and design to building, testing, release, and maintenance. Software Development

A model in which software is hosted in the cloud and delivered to users over the internet, usually through a subscription. Cloud & DevOps

A targeted phishing attack aimed at a specific person or organization, using personal details to make the message more convincing. Cybersecurity

Technology that converts spoken language into written text, allowing computers to understand voice commands and transcribe audio. Artificial Intelligence

A cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, usually by being pegged to a fiat currency such as the US dollar. Web3 & Blockchain

A machine learning approach where a model learns from labeled examples, each pairing an input with the correct output. Artificial Intelligence

A cyberattack that compromises a trusted supplier, software vendor, or component in order to reach that supplier's customers. Cybersecurity

Artificially generated data that mimics the patterns of real data, used for testing, training models, or sharing without exposing real records. Data & Analytics

Background instructions given to a language model by the developer that set its role, tone, rules, and limits for every conversation. Artificial Intelligence

The future cost of rework caused by choosing a quick or easy software solution now instead of a better long-term approach. Software Development

Delivering healthcare services remotely using video calls, phone, messaging, and digital tools instead of in-person visits. HealthTech

A setting that controls how random or predictable a language model's output is, with lower values giving more consistent answers. Artificial Intelligence

A non-binding document that outlines the key terms and conditions of a proposed investment in a startup. Business & Retail Tech

A widely used infrastructure as code tool that lets teams define cloud resources in configuration files and create them automatically. Cloud & DevOps

Technology that turns written text into spoken audio, often using AI to produce natural-sounding voices. Artificial Intelligence

Evidence-based information about cyber threats, attackers, and their methods, used to anticipate and defend against attacks. Cybersecurity

The actual amount of data or work a system successfully processes in a given period of time. Cloud & DevOps

The basic unit of text a language model reads and writes, usually a word, part of a word, or punctuation mark. Artificial Intelligence

Replacing sensitive data with non-sensitive substitutes called tokens, or breaking text into tokens that AI models can process. FinTech

A neural network architecture, introduced in 2017, that uses attention mechanisms and underpins most modern large language models. Artificial Intelligence

The cryptographic protocol that encrypts and authenticates data sent over networks, securing HTTPS, email, and many other services. Cybersecurity

A programming language developed by Microsoft that adds static types to JavaScript and compiles to plain JavaScript. Software Development

Short tags added to the end of a web link that tell analytics tools where a visitor came from, such as which campaign, source, or ad. Business & Retail Tech

A privately held startup valued at 1 billion US dollars or more. Business & Retail Tech

India's real-time payment system that lets users instantly transfer money between bank accounts using a mobile phone. FinTech

Testing individual pieces of code, such as functions or classes, in isolation to confirm they behave as expected. Software Development

A machine learning approach that finds patterns and structure in data that has no labels or predefined answers. Artificial Intelligence

Learning new skills or deepening existing ones to stay effective in a current role or prepare for changing job demands. Tech Careers

The percentage of time a system, website, or service is operational and available to users. Cloud & DevOps

The overall experience a person has when using a product or service, including how easy, useful, and satisfying it feels. Software Development

The visual and interactive elements, such as screens, buttons, menus, and forms, through which people interact with software or devices. Software Development

A database designed to store embeddings and quickly find the items most similar to a given query vector. Data & Analytics

Investment from specialized firms into high-growth startups in exchange for equity, with the aim of large returns when companies succeed. Business & Retail Tech

A system that records changes to files over time so you can review history, collaborate, and restore earlier versions. Software Development

Building software mainly by describing what you want to an AI tool in plain language and accepting the code it generates, with little manual coding. Software Development

A software-based computer that runs its own operating system and applications on shared physical hardware. Cloud & DevOps

A service that creates an encrypted tunnel between a device and another network, protecting traffic and masking the user's IP address. Cybersecurity

Technology that immerses users in a fully computer-generated 3D environment, usually through a head-mounted display. Hardware & Industry 4.0

Voice phishing, a scam in which attackers use phone calls or voice messages to trick people into revealing information or sending money. Cybersecurity

Voice over Internet Protocol, technology that carries phone calls over the internet instead of traditional telephone lines. Tech for Local Business

A weakness in software, hardware, configuration, or process that an attacker could exploit to cause harm. Cybersecurity

Software or hardware that stores the private keys needed to access and manage cryptocurrency and other blockchain assets. Web3 & Blockchain

A sequential software development approach in which each phase, from requirements to maintenance, is completed before the next begins. Software Development

Electronic devices worn on the body, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, that collect data and provide connected features. Hardware & Industry 4.0

Designing and building websites so people with disabilities, including visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive impairments, can use them. Software Development

A small text file a website stores in your browser to remember information such as login status, preferences, or shopping cart contents. Software Development

A service that stores a website's files and runs it on servers connected to the internet so people can visit it. Cloud & DevOps

A vision of an internet built on blockchains, where users own their data, identity, and digital assets rather than relying on central platforms. Web3 & Blockchain

A compact binary format that lets code written in languages like C++, Rust, and Go run in web browsers at near-native speed. Software Development

An automated message one application sends to another via an HTTP request when a specific event happens. Software Development

The wireless networking standard based on IEEE 802.11be, designed for faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A simple, low-detail visual layout of a web page or app screen that shows structure and content placement before final design. Software Development

Extended Detection and Response: a security approach that combines data from endpoints, networks, email, cloud, and identity to detect and stop threats. Cybersecurity

Extensible Markup Language: a text-based format that uses custom tags to structure, store, and exchange data. Software Development

Cross-Site Scripting: a web vulnerability that lets attackers inject malicious scripts into pages viewed by other users. Cybersecurity

Anything as a Service: the broad trend of delivering products, tools, and capabilities over the internet as subscription-based services. Cloud & DevOps

A human-readable data format that uses indentation to represent structure, widely used for configuration files. Software Development

In computing, voluntarily giving up the CPU so other tasks can run; in chipmaking, the share of working chips produced on a wafer. Hardware & Industry 4.0

A DeFi strategy in which users lend or stake crypto assets in protocols to earn rewards, often in the form of additional tokens. Web3 & Blockchain

A security model built on the principle never trust, always verify, requiring every user and device to be authenticated and authorized continuously. Cybersecurity

A software vulnerability unknown to the vendor, or for which no fix exists yet, giving defenders zero days to prepare. Cybersecurity

A cryptographic method that lets one party prove a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the fact that it is true. Web3 & Blockchain

The ability of an AI model to perform a task or recognize categories it was not explicitly trained on, without any examples. Artificial Intelligence

A unit of digital information equal to one sextillion (10 to the power of 21) bytes, or one billion terabytes. Data & Analytics