Tech glossary A–Z
Jargon, decoded. Short definitions first, the full explanation one click away.
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