_Note; When this file is opened with Notepad, please select Word Wrap. Otherwise scroll right for the long paragraphs.
56 Kbps 56 Kilo baud per second; 3Com & US Robotics; X2 modem technology
ACL Access Control List; NT's object access controller, determines resources, user, permission, links to SRM.
ADS Active Directory Service; Microsoft; 
ADSI Active Directory Service Interfaces; Microsoft; An easy to use , automation interface to directory services for different operating systems. e.g. NT 4.0 and NetWare 4.0
ADSL Asynchronous digital subscriber line; TI; 6 Mbps protocol for modems (future)
API Application programming interfaces;
ARPNET by Advanced Research Project Network (US Dept. Defense) till 1988.
ASP Active Server Pages; Microsoft
ATL The ActiveX Template Library
BAPI Business Application Program Interface;
BG Business Geographics
BGI Binary Gateway Interface; An alternative to CGI scripts that run external programs, as a web server in-process DLL, it delivers better performance.
BIER Building Information Evaluation Report; one record per building or structure. It determines the characteristic and conditions.
BIERENVIR Building Information Evaluation Report ENVIRonmental; keeps track of all clean-up sites and lists areas of environmental concern
BIMS Building Information Management System;
BIND Berkley Internet Name Domain, Software 
Cab Files extraction (95) Q129605 ; http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/Q129/6/05.htm
CDF Channel Definition Format; Microsoft
CE (the) CE Marking; Identifying mark that signifies a product conforms with the set of requirements of the European "Directives" and that the product can be traded in every country of the EU. The Directives require quality assurance systems like ISO 9000.
Cell based raster data
Cell based raster maps
CGI Common Gateway Interface; software that facilitates communication between a Web server and programs operating outside the server; for example, programs that process interactive forms.
CGMP Current Good Manufacturing Practices FDA, Office of Regulatory Affairs - Human Drugs
CHAP Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol; a protocol used by Microsoft RAS to negotiate the most secure form of encrypted authentication supported by both server and client.
CI Continious Improvement; a continious ISO 9000
CICS Customer (or Corporate) Information Control System; Originaly IBM mainframe, but now supported by Digital UNIX on Alpha. 
CIM Computer Integrated Manufacturing
COF Cost Of Facilities; 
COM Component Object Model
CSS Cascading Style Sheets; A web page style method, once defined, can act as definition for several pages; no redundant information. 
CSV Comma Separated Values; standard file format for transferring column-row data, as in DB3, Excel, et al.
DBMS database Management System
DCOM Distributed Component Object Model; Microsoft;
DCS Distributed Control Systems
DDE Dynamic Data Exchange
DES Data Encryption Standard; encryption (the U.S. government standard) designed to protect against password discovery and playback.
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; TCP/IP configuration of Client computers, configuration is stored at a central server. Clients starts out with a temporary address of 0.0.0.0, selects a server and accepts the "leased" IP address.
DHTML Dynamic Hyper-Text Markup Language - innovative features that allow content providers to create "compelling content" for the Web.
DLL Dynamic Link Libraries
DMC Digital Motor Control; TI; Motor motion control software
DMS Data Management System;
DNA Distributed InterNet Architecture; Microsoft; Method of defining, for developers, how windows NT environment fits together.
DNS Domain Name System, Gives name servers the ability to find data in any domain.
DOE Department Of Energy
DOS Disk Operating System
Down-loading = Towards you
DSO Data Source Object
DSP Digital Signal Processing
DSPS Digital Signal Processing Solution; TI;
DXF Data Transfer(X) File; Intermediate vector based data file (AutoCAD)
EC (the) European Commission; Sets standards for the European Union, particularly within Health and Safety.
EDI Electronic Data Interchange
Embedded Architecture =  Manufacturers embed (put in) microcomputers as controllers within their products to reap the benefits of using the PC architecture.
ERP Enterprise Resource Planning
ESRI Inc. Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.; Software that uses GIS to embed maps into other software applications (internet).
EU (the) European Union; 
FNS Functional NanoStructures; are structures that have at least one characteristic dimension in the range from molecular to 50 nm; they are conceived and constructed for a function (device or structural application or effect) that develops in that size range.
FTP File Transfer Protocol; method of connecting to larger systems to obtain files (typicaly UNIX), required protocol for web pages.
Gb Gigabyte; 1,000,000,000 bytes
GDS (Sybase)
GIS Global Information System
GLOBAL Geographic Language Of Business Allies Laboratory; Partnership between Industry and Government, transferring data from remote sensing technologies to apply to management and planning with the use of GIS.
GRQs Get Rich Quicks - Schemes and scams to make money without working (in theory).
HCMOS High speed CMOS
HMI Human-Machine Interface; 
HTML HyperText Markup Language A system of marking up, or tagging, a document so it can be published on the World Wide Web. 
HTTP HyperText Transmission Protocol; The Web's TCP procedures that packet the chunks of text and/or images down the net.
HTTP1.1 Newer version that has "persistent connection" functions, holding the packets open longer, filling the TCP packet more, reducing TCP packeting inefficiencies.
IEMMC Internet E-mail Marketing Council - 12+ Spam companies who say they will "allow" you and your domain to "opt out of direct e-mail (spam). But watch out for their "IEMMC Compensation Program" aimed at your ISP. 
Intergraph Corp.
Internet; see The Internet (below)
internet; small intra-company nets usually not TCP/IP.
intranet; small intra company (corporate) TCP/IP nets.
IOPS I/O Per Second; The number of general I/O activities that can be accomplished in 1 Sec, such as print commands.
ISA Bus; First introduced in 1982 for the 4Mhz 8086 processor. Approx. 20Mbps transfer rate.
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network; Simply put, is the telephone network turned all-digital. It is a type of telephone service in which voice, data, and video information is digitized and transmitted at high speed over a single, public switched network which lets you transmit 64Kbps or 128Kbsp of information over your phone line. When it comes to modems, there's a direct correlation between speed and download times.
IWPS Integrator’s Workbench Series; Datatec; software tools combines computer-aided software engineering (CASE) techniques and workflow technologies to streamline the configuration, integration and management of distributed networks and connectivity devices as well as software applications, desktop computers and distributed servers.
KDI Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence; NSF; new learning methods that integrate linguistic, behavioral, biological, cognitive and educational approaches with new interactive, collaborative and multisensory technologies
LIS Learning and Intelligent Systems; NSF; a broad range of studies that could lead to rapid and radical advances in how humans learn and create
LSA Local Security Authority; NT's logon validater, grants access tokens to user processes, validate access to local resources, acts as hub for NT's security operations.
LWOP Life Without the possibility Of Parole; Judicial jargon for long sentence, one notch short of death.
Mb Megabyte; 1,000,000 bytes
MES Manufacturing Execution Systems
MIFS Microsoft Internet Financial Server; allows Banks to perform on-line financial transactions.
MNG Multiple Network Graphics; Industry standard for animated graphics.
MOS Metal Oxide Semiconductor; Notably very low power consumption
MOSFET Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
MRP Manufacturing Requirements Planning
MS DOS Microsoft's Disk Operating System 
Name Server; Makes domain data available to all other name servers
NDD Network Device Deployment; Datatec; eases the burden of installing devices (routers bridges etc) and includes all necessary software tools for data collection, process automation for staging deployment.
NSF (The) National Science Foundation
NSFNET by National Science Foundation Network, from 1988 - 1995
ODBC Open Database Connectivity
OFX Open Financial Exchange; Microsoft, Intuit; specification for client software for on-line banking.
OLE Object Linking and Embedding; Microsoft;
OPC OLE for Process Control;
OSD Open Software Description; a format based on the XML which uses unique XML tags to describe software components, including their versions, underlying structure, relationships to other components, and dependencies. It can describe and reference platform native code. OSD can be delivered automatically (through "push" technology), thus simplifying the installation process for users, allowing for easy and timely software upgrades, and avoiding cross-platform installation complexities.
PC DOS Personal Computer Disk Operating System (IBM)
PCI bus = 32 Bit 33Mhz. 1,025Mbps transfer rate (maximum), 132Mbps nominal. 
PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, SanDisk, Fujitsu, Lotus + Apple IBM etc; Credit card sized devices that can expand memory storage, I/O and processing of host computer.
PCMCIA Portable Computer Module 
PDF pdf Portable Document Format - Acrobat
PLC Programmable Logic Controller
PNG Portable Network Graphics; Industry standard for static graphics. 10 to 40% smaller file size than GIF/JPEG.
POP Point of Presence; Your ISP's U.S. local access numbers to connecting server
POP3 Your ISP's server that delivers (e)mail to you
PPP Point to Point Protocol; as an internet dial-up protocol, is more reliable than SLIP.
PPTP Point to Point Tunneling Protocol; a more secure form of internet protocol that uses dial-up to connect within the internet to the "home" RAS server. Requires PPP, NT 4.0, to initiate. Is far more secure than SLIP or PPP.
RAD Rapid Application Development; capability of, for instance, reusable objects.
RAID Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks;
RAM Random Access Memory; typical hardware computer memory that is volatile (dies when turned off) it is the place where programs run, pushing and pulling data or other programs from the hard drive.
RAMS Resident Agency Management System; details agreements between NASA and other Federal agencies, shows user needs and space requirements.
RDBMS Relational Database Management System
RDH Rapid Displacement Heating
RMII Reduced Media Independent Interface; intended for use between 10/100Mbps Ethernet physical layer interface (PHY) devices and switch silicon.  By reducing the pin count and the complexity of the interface between the media access controller (MAC) and PHY components, the RMII will make it easier and less costly for system providers to build network switching solutions.
RPC Remote Procedure Calls
RPG Report Program Generator; IBM; A400
RRL Relay Ladder Logic
RTU Remote Terminal Unit
SAM Security Account Manager; NT's controller of security for windows NT registry. Authentication (password) during logon, links to LSA and acts to validate users.
SCADA Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition; Industrial
SCSI Small Computer System Interface.
SDE Spatial Database Engine (ESRI)
SDI Strategic Defense Initiative
SDK The Microsoft Platform Software Development Kit
SGC Server Gated Crypto; Microsoft; an extension of SSL, enables  128 bit encryption between Banks and customers.
SLIP Serial Line Internet Protocol; an internet protocol, the original low speed dial-up access protocol.
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; Your ISP's Outgoing (from you) Mail Relay Host
SPAP Shiva Password Authentication Protocol; a two-way (reversible) encryption mechanism employed by Shiva.
Spatial Analyst enables desktop GIS users to create, query, and analyze cell-based raster maps
SQL System Query Language; The text search engine allows queries to be formed from arbitrary Boolean expressions containing the keywords AND, OR, and NOT, and grouped with parentheses. For example: information retrieval: finds documents containing 'information' or 'retrieval' - information or retrieval: same as above - information and retrieval: finds documents containing both 'information' and 'retrieval' - information not retrieval: finds documents containing 'information' but not 'retrieval' - (information not retrieval) and WAIS: finds documents containing 'WAIS', plus  'information' but not 'retrieval' - web*: finds documents containing words starting with 'web' 
SRM Security Reference Monitor; NT's access enforcer, audits and authenticates activities on individual machines, links to LSA and acts on object (files, printers, resources) rights.
SSL Secure Socket Layer, Local server protocol
SWIFT Secure Wellsite Information Forwarding Technology; Varco; facilitates maximum bore hole construction efficiency, by enabling all parties such as drilling contractors, operators, independent experts, service companies and well partners to participate in an optimized drilling program. 
TCO Total Cost of Ownership;
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. 
The Internet; by confederation of all TCP/IP of Multiple Commercial Backbones.
TSSOP Thin Shrink-Small Outline Package; TI
TWAIN Toolkit Without An Interesting Name; Computer Industry Standard which specifies how image acquisition devices such as Scanners, Digital Cameras and other devices transfer data to software applications.
Up-loading = Away from you
USB Universal Serial Bus USB technology will allow peripherals to be correctly detected and configured automatically as soon as they are physically attached. Hot attach/detach allows adding and removing devices at any time, without powering down or rebooting. Drawing its intelligence from the host PC, the Universal Serial Bus detects when devices are added or removed, which -- unlike with conventional add-in slots -- can be done with the power on and without having to re-boot the system. This port allows many different devices to use a single connector type and also allows a 12 Megabits per second (Mbps) data transfer rate.
VM Microsoft Windows 3.1 Virtual Machine for Java(TM)
VPN Virtual Private Network; Internet based network using PPTP; PPP with IP tunneling.
X2 (Trademark) 3Com/USR; high speed modem protocol
XML Extensible Markup Language
ZAW Zero Administration for Windows; a microsoft initiative towards NetPCs and "Thin Clients"