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Glossary
Glossary M-R
M
MESA (= Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association)
The goal of MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) is to deliver valuable knowledge around operations-centric enterprise solutions. The association defines manufacturing-industry standards, methodologies and approaches with the goal of promoting best practices in manufacturing. It uses industry events, symposiums and publications to spread its ideas.
MES (= Manufacturing Execution System)
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is a system used to control and optimize the production process.
Managed Security Services
Outsourcing of IT security tasks. Under an MSS agreement, the service provider performs ongoing monitoring and where necessary, configuration and adaptation of customers' security systems.
MDA (= Mobile Digital Assistant)
An MDA (Mobile Digital Assistant) or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) is a small, portable computer mainly used for personal calendar, address and task management. Many MDAs double as cell phones.
mIDentity
A USB stick that permits highly secure, mobile access to a company's data.
MIPS
Abbreviation for "million instructions per second". Measure of processor performance. Depends, among other things, on the internal clock speed and the size of processor structures (measured in microns).
O
OBU (= On Board Unit)
An on-board unit (OBU) is equipment installed on trucks to enable automatic billing by toll systems based on automatic movement tracking. For example, Toll Collect in Germany uses satellite-assisted technology for road pricing.
OEM
An Original Equipment Manufacturer is a business that makes finished components or products that are resold by other companies, usually as part of a larger product.
P
PAL-Format (= Phase Alternating Line)
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a color encoding system used in analog television broadcasting. It was developed to resolve the irritating problem of color tone errors in the NTSC system.
PKI
A Public Key Infrastructure is an arrangement that provides encryption and digital-signature services based on public key algorithms. In this security set-up, the public key of a certificate holder, along with identification information, is authenticated by the digital signature of a certification body.
Plug and Play
In other words, connect up and get started. Usually refers to the automatic recognition, installation and configuration of ICT equipment as soon as it is plugged in or connected to a network. This allows equipment to be used right away without specialist skills.
Product Lifecycle Management
PLM is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product using a dedicated IT system to store and manage all data that arises between the product's conception and its sale or disposal. Ideally, all departments and systems that come into contact with a product have access to a common database that covers all phases from planning, design, costing and manufacture to sales and service. In light of their complexity, PLM systems are not products that can be purchased; PLM should be regarded rather as a strategy that requires appropriate technical and organizational support.
Provider
A supplier or vendor of goods or services. In an ICT context, the term is used for suppliers of services relating to information and communications technologies. The relevant market segment and/or stage of the value chain are often indicated by additions, e.g. Service Provider, Network Service Provider (NSP), Internet Service Provider (ISP), Internet Access Provider (IAP), Application Service Provider (ASP), or Internet Content Provider (ICP).
R
R/3
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that supports end-to-end management of a business. One of SAP AG's main products. The current version of this software is called mySAP ERP.
Retail
In the telecommunications industry, retail refers to the end-customer market, with products and services offered to consumers, i.e. private customers, SMEs and key accounts. The wholesale market segment, in contrast, refers to business-to-business sales of so-called upstream products to competitors, such as alternative landline operators, Internet Service Providers, and mobile telephone companies, i.e. resellers.
RIS
A Radiology Information System is a computer system that assists radiology services in storing and managing medical and administrative information.
Road Charging & Telematics
Charging for road use by vehicles.
Roaming
Roaming refers to the use of a communications device or just a subscriber's identification in a different network (visited network) from the home network. This is possible if the two network operators have signed a roaming agreement and have implemented the necessary connections between their networks. Roaming is typically employed by cell phone users when travelling in other countries.
RSS
Really Simple Syndication refers both to a method and a file format, both of which are used as a particularly effective way to publish information on the Internet. RSS is primarily employed to publish or exchange news. An RSS file is a brief, machine-readable description of a document such as a current news article. It generally includes the article's headline and a brief summary of its content. It also includes a link to the Internet location from which the document described can be accessed. RSS is mainly used where Website content is frequently updated.
RSS Feed
RSS feeds are also provided as a subscriber service, with subscribers automatically being sent new RSS files as they become available. Some of today's Web browsers are able to display the RSS feeds the user has subscribed to. Websites that offer RSS feeds draw attention to this service via symbols, usually in the form of small buttons labeled "XML" or "RSS", or sometimes "RDF" or "Channel".