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Glossary
Glossary S-Z
S
Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
Safety Integrity Level (SIL) is a term defined in international standards IEC 61508 and IEC 61511. It is used to evaluate the reliability of security functions and features in electrical, electronic and programmable electronic systems (E/E/PESs).
SAP
SAP AG is a leading global provider of business software.
SAS (= Statement on Auditing Standards)
Statements on Auditing Standards (commonly abbreviated to SAS) are published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and provide guidance to external auditors with regard to auditing companies.
Seamless Communication
The term Seamless Communication is sometimes used to describe the growing fusion between landline and mobile telephone technology (often termed fixed-mobile convergence, or FMC). It is also used for the integration of IT-based with analog communications technologies. In short, Seamless Communication makes it possible to communicate across different technologies in a straightforward, user-friendly way.
Service Level Agreement
A SLA is a formal document, generally part of contractual documentation for an ICT service, which defines quantitative (or qualitative) indicators or metrics that are regularly measured as a means of monitoring the service. The SLA includes all relevant rules and responsibilities. SLAs typically cover operating times and service availability.
SOX
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX, SarbOx, or SOA) is a United States federal law passed in response to a number of major corporate and accounting scandals. The legislation establishes new or enhanced accounting standards for all U.S. public company boards, management, and public accounting firms.
T
Telecommunications
In a narrow sense, the term telecommunications is currently understood to mean data exchange via electrical and electronic systems, particularly telephony.
Telematics
Blend of telecommunications and informatics (another term for IT). This area of research studies the interrelationships between different communications engineering fields (digital technology, semiconductors, microelectronics and optoelectronics), and more especially the areas of IT and telecommunications that are based on these underlying technologies. One area of telematics that has risen to prominence in recent years is vehicle telematics: systems and services designed to increase transportation safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and reduce the environmental impact. Vehicle telematics is making increasing use of satellite-based navigation and positioning systems (e.g. GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) to locate positions and route, plan and navigate journeys.
TETRA (= Terrestrial Trunked Radio)
TETRA (terrestrial trunked radio, originally called trans-European trunked radio) is a standard for digital trunked radio. Its special features make it particularly suitable for government agencies, specifically emergency and police services.
Traceability
Traceability means the ability to determine at any time when, where, and by whom, specific goods were obtained, produced, processed, stored, transported, consumed, or disposed of.
U
UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third-generation (3G) mobile telephony standard that will replace GSM-based mobile communications and offer a broader range of services. UTMS supports powerful multimedia offerings. In addition to voice and audio, these can include rapid transfer of data, graphics and text as well as moving images and video. To take fuller advantage of these new capabilities, UTMS cellular phones are equipped with video cameras and color displays.
Unbundling
A regulatory provision in deregulated telecommunications markets obliging the major provider (normally a former state monopolist) to allow other operators – for a fee – to use the local loop, i.e. the physical connection from the local telephone exchange to the end customer.
V
VPN
Virtual Private Networks are made-to-measure, network-based voice solutions that enable companies to integrate multiple locations into a single network – without the cost of setting up their own corporate infrastructure. A VPN supports applications such as central dial-in, central switchboard, teleworking, customer telephone services and contact management.
W
WAN
Wide Area Networks are designed for voice or data communications over long distances. The design of a WAN is based on the services required. The conventional analog telephone network or ISDN are suitable for telephony, while packet-oriented public data networks are intended for data transfer services.
WAP (= Wireless Application Protocol)
The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a collection of technologies and protocols designed to make Internet content available in a form adapted to mobile telephony, with its slower transmission rates and longer response times, and with the small displays of cellular telephones.
Webcast
A Webcast is a live broadcast of audiovisual content over the Internet. Webcasts are generally used for informational purposes and are often on scientific or technical topics.
White Papers
A white paper is a document giving an overview of services, standards or technical topics. Case studies, customer references, and market research findings can also be presented in white papers.
WIMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, a synonym for the IEEE 802.16 standard. Generic term for systems (or their air interfaces) that give wireless access to broadband networks. Thanks to its range and high data rates, WiMAX technology can be used by enterprises and private households for wireless, stationary broadband access to the Internet or other broadband networks. The standard includes a mobile version of particular interest to enterprises. It will enable nomadic employees who use notebooks to log on to the Internet or corporate intranet from any location within the company or beyond.
X
X.25
X.25 is a standard protocol suite for synchronous, packet-switched transmission over the telephone network. Developed by the ITU-T, X.25 is typically used for wide-area networks.