Computer Abbreviations, Computer Awareness

Table of Contents
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. F
7. G
8. H
9. I
10. J
11. K
12. L
13. M
14. N
15. O
16. P
17. R
18. S
19. T
20. U
21. V
22. W
23. X
24. Z
25. Some other important abbreviations
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A

• AI - Artificial Intelligence. A branch of computer science that builds systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, perception and natural language understanding. Applications: virtual assistants, image recognition, autonomous vehicles.
• ALGOL - Algorithmic Language. A family of high-level programming languages widely used historically for expressing algorithms; influenced many modern languages.
• ARP - Address Resolution Protocol. A network protocol used to map an IP address to a machine's physical (MAC) address on a local area network.
• ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A character-encoding standard for electronic communication representing text in computers and other devices using numeric codes for letters, digits and control characters.

B

• BINAC - Binary Automatic Computer. An early binary computer developed in the late 1940s; historically important in the development of stored-program computers.
• BCC - Blind Carbon Copy. An email header field used to send copies of a message to recipients whose addresses are not visible to other recipients.
• Bin - Binary. A numeral system using base 2 (0 and 1); the native representation of data in digital computers.
• BASIC - Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. A family of simple, early high-level programming languages designed for ease of learning and use.
• BIOS - Basic Input/Output System. Firmware that initialises hardware and boots an operating system when a computer is switched on.
• Bit - Binary Digit. The smallest unit of information in computing, representing 0 or 1.
• BSNL - Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. India's state-owned telecommunications company providing voice and data services.

C

• CC - Carbon Copy. An email header field used to send a copy of a message to additional recipients whose addresses are visible to all.
• CAD - Computer Aided Design. Software used for designing engineering drawings, architectural plans and detailed 2D/3D models. Widely used in civil and mechanical engineering.
• COBOL - Common Business Oriented Language. A high-level programming language designed for business data processing and legacy enterprise systems.
• CD - Compact Disc. An optical disc used to store digital data such as music or files.
• CRT - Cathode Ray Tube. A vacuum-tube display technology used in older monitors and televisions.
• CDR - Compact Disc Recordable. A CD that can be written once by the user.
• CD-ROM - Compact Disc Read Only Memory. A CD manufactured with data that cannot be altered by the user.
• CD-RW - Compact Disc Rewritable. A disc that can be written to and erased multiple times.
• CDR/W - Compact Disc Read/Write. Synonym for recordable and rewritable CD formats.

D

• DBA - Database Administrator. A professional responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and security of databases.
• DBMS - Database Management System. Software for creating, managing and querying databases (for example, MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• DNS - Domain Name System. The hierarchical system that translates human-readable domain names (like example.com) into IP addresses.
• DPI - Dots Per Inch. A measure of printing or scanning resolution indicating the number of individual dots in one inch.
• DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory. Volatile main memory used by computers that must be refreshed periodically to retain data.
• DVD - Digital Versatile Disc (also Digital Video Disc). An optical disc format for storage of video, audio and data.
• DVDR - DVD Recordable. A DVD that can be recorded once by the user.
• DVD-ROM - DVD Read Only Memory. A DVD with pre-recorded data that cannot be altered.
• DVDRW - DVD Rewritable. A DVD that can be erased and recorded multiple times.
• DVR - Digital Video Recorder. A system that records video in digital format to a disk drive or other storage media.
• DOS - Disk Operating System. Early operating systems (for example MS-DOS) for personal computers that provide command-line interfaces.

E

• EBCDIC - Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. A character encoding used primarily on IBM mainframe systems.
• e-Commerce - Electronic Commerce. Buying and selling goods and services over electronic systems such as the Internet.
• EDP - Electronic Data Processing. The automated processing of data using computers.
• EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. A non-volatile memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed.
• Email - Electronic Mail. A method of exchanging digital messages over the Internet. (Often shown as e-Mail or ELM in older lists.)
• ENIAC - Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. One of the earliest general-purpose electronic digital computers (1940s), important in computing history.
• EOF - End Of File. A condition in computing indicating no more data available in a file or stream.
• EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. A type of non-volatile memory that can be erased (by UV light) and reprogrammed.
• EXE - Executable. A file format for programs that can be run by an operating system.

F

• FAX - Facsimile (often referred to as Far Away Xerox). A method for sending scanned documents over telephone lines.
• FDC - Floppy Disk Controller. Hardware that controls floppy disk drives.
• FDD - Floppy Disk Drive. A legacy magnetic storage device for removable disks.
• FORTRAN - Formula Translation. A high-level programming language developed for numeric and scientific computing.
• FS - File System. The method and data structures an operating system uses to store and organise files on storage media.
• FTP - File Transfer Protocol. A standard network protocol used for transferring files between a client and server on a computer network.

G

• Gb - Gigabit. A unit of digital information equal to 10^9 bits (context-dependent; sometimes used as 2^30 bits in storage contexts).
• GB - Gigabyte. A unit of digital information equal to 10^9 bytes (or 2^30 bytes in some contexts); commonly used to measure storage capacity.
• GIF - Graphics Interchange Format. A bitmap image format that supports animation and simple transparency.
• GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications. A standard for mobile phone systems used worldwide for voice and data.

H

• HDD - Hard Disk Drive. A magnetic data storage device using rotating platters and moving heads for persistent storage.
• HP - Hewlett-Packard. A major multinational technology company producing printers, computers and enterprise products.
• HTML - HyperText Markup Language. The standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in web browsers.
• HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol. The foundation protocol for data communication on the World Wide Web.

I

• IBM - International Business Machines. A multinational technology corporation known historically for mainframes and enterprise systems.
• IM - Instant Messaging. Real-time text communication over the Internet.
• IMAP - Internet Message Access Protocol. A protocol for retrieving and managing email messages on a mail server.
• ISP - Internet Service Provider. A company that provides Internet access and related services to users.

J

• JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group. A commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images.

K

• Kb - Kilobit. A unit of digital information equal to 1 000 bits (context may vary).
• KB - Kilobyte. A unit of digital information equal to 1 000 bytes (or 1024 bytes in binary contexts).
• KHz - Kilohertz. A unit of frequency equal to 1000 hertz; used to describe clock rates and signal frequencies.
• Kbps - Kilobits Per Second. A measure of data transfer speed (thousand bits per second).

L

• LCD - Liquid Crystal Display. A flat-panel display technology used in monitors, televisions and mobile devices.
• LED - Light Emitting Diode. A semiconductor light source used for displays and indicators; LED technology also used in backlighting LCDs.
• LPI - Lines Per Inch. A measure of halftone printing resolution.
• LSI - Large Scale Integration. Integrated circuit technology referring to a high number of transistors on a single chip.

M

• Mb - Megabit. A unit of information equal to one million bits (used often for network speeds).
• MB - Megabyte. A unit of information equal to one million bytes (or 2^20 bytes in binary contexts); common for file sizes.
• MPEG - Moving Picture Experts Group. A working group that developed standards for audio and video compression such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.
• MMS - Multimedia Messaging Service. A standard for sending messages that include multimedia content over mobile networks.
• MICR - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. A technology used to read characters printed with magnetic ink, commonly on bank cheques.
• MIPS - Million Instructions Per Second. A measure of processor performance (approximate and architecture dependent).

N

• NIC - Network Interface Card. Hardware that connects a computer to a network (wired or wireless).
• NOS - Network Operating System. An operating system that provides services and management for networked computers (for example, Windows Server).

O

• OMR - Optical Mark Reader. A device that detects marks made on paper (for example, multiple-choice answer sheets).
• OOP - Object Oriented Programming. A programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects" containing data and methods.
• OSS - Open Source Software. Software whose source code is available for use, modification and distribution under a licence.

P

• PAN - Personal Area Network. A short-range network for devices centred around an individual, such as Bluetooth connections.
• PC - Personal Computer. A general-purpose computer designed for use by an individual.
• PDA - Personal Digital Assistant. A handheld device (historically used for personal information management).
• PDF - Portable Document Format. A file format developed by Adobe to present documents consistently across platforms.
• POS - Point Of Sale. Systems used for sales transactions in retail that combine software and hardware.
• PNG - Portable Network Graphics. A lossless bitmap image format supporting transparency.
• PPM - Pages Per Minute. A measure of printer speed indicating how many pages a printer produces in one minute.
• PPP - Point-to-Point Protocol. A data link protocol used to establish a direct connection between two network nodes.
• PROM - Programmable Read-Only Memory. A non-volatile memory that can be programmed once after manufacture.
• PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network. The traditional circuit-switched telephone network.
• POST - Power-On Self Test. A diagnostic testing sequence run by firmware when a computer is started to check hardware integrity.
• PING - Packet Internet Groper. A network utility used to test reachability of hosts and measure round-trip time.

R

• RAM - Random Access Memory. Volatile memory used by a computer to store working data and machine code currently in use.
• RDBMS - Relational Database Management System. A DBMS based on the relational model (for example, MySQL, Oracle).
• RIP - Routing Information Protocol. A dynamic routing protocol used in local and wide area networks.
• RTF - Rich Text Format. A cross-platform document file format that supports basic text formatting.

S

• SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The standard protocol for sending email between mail servers.
• SQL - Structured Query Language. A standard language for querying and manipulating relational databases.
• SRAM - Static Random Access Memory. A faster form of volatile memory that does not require periodic refresh like DRAM.
• SNMP - Simple Network Management Protocol. A protocol used for managing devices on IP networks.
• SIM - Subscriber Identity Module. A smart card storing a mobile subscriber's identity and credentials used in GSM and related mobile networks.

T

• TCP - Transmission Control Protocol. A core transport-layer protocol that provides reliable, ordered, connection-oriented delivery of data between applications.
• TB - Terabyte. A unit of digital information equal to 10^12 bytes (commonly used to measure large storage capacities).

U

• UPS - Uninterruptible Power Supply. A backup power system that provides emergency power when the main power source fails.
• URI - Uniform Resource Identifier. A string that identifies a resource on the Internet; URLs are a type of URI.
• URL - Uniform Resource Locator. The address used to access resources on the Web (for example, https://www.example.com).
• USB - Universal Serial Bus. A standard interface for connecting peripherals to a computer.
• ULSI - Ultra Large Scale Integration. IC technology containing a very high number of transistors on a single chip.
• UNIVAC - Universal Automatic Computer. An early commercial computer series important in computing history.

V

• VAR - Variable. A named location in programming used to store data that can change during program execution.
• VGA - Video Graphics Array. A display standard and connector type originally introduced by IBM for computer video output.
• VSNL - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited. An Indian telecommunications company involved historically in international data services.
• VDU - Visual Display Unit. A general term for display devices such as monitors.

W

• Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity. A family of wireless networking technologies based on the IEEE 802.11 standards for local area networking.
• WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network. A LAN that uses wireless communication for connectivity (often using Wi-Fi).
• WPA - Wi-Fi Protected Access. A family of security protocols for securing wireless networks.
• WWW - World Wide Web. A system of interlinked hypertext documents and resources accessed via the Internet.
• WORM - Write Once Read Many. A storage technology where data can be written once and read many times without modification.

X

• XHTML - eXtensible HyperText Markup Language. A reformulation of HTML as an XML application, combining HTML structure with XML strictness.
• XML - eXtensible Markup Language. A flexible text format for structured data interchange between systems.

Z

• ZB - Zettabyte. A unit of digital information equal to 10^21 bytes, used to quantify extremely large data volumes.

Some other important abbreviations

• OCR - Optical Character Recognition. Technology that recognises printed or handwritten text from images for conversion to machine-readable text.
• ODBC - Open Database Connectivity. A standard API for accessing DBMSs that allows applications to use SQL to access data from various database systems.
• OLE - Object Linking and Embedding. A Microsoft technology that allows embedding and linking to documents and other objects.
• ONE - Open Network Architecture. An approach to network design that allows interoperable, modular services.
• OOA - Object Oriented Analysis. A technique for analysing a system by modelling it as interacting objects.
• OOAD - Object Oriented Analysis and Design. The combined approach of analysing and designing systems using object-oriented concepts.
• OOP - Object Oriented Programming. (See above)
• OOPS - Object Oriented Programming System. A term sometimes used interchangeably with OOP, emphasising the system or paradigm.
• OPENGL - Open Graphics Library. A cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.
• OS - Operating System. System software that manages computer hardware and provides services to applications.
• OSI - Open Systems Interconnection. A conceptual model (7 layers) used to understand and design network protocols and their interactions.
• PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect. A local computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer.
• PCMCIA - Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. A standard for peripheral interface devices for laptops; commonly known for credit-card sized expansion cards.
• PDL - Page Description Language. A language describing the layout and contents of printed pages (for example PostScript).
• PDU - Protocol Data Unit. A unit of data specified in a protocol of a given layer in network models.
• PIC - Programmable Interrupt Controller / PIC microcontroller (context dependent). In embedded systems, PIC commonly refers to a family of microcontrollers.
• PILOT - Programmed Inquiry, Learning, or Teaching. An early instructional programming language for educational applications.
• PLA - Programmable Logic Array. A configurable logic device used in digital circuits to implement combinational logic.
• PLC - Programmable Logic Controller. An industrial digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes.
• PNP - Plug and Play. Hardware standard that allows automatic recognition and configuration of peripherals.
• PPP - Peer-to-Peer Protocol / Point-to-Point Protocol. In networking, PPP commonly denotes Point-to-Point Protocol for direct links.
• PPTP - Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. A method for implementing virtual private networks (VPNs).
• PS - PostScript. A page description language and printing system developed by Adobe.
• RADSL - Rate Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line. A DSL technology that adjusts data rate according to line conditions.
• RAID - Redundant Array of Independent Disks. A storage technology that combines multiple disk drives for redundancy and/or performance.
• RAMDAC - Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter. Hardware used historically in graphics to convert framebuffer data to analog video signals.
• RAS - Remote Access Service / Remote Access Server. Services or servers that allow remote users to connect to a network.
• RDRAM - Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory. A type of high-performance DRAM developed by Rambus Inc.
• RDO - Remote Data Objects. A Microsoft technology for accessing remote data in older distributed systems.
• RDP - Remote Desktop Protocol. A protocol by Microsoft that allows users to connect to and control remote computers graphically.
• RFC - Request For Comments. A series of technical and organisational documents about Internet standards and protocols.
• RGB - Red Green Blue. An additive colour model used in displays and imaging to create a wide array of colours.
• RISC - Reduced Instruction Set Computer. A CPU design philosophy emphasising a small, highly optimised set of instructions for performance.
• ROM - Read-Only Memory. Non-volatile memory typically used to store firmware.
• RPC - Remote Procedure Call. A protocol that one program can use to request a service from a program located in another address space.
• RTC - Real Time Clock. A clock that keeps track of current time for a computer system, even when powered off (using a backup battery).
• RTOS - Real Time Operating System. An OS designed to process data and respond to events within a guaranteed time constraint.
• SACK - Selective Acknowledgements. A TCP option that allows the receiver to inform the sender about all segments that have arrived successfully.
• SAM - Security Account Manager / Security Access Manager (context dependent). A component storing user account information and credentials on Windows systems.
• SAP - Service Access Point / Systems, Applications and Products (context dependent). In networking, SAP identifies services at layer interfaces; SAP is also a major enterprise software vendor.
• SCMP - Software Configuration Management Plan. A document describing the configuration management processes for software.
• SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. DRAM that is synchronized with the system bus for higher performance.
• SDD - Software Design Description. A document describing the architecture and design of software systems.
• SDK - Software Development Kit. A collection of software development tools, libraries and documentation to build applications for a platform.
• SDL - Storage Definition Language / Specification and Description Language (context dependent). In one use, it refers to languages for defining storage schemas.
• SDN - Software Defined Networking / Integrated Services Digital Network (context dependent). SDN commonly denotes programmable networking architectures; ISDN is Integrated Services Digital Network.
• SDSL - Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A DSL variant that offers equal upload and download speeds.
• SGRAM - Synchronous Graphics Random Access Memory. A memory type optimised for graphics processing.
• SGML - Standard Generalized Markup Language. A standard for defining generalized markup languages for documents; XML is a simplified subset.
• SIMD - Single Instruction Multiple Data. A parallel computing architecture where one instruction operates on multiple data elements simultaneously.
• SISD - Single Instruction Single Data. A serial computing architecture where one instruction operates on a single data element.
• SIU - Serial Interface Unit. A hardware block that implements serial communication interfaces.
• SMP - Symmetric Multiprocessing. A system architecture where two or more identical processors share memory and operate under a single OS instance.
• SMS - Short Message Service. A text messaging service component of most cellular telephone systems.
• SNA - Systems Network Architecture. IBM's proprietary networking architecture used historically in enterprise systems.
• SNAP - Subnetwork Access Protocol. A small protocol header used in some networking contexts to identify higher-level protocols.
• SNMP - Simple Network Management Protocol. (See above)
• SNOBOL - String Oriented Symbolic Language. A programming language designed for text and string processing.
• SOAP - Simple Object Access Protocol. A protocol for exchanging structured information in web services using XML.
• SPX - Sequenced Packet Exchange. A transport protocol used primarily in Novell NetWare networks.
• SQA - Software Quality Assurance. The set of processes and practices to ensure software quality and reliability.
• SRS - Software Requirements Specification. A document that describes the functional and non-functional requirements of a software system.
• STP - Shielded Twisted Pair. A cable type with shielding to reduce electromagnetic interference.
• SVVP - Software Verification and Validation Plan. A document defining the approach to verify and validate software against requirements.
• SW - Software. Programs and operating information used by a computer.
• TAPI - Telephony Application Programming Interface. A Microsoft API for computer telephony integration.
• TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. The suite of communications protocols used for the Internet and similar networks.
• TDI - Transport Data Interface. An interface used in certain network or system architectures for data transport.
• TDMA - Time Division Multiple Access. A channel access method for shared medium networks, dividing access by time slots.
• TPM - Transaction Processing Monitor. Middleware that manages transaction processing for large-scale applications.
• TSR - Terminate and Stay Resident. A type of DOS program that remains resident in memory after execution to provide services.
• UDP - User Datagram Protocol. A connectionless transport-layer protocol that provides low-latency transmission without guaranteed delivery.
• UI - User Interface. The means by which a user interacts with a computer or software application.
• UML - Unified Modelling Language. A standard visual language for specifying, constructing and documenting software systems.
• UNC - Universal Naming Convention. A standard for identifying shared resources (for example, \\Server\Share in Windows).
• UNIX - A family of multitasking, multiuser operating systems originally developed at Bell Labs; known for portability and powerful command-line tools.
• USB - Universal Serial Bus. (See above)
• UTP - Unshielded Twisted Pair. A commonly used cable type for Ethernet and telephony without additional shielding.
• VAN - Value-Added Network / Virtual Area Network (context dependent). VAN commonly denotes private networks providing specialised services.
• VAST - Very Small Aperture Terminal. Satellite communications system using small dish antennas for data transmission.
• VB - Visual Basic. A high-level programming language and environment developed by Microsoft for rapid application development.
• VC++ - Visual C++. Microsoft's C++ development environment and compiler.
• VCD - Video Compact Disc. An optical disc format for storing digitised video on a compact disc.
• VDL - View Definition Language. A language or specification used to define views in database or reporting systems.
• VHS - Video Home System. An analogue videocassette recording standard used historically for consumer video recording.
• VLIW - Very Long Instruction Word. A CPU architecture that issues multiple operations in a single long instruction word for parallelism.
• VLSI - Very Large Scale Integration. IC technology integrating a very large number of transistors on a single chip.
• VPN - Virtual Private Network. A secure connection method using encryption to extend a private network over a public network like the Internet.
• VRAM - Video Random Access Memory. Memory dedicated to storing image data for display systems.
• VRML - Virtual Reality Modelling Language. A standard for representing 3D interactive vector graphics on the web.
• VS - Visual Studio. An integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft supporting multiple programming languages.
• VVD - Validation and Verification Document / Software Verification and Validation Report (context dependent). Documents or reports produced during software validation/verification.
• VXD - Virtual Device Driver. A type of driver used in older versions of Microsoft Windows for virtual device support.
• W3C - World Wide Web Consortium. The main international standards organisation for the Web.
• WAIS - Wide Area Information Server. An early distributed text-search system for large document collections.
• WAN - Wide Area Network. A network that covers a broad geographic area, connecting multiple LANs.
• WAP - Wireless Application Protocol. A suite of protocols for accessing the Internet on mobile devices (older standard).
• WBEM - Web Based Enterprise Management. A set of standards for systems management using web technologies.
• WDM - Wavelength Division Multiplexing / Wave Division Multiplexing. An optical fibre technology that combines multiple wavelengths (channels) on a single fibre to increase capacity.