IT to Business English Dictionary

I’ve been working in marketing for a long time and I started working in digital marketing back in the late 1990s. I like to joke that I’ve been working in digital since it was analog. Almost no one laughs when I say that, but I still think it’s funny. Maybe I should stick to marketing and leave the stand-up comedy to the professionals.

Having worked in digital marketing for as long as I have, I’ve learned to understand what my IT partners are saying when we talk. Unfortunately, most business people aren't so lucky. With that in mind, I’ve created this IT to business language dictionary.

1. API (Application Programming Interface)

• IT Definition: A set of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications.

• Business Translation: A way for different software programs to communicate with each other to exchange information or perform tasks.
  

2. Bandwidth

• IT Definition: The maximum rate of data transfer across a given path.

• Business Translation: The capacity or ability to handle workload or communication demands.
  

3. Cloud Computing

• IT Definition: The delivery of computing services (servers, storage, databases, networking, software) over the Internet.

• Business Translation: Using the internet to access and store data and applications instead of relying on local computers.
  

4. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

• IT Definition: Software that manages a company’s interactions with current and potential customers.

• Business Translation: A tool to help keep track of and improve relationships with customers.
  

5. DevOps (Development Operations)

• IT Definition: A set of practices that combine software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to shorten the systems development life cycle.

• Business Translation: A way to improve collaboration between development and operations teams to deliver software faster and more reliably.

6. Firewall

• IT Definition: A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

• Business Translation: A protective barrier that helps keep unauthorized access out of your company's network.
  

7. Cache

• IT Definition: A hardware or software component that stores data so future requests can be served faster.

• Business Translation: Temporary storage that helps your computer or website run more quickly.
  

8. Latency

• IT Definition: The delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer.

• Business Translation: The time it takes for data to travel from one point to another.
  

9. Phishing

• IT Definition: A cyber attack that uses disguised emails as a weapon.

• Business Translation: A type of scam where fraudulent emails try to trick you into providing personal information.
  

10. SaaS (Software as a Service)

• IT Definition: A software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to customers over the Internet.

• Business Translation: Software that you can use online without having to install it on your computer.
  

11. Big Data

• IT Definition: Large and complex data sets that traditional data processing software cannot manage.

• Business Translation: Huge amounts of data that businesses can analyze to make better decisions.

12. VPN (Virtual Private Network)

• IT Definition: A service that encrypts your internet traffic and protects your online identity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.

• Business Translation: A secure way to connect to the internet, especially when using public Wi-Fi.
  

13. Dark Web

• IT Definition: A part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and requires specific software, configurations, or authorization to access.

• Business Translation: A hidden part of the internet where illegal activities and privacy-focused communications occur.
  

14. CMS (Content Management System)

• IT Definition: Software that helps users create, manage, and modify content on a website without needing specialized technical knowledge.

• Business Translation: A tool for managing the content of your website easily.

15. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)

• IT Definition: A cyber attack where multiple compromised systems attack a target, causing a denial of service for users.

• Business Translation: An attack that floods your website with traffic to make it unavailable.
  

16. DNS (Domain Name System)

• IT Definition: A system that translates domain names into IP addresses.

• Business Translation: The internet's phone book that matches website names with their numerical addresses.
  

17. SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security)

• IT Definition: Protocols for encrypting information over the internet.

• Business Translation: Technology that keeps your online communications secure.
  

18. Agile

• IT Definition: A set of principles for software development under which requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams.

• Business Translation: A flexible and collaborative approach to software development.
  

19. Blockchain

• IT Definition: A decentralized digital ledger that records transactions across many computers in such a way that the registered transactions cannot be altered retroactively.

• Business Translation: A secure way to record and verify transactions without a central authority.
  

20. Edge Computing

• IT Definition: A distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the sources of data to improve response times and save bandwidth.

• Business Translation: Processing data closer to where it's generated to speed up operations.
  

21. SQL (Structured Query Language)

• IT Definition: A programming language used for managing and manipulating databases.

• Business Translation: The language used to interact with databases.
  

22. CDN (Content Delivery Network)

• IT Definition: A network of servers that deliver content to a user based on their geographic location.

• Business Translation: A system that helps your website load faster.

23. IoT (Internet of Things)

• IT Definition: The network of physical objects embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet.

• Business Translation: Everyday objects that connect to the internet.
  

24. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

• IT Definition: A lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate.

• Business Translation: A format for sharing data between systems.
  

25. AI (Artificial Intelligence)

• IT Definition: The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans.

• Business Translation: Technology that can perform incredibley complex tasks at speeds humans can't match.
  

By understanding these terms, business and IT teams can communicate more effectively, ensuring smoother collaboration and more successful projects. If you ever get stuck on IT jargon, refer back to this dictionary to bridge the gap and keep things running smoothly.