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TODAY , TECHNOLOGY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF LIFE – 98 % OF UK ADULTS HAVE A MOBILE PHONE , SO THAT ’ S MORE THAN 85 MILLION DEVICES CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET , RUNNING APPLICATIONS AND PROCESSING COMPLEX DATA ALL DAY , EVERY DAY , BEFORE WE EVEN CONSIDER COMPUTERS , WASHING MACHINES , CARS , TOOTHBRUSHES , COFFEE MAKERS AND ALL OF THE OTHER NOW COMMONPLACE ASPECTS OF DAILY LIFE THAT ARE POWERED BY INCREASINGLY COMPLEX INNOVATION . WHILE MOST OF US ARE MOVING WITH THE TIMES AND EMBRACING THE DIGITAL WORLD AT HOME , PROFESSIONALLY THERE APPEARS TO BE A DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TECHNOLOGY MANY OF US ARE REGULARLY USING AND OUR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THE TERMINOLOGY SURROUNDING IT ACTUALLY MEANS . BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
Recent research conducted by cloud communications specialists , TelephoneSystems . Cloud , who surveyed a cross-section of business leaders across a variety of UK small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ), has highlighted 10 of the most commonly misunderstood technological terms that , when incorrectly defined , could easily be spread throughout a business leading to assumptions being made and a company-wide negative impact on performance .
“ Understanding what key terms really mean and how best to utilise ‘ the cloud ’ can dramatically improve the way a business operates and communicates , bridging the gap between vision and execution ,” says Juliet Moran , founder of TelephoneSystems . Cloud . “ It ’ s easy for misunderstandings to spread throughout a business , particularly around technical terms that are in common use - because we are used to hearing them every day , we assume we understand what they mean and think we understand what the impact of any technical changes would be on our businesses .
“ When business owners , employees and people generally grasp concepts like ‘ cloud computing ’ and ‘ big data ’, however , they ’ re better equipped to make informed decisions , optimise resources and avoid costly misunderstandings .”
Following years of rapid and tangible progress , 2025 is set to be a bumper year for once-theoretical technologies moving into a very concrete reality . Clearly there ’ s no time like the present to clear up what the phrases that many of us are used to hearing at work and at home actually mean .
THE 10 MOST COMMONLY MISUNDERSTOOD TECH TERMS
Cloud computing ‘ The cloud ’ is a term with a meaning that ’ s arguably shifted over time as technology has advanced . Many think the cloud is just online storage , but in reality , it refers to a broad range of services provided over the internet that includes storage , servers , databases , networking , software and more .
Clouds can be both public and private , with the difference being a private cloud is shared within your organisation whereas a public crowd shares infrastructure with other organisations . The cloud has quickly become one of the most used business tech terms because it can save your business so much cash due to reduced infrastructure and maintenance costs whatever industry you are in .
VoIP Confusion can arise as your office phone system can look just like a standard , wired-line PBX ( Private Branch Exchange - a telecommunications system that manages and routes phone calls within an organisation ), but if it ’ s coming from an internet line instead of a landline connection then all calls will be via a Voice over Internet Protocol ( VoIP ) phone system , which is a technology that enables users to make phone calls using an internet connection rather than a traditional landline and is the replacement technology in the
UK for phone lines . If your business uses a Voice over Internet Protocol system for your phones , then it works over an internet connection .
Phone ‘ lines ’ With modern , cloud-based phone systems , you no longer have multiple phone lines going into your building . The ‘ lines ’ are just network connections that go over the internet and you can have as many connections as the speed of your internet connection allows . Even on a standard DSL connection ( a Digital Subscriber Line connection is a broadband internet connection that uses existing telephone lines to transmit data ), you can typically have around a dozen simultaneous calls , and on fibre internet you can have hundreds . When setting up a new phone system you should not worry about the number of lines , therefore , but instead think about the number of phone users you will have .
Big data It ’ s easy to think ‘ big data ’ just means a large volume of data , but it actually refers to data that is not only large in volume but also complex and difficult to process using traditional methods . It involves techniques for handling and analysing large , fast and varied datasets to extract valuable insights .
Wi-Fi Many people confuse Wi-Fi with their internet connection and get them mixed up . Your internet connection is what comes out of the router and down the wire , and is provided by your internet service provider . Your Wi-Fi is a wireless
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