First appearance in part 1, chapter 1
IT system: the full range of IT hardware and digital services within an organization.
IT department: department within an organization responsible for the overall IT systems management.
IT equipment/assets/infrastructure: the full range of IT hardware within an organization.
Supervisor: IT support team leader.
Service provider: a person or company that provides services to an organization.
Digital services company: a company that provides expert IT services.
Freelancer: an independent worker who is their own boss and employee.
Digital transformation: a process whereby digital processes are implemented within an organization, often requiring major changes in terms of technology, processes, and organizational culture (i.e., moving from manual to electronic requests for faster service).
First appearance in part 1, chapter 2
Client machine: a computer used by the user for their daily work. Also known as workstation or terminal.
Workstation: see client machine.
Operating system: software installed on a machine to link the electronic parts with the human user.
OS: short for operating system.
Business application: software used by a user to perform their role within an organization.
IT peripheral: hardware connected to a computer that provides additional functionality (keyboard, mouse, screen, webcam, printer, etc.).
IT network: a collection of IT equipment linked together and capable of intercommunication.
Network service: an application or resource that can be used by some or all of an organization’s IT network.
Server: a machine similar to a computer that must be accessible by and provide services to a number of machines on the network.
Spare: additional stock of hardware available for deployment if required.
First appearance in part 1, chapter 3
Prioritize: to assign a level of importance to a task or call-out request depending on severity and context.
First appearance in part 2, chapter 1
Hardware: the physical elements of an IT system.
Software: the application elements of an IT system.
Program: a series of instructions within an application that performs a particular action (open, close, save, print, etc.). Also see application.
Application: a software package accessed by users consisting of a full set of programmed instructions and a user interface. See also software and program.
Administrator: a super-user who has a higher level of permissions than a standard user and can access the internal configuration and applications on the computer.
Local network: a private network within an organization that is not normally accessible to the outside world.
Switch: network equipment that enables machines in a local network to be linked together.
Local area network (LAN): also see local network.
Wide area network (WAN): a network that covers a wide geographic area. The internet is an example of a wide area network and is the biggest network in the world!
Gateway: network equipment that provides access to the outside world from the local network.
Router: network equipment that connects several different networks together by acting as a gateway.
Internet of things (IoT): physical objects that can be assigned a digital identifier and communicate with the internet (car, watch, sensor, etc.).
First appearance in part 2, chapter 2
File server: a server machine that stores and shares data via the network.
Permissions: a set of credentials controlling access to data within an IT network.
Directory service: a server machine that manages human and computer resources within an organization.
Credentials: the username and password that enable users to authenticate themselves within a network.
First appearance in part 2, chapter 3
Ticket: a user request for IT assistance. See also ticketing software.
Ticketing software: an application designed for IT support that manages user queries (tickets).
Request: a user query that requires a change to the IT system or helps with equipment or an application.
Incident: a fault that has prevented the IT system from working correctly.
Service-level agreement (SLA): timescales set by an organization that must be adhered to when responding to a request or incident.
Level 1 support: handling the simplest user requests following pre-defined procedures.
Ticket escalation: transferring a request to the next level of seniority.
IT best practice: approved ways of working to ensure IT security. Also known as good practice.
ICO: U.K. independent regulator responsible for the protection of personal data
FTC: The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil U.S. antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection.
IT policy: a set of rules created by an organization covering the use of IT hardware and software.
First appearance in part 2, chapter 4
Consumable: products depleted by use (toner, ink, printer ribbon, etc.)
Maintenance contract: an agreement signed by the organization and a service provider to cover equipment or application maintenance.
Corrective maintenance: restoring functionality to hardware or software after a fault occurs.
Evolutionary maintenance: implementing new solutions that require major changes to the IT system with a view to improving the system.
Preventive maintenance: activity that aims to limit system failures or security breaches.
First appearance in part 2, chapter 5
Continuous improvement: a process of consistent effort to improve the IT systems.
Scripting: writing sections of code that carry out particular actions.
Script: an individual file containing a series of scripting instructions to perform a pre-defined function.
Task scheduler: software that allows automated tasks to be performed according to a predefined schedule.
