p-Series
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The new name for IBM’s RS/6000 range of computers.
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P2P
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Peer to peer. An architecture whereby the user’s
computer also acts as a server to other users.
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PABX
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See PBX.
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Package
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A general term, which usually refers to shrink-wrapped
(or off the shelf) software e.g. MS
Office.
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Packet switching
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A telecoms term used to describe the mechanism by
which data travels across the network. When mentioned in conversation, the
suggested facial expression is – animated, as this is essentially a
relatively new technology. Rambling on about decoupled train carriages making
their own way around the railway networks will get you sage nods from the
genuine telecoms experts in your discussion group. See circuit switched.
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Parallel Processing
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The ability to have the computer utilise more than one
processor in executing one or more applications. A similar concept to
Clustering.
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Pay Per Click
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An online advertising concept whereby companies
such as Google and Microsoft allow customers to advertise alongside their
search engine results. When users click on an advert, which takes the user to
the customer’s website, the customer pays Microsoft. So the customer only
pays when the users click on their adverts.
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Payment Service Provider
|
See PSP.
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PBX
|
Private Branch Exchange. The telephone exchange that
provides the interface between the public network and an organisation’s
private telephone network.
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PC
|
Personal Computer. Today it is a reference to a
desktop computer that meets IBM’s original PC specification. See Wintel.
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PCMCIA
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PC Memory Card International Association. The body
that defines the standard for the credit card sized cards used with laptop
computers.
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PDA
|
Personal Digital Assistant. A hand-held computing
device. Today these devices include phone technology as well as email
management and office-like applications.
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Perl
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Is a C like programming language. Good at handling text and files and so is
often used in by system administrators.
It is also used in developing Web server applications.
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Perlscript
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A scripting language designed to support the use of
Perl when working with Microsoft Active Server Pages.
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PGP
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Pretty Good Privacy. A product family that enables
message passing in a secure manner. Usually associated with email.
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Photonics
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A term used to describe the next generation of fibre
based technologies.
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PHP
|
Personal Home Page. The name relates to the creator’s
original reason for creating this open source scripting language. Associated
with Linux it can be considered as an alternative technology to Microsoft’s
ASP.
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Pick
|
Is both an operating system and a database. It was
developed by McDonnell Douglas. Was used a lot in the Health sector. Pick the operating system is no longer
supported. Pick databases still
exist, running on both Pick and Unix operating systems. Old school.
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PKI
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Public Key Infrastructure. A framework for conducting
secure transactions online.
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PL1
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IBM’s attempt to create an all singing and dancing
programming language. Old school.
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PL/SQL
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Oracle’s proprietary programming language containing
database connectivity functionality.
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Platform
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Usually taken to mean the computer hardware plus
the installed operating system. So
being platform independent implies that the application concerned is not
constrained by your choice of hardware or operating system.
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Platform independent
|
An application that is portable between different
platforms.
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PMW
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An old school project planning and tracking tool.
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Pocket PC
|
A version of Windows CE designed for mobile phones
/ PDAs.
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Pojo
|
Plain Old Java Object. This is a reference to a
piece of reusable Java software (aka object) that does not have a fancy name.
Java objects have to some extent lost track of the original design goals of
simplicity and reusability. A pojo is a simple and easily reusable lump of
Java software.
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Polymorphism
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A characteristic of Object Orientation. It is
closely associated with the ability to add new functionality to the software.
|
Portal
|
A website which is designed to be a user’s main point
of entry to the web. Portals attempt to achieve this by providing assistance,
usually in navigation (Yahoo, Google) or information (FT.com).
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Portability
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A characteristic associated with software, data (and
sometimes even users), which implies that they can be moved from one platform
to another with little or no modification.
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PPC
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See Pay Per Click.
|
Prime
|
A now defunct mid range computer that ran the
Primos operating system.
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Privacy
|
A term used to describe the need to protect
personal data held on computers. This is a big growth area.
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Programmer
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This individual writes and (on many occasions)
tests software.
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Prince
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An approach to project management developed by the UK
Government.
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Programming language
|
This is the tool used by developers to write software.
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Project
|
A project is a non-business-as-usual activity that is
focused on a specific outcome, for example a new system. Often constrained by
time and money.
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Project Manager
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The person that acts as the link between line
management and a project.
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Proprietary
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Something that is Under the control of a single
company.
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Protocol
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In the world of networking, it is software that
enables communication between different computers. For example, TCP/IP is a
series of protocols, which enable two computers to communicate over the web.
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Psion
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A one time great British company that created the
palm top marketplace. Now not so high profile.
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PSP
|
Payment Service Provider. An organization that manages
online payments on behalf of the merchant. Players include WorldPay and
Netbanx.
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Public Key Infrastructure
|
See PKI.
|
Python
|
A fairly platform independent open source programming
language. Can be thought of as a simplified version of Perl.
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