300+ Common Abbreviations and Terminology in ICT – Must Know

The world of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is vast and complex, with a language of its own. If you’re new to the field or simply trying to keep up with the latest developments, it can be overwhelming to navigate the sea of technical terms and acronyms. But fear not!

In this article, we’ll break down the most commonly used Abbreviations and Terminology in ICT in simple and easy-to-understand language, complete with examples and illustrations.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to speak the language of ICT fluently!

Bearing these in mind, We have carefully put up this list to show them common ICT Abbreviations as well as their full meanings below for UGC NET Paper 1 Test.

Heads up! You can also refer to other topics based on the latest UGC NET Exam syllabus

• ICT: General abbreviations and terminology.
• Basics of Internet, Intranet, E-mail, Audio and Video-conferencing.
• Digital initiatives in higher education.
• ICT and Governance.

Common Abbreviations and Terminology in ICT

Hardware Terminology

First things first, let’s start with the basics: hardware. Here are some commonly used terms that you’ll encounter when talking about ICT hardware:

1. CPU: Central Processing Unit. This is the “brain” of the computer, responsible for carrying out instructions and performing calculations.
2. RAM: Random Access Memory. This is the short-term memory of the computer, where data is stored temporarily while the computer is running.
3. Hard Drive: The main storage device of the computer, where all your files and programs are stored long-term.
4. Motherboard: The main circuit board of the computer, which connects all the other components.

Software Terminology

Next up, let’s take a look at some software-related terms:

1. Operating System (OS): This is the software that manages the computer’s resources and provides a user interface for interaction with the hardware. Examples include Windows, macOS, and Linux.
2. Application (App): A program or software designed to perform specific tasks, such as word processing, image editing, or gaming.
3. Browser: A software application used to access and view websites on the internet. Examples include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
4. Firewall: A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

Networking Terminology

Now, let’s move on to networking terms:

1. LAN: Local Area Network. This is a network of computers and devices that are connected within a limited area, such as an office or a home.
2. WAN: Wide Area Network. This is a network that spans a large geographical area, such as a city or even multiple cities.
3. Router: A networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks.
4. VPN: Virtual Private Network. A network that allows remote users to securely access a private network over the internet.

File System-Based Terminology

• Directory: Also known as a folder, a directory is a container for files and other directories.
• File: A file is a collection of data that is stored on a storage device.
• Path: A path is the location of a file or directory in a file system. It is usually represented as a series of directories separated by slashes, such as /home/user/documents/file.txt.
• Partition: A partition is a section of a storage device that is treated as a separate entity. It can be formatted with a file system and used to store files.

Here are some commonly used terms related to file system types:

1. FAT: File Allocation Table. A file system used by older versions of Windows and some removable storage devices.
2. NTFS: New Technology File System. A file system used by modern versions of Windows.
3. Ext4: Fourth Extended File System. A file system used by Linux.
4. APFS: Apple File System. A file system used by macOS.

The following are the most commonly used file size options:

1. Byte (B): The smallest unit of file size, equivalent to 8 bits.
2. Kilobyte (KB): 1 KB is equivalent to 1024 bytes.
3. Megabyte (MB): 1 MB is equivalent to 1024 KB or 1,048,576 bytes.
4. Gigabyte (GB): 1 GB is equivalent to 1024 MB or 1,073,741,824 bytes.
5. Terabyte (TB): 1 TB is equivalent to 1024 GB or 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.
6. Petabyte (PB): 1 PB is equivalent to 1024 TB or 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes.

KB and MB Conversion

Converting between KB and MB is a common task when dealing with file sizes. Here’s a simple method for converting KB to MB and vice versa:

1. To convert KB to MB, divide the number of KB by 1024. For example, 4096 KB is equivalent to 4 MB (4096/1024 = 4).
2. To convert MB to KB, multiply the number of MB by 1024. For example, 2 MB is equivalent to 2048 KB (2 x 1024 = 2048).

Internet and Web Terminology

Last but not least, let’s explore some commonly used internet and web terms:

1. URL: Uniform Resource Locator. This is the address of a website, which you enter into a web browser to access the site.
2. HTTP/HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol/Secure. These are the protocols used to transfer data over the internet. HTTPS is the more secure version, which encrypts data to prevent unauthorized access.
3. DNS: Domain Name System. This is a system that translates domain names (such as google.com) into IP addresses, which are used to identify devices on a network.
4. HTML: Hypertext Markup Language. This is the standard language used to create web pages

Common Computer Abbreviations

• 2FA – Two Factor Authentication
• 3G – Third Generation
• 4G – Fourth Generation
• 5G – Fifth Generation
• A/D – Analog to Digital
• AAA – Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting
• AAC – Advanced Audio Coding
• AAL – ATM Adaptation Layer
• AAS – Authentication as a Service
• ABAP – Advanced Business Application Programming
• AC – Alternating Current
• ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control
• ACL – Access Control List
• ACPI – Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
• AD – Active Directory
• ADC – Analog to Digital Converter
• ADC – Analog-to-Digital Converter
• ADSL – Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
• AES – Advanced Encryption Standard
• AFK – Away From Keyboard
• AGP – Accelerated Graphics Port
• A-GPS – Assisted GPS
• AI – Artificial Intelligence
• AJAX – Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
• ALU – Arithmetic Logic Unit
• AM – Amplitude Modulation
• AMOLED – Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode
• AMOLED – Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode
• AMP – Accelerated Mobile Pages
• ANSI – American National Standards Institute
• API – Application Programming Interface
• APN – Access Point Name
• APS – Advanced Planning and Scheduling
• ARP – Address Resolution Protocol
• ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Interchange
• ASP – Active Server Pages
• ATA – Advanced Technology Attachment
• ATM – Asynchronous Transfer Mode
• ATX – Advanced Technology Extended
• AV – Audio/Visual
• AV – Audio-Visual
• AVG – Anti-Virus Guard
• AVI – Audio Video Interleave
• AVR – Automatic Voltage Regulator
• AWG – American Wire Gauge
• B2B – Business to Business
• B2B – Business-to-Business
• B2C – Business to Consumer
• B2C – Business-to-Consumer
• BAU – Business As Usual
• BBP – Best Business Practice
• BCC – Blind Carbon Copy
• BCD – Binary Coded Decimal
• BIOS – Basic Input/Output System
• BIT – Binary Digit
• BLOB – Binary Large Object
• BMP – Bitmap
• BOM – Bill of Materials
• BOOTP – Bootstrap Protocol
• BPM – Business Process Management
• BPS – Bits per Second
• BRB – Be Right Back
• BSSID – Basic Service Set Identifier
• BYOD – Bring Your Own Device
• C2C – Customer to Customer
• CA – Certificate Authority
• CAD – Computer-Aided Design
• CAM – Computer-Aided Manufacturing
• CAPTCHA – Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
• CAT – Category
• CBT – Computer-Based Training
• CC – Carbon Copy
• CCD – Charge-Coupled Device
• CCFL – Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp
• CCM – Counter with CBC-MAC
• CD – Compact Disc
• CDM – Conceptual Data Model
• CDN – Content Delivery Network
• CDR – Call Detail Record
• CD-R – Compact Disc Recordable
• CD-ROM – Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
• CD-RW – Compact Disc Re-Writable
• CEO – Chief Executive Officer
• CERT – Computer Emergency Response Team
• CGI – Common Gateway Interface
• CHAP – Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol
• CIDR – Classless Inter-Domain Routing
• CIFS – Common Internet File System
• CIM – Common Information Model
• CIO – Chief Information Officer
• CIS – Customer Information System
• CISC – Complex Instruction Set Computer
• CISC – Complex Instruction Set Computing
• CLI – Command Line Interface
• CMOS – Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
• CMS – Content Management System
• CMS – Customer Management System
• CNC – Computer Numerical Control
• COBOL – Common Business Oriented Language
• CODEC – Coder-Decoder
• COM – Component Object Model
• CPU – Central Processing Unit
• CRC – Cyclic Redundancy Check
• CRM – Customer Relationship Management
• CRUD – Create, Read, Update, Delete
• CSS – Cascading Style Sheets
• CSV – Comma-Separated Values
• CTI – Computer Telephony Integration
• CTR – Click-Through Rate
• DAC – Digital to Analog Converter
• DAO – Data Access Object
• DBA – Database Administrator
• DBMS – Database Management System
• DC – Direct Current
• DDoS – Distributed Denial of Service
• DDR – Double Data Rate
• DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
• DIMM – Dual In-line Memory Module
• DIP – Dual In-line Package
• DNS – Domain Name System
• DOS – Disk Operating System
• DPI – Dots Per Inch
• DRM – Digital Rights Management
• DSL – Digital Subscriber Line
• DSP – Digital Signal Processor
• DTD – Document Type Definition
• DVD – Digital Versatile Disc
• DVD – Digital Video Disc
• EAI – Enterprise Application Integration
• EAP – Extensible Authentication Protocol
• EEPROM – Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
• EIDE – Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics
• EJB – Enterprise JavaBeans
• EMF – Enhanced Metafile
• EMF – Enhanced Metafile Format
• EMI – Electromagnetic Interference
• ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning
• EULA – End User License Agreement
• FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
• FAT – File Allocation Table
• FDD – Floppy Disk Drive
• FTP – File Transfer Protocol
• GB – Gigabyte
• GHz – Gigahertz
• GIF – Graphics Interchange Format
• GPS – Global Positioning System
• GUI – Graphical User Interface
• HD – High Definition
• HDD – Hard Disk Drive
• HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface
• HTML – Hypertext Markup Language
• HTTP – Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• HTTPS – Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
• I/O – Input/Output
• IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service
• IBM – International Business Machines
• ICMP – Internet Control Message Protocol
• IDE – Integrated Development Environment
• IDS – Intrusion Detection System
• IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• IIS – Internet Information Services
• IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol
• IoT – Internet of Things
• IP – Internet Protocol
• IPS – Intrusion Prevention System
• IPsec – Internet Protocol Security
• IPv4 – Internet Protocol version 4
• IPv6 – Internet Protocol version 6
• IRC – Internet Relay Chat
• ISA – Industry Standard Architecture
• ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network
• ISO – International Organization for Standardization
• ISP – Internet Service Provider
• IT – Information Technology
• J2EE – Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition
• J2ME – Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition
• J2SE – Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition
• JAR – Java ARchive
• JDBC – Java Database Connectivity
• JSON – JavaScript Object Notation
• JSP – JavaServer Pages
• JVM – Java Virtual Machine
• KPI – Key Performance Indicator
• LAN – Local Area Network
• LCD – Liquid Crystal Display
• LDAP – Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
• LED – Light Emitting Diode
• LIFO – Last In, First Out
• LIFO – Last-In, First-Out
• LINQ – Language Integrated Query
• Linux – A Unix-like operating system
• LMS – Learning Management System
• LTE – Long-Term Evolution
• MAC – Media Access Control
• MAN – Metropolitan Area Network
• MB – Megabyte
• Mbps – Megabits per second
• MCSE – Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
• MD5 – Message Digest 5
• MIME – Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
• MMORPG – Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
• MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service
• MOA – Massive Online Analysis
• MOBO – Motherboard
• MOOC – Massive Open Online Course
• MPEG – Moving Picture Experts Group
• MPLS – Multiprotocol Label Switching
• MRP – Material Requirements Planning
• MS SQL – Microsoft SQL Server
• MSDN – Microsoft Developer Network
• MSSQL – Microsoft SQL Server
• MVC – Model-View-Controller
• NAS – Network-Attached Storage
• NAT – Network Address Translation
• NAV – Norton Anti-Virus
• NFC – Near Field Communication
• NIC – Network Interface Card
• NLP – Natural Language Processing
• NNTP – Network News Transfer Protocol
• NTFS – New Technology File System
• OAuth – Open Authorization
• OCR – Optical Character Recognition
• ODBC – Open Database Connectivity
• OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer
• OLE – Object Linking and Embedding
• OLED – Organic Light Emitting Diode
• OOP – Object-Oriented Programming
• ORM – Object-Relational Mapping
• OS – Operating System
• OSI – Open Systems Interconnection
• P2P – Peer-to-Peer
• PaaS – Platform as a Service
• PAN – Personal Area Network
• PCI – Peripheral Component Interconnect
• PCI-E – Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
• PCMCIA – Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
• PDF – Portable Document Format
• Perl – Practical Extraction and Reporting Language
• PHP – Hypertext Preprocessor
• PING – Packet InterNet Groper
• PKI – Public Key Infrastructure
• PLC – Programmable Logic Controller
• PNG – Portable Network Graphics
• POP – Post Office Protocol
• POSIX – Portable Operating System Interface
• POST – Power-On Self Test
• PPC – Pay-per-click
• PPP – Point-to-Point Protocol
• PPTP – Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
• PS/2 – Personal System/2
• PSP – PlayStation Portable
• PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network
• QA – Quality Assurance
• QoS – Quality of Service
• RAID – Redundant Array of Independent Disks
• RAM – Random Access Memory
• RDBMS – Relational Database Management System
• RFID – Radio Frequency Identification
• RGB – Red Green Blue
• RISC – Reduced Instruction Set Computing
• RJ45 – Registered Jack-45
• RMI – Remote Method Invocation
• ROI – Return on Investment
• ROM – Read-Only Memory
• RPC – Remote Procedure
• RPC – Remote Procedure Call
• RSS – Really Simple Syndication
• RTF – Rich Text Format
• SaaS – Software as a Service
• SAN – Storage Area Network
• SAS – Serial Attached SCSI
• SATA – Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
• SCSI – Small Computer System Interface
• SD – Secure Digital
• SDK – Software Development Kit
• SDLC – Systems Development Life Cycle
• SEM – Search Engine Marketing
• SEO – Search Engine Optimization
• SERP – Search Engine Results Page
• SFTP – Secure File Transfer Protocol
• SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
• SMTP – Simple Network Management Protocol
• SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol
• SNS – Social Network Service
• SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol
• SQL – Structured Query Language
• SSH – Secure Shell
• SSL – Secure Sockets Layer
• SVG – Scalable Vector Graphics
• TCP – Transmission Control Protocol
• TCP/IP – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
• TFTP – Trivial File Transfer Protocol
• TIFF – Tagged Image File Format
• TLS – Transport Layer Security
• TPM – Trusted Platform Module
• TTL – Time to Live
• UDP – User Datagram Protocol
• UI – User Interface
• UML – Unified Modeling Language
• UNC – Universal Naming Convention
• URI – Uniform Resource Identifier
• URL – Uniform Resource Locator
• USB – Universal Serial Bus
• UTF – Unicode Transformation Format
• UTF-8 – Unicode Transformation Format 8-bit
• UX – User Experience
• VLAN – Virtual Local Area Network
• VM – Virtual Machine
• VNC – Virtual Network Computing
• VPN – Virtual Private Network
• VR – Virtual Reality
• VRAM – Video Random Access Memory
• VRML – Virtual Reality Modeling Language
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium
• WAN – Wide Area Network
• WAP – Wireless Application Protocol
• WBEM – Web-Based Enterprise Management
• WCF – Windows Communication Foundation
• WEP – Wired Equivalent Privacy
• Wi-Fi – Wireless Fidelity
• WiMAX – Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
• WIMP – Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer
• WINS – Windows Internet Name Service
• WLAN – Wireless Local Area Network
• WMA – Windows Media Audio
• WMI – Windows Management Instrumentation
• WML – Wireless Markup Language
• WMP – Windows Media Player
• WORM – Write Once Read Many
• WPA – Wi-Fi Protected Access
• WSDL – Web Services Description Language
• WWW – World Wide Web
• XHTML – Extensible Hypertext Markup Language
• XML – Extensible Markup Language
• XSL – Extensible Stylesheet Language
• XSLT – Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations
• Y2K – Year 2000
• ZIP – Zone Improvement Plan

REFERENCES study materials:- 

More than 10 different online ICT glossaries are referenced in the Glossary, which significant contributions from:

1. Glossary of Computer Crime Terms, School of Graduate Studies Norwich University, Northfield, USA, 2008 http://www.mekabay.com/overviews/glossary.pdf

2. Glossary of Online Terms, The Economist, Updated http://ads.economist.com/fileadmin/PDFs/Glossary.pdf

3. Glossary of Selected Health Information Technology Terms, Pinellas County Health Dept., USA, Undated http://www.pinellashealth.com/RHIO/Terminology_Master.pdf

4. Glossary of Terms, ITU-infoDev ICT Regulation Toolkit, 2009 http://www.ictregulationtoolkit.org/Glossary

5. National standards for adult literacy, numeracy and ICT, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, UK, 2005 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/6639/14130_national_standards_for_adu lt_literacy_numeracy_ict.pdf

6. Nortel Networks Security Glossary, Updated http://www.nortel.com/solutions/security/collateral/security_glossary.pdf 7. Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard, Glossary, Abbreviations and Acronyms, PCI, Security Standards Council, Undated https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pdfs/pci_audit_procedures_v1-1.pdf

8. The E-Government Glossary, Practical Definitions, Explanations of Terms and List of Abbreviations, Federal Office for Information Security, Germany, 2002 https://www.bsi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/BSI/Egovernment/6_EGloss_en_p df.pdf?__blob=publicationFile 9. The Gartner Glossary of Information Technology Acronyms and Terms, 2004 http://www.gartner.com/6_help/glossary/Gartner_IT_Glossary.pdf