MOBILE NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES

2G
The second-generation cellular technology that introduced call and text encryption, plus data services such as SMS, picture messages and MMS.

3G
The third generation of cellular technology which delivered faster data-transmission speeds, enabling video calling and mobile internet.

4G
The fourth generation of cellular technology, released in 2008, which brought further increases in speed so HD mobile TV, video conferencing and other apps were enabled.

5G
The current generation of cellular technology with deployment commencing in 2008 offers even greater speeds of up to 100Gbps, lower latency and greater device density per cell.

LTE
Long term evolution
A standard for 4G wireless broadband technology that offers increased network capacity and speed to mobile device users.

Mobile / Cellular
A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land through cells where each includes a fixed location transceiver known as base station.

Network slicing
A form of virtualization that allows multiple logical networks to run on top of a shared physical network infrastructure, helping to ensure maximised network utilisation and optimal connectivity for each app.

Roaming
Roaming enables a travelling wireless device to keep connected by visiting another network when it leaves its home location.

Why did the developer go broke? Because he used up all his cache.

RADIO COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Bluetooth
One of the world’s most common communications technologies. It allows for data transmission by radio waves over a short distance.

BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy
A new iteration of Bluetooth technology aimed at servicing IoT devices.

LAN
Local Area Network
A network that interconnects devices within a limited area with a locally managed network equipment. Most commonly seen as a connection between two devices by way of an Ethernet cable.

Mesh Network
A local network topology in which infrastructure connects directly, dynamically and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperates with one another to route data to and from clients.

MIMO
Multiple input multiple output
A method in radio of multiplying the capacity of a radio link using multiple transmit and receive antennas.

NFC
Near Field Communication
A set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices, one of which is usually a portable device such as a smartphone, to establish communication by bringing them within about 4 cm (2 in) of each other.

RAN
Radio Access Network
A network that connects individual devices to other parts of a network through radio con Terrestrial Trunked Radio

TETRA
Formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio, TETRA is a European professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification that offers secure voice and data transmission.

vRAN
virtualized RAN
A method that virtualizes network functions in the RAN using platforms based on general purpose processors which aims to provide greater flexibility and cost efficiency.

WAN
Wider Area Network
A network that extends over a large geographical area.

WSN
Wireless Sensor Network
A wireless network consisting of spatially distributed autonomous devices using sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions.

WiFi
A technology that allows for wireless device communication over specific radio brands. WiFi, which is not an abbreviation, is the most common technology used for wireless Internet connection.

WLAN
Wireless Local Area Network
This network functions the same way as a LAN does, except that a device can connect to the network wirelessly.

Z-Wave
A communications technology typically used in security automation and smart homes because of its low energy radio waves which enable it to communicate from appliance to appliance.

"Knock, knock. Who's there?" very long pause...
"Java."

LPWA TECHNOLOGIES

LPWAN
Low-Power Wide Area Network
A WAN that functions using a low bit rate and typically incorporates or caters to smart devices.

ZigBee
A technology providing data communications over a low-power WLAN that is typically used for low-data rate, low power communications, often in control or sensor networks.

EC-GSM
Extended coverage GSM IoT
A standard-based Low Power Wide Area technology. It is based on eGPRS and designed as a high capacity, long range, low energy and low complexity cellular system for IoT communications.

LORA
A Long Range, low power wireless standard intended for providing a cellular-style low data rate communications network. Aimed at the M2M and IoT market, LoRa is suitable for intermittent low data rate connectivity over significant distances.

LTE-M
LTE-M is used to refer to the LTE-MTC standard defined by the GSMA, more specifically LTE CatM1. LTE-M is Low Power Wide Area technology which allows the reuse of an LTE installed base with extended coverage.

NB-IoT
Narrowband IoT
A narrowband radio technology specially designed for the Internet of Things (IoT), hence its name. Special focus of this standard is on indoor coverage, low cost, long battery life, and large number of devices. This technology can be deployed in GSM and LTE spectrum.

Sigfox
Sigfox is a cellular style system that enables remote devices to connect using ultra-narrow band, to provide low power low data rate, and low cost communications for remote connected devices.

There's a band called 1023MB. They haven't had any gigs yet.

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TERMINOLOGY

eSIM
The embedded SIM (also called eSIM or eUICC) is a secure element designed to remotely manage multiple mobile network operator subscriptions and be compliant with GSMA specifications.

ICCID
Integrated Circuit Card Identifier
The unique serial number embedded on a SIM card.

IMSI
International Mobile Subscriber Identity
A unique number, usually fifteen digits, associated with identifying a GSM-connected device.

IoT module
A small electronic device embedded in objects, machines and things that connect to wireless networks which sends and receives data.

IP Address
An Internet Protocol Address is a unique designating number assigned to a computer (or other device) that is connected to a network, most notably the Internet

Modem
A hardware device that allows a computer to send and receive data over a telephone line or a cable or satellite connection.

Router
A hardware device designed to receive, analyse and move incoming IP packets to another network.

SOC
System on chip/Single-board computer
A microchip with all the necessary electronic circuits and parts for a given system, such as a smartphone or wearable computer, on a single integrated circuit.

SIM
Subscriber Identity Module
A smart card that stores including identity, location, phone number, network authorisation data and security keys that is installed into a wireless device.

Wireless modem
A modem that bypasses the telephone system and connects directly to a wireless network, through which it can directly access the Internet connectivity.

How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?
None. It's a hardware problem.

GENERAL TERMINOLOGY

Actuator
A component that is responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism or system, such as opening a valve.

Access point
A wireless network device that acts as a portal for devices to connect to a local area network.

Device
A device is a unit of physical hardware or equipment that provides one or more computing functions within a system.

Beacons
Small transmitters that connect to Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-enabled devices such as smartphones or tracked packages.

Gateway
A “hub that translates” communication between two computers or devices that allows these to understand each other´s data transfer and communication.

Hub
A hardware device that connects other data-transmitting devices to a central station.

Cyber-physical systems
Integrations of computation, networking and physical processes with feedback loops where physical processes affect computations and vice versa.

Contactless
Describes technologies that allow a smart card, mobile phone or other device to connect wirelessly – without contact – to an electronic reader, typically in order to make a payment.

Digital twins
A digital replica of physical assets, processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for various purposes and integrates historical machine data into a digital model.

Geofencing
The use of GPS or RFID technology to create a virtual geographic boundary in which devices can operate.

GIS
Geographic Information System
A system designed to capture, manipulate, analyze, manage and present spatial or geographic data.

GPS
Global Positioning System
A technology created by the US Government that allows for location services.

GNSS
Global Navigation Satellite System
A constellation of satellites providing signals from space that transmit positioning and timing data to GNSS receivers

Haptics
The science of applying tactile sensation and control to interaction with computer applications.

HAV
Hardware-Assisted Virtualisation
The use of a computer’s physical components to support the software that creates and manages virtual machines (VMs).

IMU
Inertial Measurement Unit
A device that measures and reports a body – such as a drone’s – specific force, angular rate, and sometimes the magnetic field surrounding the body.

LIDAR
Light Detection and Ranging
A remote sensing technology which uses the pulse from a laser to collect measurements which can then be used to create 3D models and maps of objects and environments.

Mechatronics
Engineering of both electrical and mechanical systems which includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computing, telecoms, systems, control and product engineering.

RADAR
Radio Detection and Ranging
A detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, angle, or velocity of objects.

Telematics
A method of monitoring an asset by using GPS and onboard diagnostics to record movements on a computerised map.

Why did the geek add body { padding-top: 1000px; } to his Facebook profile?
He wanted to keep a low profile.

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: Communications Protocols

Lightweight M2M
A device management protocol designed for sensor networks and the demands of a machine-to-machine (M2M) environment.

Modbus
A serial communications protocol for use with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that is used to connect industrial electronic devices.

MQTT
Message Queuing Telemetry Transport
A protocol designed to connect the physical devices and networks with applications and middleware, making it an ideal connectivity protocol for IoT and M2M.

MTC
Machine Type Communications
A descriptive term for fully automatic data generation, exchange, processing and actuation among intelligent machines, with low or no intervention by humans.

If you put a million monkeys on a million keyboards, one of them will eventually write a Java program. The rest of them will write Perl programs.

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: Artificial Intelligence

AI
Artificial Intelligence
The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition and decision-making. AI also enables machines to learn from experience.

Computer vision
A part of computer science working to enable computers to see, identify and process images in a manner similar to human vision.

Deep learning
A machine learning technique that teaches computers to learn by example.

Machine learning
Machine learning is a method of data analysis that automates construction of analytical models, based on the idea that systems can learn from data, identify patterns and make decisions with minimal human intervention.

Neural networks
A computer system modelled on the human brain and nervous system that is designed to help machines reason more like humans.

There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: Computing and the Cloud

API
Application Programming Interface
A set of routine definitions, protocols, and tools for building software and applications. An API connects your business processes, services, content, and data to channel partners, internal teams, and independent developers in an easy and secure way. APIs are becoming the de facto standard by which companies exchange data and build consistent cross-channel customer experiences.

APN
Access Point Name
A gateway that translates communications between telecommunications and computer networks (most often the Internet).

Cloud computing
Internet-based computing that allows for data access from distinct computers or devices. Typically referred to as though the ‘cloud’ itself is storing the data, but data is stored on physical computers that allow access at any time to the data via the Internet.

Edge computing
A model in which computation is largely or completely performed on distributed device nodes known as smart devices or edge devices as opposed to taking place in a centralised cloud environment.

Firmware/FOTA
A specific class of computer software that provides the low-level control for the device’s specific hardware. FOTA refers to the capability of upgrading firmware over-the-air.

Fog computing
Also known as edge computing or fogging, Fog computing is a term created by Cisco that refers to extending cloud computing to the edge of an enterprise’s network.

Flow-based programming
A type of dataflow programming in which programme steps communicate with each other by transmitting data through some kind of channel. The channels are managed by the larger system, leaving the connected components free to focus on processing input and producing output.

Hybrid cloud
A cloud computing environment that uses a mix of on-premise, private cloud and third-party, public cloud services with orchestration between the two platforms.

Java/JSON
A general-purpose computer programming language designed to produce programs that will run on any computer system. JavaScript Object Notation is text-based lightweight technology for generating human readable formatted data.

OTA
Over-the-Air
OTA provisioning refers to various methods of distributing new software, configuration settings, and even updating encryption keys to devices of sorts.

Open source
Describes software for which the original source code is freely available and can be redistributed or modified.

Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application.

RESTful API
Also referred to as a RESTful web service a RESTful API is based on representational state transfer (REST) technology, an architectural style and approach to communications often used in web services development.

SOAP API
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a communication protocol for the exchange of information between various operational systems using Extensible Markup Language (XML).

Why was the JavaScript developer sad? Because he didn't Node how to Express himself.

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: Data

Big data
Amounts of data that are so large that traditional technologies cannot handle their transfer or analysis. Certain IoT technologies specialize in handling and transferring big data as it is seen as key to large companies’ goal to maximize efficiency.

Blockchain
A growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using cryptography. For use as a distributed ledger, a blockchain is typically managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively adhering to a protocol for inter-node communication and validating new blocks.

Data filtration/filtering
Describes a wide range of strategies for refining data sets so they provide what a user, or set of users, needs without including other data that can be repetitive, irrelevant or even sensitive.

Data janitor
A data janitor is a person who takes large amounts of big data and condenses it into information that businesses can act upon.

DDDM
Data Driven Decision Making
An approach to business governance that values decisions that can be backed up with verifiable data.

Hadoop
An open source distributed processing framework that manages data processing and storage for big data applications running in clustered systems.
Pervasive computing, also called ubiquitous computing
The embedding of computational capability into everyday objects to make them effectively communicate and perform useful tasks in a way that minimizes the end user’s need to interact with computers.

SCADA
Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition
A computer system for gathering, analyzing and controlling real-time data.

TCP/IP
The Internet Protocol suite is the computer networking model and set of communications protocols used on the Internet and similar computer networks.

There's a band called 1023MB. They haven't had any gigs yet.

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: Tracking and Identification

IMEI
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
A unique identification or serial number that all mobile phones and smartphones have. It is normally 15 digits long.

International Article Number / EAN
A barcode symbology and numbering system used in global trade to identify a specific retail product type, in a specific packaging configuration, from a specific manufacturer.

MEID
Mobile Equipment Identifier
A globally unique number identifying a physical piece of CDMA2000 mobile equipment.

RFID
Radio Frequency Identification
RFID devices are used for data transmission and capture by way of radio waves.

Smart label
An enhanced version of a bar code. Unlike traditional bar codes, a smart label can contain much more information about a product. Smart labels take the shape of RFID tags, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) tags, or the most commonly seen, QR codes

UID
Unique Identifier
A number given to any device within any system to allow the ability to interact with it.

URI
Uniform Resource Identifier
A string of characters that unambiguously identifies a particular resource.

Two bytes meet. The first byte asks, "Are you ill?"
The second byte replies, "No, just feeling a bit off."

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: IoT and Data Security

Botnet
A network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owners’ knowledge.

GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation
This came into force in May 2018 and imposes rules on controlling and processing personally identifiable information.

IPSec
A secure network protocol suite that authenticates and encrypts the packets of data sent over an internet protocol network. IPSec uses cryptographic security services to protect communications over IP networks.

ICS
Industrial control systems
A collective term used to describe different types of control systems and associated instrumentation, which include the devices, systems, networks, and controls used to operate or automate industrial processes.

IAM
Identity and access management
A framework for business processes that facilitates the management of electronic or digital identities.

PKI
Public Key Infrastructure
A set of roles, policies and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store and revoke digital certificates and manage public-key encryption. PKI is a critical enabler of secure communication, data and money exchange.

TLS
Transport Layer Security
An encryption protocol used to protect data in transit between computers enabling two computers to agree to encrypt the information in a way they both understand.

I would tell you a UDP joke, but you might not get it.

HOW THINGS COMMUNICATE: X as a Service

MaaS
Management-as-a-Service
The management of a network and systems, presented to the client in a web interface. In a sense, it’s a specialized version of SaaS, where the first “S” involved is management software.

IaaS
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
A form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet.

PaaS
Platform as a service (PaaS)
A cloud computing model in which hardware and software tools are delivered to users over the internet.

Servitization
Describes industries using their products to sell an outcome as a service, usually for a recurring subscription, rather than as a one-off sale of a product.

SaaS
Software as a Service
A software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted.