Software and IT Industry Jargon Explained! PART 1

The software development and IT industry can sometimes feel like a different language! If you find yourself scratching your head when speaking to developers or IT professionals you are not alone! We have begun to write an Applicable dictionary to help anyone who has found themselves feeling a bit lost.

Cloud applications

Cloud applications are those where at least part of processing is carried out by remote computers considered to be, “in the cloud”, which in real terms usually means servers hosted in a data centre and used for this purpose. Most cloud applications are accessed via the user’s web browser, with the browser typically processing the more local parts of the software. These can also be referred to as web applications.

Cookies

How many times have you been asked if you accept all cookies and thought, of course, I’ll accept all cookies I’m offered but why is a website asking me this? Well, in the context of websites, a cookie is actually a small package of data stored by that website on your computer. This can be a key part of the security infrastructure, ensuring that your connection isn’t hijacked by another computer, but in other cases, cookies may be used to track your usage of the website for marketing purposes.

Low Code

Low-code platforms are software suites that enable power users, or developers, to create cloud and mobile applications with little or no actual coding. This approach is perfect for getting applications up and running fast, however many come with some combination of limitations, license fees or a lack or real ownership of the solution built.

High code

The term high-code contrasts traditional software development with the advent of low-code. High-code software is written manually in various programming languages to the specifications provided.

Integrations

Organisations usually want information to flow through various parts of their business in a seamless way, and yet they often use different software packages for different areas of the organisation. Integrations solve this contradiction by mapping data structures in one software package to those in another, and finding a way to connect them. This is easiest with modern software systems that usually ship with built-in data gateways, called APIs.

Web Application

A web application is a software application that is stored on a remote server and delivered over the internet through a web browser. Many websites contain web apps, although not all of them do. Web apps are convenient because they can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

Custom Software Development

Custom software development is the process of designing software applications that meet the specific needs of an organisation. Unlike Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software, custom applications are usually an exact fit for the organisation’s processes, and also often span a wider range of operations than off-the-shelf software. 

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