IoT Terms Database | IoT ONE Digital Transformation Advisors

Autonomic computing refers to the self-managing characteristics of distributed computing resources, adapting to unpredictable changes while hiding intrinsic complexity to operators and users.

Autonomous Circuits

An autonomous circuit is a circuit that produces a time-varying output without having a time-varying input. An autonomous circuit generates and output without having any input.

Backbone Network

A backbone network is part of the computer network infrastructure that connects different networks and provides a path for data exchange between these different networks.

Backend-as-a-Service

Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) is a cloud service model in which developers outsource all the behind-the-scenes aspects of a web or mobile application so that they only have to write and maintain the frontend.

Bar Codes

A bar code (often seen as a single word, barcode) is the small image of lines (bars) and spaces that is affixed to retail store items, identification cards, and postal mail to identify a particular product number, person, or location.

Base Station

A base station is the location of a fixed communication and is part of a network’s wireless telephone system. It relays information to and from a transmitting/receiving unit, such as a mobile phone.

Base Station Controller

A base station controller (BSC) is a critical mobile network component that controls one or more base transceiver stations (BTS), also known as base stations or cell sites.

Base Transceiver Station

As part of a cellular network, a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) has equipment for the encryption and decryption of communications, spectrum filtering equipment, antennas and transceivers (TRX) to name a few.

Beacons

Low-cost devices that communicate with smartphone apps indoors, without the need for GPS. Beacons use BLE and are key enablers for the smart retail category, triggering messages as consumers pass-through locations or near products.

Belief-Desire-Intention software model

The belief-desire-intention (BDI) software model is a software model developed for intelligent programming agents. Superficially characterized by the implementation of an agent's beliefs, desires, and intentions, it uses these concepts to solve a particular problem in agent programming

Beyond Mobility

The connected world including cars, homes, and wearables are creating a rapidly expanding world of access to the customer.

Biometrics

Biometrics is the technical term for body measurements and calculations. It refers to metrics related to human characteristics. Biometric identifiers are often categorized as physiological versus behavioral characteristics.

Blended Workforce

Blended Workforce is a labor force involving close collaboration between humans and intelligent machines in the form of augmentation. The blended workforce can enhance workers' productivity.

Blockchain

A blockchain is a decentralized, distributed, and oftentimes public, digital ledger that is used to record transactions across many computers so that any involved record cannot be altered retroactively, without the alteration of all subsequent blocks.

Blockchain Block

A container data structure comprising of the transactions made on that particular Blockchain. Different Blockchains have different block sizes (e.g. Bitcoins block size is 1MB).

Blockchain Wallet

A file that houses private keys and allows access to view and transactions via a software client. Each blockchain has its own wallet file, and it is used to make transactions with.

Block Explorer

Block Explorer is a software tool that allows a blockchain to be transparent. Anybody can go on to the online page of the block explorer and check past and current transactions and information on them.

Block Height

Block Height refers to the number of blocks of a particular Blockchain since the genesis block. It represents the current block number. The current block number will be how many blocks have been created since that particular Blockchain was created.

Block Reward

An incentive to block miners for securing the network by providing hash power to it. The miner who calculated the correct hash of the next block gets coins for verifying the transactions in that block. New coins are minted every time a new block is added to the chain.

Bluetooth

A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances. Short-range wireless technology standard which operates on the 2.4 MHz band. Bluetooth can be used for sending both data and audio, with popular uses, including wireless headsets and cordless keyboards.

Bluetooth Low Energy

Ultra-low power version of the Bluetooth technology that is up to 15 times more efficient than Bluetooth. Compared to Classic Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is intended to provide considerably reduced power consumption and cost while maintaining a similar communication range.

Body Area Network

A wireless network of wearable computing devices and physiological sensors, which may even be embedded inside the body. A key use case for BANs is e-Health applications.

Boot Loader

A boot loader is a small program that places the operating system (OS) of a computer into memory. Most new computers are shipped with boot loaders for some version of Microsoft Windows or the Mac OS. If a computer is to be used with Linux, a special boot loader must be installed.

Brillo

An underlying operating system for the IoT developed by Google, supporting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Android-based things. An operating system for the Internet of Things.

Bring Your Own Device

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) refers to employees who bring their own Wi-Fi enabled devices into the corporate network. Smartphones are the most common example, but employees also take their own tablets, laptops, and USB drives into the workplace.

Brownfield

Brownfield (software development) describes the problem and the process of having to consider already existing systems when implementing new software systems.

Building Automation and Control Networks

A network protocol for building automation and control networks. By connecting to Building Automation and Control Networks (BACnet) with the MS/TP protocol, for the first time, universal communication is possible between field devices and control technology with a freely usable standard.

Business Impact Analysis

Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is a systematic process to determine and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident, or emergency.

Business Process Execution Language

Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is an XML-based language that allows Web services in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to interconnect and share data. An OASIS standard executable language for specifying actions within business processes with web services.

Business Process Model and Notation

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a graphical representation for specifying business processes in a business process model. A graphical representation for specifying business processes in a business process model, so that the current process may be analyzed or improved.

	Autonomic Computing Autonomic computing refers to the self-managing characteristics of distributed computing resources, adapting to unpredictable changes while hiding intrinsic complexity to operators and users.
	Autonomous Circuits An autonomous circuit is a circuit that produces a time-varying output without having a time-varying input. An autonomous circuit generates and output without having any input.
	Backbone Network A backbone network is part of the computer network infrastructure that connects different networks and provides a path for data exchange between these different networks.
	Backend-as-a-Service Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) is a cloud service model in which developers outsource all the behind-the-scenes aspects of a web or mobile application so that they only have to write and maintain the frontend.
	Bar Codes A bar code (often seen as a single word, barcode) is the small image of lines (bars) and spaces that is affixed to retail store items, identification cards, and postal mail to identify a particular product number, person, or location.
	Base Station A base station is the location of a fixed communication and is part of a network’s wireless telephone system. It relays information to and from a transmitting/receiving unit, such as a mobile phone.
	Base Station Controller A base station controller (BSC) is a critical mobile network component that controls one or more base transceiver stations (BTS), also known as base stations or cell sites.
	Base Transceiver Station As part of a cellular network, a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) has equipment for the encryption and decryption of communications, spectrum filtering equipment, antennas and transceivers (TRX) to name a few.
	Beacons Low-cost devices that communicate with smartphone apps indoors, without the need for GPS. Beacons use BLE and are key enablers for the smart retail category, triggering messages as consumers pass-through locations or near products.
	Belief-Desire-Intention software model The belief-desire-intention (BDI) software model is a software model developed for intelligent programming agents. Superficially characterized by the implementation of an agent's beliefs, desires, and intentions, it uses these concepts to solve a particular problem in agent programming
	Beyond Mobility The connected world including cars, homes, and wearables are creating a rapidly expanding world of access to the customer.
	Biometrics Biometrics is the technical term for body measurements and calculations. It refers to metrics related to human characteristics. Biometric identifiers are often categorized as physiological versus behavioral characteristics.
	Blended Workforce Blended Workforce is a labor force involving close collaboration between humans and intelligent machines in the form of augmentation. The blended workforce can enhance workers' productivity.
	Blockchain A blockchain is a decentralized, distributed, and oftentimes public, digital ledger that is used to record transactions across many computers so that any involved record cannot be altered retroactively, without the alteration of all subsequent blocks.
	Blockchain Block A container data structure comprising of the transactions made on that particular Blockchain. Different Blockchains have different block sizes (e.g. Bitcoins block size is 1MB).
	Blockchain Wallet A file that houses private keys and allows access to view and transactions via a software client. Each blockchain has its own wallet file, and it is used to make transactions with.
	Block Explorer Block Explorer is a software tool that allows a blockchain to be transparent. Anybody can go on to the online page of the block explorer and check past and current transactions and information on them.
	Block Height Block Height refers to the number of blocks of a particular Blockchain since the genesis block. It represents the current block number. The current block number will be how many blocks have been created since that particular Blockchain was created.
	Block Reward An incentive to block miners for securing the network by providing hash power to it. The miner who calculated the correct hash of the next block gets coins for verifying the transactions in that block. New coins are minted every time a new block is added to the chain.
	Bluetooth A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances. Short-range wireless technology standard which operates on the 2.4 MHz band. Bluetooth can be used for sending both data and audio, with popular uses, including wireless headsets and cordless keyboards.
	Bluetooth Low Energy Ultra-low power version of the Bluetooth technology that is up to 15 times more efficient than Bluetooth. Compared to Classic Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is intended to provide considerably reduced power consumption and cost while maintaining a similar communication range.
	Body Area Network A wireless network of wearable computing devices and physiological sensors, which may even be embedded inside the body. A key use case for BANs is e-Health applications.
	Boot Loader A boot loader is a small program that places the operating system (OS) of a computer into memory. Most new computers are shipped with boot loaders for some version of Microsoft Windows or the Mac OS. If a computer is to be used with Linux, a special boot loader must be installed.
	Brillo An underlying operating system for the IoT developed by Google, supporting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Android-based things. An operating system for the Internet of Things.
	Bring Your Own Device Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) refers to employees who bring their own Wi-Fi enabled devices into the corporate network. Smartphones are the most common example, but employees also take their own tablets, laptops, and USB drives into the workplace.
	Brownfield Brownfield (software development) describes the problem and the process of having to consider already existing systems when implementing new software systems.
	Building Automation and Control Networks A network protocol for building automation and control networks. By connecting to Building Automation and Control Networks (BACnet) with the MS/TP protocol, for the first time, universal communication is possible between field devices and control technology with a freely usable standard.
	Business Impact Analysis Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is a systematic process to determine and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident, or emergency.
	Business Process Execution Language Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is an XML-based language that allows Web services in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to interconnect and share data. An OASIS standard executable language for specifying actions within business processes with web services.
	Business Process Model and Notation Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a graphical representation for specifying business processes in a business process model. A graphical representation for specifying business processes in a business process model, so that the current process may be analyzed or improved.

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