Glossary
ADSL/DSL/naked DSL
(Asymmetric) digital subscriber line is a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines. ‘Naked’ refers to the fact that customers no longer need a telephone connection to access the internet.
Blog
Weblogs, usually shortened to ‘blogs’ are internet-based published journals or article sites, usually organised by chronological entries.
Broadband
A method of two-way transmission for high-speed, high-capacity internet and data connections. Many times faster than dial-up, a broadband internet connection can be provided by ADSL, cable modem, satellite, ISDN or wireless technologies.
Broadband Challenge Fund (BBC)
A contestable fund under the digital strategy that, through supporting partnershps, aims to accelerate the provision of affordable broadband services to regional centres, and rural and under-served communities and businesses.
Carbon neutral
A term applied to individuals, businesses or organisations whose practices contribute zero carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.
Community Partnership Fund (CPF)
A contestable fund under the digital strategy that provides seed funding for up to 50 per cent of partnership initiatives that will strengthen communities and improve people’s capability and skills to use ICT and develop digital content.
Demand aggregation
In the context of the digital strategy, the pooling of demand for broadband services by communities and/or businesses in a region so that a business case for broadband investment
in that region is made more attractive.
Development Goals for the State Services
The Development Goals for the State Services provide a framework for delivering the next generation of state services. It aims to see public services networked, coordinated, accessible, trusted, employers of choice and providing value for money.
Digital divide
The gap between those people with effective access to digital and information technology and those without access to it. It includes the imbalances in geographical and physical access to technology, as well as those in resources and skills needed to participate effectively. The term also increasingly refers to the divide between the digitally savvy and those who are not aware of how digital technology can enhance business and personal lives.
Digital future
The state where the goal of the digital strategy is achieved – that is “New Zealand will be a world leader in using information and technology to realise its economic, social, environmental and cultural goals to the benefit of all New Zealanders”. This is consistent with the messages from the Digital Future Summit 2.0.
Digital Future Summit 2.0
Held in November 2007 and attended by around 540 people, a checkpoint for contributions to the refresh of the digital strategy from key community, youth, research, education, business, and local and central government stakeholders.
e-Government Strategy
The all-of-government approach to transforming how agencies use technology to deliver services, provide information and interact with people as they work to achieve the outcomes
the government seeks.
FTTN
Fibre-to-the-node (or fibre-to-the-cabinet): enables broadband services to be delivered using optical fibre that runs to a cabinet serving a neighbourhood. Customers then connect to this cabinet using traditional copper wiring.
Generation Y
The generation born from 1979 to the late 1990s who are more technology savvy than previous generation.
ICT
Information and communications technology: a general term used to group computer and telecommunications technologies.
Innovation economy
The innovation economy is based on intellectual capital, and the ability to translate ideas
into new technologies, products and services faster and better than the competition.
IPTV
Internet protocol television is a system where digital television services are delivered over the internet.
ISDN
Intergrated services digital network: a telephone network system designed to allow digital transmission of voice and data over ordinary telephone copper wires.
KAREN
Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network: an ultra-fast, high-bandwidth advanced network (internet) facility that the research and education sectors use to enable exchange of data in real time.
Kbps, Mbps, Gbps
Kilobits per second, Megabits per second, Gigabits per second: used to describe data transfer speed, e.g. 56Kbps dial-up, 10Mbps broadband.
KB, MB, GB
Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte: used to describe units of size and data storage, e.g. 500KB file,
a 160MB disk, a 120GB hard drive.
Local loop unbundling (LLU)
The regulatory process allowing multiple telecommunications and internet service providers to use the incumbent telecommunications company’s local exchanges and access the copper wire telephone network at wholesale rates.
Middleware
Software designed to integrate separate software and/or hardware systems. Middleware provides the communication between the separate systems.
MUSH entities
Municipalities (local government), universities, schools and hospitals.
Podcast
A collection of digital media files distributed over the internet for playback on portable media players and personal computers.
Refresh process
The process of updating and progressing the digital strategy. We note that the term ’refresh’
has been used in other policy areas, although the context here is slightly different.
Repository
A central location for storing digital library collections, databases and files, often for access over a network or the internet.
Rich content
Also know as multimedia, a term for media that uses multiple forms of information content and information processing (e.g. text, audio, graphics).
RSS
Really simple syndication: a popular technology for notifying users of updates to content in a website, blog or internet TV.
Tag cloud
A tag stores information about a document, image or other online content to help searching. A tag cloud is a set of related tags with popularity of the tags represented using different font sizes or other visual clues.
Telco
Telecommunications company. Includes internet service providers, mobile and fixed line telephone companies, and data network providers.
Tertiary education organisations (TEOs)
A public, private or community-based organisation, offering tertiary education or tertiary-related services. They include universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, specialist colleges and formally established wänanga.
TSO
Telecommunications Service Obligations: a regulatory mechanism which enables telephone services to be made available to households that would not usually receive services due to economic viability.
VoIP
Voice over internet protocol: a protocol optimised for sending voice through the internet. VoIP is often used abstractly to refer to the actual transmission of voice (rather than the protocol implementing it). VoIP is also known as IP telephony, internet telephony, broadband telephony, and voice over broadband.
Web 2.0
Refers less to new web technology but to changes in the ways software developers and end users use the web to network, collaborate and innovate.
Weightless sector
Attributed to economist Danny Quah, covers economic activity relating to: ICT, including the internet; intellectual property, including not only patents and copyrights but, more broadly, name brands, trademarks, advertising, financial and consulting services, medical knowledge and education; electronic libraries and databases, including new media, video entertainment and broadcasting; and biotechnology.
Wiki
A webpage that allows users to add, edit and update content collectively or collaboratively.
WiMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access: the industry term for a long-range wireless networking standard. WiMAX technology has the potential to deliver high-speed internet access to rural areas and other locations not serviced by cable or DSL technology. WiMAX also offers an alternative to satellite internet services.