Tedmac's Word for the Day: RSS Feeds

The icon can be seen almost anywhere else on the web, in blogs, wikis, commercial web sites. But  many of us don't know the real name, purpose and function of it. The icon is the RSS Feed icon. RSS stands for  Really Simple Syndication  which is used to publish various web works and media — such as blog, news, video or audio in a standard form, usually in a tabular, enumerated form. The list may include the title of the item, the author and the dates. The purpose of the RSS Feeds is for the web surfers to view updates on related topics, likewise, it's beneficial to the publishers or the web owners for it is a source of additional information on the content of the web and adds traffic going to their website. So now, once you click on the RSS Feeds icon, expect that you will be redirected to a list of related topics.

Tedmac's Word for the Day: ERP

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), first used by research company Gartner. is the integration of modern technology in business processes and operations like accounting, human resources, inventory, manufacturing and sales. ERP is basically a compilation of business applications but one of the most important criteria is that it should be using a centralized database and a common flatform. Having a common database usually prevents redundant data.

When I first encountered the term, it really shook me in the head, wondering what my client really wanted, and thus pushed me to go through some research and asking some colleagues. By its simple definition we can have a simple example. A human resource system and a payroll system, combined together using a common database and having modules with the same look and feel can be called an ERP.

Tedmac's Word for the Day: IaaS

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is another business model or form of Cloud Computing. In this model, the client can use the infrastructure (computer hardware equipment) of a service provider over the internet as if the hardware is within the client's site.

Hardware may include computer servers, network and other hardware like data storage devices. Running, upgrading and maintenance of the hardware is no longer a problem for the client but for the service provider. The client will just have to pay on a per-use basis just like in a telephone service.

Infrastructure as a Service is sometimes called Hardware as a Service (HaaS) model.

Tedmac's Word for the Day: SaaS

SaaS or Software as a Service is basically a form of Cloud Computing. In this scenario, the software applications, which is mostly business applications, are being run over the internet (the cloud) using an ordinary internet browser.

In a usual setup, all of our software applications (for example word processors, spreadsheets) are first to be installed with in our computer (hard disk) before we can run it. In the setup of SaaS, there is no need for us to install the program in our hard disk, just go to the website of the application service provider (ASP), and from there, you run the application.

There are providers that are offering free SaaS but there are also pay-per-use basis, meaning, just like with your electricity, you pay for the what you have consumed. One noted advantage of SaaS is that there is no need for the end-user to buy the license of the software. Everything is the problem of the the application service provider.

Tedmac's Word for the Day: Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is simply Internet-based computing. In figures or drawing, internet is usually represented by drawing a cloud symbol, thus the name goes.



In cloud computing, the user is accessing the technology or service (a program for example) from the internet using an internet browser. In its most common form, for example, Google Apps (www.google.com/apps) provides common business applications like word processor or spreadsheets. To create a document, a user will simply go to the site of Google Apps and from there, run the word processor application. This means that there is no need for that user to install on his local computer the said application. All the softwares and data are stored on the internet service provider's servers.

Tedmac's Word for the Day: CMS

A content management system (CMS) is a system used to facilitate easy management, revision storage and retrieval or publishing of data. Data ranges from a simple text documents to music, movies and pictures. CMS also allows multiple users to work on one particular system depending on their roles such as administrator or editor.

A CMS used for the purpose of managing web content is called Web Content Management Systems (WCM). Sample of these are Joomla!, Wordpress and Drupal.

Tedmac's Word for the Day (TWD)

It is a usual day where I visit our I.T. students during their class. Its always been my commitment to ensure the delivery of learning. One problem that I noticed from our students is their inability to identify or understand advanced information technology terminologies, for some reason or another. Maybe simply because it is outside of their subject matter or the lack of interest on their part.

In line with this, starting today, I will be opening a regular segment called "Tedmac's Word for the Day" (TWD). I will be discussing information technology terms straightforward and maybe adding some figures and movies to make the discussion more interesting especially to students.

Tedmac's Word for the Day: SEO

If you are a wide reader, maybe SEO is familiar. But mind you, there are lots of IT professionals who didn't knew what SEO is.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. True to what it stands for, it's a system for improving the visibility of your web site in search engines like of those of Google, Yahoo and MSN. The idea started way back late 90's, where companies and organizations began optimizing their web pages. Practically, SEO is a marketing strategy, you improve your site in the search engines to increase your visibility and therefore increase sales.

Technically, search engines send a "spider" to "crawl" that your web page, another program "index" the content (such as words) and then extract links to other pages from it.

Now, as a SEO professional, you basically do some manipulations and or programming to incorporated changes into your web site development and design. As of now, may IT consulting companies are concentrating on the SEO products and services catering from a simple blogs to multinational companies.