Information management system
A joint hierarchical database and information management system with extensive transaction.

NAS (Network Attached Storage)
Can be part of a SAN. Hard disk storage directly attached to the network to provide information access.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
OCR is software that translates computer generated text images from paper into a form that can be electronically manipulated. For example, if you scan a word document with OCR, you would then be able to change words within that scanned file.

Optical Disc
An electronic medium that will accept and retain information in the form of marks or density modulation in a recording layer that can be read with an optical beam.

Password protection
A secret combination of characters, made up of letters and numbers that allow the only authorized user to access files or Web pages.

PDF (Portable Document Format)
By converting an electronic document to a PDF, you can capture formatting and layout information (like taking a picture of the document) in a very compact file size and ensure that when the person opens up the document, it looks exactly how you intended.

PGP
Pretty Good Protection

RDS
Report distribution system

Records Management
Enables an enterprise to assign a specific life cycle to individual pieces of corporate information from creation, receipt, maintenance, and use to the ultimate disposition of records. A record is not necessarily the same as a document. All documents are potential records, but not vice versa. A record is essential for the business; documents are containers of "working information." Records are documents with evidentiary value.

SAN
Storage area network

Structured data
Information that has been organized to allow identification and separation of the context of the information from its content.

Structured vs. Unstructured Data
Information such as free formatted text is said to be unstructured; that is, there is no particular order or syntax in the data. The opposite is structured data which forces the information to be stored in a certain way. The advantage of structured data, such as databases, is that it allows automation of tasks involving the information.