From a certain perspective, IT jargon can appear to be a bit of a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, you need to know as much as possible about IT terminology.
Tech intersects with every industry these days, especially service-based ones like personal finance or healthcare.
The leader of a small community bank 30 years ago didn't need to know about mobile apps and tech stacks - now they do.
The operator of a private medical practice didn't need to know about at-rest or in-transit encryption - now they do.
But at the same time, IT jargon often seems needlessly complicated - to the point where sometimes it can feel like you're not quite sure what you're actually talking about.
Thankfully, the situation isn't quite as dire as it may appear.
Simplifying IT jargon is a great idea not just for business leaders, but everyone who works within a particular organization.
It's also a lot easier to get to than you might realize.
You just need to keep a few basic things in mind along the way.
Before you can dive into the larger discussion of simplifying IT jargon, it's important to establish a baseline of what a lot of the common terms and phrases you'll often see actually mean.
Just a few that you'll want to concern yourself with include, but are not limited to, the following.
Co-managed IT support refers to the type of situation where an organization may already have its own internal IT people who just need a bit of additional help with certain jobs.
In a larger sense, this refers to a hybrid model where an organization shares the responsibility of managing its IT with a third-party provider.
It allows businesses to retain control over certain aspects while leveraging external expertise for others, such as infrastructure, security, or support.
This is a term that sounds broad, largely because it is - it covers a range of services and tools designed to protect your company’s network, data, and infrastructure from threats like hacking, malware, and phishing.
IT support ensures that these systems are well-maintained, that issues are addressed as quickly as possible, and that especially organizations like healthcare or financial businesses are as protected as they can be from the fast-paced threats that we see online.
In a fully managed IT service model, an outsourced provider takes over the entire IT infrastructure, maintenance, and support, leaving the organization with fewer internal IT tasks.
In a best-case scenario, those in-house IT people are free to innovate because they're no longer spending so much time, money, and energy on what amounts to spinning their wheels.
A co-managed service, on the other hand, splits the responsibilities, allowing for more control on the business side while benefiting from professional external support.
These are specialized services provided by experts to help businesses optimize and maintain their IT infrastructure.
Professional services can include IT consulting, system integration, cloud migration, and project management, designed to ensure a company’s technology functions efficiently and aligns with business goals.
In IT terminology, a managed services provider (or MSP) would be a great example of a professional services organization.
They come into an environment to handle a very specific set of tasks related to a business's technology needs that few other general providers would be unable to.
Their knowledge is niche and their focus is sharp - essentially the textbook definition of what professional services are all about.
Note that these are just a few of the many, many IT jargon terms that you're likely to hear used in conversation.
There are many acronyms that you need to be aware of, too.
Software-as-a-Service (or SaaS for short) refers to software hosted in the cloud and delivered over the internet, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365.
Rather than downloading and installing software on individual machines, all users can essentially access all resources over the Internet.
MFA (or "multifactor authentication") is a type of security process requiring more than one form of identification (password and a second factor like a code or biometric recognition) to access an account.
This requires two forms of identification to gain access to a system instead of just one, which is big for healthcare organizations in particular.
Unauthorized access of patient data can lead to identity theft, fraud, or medical errors.
MFA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring more than just a password to access systems, making it harder for hackers to compromise accounts.
The same is true of financial organizations.
Community banks and credit unions regularly deal with financial transactions and sensitive customer information.
An extra layer of security ensures that only authorized individuals can access accounts, reducing the risk of cybercrime and financial fraud.
A VPN or "Virtual Private network" is a service that creates a secure connection to the internet, encrypting data to protect sensitive information.
It doesn't matter what type of business you're running or even the industry that you're operating in - a company’s IT strategy heavily relies on terms like those mentioned above to develop a roadmap for leveraging technology effectively.
By grasping terms like "co-managed services" or "cybersecurity," business leaders can determine how much internal control they want over IT services versus how much they should outsource.
Understanding acronyms like "SaaS" helps identify whether cloud-based solutions or on-premises infrastructure is best suited for the company’s needs.
By now, you're no doubt getting a sense that IT jargon is in and of itself complicated.
It's like learning a different language, to a certain extent - why bother to put the effort into fully understanding it when you don't necessarily operate a "technology business" on the surface?
Does someone operating a small, community-focused credit union really need to know what SaaS is on a technical level?
In a word, yes - because understanding IT jargon and terminology can help improve communication with your IT partner.
It may even highlight certain issues you didn't even realize you were having to begin with.
Clear communication between your business and IT provider is crucial to ensure that your technology needs are met.
By understanding key terms and concepts, you can articulate your requirements, challenges, and goals more precisely.
This minimizes misunderstandings and leads to more effective collaboration.
Understanding IT terminology can also lead to making more informed decisions about IT services, which is a big part of how you remain competitive.
The tech industry evolves rapidly, and a lack of understanding of IT terminology can lead to poor decision-making.
When you understand the terminology, you can better assess service offerings, compare providers, and select solutions that are aligned with your business’s needs and growth objectives.
Finally, understanding IT jargon can help make sure your organization is always getting the right IT support at the right time - no exceptions.
This is true whether you're in healthcare services, financial services, or something else entirely.
By familiarizing yourself with essential IT terms, you can better evaluate whether your business is getting the right level of IT support.
You’ll be able to assess whether a fully-managed or co-managed service model is best suited for your company, or if additional services like cybersecurity or cloud solutions should be integrated into your strategy.
Just because it's important to know how all these words are defined doesn't mean you have to actually use them.
This is especially true if devolving into a world of IT jargon only makes things harder daily.
If you want to simplify IT discussions that are taking place within your organization, you might start by creating a glossary that covers a lot of the same information referenced above.
Develop an easy-to-understand glossary of common IT terms and acronyms for your team.
This will make sure that everyone has a baseline understanding of the language used by IT professionals.
You can still have those high-level discussions, but not necessarily in a way that is going to immediately put people off.
You'll also want to offer training on not just IT jargon, but technology in a larger sense and how it can be used to make your business function more efficiently daily.
Provide ongoing training sessions for your staff to stay updated on relevant IT terms, technologies, and trends.
Not only will this make sure that everyone has a basic level of knowledge to work from, but it will also make it easier to build upon that knowledge moving forward.
But above all else, you'll want to encourage clear and effective communication with any IT partner that you choose to employ.
When it comes to working with a managed services provider for co-managed IT services, for example, you need an open line of communication at all times.
Your needs and expectations will constantly change - any partner you choose needs to be able to change with them.
That also requires you to essentially have conversations with people who are experts in the field in a way you will never be.
If you're running a community bank, you're an expert in finance, not IT.
Ask questions when you don’t understand something, and encourage your IT partner to explain complex concepts in layman's terms.
Setting clear expectations and using straightforward language will help foster a productive and transparent relationship.
Again, IT jargon can often seem equal parts overwhelming and silly - especially if you don't consider yours to be a technology business in the first place.
But understanding IT terminology is essential not only for improving day-to-day operations but for making more informed, strategic decisions about your company’s technology.
When business leaders grasp these key terms, they’re better positioned to make decisions that drive efficiency, security, and growth.
You see the importance of not just investing in technology for the sake of it - but because it will unlock lasting, meaningful change across your entire organization.
You see the impact it can have and the efficiency at which you're suddenly having discussions with people.
It's difficult to get to this point if you're still letting the IT jargon keep you at arm's length.
You'll also want to foster clear communication not just with any IT partner you're working with, but within your own teams.
Clear communication is key to ensuring that everyone within your organization is aligned on IT goals and objectives.
By creating an environment where complex IT terms are explained in simple terms, business leaders can empower their teams to make decisions with confidence and clarity.
If you'd like to find out more information about simplifying IT jargon to get everyone within your organization on the same page and moving in the same direction, or if you just have any additional questions that you'd like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don't hesitate to contact us today.
