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  • 17 Dec 2021 4:38 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    NET are continuing work on updating our new member packages, mentoring programme and a range of other resources for members and businesses. As you can imagine this a big task but we have also enlisted some help from a professional marketing guru for some advice on our communications and marketing plan. We will continue this work in 2022 and will keep you updated.

    Ongoing work will include updating our guidelines and rules to bring AdmiNZ into the present and beyond with plain language and simplified guides. In the past there has been exceptional work undertaken on preparing and maintaining these documents but as Government legislation has become more ‘user friendly’ we would like to extend this to our constitution.

    Once we have some more traction on this, we will be seeking feedback from you all to ensure we are on the right track and meeting the needs of current and future members. NET are aiming to have this work completed to submit a remit (or three…) by the AGM in July 2022.

    Our communications plan will also include a revamp of the website content. We will have more information on this and social media in the New Year.

  • 13 Oct 2021 4:39 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Like welcoming an

    old friend!

    BY TRISH BUTERA, FOUNDER, THE GLOBAL ASSISTANT ONLINE

    Back in 2015, when I was starting out as a cultural awareness trainer and consultant, AdmiNZ (AAPNZ back then) was the first organisation to support the global skills training I introduced to administrative support professionals. In fact, the first Power EA Masterclass was held in Auckland, and I am pleased to still be in touch with many of these early graduates who continue to thrive in their careers. 

    When other international organisations said, "why do admins need 'global skills' training?" - emphasising 'global skills' as if they were cumbersome words to pronounce - AAPNZ, with great foresight, said, "bring it on!". And so began a great partnership that today, I am honoured to re-establish with AdmiNZ's new National President, Joanne Gallop.

    Read More

  • 24 Sep 2021 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Where has the time gone! It’s been ten weeks since I was elected National President and it’s hard to believe that eight weeks ago we were celebrating our profession at AdmiNZ 2021 in Tauranga, and now we have Covid back in our communities.

    In my first newsletter as National President, I will cover our new NET, AGM, AdmiNZ2021 conference, the Global Skills Matrix, notes from the member forum and finally an acknowledgement to a number of people who have made possible all of the great initiatives to benefit our members.

    National President’s Theme – “YOUR TIME TO SHINE”

    At the AdmiNZ 2021 conference I announced my theme for my tenure as National President. My theme aligned with the AdmiNZ2021 conference and gala dinner themes.

    We have weaved as one during Vicki’s tenure as National President and I want to build on that by ensuring every single member has the opportunity to tap into their own confidence to grow to be true leaders in the administrative field. With wraparound support from our offerings including mentoring and professional development provided by our wonderful local, national and global family, we know that exciting times are coming, we’ve been through a lot, so now it’s “Your time to Shine”.

    In closing, I want to ensure that you are all doing well, during lockdown in Auckland and managing through the uncertainty in the movement of alert levels. I know it can be disconcerting but please remember that aside from all the support that is available, our AdmiNZ community are here for you too, feel free to reach out. Staying in touch is important and thanks to Sherie, our National EO, we have a weekly coffee catch up every Friday at 10am. More details are available on the event listing - it's the same Zoom Meeting details each week (available here) 

    I found a great website that has tips, not only for Covid lockdown, but for generally ‘getting through’ https://mentalhealth.org.nz/getting-through-together. One thing that I’ve discovered about myself over the past year is that we cannot be ‘on’ all the time so take time out for yourself.

    “Sometimes I shock myself with the smart stuff I say and do.

    Other times, I try to get out of the car with my seatbelt on”

    Finally, I want to say that I am really excited about what we have planned over the next year and I hope that you join us on the journey to dream big, sparkle more, shine bright.

  • 25 Mar 2020 10:35 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Many of you are reading this from the comfort of your home office. At first, this may sound like heaven on earth (a lot of people think they want to work from home). The reality will settle in quickly (if it hasn’t already).

    Working from home is HARD! While some people adapt quickly, some realize that they are just “better” when they are with others. 

    It is easy to fall into some bad habits. We must catch them early and get on-the-right-track!

    Here are some tips to help your work from home routine stay smart!

    1.    Establish Work Zones. Don’t work from the couch or your bed. While that may feel comfortable, in the long run, it is a dangerous thing to do. One-third of professionals report they work from the couch or bed, and the Harvard Division of Sleep Medicine advises us to keeping computers, television, phone, and work materials out of the bedroom will strengthen the mental association between the bedroom and sleep.

    Do you really want to wake up in the morning and the first thing you see is your laptop? Don’t start by blurring the boundaries between workspace and personal space.

    Find a dedicated working space. Preferably with natural light and a door (so you can walk away from work when it is time). Make it separate from your personal space if you can. The kitchen table is not ideal. Will you have to remove all the work paraphernalia to eat dinner? If you do, you’ll find yourself eating in front of the television quickly (which we know is a slippery slope). 

    Keep it need and tidy, hopefully, the same way you would if you had coworkers who judge your space. Don’t scatter paper around the house. Have your workspace in a place where you can ‘walk away’ if at all possible.

    2.    Create a Routine. If your previous routine had you get up at 6 am and workout, have a shower, listen to a podcast, and then get to work for 9, do something similar. Get up at 7 and work out to a YouTube video. Shower and listen to your favorite podcast. Get dressed in something other than pajamas. While you don’t need to wear your “work clothes” you do still need to be professional (even if there isn’t anyone to see you). I wear yoga pants, a sweater, a bra (I do need to be on camera for video conferencing during the day, and if you need to be on camera, consider this important piece of clothing as well). I don’t always wear makeup, but I’m certainly presentable. My hair isn’t in a ballcap. This isn’t the time to look homeless. If you “dress” for work, your brain will move into work mode. If you are in weekend mode, your brain won’t help you get much done.

    Work hours that are agreed upon and make sense. For some of you, the regular 9-5 will apply. If you have school children at home, perhaps you need to stagger your hours with your partner so that there is someone in charge of the children during the day. Maybe you work 7-12 and 6-8. Figure out what makes sense to your situation and work with your executives to ensure they are confident that you will get it all done, as usual.

    3.    Keep Connected to the Team. Many of you are used your executives traveling all the time, so you have a system in place for you to communicate regularly. 

    Create systems for your coworkers too. If your executive doesn’t travel, make sure that you have daily or weekly meetings (telephone or virtual). You need more contact with each other in times of crisis, and this time certainly applies. 

    Be sure to reach out to those that are newer to your team. They are probably feeling abandoned right now. When you chat with a team member, ask how they are doing and then listen to the answer! Introverted people are generally a little better with working remotely. For those that are highly extroverted, this is a big challenge for them. Make everyone feel connected. Isolation is very real. Do what you can so that people feel connected – even if it is just for a few minutes.

    4.    Prioritize Your Health. Be sure to get up and move. Working from home has some people sitting far longer than they usually would at work. Get your Fitbit to remind you to move. Set alarms or use an app such as Time Out to remind you to get up. 

    Keep away from junk food. It is easy to snack when working from home, and wearing our comfortable clothes and yoga pants won’t remind us that we’ve been snacking because they will always fit.

    Drink lots of water. Stand every 30 minutes. Be sure to break for lunch, and take time away from your work. Work from the kitchen counter (or high surface – an ironing board might work!) occasionally so it feels like a stand-up desk. Take the time that you would usually commute to exercise. Follow an online exercise or yoga class, meditate, read, stretch. Keep regular sleep hours. Don’t sleep until you wake up; set your routine as per above.

    Stay positive in these turbulent times. I realize that is a big “ask” but do your best to stay positive. It is just healthier.

    5.    Beware of Blurring Your Balance. It is easy to work for very long hours. It is easy to be distracted. Make sure you don’t blur the balance between your personal life and professional life. 

    I do my best not to work on my laptop while watching television at night. That isn’t always easy. I could easily be a work-a-holic (and have been in the past), so I need to set rules. I am generally done work at 5 pm. I try not to escape into the office after that time unless I have to (Wine with Rhonda is an example of when I work in the evening – which I love, please join us). 

    According to the 2017 British study by the University of Cardiff, remote employees tend to work longer hours than co-located employees. 

    Make time for your relationship. This won’t be an easy time for many relationships. We love our partners, but spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with them, is a lot to ask. Make sure you have some time where you are not working and can spend quality time with your partner. During the day when you are both working is not quality time.

    While working from home can be a wonderful thing, it doesn’t happen naturally for most people. It takes effort to make it a good place to work. We have to use discipline to ensure we are working smart and healthy.

    Go wash your hands, grab a glass of water, and focus on work!

    Shared from "Keeping ON TRACK with Rhonda" Contact Rhonda Scharf, CSP, HoF. Call Rhonda today about bringing customized, fun, and applicable training to your office or association meeting.

    www.on-the-right-track.com


  • 20 Mar 2020 1:41 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Kia ora

    These are uncertain times for us all, no matter where we live.

    Taking steps to protect our friends, whānau, loved ones and neighbours now ensures our communities are all better off in the long run.

    All of us can make a difference. We need to come together in the way Kiwis have shown so many times before - with caring and kindness.

    As a valued member of AAPNZ, we know you’ll be disappointed that our Administrative Professionals Day Celebration, the Regional Gatherings and our Annual Conference / AGM together with your monthly meetings have been postponed or cancelled. The impact of this on our members and partners is substantial and unprecedented. We’re doing everything in our power to bring as much professional development and support remotely as we can to you whilst also having sympathy for the position our employers are facing.

    We thank you for your patience as we work through a very complex and fast-changing situation. We expect to have some more information and news around what we can offer remotely and we will be reassessing when we can hold the APD and Conference monthly at the NET Skype meetings with the next review being on 25 April 2020. 

    We are holding our first virtual “Wednesday Coffee Catch-up” on Wednesday 25 March 2020. 

    We would welcome any of your ideas around what you would like to be offered remotely. Feel free to head to our social media pages to tell us what else you’d like to see. We’re listening, and we’ll do our very best to deliver it.

    If you have a question please contact us and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

    We wish you and your family well and good health.  Please look after yourselves.

    Ngā mihi

    Vicki Faint on behalf of NET

    AAPNZ National President

       

            

    Please note the catch up is not available via phone audio at this time - download the Zoom App for your phone.


  • 17 Mar 2020 11:59 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    To all our members and strategic alliances

    As we navigate through these unprecedented times, NET want to ensure that you are up to date with our actions surrounding COVID-19 and to pass along any positive thoughts to you and families during these uncertain times. 

    As an Association we pride ourselves on putting the welfare of our members (our team, members and community) at the heart of everything we do, and now more than ever we need to champion this. 

    As we continue to better understand the situation and how best to slow down the spread of COVID-19, we will be making adjustments to the ways that we prioritise your health and safety, our teams and the wider community. 

    We continue to follow guidance from the Ministry of Health and although our meetings are less than the 500 as stipulated by the PM yesterday to be cancelled, AAPNZ NET are recommending effective immediately that all AAPNZ social interacting meetings and events to be postponed.  This includes, the regional gatherings, APD celebrations and our annual conference and AGM. 

    NET are currently in the process of developing online training and I will update you on the progress of these as they develop. 

    We understand that some of you may be disappointed, however, it is the responsible thing to do given the fast pace of these virus. 

    I wish you good health, keep safe and be kind to yourselves and one another.


  • 14 Mar 2020 5:20 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    COVID-19

    You will all have heard of COVID-19, a new coronavirus. It was first detected in China in December 2019 and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation in March 2020.

    The World Health Organisation has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. While there’s no need to panic, and there’s still a lot of uncertainty around the virus, the one thing we know for sure is that the best line of defence is to follow standard hygiene practices. 

    This means me, you, our members – everyone – washing their hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and of course following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.

    Situations like this can be stressful – and it’s hard with the contradictory articles and posts.

    Please if you do not feel well, please do not go to work or attend any of our group meetings. Instead ring Healthline’s dedicated COVID-19 number on 0800 358 5453.

    Symptoms and spread of COVID-19

    Symptoms are similar to a range of other illnesses such as influenza. Symptoms include:

    ·         fever

    ·         coughing

    ·         difficulty breathing.

    Information to date indicates that COVID-19 is spread by droplets. This means that when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, they may generate droplets which settle on surrounding surfaces.

    How to protect yourself

    Follow the Ministry of Health guidelines for hygiene measures:

    ·         Wash (with soap for 20 seconds) and dry your hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing, and before eating.

    ·         Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing with a tissue. If you don’t have a tissue, use your elbow.

    ·         Put your used tissue in a closed rubbish bin or plastic bag.

    ·         Stay home/away from others if you are sick.

    ·         Call the COVID-19 advice and information line on 0800 358 5453 if you are unwell.

    People with compromised health

    Your risk of infection is low if:

    ·         you are not in an area where COVID-19 is spreading

    ·         you have not travelled to an area where COVID-19 is spreading

    ·         you have not been in contact with an infected person.

    Follow the usual protective measures such as washing your hands thoroughly and frequently.

    For most people, COVID-19 will cause a mild illness but it can make some people very ill. Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease or diabetes) are more at risk of severe disease. You may also be concerned if you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system.

    Members with pre-existing medical conditions

    If COVID-19 spreads in New Zealand and you have pre-existing conditions, seek advice by calling your GP practice. Depending on the extent of the outbreak, they may recommend you stay away from work or public places. You should also strongly consider getting the seasonal flu vaccine.

    Advice to members who are unwell

    Members who are sick for any reason are asked not to come to the monthly meetings until they have fully recovered. This will also ensure the wellbeing of colleagues.

    If you have similar symptoms to COVID-19, call the Ministry of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 line 0800 358 5453 and follow their advice. This may include self-isolation.

    There is further information about self-isolation on the Ministry of Health website.

    If you are diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus, follow all advice from Healthline or your GP. You will need to keep in contact with your employer regularly. Currently there is no official guidance from the Ministry of Health about when it is safe to return to work.

    How to work from home

    The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of being prepared to work remotely. You should start taking your laptop/mobile devices home with you, to make sure you can connect remotely to your employers’ network and can access the tools and resources you need to carry out critical parts of your role. You should also know how to access tools and resources from your home computer if you don’t have a work device.

    Here is a quick checklist of what you may need:

    ·         access to email

    ·         access to the files you need

    ·         access to applications you need

    ·         have contact details for your colleagues.

    ·         are used to using at least one video conferencing system like Zoom or Teams and have a microphone and camera (most phones have these if you don’t have the individual items).

    Advice for public events and mass gatherings

    At this stage the Ministry of Health does not recommend altering arrangements for public events. However, the situation and their response to it is changing all the time. For the latest advice, keep an eye on the Ministry’s COVID-19 website: health.govt.nz/covid-19

    Before deciding to proceed with, restrict, modify, postpone or cancel your event, it is recommended you complete a thorough risk assessment. This means you should consider:

    ·         the latest local, national and international advice on COVID-19 (the Ministry of Health, your local public health unit and the World Health Organization will provide reputable, evidence-based information and updates)

    ·         whether people attending your event may have been exposed to, or infected with, COVID-19 and what risk this might pose to others

    ·         the characteristics of your event (for example, the number of people expected; accommodation arrangements; indoor or outdoor, duration, the countries that participants, performers and attendees are travelling from; etc.) and whether they might increase the risk and/or spread of COVID-19

    ·         what measures you could put in place (see above) to help reduce the spread of any disease.

    ·         You should consult local and national authorities as appropriate.

    Event attendees

    At this stage the Ministry of Health does not recommend altering arrangements for public events. However, the situation and our response to it is changing all the time. For the latest advice, keep an eye on the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 website (health.govt.nz/covid-19) and check in with the people or organisation in charge of the event you plan to attend. If you are sick, do not attend public events.

    The following people should not attend events:

    ·         anyone who is unwell

    ·         anyone arriving in New Zealand who has returned from mainland China, Iran, Italy or the Republic of Korea (excluding airport transit), or been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days is being asked to self-isolate. Please also register your details with Healthline 0800 358 5453 (or +64 9 358 5453 if using an international SIM) if you have not already.

    ESL

    Update from Lucy Brazier

    After a week of looking at every option and consulting with Eth Lloyd, I have formally asked the hotel to postpone LIVE Wellington until May 2021. We are liaising with the hotel, speakers & Eth Lloyd on dates and I will be in touch with these shortly.

    The more I read, the more I think it would be irresponsible to go ahead from every point of view. We have no clear view of what will happen between now and August and until this unprecedented situation has passed, it is unwise to be planning public gatherings or international travel.

    I am aware that this will be disappointing for many of you and so have spent a lot of time speaking to speakers across the world about how we can ensure you get training and inspiration in the interim.

    Later today we will be launching #ExecSecLIVE Global. This will be an online training weekend, much like the one we offered to raise money for Vickie Sokol Evans a few years ago and will feature the world's top trainers and speakers. We will be making this available to all paid delegates for LIVE free of charge as a thank you for bearing with us until May. Other Assistants will be able to pay to join us. Full details will be available in the next week but in the meantime, please put 19th & 20th June in your calendars.

    These are unprecedented times and Assistants will be at the heart of leading how the process works within your businesses! There has never been a more important time for us to use each other to educate, share, sense check, discuss and brainstorm.

    Please look after yourselves and your loved ones.  Please show empathy, respect and kindness to one another.

    Ngā mihi

    Vicki Faint

    AAPNZ National President


  • 27 Feb 2020 10:51 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Lucy Brazier responds to the recent article in the Wall Street Journal

    As a journalist, I was always trained that my role was to seek the truth and to give the truth a voice.

    This is why I have waited to write about ‘The Vanishing Executive Assistant’ published by the Wall Street Journal on 18th January. The article has caused a furore throughout the profession with many of our leaders reaching out directly to WSJ to express their opinions.

    What Did it Say?

    In a nutshell, EAs are disappearing fast. You are a dying breed mainly because Executives are now doing their own tasks and AI is taking over. Executives no longer spend time in the office, so companies don’t see a need to offer support anymore. And those that remain are so overworked that there is no time to do the job properly. The author had spoken to precisely 12 people and the centrally featured EA who couldn’t find a new role is now back in employment.

    Why is this Dangerous?

    This kind of sensationalist piece from the ‘serious’ press is not only ill-informed but dangerous for the half a billion people across the world that work in our profession. If businesses read and believe articles like this one, we are in danger of talking ourselves out of a role that adds billions to the bottom line every year, through a lack of understanding.

    The Facts

    Firstly, the author doesn’t understand the difference between an admin and an EA. Whilst the Department of Labor website says ‘Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to decline 7 percent from 2018 to 2028’ this is the lower level, task-based role. The website also states that employment of administrative services managers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. These are currently the only two categories that the Department of Labor has that are related to the administrative profession. The EA role as we all know it, and which is the future of the profession, doesn’t figure anywhere.

    Secondly, I present extensively these days not only to Assistants but to their Executives. I also consult with some of the top businesses in the world. Most are trying to understand how to professionalize and upskill their Assistants to ensure their ROI. Not how to get rid of them.

    I have written extensively about the true picture in previous editors’ letters. Last January, I covered AI, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report and what it mean for you. We have explored why you need to upskill  and last month explained how you give time back to your Executive and prove your ROI to your business. We have also covered how the profession is changing at breakneck speed and the opportunities this presents.

    How Can You Help?

    All of the above is interesting but we need hard facts.

    The truth is that whilst we and other industry leaders can tell you what we see and hear out on the road, the press and the world of business have no real stats to back it up.

    That’s why we are launching a month-long global project in association with Yvette Pearson Research to collate that data.

    The survey is long. We make no apology for that. We need the statistics so that we (and you) can take them to your businesses, to your Executives, to your HR departments and to the Press to prove the truth about what the administrative profession in the 21st century really is.

    Take time to fill in the survey. Share it widely in your offices, through your networks and via your associations. Let’s ensure we have a global piece of meaningful research that is valuable to both you and your businesses, as well as to the future of your role.

    Click here to take the Survey.

    The results will be shared in a White Paper in April.

    It’s time to do something proactive to create the future for our profession.

    Will you play your part?

    - shared from Executive Secretary Magazine, http://executivesecretary.com/

  • 16 Dec 2019 6:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Do you know an incredible young woman who's doing something awesome? Let us know by nominating them for the Y25 list!

    In 2020, the YWCA will be announcing 25 upcoming trailblazing young women who are making a change in their community and our world. So if you know someone who's doing kick-ass things, nominate her today!

    All you need to do is:
    - Nominate a young woman between 15-25 yrs old 
    - Create a short video explaining why she's great
    - Answer a few questions describing her work and/or achievements
    - Complete your nomination before the 8th of March 2020  

    Nominations are open - and yes, you can save and come back to it at any time. So what are you waiting for? 
    Nominate now


  • 18 Jun 2019 11:22 AM | Anonymous member

    If you don’t work in the IT sector, you really should be aware of what’s going on out there, especially when it comes to technology that’s relevant for the administrative profession.

    Fairly often, I will use an inappropriate way to describe what’s happened with a programme I’m using, or my laptop and then follow it up with the phrase “That’s a technical term”. For instance: “Hi Helpdesk! My email connection is totally munted (or worse language). That’s a technical term”. Recently, whilst reading the May/June 2019 issue of the Associations Now newsletter, from ASAE: the Center for Association Leadership, I came across some acronyms which actually are technical terms! I thought I would share the ones that seem most relevant for administrators.

    Term

    Description/Definition

    BYOD

    Bring Your Own Device

    Allowing employees to bring personally owned devices (eg laptops, tablets, smartphones) to the office and use those to do their work and access company information, data and applications. Because of the security risks this may pose, many businesses are implementing BYOD policies.

    Source: Webopedia, Wikipedia

    BI

    Business Intelligence

    An umbrella term that includes the applications, infrastructure, tools and best practices that enable access to and analysis of information to help organisations improve and optimise decisions and performance.

    Source: Gartner

    GDPR

    General Data Protection Regulation

    In effect since May 2018, GDPR encompasses a set of rules that harmonises data and privacy protection laws for individuals across 31 countries (all 28 European Union member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) known collectively as the European Economic Area.

          GDPR’s 99 articles apply not only to EU businesses but also to any company or organisation which personal information about individuals located in the EEA. Under the new regulations, EU residents have the right to access their personal data, the right to rectify incomplete or inaccurate data, the right to be forgotten, and the right to restrict the processing of their data.

          Organisations have about 30 days to respond to individual requests about whether personal data is being processed and, if so, to provide access to that data. And if an organisation experiences a data breach, it has 72 hours to notify EU data protection agencies. Failure to do so could be costly: violators are subject to fines up to €20 million or four per cent of a company’s annual global revenue, whichever is greater.

    Source: TechTerms, Wikipedia

    Shadow IT

    The use of systems, devices, software, applications and services without explicit approval from an organisation’s internal IT department. It has grown exponentially in recent years with the adoption of cloud-based applications and services (eg Dropbox, Skype etc). While shadow IT can improve employee productivity and drive innovation, it can also introduce serious security risks to organisations through data leaks, potential compliance violations and more.

    Source: Gartner

    Single Sign-On

    A service that permits a user to use one set of login credentials (eg name and password) to access multiple applications. The service authenticates the end user for all the applications the user has been given rights to and eliminates further prompts when the user switches applications during the same session.

    Source: TechTarget

    Spoofing

    A type of scam where an intruder attempts to gain unauthorised access to a user’s system or information by pretending to be the user. The main purpose is to trick the user into releasing sensitive information in order to gain access to his/her bank account or computer system or to steal personal information like passwords.

    Source: TechTerms, Investopedia

    Two-Factor Authentication

    Also referred to as 2FA, this verification process typically requires a correct login plus another verification check. For example, if 2FA is enabled on an online bank account, users may be required to enter a temporary code sent to their phone or email address to complete the login process.

    Source: TechTerms

    AI

    Artificial Intelligence

    Machine or software technology that mimics human intelligence. Rather than the computer following preset commands, AI can learn, recognise speech, plan, solve problems and self-correct. Most AI used today is classified as weak or narrow AI, in that it is focused on a single or narrow set of tasks (a virtual assistant, for example). Strong AI, which is theoretical today, would be able to use its intelligence in a broad range of situations and perform well in all of them.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget, Skymind, Techopedia

    NLP

    Natural Language Processing

    A subset of AI, NLP allows machines to understand human language as it is spoken. NLP is used in both systems that understand human commands, like Alexa or Siri, and in systems that read text.

    Source: TechTarget, Techopedia

    ML

    Machine Learning

    A subset of AI, ML is the use of algorithms to help machines “learn” new information without having to be programmed. Machine learning guides things like product recommendations a user gets based on past purchases.

    Source: TechTarget, Techopedia

    Augmented Reality

    An overlay of digital imagery or content on the real world. Examples include the Pokemon Go! game and pop-up displays on cars that show information like driver speed.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget

    ERP

    Enterprise Resource Planning

    Software designed to integrate the different systems used to run a business so that data can easily flow between them. These business systems might include human resources, accounting, procurement and project management.

    Source: TechTarget, Oracle

    Marketing Automation

    Software that lets marketers build better relationships with customers by automating messages to them including emails, social media and website communications.

    Source: TechTarget, Hubspot

    Open Source

    Software whose source code is open to the public. This means others can modify it and it is often designed communally. Open-source software is typically free.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget, Merriam-Webster

    SaaS

    Software as a Service

    A form of cloud computing that allows users to access software housed on a server elsewhere via the internet, unlike the traditional model that requires software be installed on that device.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget, Software Advice

    Virtual Machine

    The process of running another operating system on a machine using virtualisation software. The virtual system is segregated from the main system. Reasons to run a virtual machine include trying a new operating system before installing it, running old or incompatible software and testing suspicious files.

    Source: TechTerms, Techopedia

    API

    Application Programming Interface

    A protocol that programmers use when writing code to enable different systems to communicate with each other. It provides developers with standard commands for performing common operations.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget

    Cache

    A computer’s way of storing information, often temporarily, so it can be quickly accessed.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget, Merriam-Webster

    Cloud

    A broad term to describe a system of storing data on a different server and accessing it via a network. The server could be offsite or onsite.

    Source: TechTerms, Merriam-Webster

    Public cloud: using cloud services that open to the public to store applications or files and access them via the internet.

    Private cloud: cloud-computing services that are provided for an individual organisation or company to serve its users.

    Hybrid cloud: a combination of the public and private cloud. Businesses use a hybrid method for flexibility.

    Source: TechTarget

    Cookie

    A small file left on a user’s machine by a website. The file stores information sent by the website, and each time the user returns to the site, the site can access the file and add information.

    Source: TechTarget, Merriam-Webster

    Metadata

    Data about other data. For example, image file metadata might include the creation date, image resolution and file size. Some types of metadata, like file size, are created automatically, while others are created by the user, such as keywords used for website metadata.

    Source: TechTarget, Merriam-Webster

    SEO

    Search Engine Optimisation

    The practice of trying to get a website to appear atop the results list when a person searches for a topic via a search engine (eg Google, Bing). Developers input various forms of metadata to get the search engine to believe their site is most relevant.

    Source: TechTerms, TechTarget

     

     

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