IT Operations Glossary
200+ terms defined for Indian SMEs. From AMC to ZTA — everything you need to know about helpdesks, asset management, and compliance.
A
Access Control
The practice of restricting who can access systems, data, or physical locations based on their role and need.
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
A policy that defines what employees can and cannot do with company IT resources.
AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract)
A yearly contract with a vendor to maintain and repair equipment, typically covering parts and labour for a fixed fee.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of protocols that allows different software systems to communicate with each other.
Asset Lifecycle Management
The process of managing an IT asset from procurement through usage to disposal.
Asset Tag
A unique identifier (barcode, QR code, or RFID) attached to a physical asset for tracking purposes.
Audit Trail
A chronological record of all actions taken on a system, including who did what and when.
B
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
A policy that allows employees to use personal devices for work purposes, subject to security requirements.
Backup
A copy of data stored separately from the original to enable recovery in case of data loss.
Bandwidth
The maximum rate of data transfer across a network connection, measured in bits per second.
Business Continuity Plan
A plan to ensure critical business functions can continue during and after a disruptive event.
C
CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System)
Software that helps organisations manage maintenance activities, track assets, and schedule preventive maintenance.
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)
A metric measuring how satisfied users are with the support they received, typically on a 1-5 scale.
Change Management
A process to ensure IT changes are planned, tested, and implemented in a controlled manner to minimise disruptions.
Compliance
Adherence to laws, regulations, standards, and policies relevant to the organisation.
D
DPDP Act
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 — India's comprehensive data protection law governing how personal data is collected, stored, and processed.
Data Classification
The practice of categorising data based on its sensitivity and criticality to determine appropriate security controls.
Data Retention
The policy defining how long different types of data are kept before being securely deleted.
Disaster Recovery (DR)
The process of restoring IT systems and data after a catastrophic event like a natural disaster, cyberattack, or hardware failure.
Downtime
A period when a system, server, or application is unavailable or non-operational.
E
E-Waste
Electronic waste — discarded electrical or electronic devices that must be disposed of through certified recyclers in India.
Encryption
The process of converting data into a coded format that can only be read with the correct decryption key.
Escalation
The process of routing a ticket to a higher-level support team when the current team cannot resolve it within the required time.
F
FCR (First Contact Resolution)
The percentage of tickets resolved on the first interaction without requiring follow-up or escalation.
FRT (First Response Time)
The time between ticket creation and the first human response from the support team.
G
GSTR-3B
A monthly summary GST return that Indian businesses must file, detailing taxable sales and purchases.
GSTIN
GST Identification Number — a 15-digit unique identifier assigned to every registered business under India's GST regime.
GRN (Goods Receipt Note)
A document confirming the receipt of goods against a purchase order, noting quantity and condition.
H
HSN Code
Harmonised System of Nomenclature — a 4-8 digit code used to classify goods for GST purposes in India.
Helpdesk
A centralised system for managing and resolving IT support requests from employees.
Hardware Refresh
The process of replacing aging IT equipment with newer models to maintain performance and reliability.
I
IT Act 2000
India's primary law governing electronic commerce, digital records, and cybercrime.
ITSM (IT Service Management)
A set of policies and processes for managing IT service delivery to users.
Incident Management
The process of identifying, analysing, and resolving IT incidents to restore normal service as quickly as possible.
ISO 27001
An international standard for information security management systems (ISMS).
K
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A measurable value that indicates how effectively a team or process is achieving its objectives.
Knowledge Base
A self-service library of articles and documentation that helps users resolve common issues without contacting support.
L
Least Privilege
A security principle where users are granted only the minimum access needed to perform their job functions.
MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)
The average time between equipment failures, used to measure reliability.
MTTR (Mean Time To Resolution)
The average time to resolve a ticket from creation to closure.
M
MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
A security method requiring two or more verification factors to gain access to an account.
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
The predictable revenue a company expects to receive every month from subscriptions.
N
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
A legal agreement requiring parties to keep confidential information private.
NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology — a US agency whose cybersecurity frameworks are widely adopted globally.
O
Onboarding
The process of integrating a new employee into the organisation, including IT setup, access provisioning, and training.
Offboarding
The process of removing an employee from the organisation, including access revocation, asset return, and knowledge transfer.
P
PAN (Permanent Account Number)
A 10-character alphanumeric identifier issued by the Indian Income Tax Department, required for TDS compliance.
Preventive Maintenance
Scheduled maintenance activities performed to prevent equipment failures before they occur.
Patch Management
The process of acquiring, testing, and deploying software updates to fix vulnerabilities and bugs.
R
RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
A method of regulating access to systems based on a user's role within the organisation.
RPO (Recovery Point Objective)
The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time — how far back in time you can recover.
RTO (Recovery Time Objective)
The maximum acceptable time to restore a system after a failure — how quickly you need to be back online.
S
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
A commitment between a service provider and customer defining the expected level of service, including response and resolution times.
SOC 2
A security framework for service organisations that manage customer data, based on five trust principles.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
A software delivery model where applications are hosted centrally and accessed via the internet on a subscription basis.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
An authentication method allowing users to log in once and access multiple applications without re-entering credentials.
T
TDS (Tax Deducted at Source)
An Indian tax mechanism where the payer deducts tax before making certain payments and remits it to the government.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
The complete cost of an asset over its lifecycle, including purchase, maintenance, operation, and disposal.
U
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
A battery backup device that provides emergency power when the main power source fails.
Uptime
The percentage of time a system is operational and available for use.
V
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A secure connection over the internet that encrypts data between a user's device and the company network.
Vendor Management
The process of selecting, onboarding, managing, and optimising relationships with third-party suppliers.
W
Workplace Management
The practice of optimising the use of physical workspace, equipment, and resources.
Z
Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
A security model that requires verification for every person and device trying to access resources, regardless of location.
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