Terms and definitions

Term Definition
ADO ActiveX Data Object (ADO) is a programming interface from Microsoft that is designed as "the" Microsoft standard for data access.

CIMD Computer Interface to Message Distribution (CIMD) is a proprietary short message service center protocol developed by Nokia.

EMI External Machine Interface (EMI) is an extension to Universal Computer Protocol (UCP). Primarily used to connect to short message service centers for mobile telephones.

gateway In a communication network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocols. A gateway may contain devices such as protocol translators, impedance matching devices, rate converters, fault isolators, or signal translators as necessary to provide system interoperability. It also requires that mutually acceptable administrative procedures be established between the two networks.

ODBC Open DataBase Connectivity (ODBC), a standard database access method developed by the SQL Access group in 1992. The goal of ODBC is to make it possible to access any data from any application, regardless of which database management system (DBMS) is handling the data. ODBC manages this by inserting a middle layer, called a database driver, between an application and the DBMS. The purpose of this layer is to translate the application's data queries into commands that the DBMS understands. For this to work, both the application and the DBMS must be ODBC-compliant -- that is, the application must be capable of issuing ODBC commands and the DBMS must be capable of responding to them. Since version 2.0, the standard supports SAG SQL.

OLE DB Object Linking and Embedding DB (OLE DB) is Microsoft's strategic low-level application program interface (API) for access to different data sources. OLE DB includes not only the Structured Query Language (SQL) capabilities of the Microsoft-sponsored standard data interface Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) but also includes access to data other than SQL data.

operator A mobile IT company that operates a mobile communication network.

protocol A set of formal rules describing how to transmit data, especially across a network. High level protocols deal with the data formatting, including the syntax of messages, the terminal to computer dialogue, character sets, sequencing of messages etc.

route In computer networking the term routing refers to selecting paths in a computer network along which to send data. Routing directs forwarding, the passing of logically addressed packets from their source toward their ultimate destination through intermediary nodes (called routers). The routing process usually directs forwarding on the basis of routing tables within the routers, which maintain a record of the best routes to various network destinations. Thus the construction of routing tables becomes very important for efficient routing.

SMPP The short message peer-to-peer protocol (SMPP) is a telecommunications industry protocol for exchanging SMS messages between SMS entities such as short message service centers. It is often used to allow third parties (e.g. value-added service providers like news organizations) to submit messages, often in bulk.

SMSC An SMS center (SMSC) is responsible for handling the SMS operations of a wireless network. When an SMS message is sent from a mobile phone, it will reach an SMS center first. The SMS center then forwards the SMS message towards the destination. An SMS message may need to pass through more than one network entity (e.g. SMSC and SMS gateway) before reaching the destination. The main duty of an SMSC is to route SMS messages and regulate the process. If the recipient is unavailable (for example, when the mobile phone is switched off), the SMSC will store the SMS message. It will forward the SMS message when the recipient is available.

SQL Structured query language, pronounced either "sequel" or as separate letters. SQL is a standardized query language for requesting information from a database.

UCP External Machine Interface (EMI), also known as the Universal Computer Protocol (UCP), is a protocol primarily used to connect to short message service centers for mobile telephones.

URL A URL is the address of a website on the World Wide Web.

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