Topic 1

Word

Definition

Example

information technology

the study or use of electronic processes for storing information and making it available

But the information technology division is to be sold off.

business model

is a structure of a business, including the various relationships between the different parts of the business

The entirely new business model made possible by the Internet.

vertical integration

when a company controls all the different stages in making and selling a particular product

Critics say the company's vertical integration gives it an unfair advantage.

microelectronics

the practice or study of designing very small electrical circuits that are used in computers

The opportunities for environmental monitoring offered by developments in microelectronics.

outsource

if a company, organization etc outsources its work, it employs another company to do it

It is highly desirable to outsource a portion of our production needs.

fast track manufacturing

is a manufacturing system which aims to speed up manufacturing items, for example by the use of more efficient practices or the pre-manufacture of components.

our fast track manufacturing facility can build complete systems in a matter of weeks.

flexible

a person, plan etc that is flexible can change or be changed easily to suit any new situation

We can be flexible about your starting date.

flexible working hours

a flexible schedule allows an employee to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time

It is very convenient to have flexibl working hours.

multi-skilled workforce

is a workforce that has many different skills, enabling to do several different types of work within a company

The importance of a highly trained, multi-skilled workforce is crucial to the survival of the industry.

communications

the process by which people exchange information or express their thoughts and feelings

Good communications is vital in a large organization.

telecoms revolution

the recent, sudden changes in telecommunications such as the increased use of the Internet and mobile phones.

The telecoms revolution has created a new pattern of rural working.

disruptive

causing problems and preventing something from continuing in its usual way

Night work can be very disruptive to home life.

high-tech sector

business which produce or develop advanced technologies, such as computers and mobile phones

Even within the high-tech sector there is some replacement of skilled staff by lower-cost research students.

social change

change in human society, such as changes in the way people interact with each other or changes resulting from new technology or new institutions

Football is under threat from social changes, particularly from computer games, TV, video, stereo etc.

consumer behaviour

the study of where and how people buy things, why they choose one thing and not another etc

The family is still a major factor in consumer behaviour.

mobile phone

a telephone that you can carry with you and use in any place

Now most people can afford a mobile phone.

operator

someone who works on a telephone switchboard, who you can call for help

Hello, operator? Could you put me through to Room 31?

pay-as-you-go

a pay-as-you-go arrangement is one in which a customer pays for a product or service as they use it, rather than paying the whole amount before or after receiving it

Pay-as-you-go gives you the opportunity to use the Internet as much or as little as you wish.

hidden charges

Expense not normally included in the purchase price of an equipment or machine, such as for maintenance, supplies, training, and upgrades

Let us remind you that the magazine and postage are absolutely free, there are no hidden charges.

household

all the people who live together in one house

A growing number of households have at least one computer.

encourage

to give someone the courage or confidence to do something

I want to thank everyone who has encouraged and supported me.

surf the internet

to look quickly through information on the Internet for anything that interests you

We give them quizzes on Britain and allow them to surf the net.

browse

to search for information on a computer or on the Internet

You can search for them by keyword or browse topic categories.

publish

to arrange for a book, magazine etc to be written, printed, and sold

The first edition was published in 1765.

post

a message sent to an Internet discussion group so that all members of the group can read it

There was post after post criticizing the Minister.

to build a website

to create a website

Need a custom website design or need to build a website with special features?

to design a website

to create a website

One of the best investments would be to design a website for the dissemination of data in user-friendly formats.

internet service provider

a company that provides the technical services that allow people to use the Internet

Hooking up a connection through a local Internet Service Provider is easy.

online

connected to other computers through the Internet, or available through the Internet

All the city's schools will be online by the end of the year.

dot-com

a company that does business using the Internet or provides a service on the Internet

Many dot-coms tried to build a global brand before their business model even worked.

e-commerce

the activity of buying and selling goods and services and doing other business activities using a computer and the Internet

E-commerce is still a small but fast-growing part of the U.S. economy.

broadband

a way of connecting a computer to the Internet, which makes it possible to send and receive large amounts of information very quickly

Do you have a broadband connection?

globalization

the process of making something such as a business operate in a lot of different countries all around the world, or the result of this

Globalization can often lead to the destruction of local customs and cultures.

market

the activity of buying and selling goods or services, or the value of the goods or services sold

The babyfood market is worth many tens of millions of pounds a year.

global market

the activity of buying or selling goods and services in all the countries of the world, or the value of the goods and services sold

The explosive growth of the online economy is forcing businesses of all sizes to compete in a global market.

worldwide

everywhere in the world

We have offices in over 56 countries worldwide.

enterprise

a company or business

The company started as a family enterprise.

global economy

the economy of the world seen as a whole

Profits started to slide when the Gulf War threatened to paralyse the global economy.

multinational

a multinational organization has offices, factories, activities etc in many different countries

Big multinational companies can earn huge profits.

deregulation

is the removal of controls and restrictions in a particular rea of business or trade

Since deregulation banks are permitted to set their own interest rates.

liberalize

to make a system, laws, or moral attitudes less strict

Services, for example data processing, as well as goods need to be liberalized.

pattern

the regular way in which something happens, develops, or is done

They noticed patterns in the data.

flexitime

a system in which people work a particular number of hours each week or month, but can change the times at which they start and finish each day

Just about everyone in the department is working flexitime.

teleworking

working from home using a computer, fax etc connected to the office of the company you are working for

Teleworking involves managing staff at a distance.

freelance

working independently for different companies rather than being employed by one particular company

She works freelance from home.

shift

one of the set periods of time during each day and night when a group of workers in a factory etc are at work before being replaced by another group of workers

She works an eight-hour shift.

job share

an arrangement by which two people both work part-time doing the same job

We have job shared for two years now.

career break

a short period of time when you do not work in your usual job or profession, for example because you want to look after your children

I took up a position in a university library after a career break.

long hours

used to say how long someone works or does things every day, or when they work or do things

The long hours worked by hospital doctors.

part-time

someone who has a part-time job works for only part of each day or week

She wants to work part-time after she's had the baby.

short-term

continuing for only a short time, or relating only to the period that is not very far into the future

Most of the staff are on short-term contracts.