Wide area network (WAN) A type of network over which
both voice and data for a single organization are communicated
among the multiple locations (often far apart) where the organi-
zation operates, usually employing point-to-point transmission
over facilities owned by several organizations, including the
public telephone network; also called a long-haul network.
Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) A service available
from the telephone company in which an organization pays a
monthly fee for unlimited long distance telephone service using
ordinary voice circuits. WATS is an easy way to set up a wide
area network (WAN) and costs less per hour than standard Direct
Distance Dialing (DDD).
Wiki A Web site that permits users to add, remove, or modify
the content of the site, often without the need for registration,
thus making a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative
authoring.
WiMAX LAN The newest type of wireless LAN, based on the
IEEE 802.16 family of specifications; WiMAX is short for
worldwide interoperability for microwave access. WiMAX is
projected to grow rapidly because of its significant advantages—
it will operate very much like Wi-Fi, but at higher speeds, over
greater distances, and for a greater number of users. WiMAX is
also being used by Clearwire to build a 4G cellular network.
Wireless Considered as a transmission medium, although
strictly speaking it is broadcast technology in which radio signals
are sent out into the air. Examples are cordless telephone, cellular
telephone, wireless LAN, and microwave.
Wireless access point (WAP) A radio transceiver that serves
as the central device in a wireless LAN and that connects the
LAN to other networks. The WAP receives the signals of all
computers within its range and repeats them to ensure that all
other computers within the range can hear them; it also forwards
all messages for recipients not on this wireless LAN via the
wired network.
Wireless LAN A local area network employing wireless com-
munication between the various devices in the network.
Compared to a wired LAN, a wireless LAN is easier to plan
and install, less secure, and more susceptible to interference.
Most wireless LANs operate in the range of 6 to 100 million bits
per second (bps), with a few newer wireless LANs operating
at speeds of 600 million bps or more. See alsoWi-Fi LAN,
WiMAX LAN.
Word A memory cell that can store two or more characters of
data; alternatively, the amount of data handled by the CPU as a
single unit. See alsoMemory.
Work breakdown analysis Identification of the project
phases and detailed activities for each phase, including the task
sequencing and time estimates, usually based on a particular
systems methodology.
Workstation Generally, any computer-related device at which
an individual may work, such as a personal computer or a
terminal. Specifically, a subcategory of the midrange computer
category (now difficult to distinguish from other midrange
systems) consisting of computers based on powerful micro-
processor chips and RISC chips—really grown-up, more power-
ful microcomputers, but not usually used by a single individual.
See alsoMidrange system, RISC chip.
World Wide Web An Internet application, or tool, that uses a
hypertext-based approach to traverse, or “surf,” the Internet by
clicking on a link contained in one document to move to another
document, and so on; these links might also connect to video
clips, recordings, photographs, and images.
Worm A computer virus that has the ability to copy itself from
machine to machine over a network.
WWW SeeWorld Wide Web.
XBRL SeeeXtensible Business Reporting Language.
XML SeeeXtensible Markup Language.
XP SeeeXtreme Programming.
Y2K SeeYear 2000 problem.
Year 2000 (Y2K) problem Computer calculation errors that
would have occurred (without programming changes) beginning
with the year 2000 due to the earlier coding of a four-digit year as
a two-digit data element; sometimes called the “millennium bug.”
Billions of dollars were spent worldwide to achieve Y2K compli-
ance for computer software and hardware.690 Glossary