Must-know ICT and government terminology

Government entities that operate under the auspices of a parent agency or department. Subsidiary agencies are often created to undertake specific tasks or functions that are related to the parent agency's broader responsibilities. These agencies may have some degree of autonomy in their operations, but they ultimately report to the parent agency and are subject to its direction and oversight.

A model of accessing software, services or content where users pay a recurring fee (usually monthly or annually) to access and use them. The subscription model differs from the traditional model of purchasing software or services outright, where users pay a one-time fee for permanent ownership or access. The advantage of the subscription model is that it allows users to access the latest versions of software and services, and they can often scale up or down their usage based on their needs.

The process of developing a comprehensive plan to achieve the long-term goals and objectives of an organisation in the realm of information technology. This plan outlines the vision, mission, and objectives of an organisation with respect to its use of technology, and identifies the key initiatives, projects, and investments required to achieve these goals. Strategic planning in the ICT industry typically involves assessing the organisation's current technology capabilities, identifying gaps and areas for improvement, evaluating emerging technology trends, and aligning technology investments with broader organisational goals and objectives.

The technologies and processes used to retain, manage, and retrieve digital data. This includes physical devices such as hard drives, solid-state drives, tape drives, and flash memory, as well as software and services used to manage the storage of data.

A government body that is established by an Act of Parliament and operates independently of the government. These entities are typically created to perform specific functions or to regulate particular industries, and they are granted certain powers and responsibilities under the relevant legislation. Statutory entities may have their own governing boards or executives, and they are accountable to the Parliament rather than to the government of the day.

A government agency or body that is established by an Act of Parliament and has its powers and functions defined by that Act. Statutory authorities are independent entities that operate at arm's length from the government, and are accountable to Parliament and the public for their performance and use of public resources. They have a specific statutory purpose or mandate, and are typically created to carry out specific regulatory, administrative or service delivery functions.

Software that is designed to perform statistical and numerical analysis on data. These programs help users perform calculations, visualise data, and analyse trends. Some examples of statistical and numeric software include SAS, R, MATLAB, and SPSS. These tools are often used in fields such as scientific research, finance, and data analysis.

An arrangement that enables a supplier to provide goods and/or services to an agency at pre-determined prices and terms and conditions. It is essentially a pre-qualified contract between the supplier and the government agency, which allows the agency to purchase goods and services from the supplier whenever needed, without having to go through the procurement process each time. The Standing Offer typically has a set term and is subject to periodic review and evaluation to ensure ongoing suitability.

A company or organisation that provides financial or other support for the event in exchange for branding and visibility opportunities. Sponsors may be companies that provide products or services related to the ICT industry or other organisations that are interested in reaching the same target audience as the seminar attendees. Sponsorship may take various forms, including providing funds to cover the costs of the event, contributing to the event's content, or providing giveaways or promotional materials to attendees.

Speech recognition, also known as automatic speech recognition (ASR) or speech-to-text (STT), is a technology that enables machines to recognise and interpret spoken language. It uses algorithms and models to convert human speech into digital signals that can be processed and analysed by computers. Speech recognition technology can be used for a variety of applications, such as voice-enabled virtual assistants, dictation software, call center automation, and language translation.