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A page that expands or expounds on the meaning(s) of the terms or abbreviations used in the blog.

End of Life (EOL)

A product that no longer is available through general availability from the original equipment manufacturer.

End of Service Life (EOSL)

An end of life product that is no longer maintained or supported through a service contract from the original equipment manufacture.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Metrics used to quantify objectives to reflect strategic performance of an organization. KPIs are used in Business Intelligence to assess the present state of the business and to prescribe a course of action. The act of monitoring KPIs in real-time is known as business activity monitoring. KPIs are frequently used to “value” difficult to measure activities such as the benefits of leadership development, engagement, service, and satisfaction. KPIs are typically tied to an organization’s strategy (as exemplified through techniques such as the Balanced Scorecard).

The KPIs differ depending on the nature of the organization and the organization’s strategy. They help an organization to measure progress towards their organizational goals, especially toward difficult to quantify knowledge-based processes. A KPI is a key part of a measurable objective, which is made up of a direction, KPI, benchmark, target and time frame. For example: “Increase Average Revenue per Customer from £10 to £15 by EOY 2008″. In this case, ‘Average Revenue Per Customer’ is the KPI.

Key_performance_indicators. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Key_performance_indicators

Information Technology (IT)
n.
The development, installation, and implementation of computer systems and applications.

Information Technology. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved January 09, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Information%20Technology

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
noun
1. a firm that purchases complex equipment, as computers, from manufacturers and modifies or combines different components for resale.
2. a firm that manufactures components or parts included in the finished product made by another.

original equipment manufacturer. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 09, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/original%20equipment%20manufacturer

Rebranding

the process by which a product or service developed with one brand or company or product line affiliation is marketed or distributed with a different identity. This involves radical changes to the brand’s logo, brand name, image, marketing strategy, and advertising themes. It usually results in the repositioning of the brand / company. It may just involve merely superficial changes. Rebranding can be applied to either new products, mature products, or even unfinished products. The process can be done purposely (for example as a result of a deliberate change in strategy), or result from unplanned, emergent, or reactive dynamics (for example out of necessity following corporate restructuring).

Rebranding. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 09, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Rebranding

Request for Information (RFI)

A standard business process where a proposal is requested from a potential seller or a service provider to determine what products and services are potentially available in the marketplace to meet a buyer’s needs and to know the capability of a seller in terms of offerings and strengths of the seller. RFIs are commonly used on major procurements, where a requirement could potentially be met through several alternate means. An RFI, however, is not an invitation to bid, is not binding on either the buyer or sellers, and may or may not lead to an RFP or (RFQ).

Request_for_Information. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 09, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Request_for_Information

Request for Proposal (RFP)

An invitation for suppliers, through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific product or service.

An RFP typically involves more than a request for the price. Other requested information may include basic corporate information and history, financial information (can the company deliver without risk of bankruptcy), technical capability (used on major procurements of services, where the item has not previously been made or where the requirement could be met by varying technical means), product information such as stock availability and estimated completion period, and customer references that can be checked to determine a company’s suitability.

RFPs often include specifications of the item, project or service for which a proposal is requested. The more detailed the specifications, the better the chances that the proposal provided will be accurate. Generally RFPs are sent to an approved supplier or vendor list.

The bidders return a proposal by a set date and time. Late proposals may or may not be considered, depending on the terms of the initial RFP. The proposals are used to evaluate the suitability as a supplier, vendor, or institutional partner. Discussions may be held on the proposals (often to clarify technical capabilities or to note errors in a proposal). In some instances, all or only selected bidders may be invited to participate in subsequent bids, or may be asked to submit their best technical and financial proposal, commonly referred to as a Best and Final Offer (BAFO).

value added reseller (VAR)
company

A company which sells something (e.g. computers) made by another company (an OEM) with extra components added (e.g. specialist software).

Value Added Reseller. (n.d.). The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing. Retrieved January 09, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Value%20Added%20Reseller