0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z scaleable Something that can be made larger or faster without major changes in cost or structure. second-generation (2G) Second-generation digital cellular standards including GSM, cdmaOne, IS-136 TDMA, and PDC, geared toward digital voice and messaging applications. secondary market Refers to the trading market where previously issued securities are bought and sold subsequent to the original issuance, which took place in the primary market. section overhead Nine bytes of overhead accessed, generated and processed by section-terminating equipment. This overhead supports functions such as framing the signal and performance monitoring. secure sockets layer (SSL) The leading security protocol on the Internet. When an SSL session is started, the server sends its public key to the browser, which the browser uses to send a randomly generated secret key back to the server in order to have a secret key exchange for that session. Developed by Netscape, SSL has been merged with other protocols and authentication methods by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) into a new protocol known as transport layer security (TLS). selling, general, and administrative   semiconductor lasers A laser that uses a forward-biased semiconductor junction as the active medium. Stimulated emission of coherent light occurs at a PIN junction where electrons and holes are driven into the junction. senior secured debt Senior secured represents a class of debt that is secured by collateral and that receives priority in the event of liquidation to other, more junior obligations and to equity. Senior secured obligations often include bank loans or loans from other financial institutions. Because this form of capital is the safest, it typically is the cheapest capital for a company to use. However, senior secured debt often comes with on-going or maintenance covenants that require the borrowing corporation to meet certain financial and operating metrics if the loan is to remain in good standing. server A shared, networked computer dedicated to handling requests for information (file server) or to running various applications (application server). Software that runs on these computers is commonly referred to by the same designation. service provider An organization that provides some type of communications service such as a telephone company or an Internet service provider (ISP). shelf registration A term used for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rule 415, adopted in the 1980s, which allows a corporation to comply with registration requirements up to two years prior to a public offering of securities. With the registration on the shelf, the corporation, by simply updating regularly filed annual, quarterly, and related reports to the SEC, can go to the market as conditions become favorable with a minimum of administrative preparation. The flexibility corporate issuers enjoy as a result of shelf registration translates into substantial savings of time and expense. short messaging service (SMS) Phone-based email system that enables cellular phone users to send short alphanumeric messages, usually 140-160 characters long, to other users. SMS is especially popular with GSM voice subscribers in Europe, where the messages are sent simultaneously with voice, fax, and data on a separate signaling path. short wave laser In radio communications, pertaining to the band of frequencies approximately between 3 MHz and 30 MHz. shrink-wrapped software Software that requires no customization and little installation or configuration. The name comes from the plastic shrink wrap that usually encases the software box. Downloaded applications from software suppliers are still considered shrink-wrap applications. signal-to-noise ratio The ratio of signal to noise measured in decibel is an indication of the signal quality in analog systems. signal transfer point & signal control point (STP/SCP) Physical system supporting SS7 intelligent network signaling systems. signaling The process of generating and exchanging information between components of telecommunications systems to (1) establish, monitor, or release connections (call handling functions); and (2) control related network and system operations and functions. signaling network management protocol (SNMP) The most common network management system for all types of data networks, including IP networks. signaling system number 7 (SS7) Out-of-band signaling system supporting intelligent network services. silicon optical amplifier (SOA) Strengthens an optical signal by using the injection of electrical current into the junction layer of a semiconductor to stimulate photon emission. simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) A TCP/IP protocol, standard for Internet email, that defines the message format and the message transfer agent with which users send, store, and access email. single-mode fiber Fiber in which light propagates predominantly in one mode. Used for long-haul transport. Single-mode fiber has a small core (8-9 microns in diameter) of monolithic quartz. small computer system interface (SCSI) A hardware interface that allows for the connection of up to 7 or 15 peripheral devices to a single expansion board that plugs into the computer called a SCSI host adapter or SCSI controller. SCSI can be used in network servers to daisy-chain several hard drives as fault-tolerant RAID clusters. small- to mid-size enterprise (SME) An enterprise consisting of approximately less than 500 work spaces. smart phone A phone that can send, receive, sort, prioritize, and notify users of communication transmissions. A smart phone is different from a regular telephone because it has a microprocessor that can store and transmit data. software developers kit (SDK) A set of software utilities that allow programmers to write new applications for an operating system or software platform. soliton A special form of light pulse that can be transmitted over a fiber optic-channel. Potentially, a soliton retains its shape or wavelength over a longer distance than ordinary light pulses, permitting a higher number of information bits to be transmitted. solutions aggregator A solutions aggregator works with a number of different ASPs or other solutions providers to find best-practice solutions for customers. It then effectively aggregates and distributes solutions to a particular customer base. source laser A transmitting laser diode or an instrument that injects test signals into fibers. splitter A device that creates multiple optical signals from a single optical signal. spread Applied generally in finance to represent the percentage or price difference between two points. Often represents a revenue opportunity when the lower point represents cost and the higher point represents income. star coupler A coupler with more than three or four ports. static random access memory (SRAM) A memory chip that requires a constant supply of power to hold its content. A SRAM bit is a flip-flop circuit that lets current flow through one side or the other based on which one of two transistors is activated. Unlike read-only memory (ROM), SRAM will lose its content when the power is switched off. Static RAMs do not require refresh circuitry as do dynamic RAMs, but they take up more space and use more power. stock keeping unit (SKU) An e-commerce term for a stock number or inventory number. When an item is ordered over the Web, an SKU is used as a reference. Each SKU is unique to the product and is used to track and ship the correct item. storage area network A network connecting storage devices, either in a centralized or a decentralized manner. strategic alliance Describes a partnership between two or more firms, which involves the sharing of complementary resources for their mutual benefit. Often a strategic alliance involves shared ownership or the partial, typically minority ownership of one "alliance" partner of another. Companies may form a strategic alliance, which is a lesser form of commitment compared to a merger, when entering a new product market or geographical territory. streaming media Multimedia content distributed in packets over Internet infrastructure. True streaming content is viewed simultaneous to its download and is not necessarily stored locally. In practice, particularly in narrow band applications, a significant amount of caching or buffering is required. submarine Same as undersea -- used to refer to long-haul fiber networks under water. subscriber/service management Network system deployed at carrier central office or point-of-presence in order to manage end-user connections. Subscriber management includes bandwidth provisioning, billing, and additional services for DSL, cable, leased-line and wireless users. Service management and creation enables service providers to provision (and even end-users to self-provision) higher-value services, including network-based virtual private networks (VPNs), and bandwidth throttling/optimization. subscription model A model for selling software functionality. This model is gaining more popularity with the rise of the ASP and hosted applications. The purchaser pays a monthly fee for the use of the software. Support and maintenance are typically included in the monthly fee. There is usually a one- to five-year contract for the monthly fee, which allows the seller to recover its up front costs. substrates Materials (usually ceramics or other semiconductors) used as supports or foundations for optical or microcircuits. subsystem A secondary or subordinate system, usually capable of operating independently of, or asynchronously with, a controlling system supply chain management (SCM) The process, perfected by i2 Technologies of managing the ordering of raw materials to support just-in-time manufacturing processes. switch A switch is a network device that selects a path or circuit for sending a unit of data to its next destination. A switch may also include the function of the router, which is a device or program that determines the route and, specifically, the adjacent network point to which the data should be sent. In general, a switch is simpler and faster than a router, which requires knowledge about the network and how to determine the route. switched virtual circuit (SVC) A data communications connection that, once established, lasts for only the duration of the movement of information across the network. An SVC works in a fashion similar to making a telephone call. switching Operations involved in interconnecting circuits to establish communications. symmetrical Symmetric telecom channels are balanced and have the same speed in both directions, contrary to asymmetrical which is unbalanced in speed. synchronous A network driven by a single, centralized clock. Multiple network elements are able to communicate by referring to a single clock as a reference point. synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) The European version of the SONET standard with two major differences 1) the terminology; and 2) the basic line rate in SDC is equivalent to that of the SONET OC-3/STS-3 rate (i.e., 155.52 Mbps). SDH is the ITU standard for high-capacity optical transmission. synchronous optical network (SONET) Standardizes rates and formats for coding and decoding, and for multiplexing and demultiplexing communications transmissions signals. This technology allows multiple communications formats, e.g., ATM or frame relay over a single physical line (usually fiber). SONET is the U.S. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for synchronous data transmission on optical media. The international equivalent of SONET is synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH). Together, they ensure standards so that (1) digital networks can interconnect internationally and (2) existing conventional transmission systems can take advantage of optical media through tributary attachments. SONET provides standards for a number of line rates up to the maximum line rate of 9.953 Gbps. Actual line rates approaching 20 Gbps are possible. SONET defines a base rate of 51.84 Mbps and a set of multiples of the base rate known as optical carrier levels. synchronous payload envelope (SPE) A SONET structure that carries the payload (service) in a SONET frame or virtual connection. The STS SPE may begin anywhere in the frame's payload envelope. The VT SPE may begin anywhere in a floating-mode VT but begins at a fixed location in a locked-mode VT. synchronous transfer mode (STM) A transport and switching method that depends on information occurring in regular and fixed patterns with respect to a reference such as a frame pattern. A time division multiplex-and-switching technique to be used across the user’s network interface for a broadband ISDN, it gives each user up to 50 million bits per second simultaneously -- regardless of the number of users. synchronous transmission The serial transmission of a bit stream in which each bit occurs at a fixed time interval and the entire stream is preceded by a specific combination of bits that initiate the timing. synchronous transport signal (STS) A SONET frame including overhead and payload capacity. The basic SONET frame is the STS-1. STS-1s can be multiplexed or concatenated with no additional overhead.