Glossary: software terms in plain words
What an MVP, API, AI agent, ESF e-invoice or smart contract is. Short definitions, why a company needs it and an example from Kazakhstan.
Product and development
CMSSoftware that lets your team edit a website’s pages, posts and images without a developer.Cross-platformOne code base that runs as an app on iOS and Android, and often on the web and desktop too.Fixed-price contractA contract where the price for an agreed scope is set before work starts and does not change.FlutterGoogle’s open-source toolkit for building iOS, Android, web and desktop apps from one code base.Headless CMSA content system with no built-in website: it stores content and sends it to any front end through an API.Landing pageA single web page built for one campaign and one action, such as a sign-up, booking or enquiry.Low-codeBuilding software mostly with visual tools and ready blocks, writing code only where needed.MVPThe smallest version of a product that real customers can use, built to test an idea.Native appAn app built for one operating system, iOS or Android, in that platform’s own language and tools.Proof of conceptA small, quick test that shows whether an idea can work before you fund the full build.Push notificationA message an app sends to a phone or browser that appears even when the app is closed.PWAA website that installs and behaves like an app, with a home screen icon, offline pages and notifications.React NativeMeta’s open-source framework for building iOS and Android apps in JavaScript or TypeScript with React.SaaSSoftware you rent by subscription and use in a browser, while the vendor hosts and updates it.Technical debtThe future cost of shortcuts in code, which makes every later change slower and riskier.Time and materialsA contract where you pay for the hours worked and the costs incurred, at agreed rates.UI designDesigning what users see and touch on screen: layout, colours, type, buttons and their states.UX designDeciding how a product works for its users, so they reach their goal without confusion.Web appSoftware that runs in the browser, with logins, data and actions, and needs no installation.White labelA product built by one company and sold under another company’s brand as if it were its own.
AI and automation
AI agentSoftware that uses a language model to plan the steps of a task and carry them out in your tools.AI hallucinationWhen an AI model states something false or invented as confidently as if it were a fact.AI voice agentAn AI system that answers and makes phone calls, talking with callers in natural speech.ChatbotA program that talks with people in a chat window, on a website, in an app or in WhatsApp and Telegram.Fine-tuningFurther training of an existing AI model on your own examples so it handles one task in a set way.Generative AIAI that creates new text, images, audio or code from a prompt, rather than only sorting data.LLMA large language model: an AI model trained on huge amounts of text to read and write language.MCPAn open standard for connecting AI applications to tools and data sources in one consistent way.OCRTechnology that reads text from scans, photos and PDFs and turns it into editable, searchable text.Prompt engineeringWriting and testing the instructions given to an AI model so it produces reliable, usable output.RAGA way to make an AI model answer from your own documents by fetching the relevant passages first.RPASoftware robots that copy a person’s clicks and typing to run repetitive tasks in existing applications.Vector databaseA database that stores text or images as vectors so it can find items by meaning, not exact words.WhatsApp Business APIMeta’s platform that lets companies send and receive WhatsApp messages from their own software.Workflow automationSoftware that moves work between people and systems by set rules, without manual copying or chasing.
Integrations
APIA defined way for one piece of software to request data or actions from another.API integrationConnecting two or more systems through their APIs, so data moves between them without retyping.Data migrationMoving data from an old system to a new one, cleaned and mapped so the new system can use it.EDIOrders, delivery notes and invoices exchanged between companies’ systems in a standard format.Payment gatewayThe service that takes a card payment at checkout and passes it on securely to the bank for approval.REST APIA style of web API where data lives at URLs and is read or changed with standard HTTP methods.SSOOne login that gives a user access to several applications without signing in to each one.WebhookAn automatic message one system sends to another the moment something happens.
Business systems
CRMSoftware that keeps every customer, enquiry, conversation and deal in one place for sales and service.Customer portalA secure area of your website or app where customers log in to see orders, invoices and documents.ERPOne system that runs a company’s core processes: sales, purchasing, stock, production and accounting.Headless commerceAn online shop whose front end is built separately and talks to the commerce engine through APIs.Loyalty programmeA scheme that rewards customers for repeat purchases with points, cashback, stamps or tiers.OdooA modular business software suite: CRM, sales, invoicing, inventory, HR and more in one database.ShopifyA hosted e-commerce platform from Canada for building and running an online shop without your own servers.
Rules in Kazakhstan
EDSAn electronic signature that proves who signed a document and that it has not changed since.ESFAn invoice in electronic form, issued and received in Kazakhstan’s ESF information system.Online cash registerA cash register that issues receipts and sends payment data to the tax authorities via a fiscal data operator.WCAGThe W3C guidelines for making websites and apps usable by disabled people, in levels A, AA and AAA.
Web3
BlockchainA shared ledger copied across many computers, where records are added in blocks and cannot be quietly changed.Crypto walletAn app or device that holds the keys to crypto assets and uses them to sign transactions.DAOA group that makes decisions and manages shared funds through token votes and smart contracts.DAppAn app whose core logic runs in smart contracts on a blockchain, used through a crypto wallet.DeFiFinancial services such as exchange, lending and borrowing, run by smart contracts instead of banks.Layer 2A network that runs on top of a blockchain such as Ethereum to make transactions faster and cheaper.NFTA unique token on a blockchain that records who holds a specific item, such as a ticket, certificate or artwork.Smart contractA program stored on a blockchain that runs automatically when its conditions are met.StablecoinA crypto token designed to keep a steady value, usually pegged to a fiat currency.TokenisationRepresenting rights to a real or digital asset as tokens on a blockchain that can be held and transferred.Web3Online services built on blockchains, where users hold their own assets and identity in a wallet.
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