DIGITAL SKILLS: MOBILITY

ACCENTURE SKILLS TO SUCCEED

GLOSSARY

Word / Phrase Definition

3G Short for third generation, this is the third generation of wireless
mobile telecommunications technology that allows computers,
mobiles and other portable electronic devices to access the
internet without a physical wire connection. (The first generation
was analog cellular, second generation was digital PCS)
4G Short for fourth generation wireless, intended to replace 3G to
allow wireless internet access more reliably and at a much higher
speed.
Accessible Ability to be reached or entered independently. In mobile app
design, an app is accessible if it has useful labelling, clear
language and grammar and is designed for every type of user.
Adaptive design Adaptive design allows you to have a single website that
automatically resizes to fit the screen of the device being used. It
works by designing screen layouts for the different screen widths,
then detects the screen size being used and loads the appropriate
layout for it. This is useful when you want customers to have a
consistent experience across all devices without creating a unique
mobile experience.
Android Android is the name of the mobile operating system (OS)
developed by Google. The operating system is the core platform
that a mobile device sits on. Companies such as Samsung, LG,
HTC and Motorola make mobile devices that run on the Android
OS.
App An app (short for application) is a software program that is
designed to perform a specific function above or on top of what is
built in on a device. Different apps include web apps (for
desktops/laptops) and mobile apps (which can be downloaded
onto a mobile device). These enable a user to perform additional
tasks on their smartphone/computer.
Capabilities Ability to perform or achieve certain actions or outcomes through
a set of features, functions or services.
Coding Coding (also called programming) is the process of writing the
source code that actually enables a program or application to
function. There are many different coding/programming

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 languages such as Java, C and Python. Browsers, operating
systems, apps and websites are all created through coding.
Customer The phrase used to describe the total of all interactions a customer
experience has with a business. This is based on online and offline
experiences and thoughts about the business.
Customer journey The steps that customers must go through when interacting with a
company and brand from start to finish. Instead of looking at just
a part of a transaction or experience, the customer journey takes
into account the full experience of being a customer.
Data Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.
Deploy Deployment of a technology is the process of getting a new
software or hardware up and running properly in its environment.
For example, deploying an app means that the app has been
developed and tested and now it is running and being released to
the public.
Development The way in which the product/application/browser will be
approach designed and built. The core development approaches for apps are
native and hybrid. The core development approaches for browsers
are adaptive, responsive and reactive.
Device Something made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a
piece of electronic equipment. In the context of digital, a device is
capable of computing or attaching to a computer, for example,
printers, mobile phones and tablets.
Digital You will hear the word ‘digital’ used a lot in this course. Digital
is the adjective used to describe how we are changing the way we
operate socially and professionally to reflect emerging
technologies and increasing connectivity to the people and objects
around us.
Digital enables us to transmit and store data or information and
apply this information and technology to improve human
performance and better tackle our tasks. Digital has many aspects,
and this course gives you an introduction to some of its key areas
such as Social Media, Digital Marketing, Mobility, Analytics and
User Experience.
Ecosystem An ecosystem in this context refers to the collection of mobile
devices, software and processes that allow data to be transferred
and shared between users. For example, hardware, software and
Wi-Fi services combine to allow a user of a smartphone to engage
in social networking or use location and mapping apps with GPS.
Each of these elements represent the different layers of the mobile
ecosystem.
Engaging A mobile app or suchlike is engaging if it grabs and retains the
attention or efforts of the user. For example, if the app design has

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 a clearly defined purpose, meets the need of the audience,
promotes audience interaction and has a clear call to action.
Feature phones These phones are low price phones which provide basic
functionality like calling, internet access, camera and music
player but they don’t have highly integrated apps and
multitasking.
Hybrid app Hybrid refers to the type of development of the app whereby it
combines the native and web apps in order for the app to be “built
once” across platforms. So the hybrid app will be built once and
will be the same for both iPhone and Samsung, even though they
operate on different operating systems. This development is faster
and cheaper to build, but it is more difficult to then use device
specific capabilities within the app.
Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the growing network of
(IoT) objects connected to the internet. These objects can collect and
send data to each other. Examples of ‘things’ in the IoT include
fitness trackers, home lighting, and security systems that can be
controlled remotely on a mobile device.
Intuitive Easy to use and understand without prior exposure or knowledge.
An intuitive mobile app user experience means that the app is
easy to learn, easy to use and works as expected.
iOS iOS is the name of the mobile operating system created and
developed by Apple Inc. and distributed exclusively for Apple
hardware. It is the core platform, or operating system, used by
Apple products.
Mobile app The process of designing a mobile app. There are guiding
design principles, including ‘best practice’ techniques such as
wireframing, which are vital to designing a good user experience
on a mobile device.
Mobile The process of developing websites or applications for handheld
application devices such as mobile phones and tablet.
development
Mobile optimised When a website reformats to suit mobile or tablet devices and still
website provides a good user experience similar to that on the PC. For
example, larger navigation buttons, reformatted content, and
differently optimised images will appear.
Mobile specific In the context of a website, the website would be re-designed
design (design and functionality) specifically to suit mobile usage. This
is a good option if you want to build for specific mobile use case
and design a superior mobile customer experience. This means
there are separate websites for desktop, mobile and tablet.
Mobility Mobility refers to the many technologies that allow us to remain
in constant contact with each other and the wider world regardless

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 of where we are. These mobile technologies include smart
phones, tablets and apps.
Native app Native refers to the type of development of the app whereby the
app is developed specifically for one platform and device, i.e. the
app will be developed natively for iOS and then developed
natively again and separately for Android. These apps can take
full advantage of all the device features, for example, camera and
GPS. But, they tend to be more expensive and require more
development effort.
Operating system A mobile operating system (OS) is the underlying software that
(OS) enables all applications and features to run on the device. The
operating system coordinates all of the communications, apps and
settings on the device to make sure the device runs smoothly. For
example, iOS is the operating an Apple device uses, and Android
is the operating system used with Android compatible phones.
Personal A small, general purpose computer that is designed to be used by
computer (PC) one person at a time. PCs can be used in a variety of different
ways, from word processing and media storage to surfing the
internet and gaming.
Platforms A platform is a group of technologies upon which other
applications, processes or technologies are developed. For PCs, a
platform is the basic hardware (computer) and software (operating
system) on which software applications can be run. Platform is
often used interchangeably with operating system but a platform
is where the programs and applications run and an operating
system sits between applications and hardware, managing how
applications access hardware and software.
Real-time If a process or action is done in real-time, it will occur in the
actual time, without noticeable delay between the action being
triggered and completed. For example, if a computer system
updates information at the same rate as it receives data, this
system is acting in real-time.
Responsive Responsive design allows you to build a single website that
design automatically resizes to fit the screen of the device being used. It
works by adapting to the size of the screen no matter what device
is being used. This is different to adaptive design since you don’t
need to design the site for the different screen widths. Responsive
design is more flexible. It takes less work to build and maintain
and is useful for customers to have a consistent experience across
all devices without creating a unique mobile experience.
Sharing In the context of mobility, this is the capability to share
information directly with your contact list or with external
audiences through social media at the tap of a button.

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Smart car An automobile capable of driving itself and connecting with other
objects and devices which have the capabilities to access the
internet. Smart cars will have GPS navigation, reverse sensing
systems, night vision, smart card activation instead of keys etc.
The most developed smart car is one that drives itself (driverless
cars).
Smart devices An electronic device, generally connected to other devices or
networks and internet via different wireless system such
as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4G, which have the ability to operate
with limited human intervention. There are increasingly more
"smart" devices everywhere: smart meters, smart glasses, smart
cars, smart appliances and more. The benefits are to increase
knowledge, faster and better decisions, greater efficiencies, and
less manual effort.
Smart meter A smart meter is a kind of gas and electricity meter that can
digitally send meter readings to your energy supplier. This can
ensure more accurate energy bills. They also come with monitors
that allow users to better understand their energy usage.
Smart watch A mobile device with a touchscreen display, designed to resemble
a watch and be worn on the wrist. They are capable of tasks such
as playing video and audio files, making and receiving calls,
making contactless payments (where you can touch the watch on
a card reader to pay for travel for example).
Smartphone A mobile phone that can access the internet and performs many of
the same functions as a computer. Smartphones often have a
touch screen.
Structure In terms of mobile app design, having a clear structure requires
the design to be constructed in an organised pattern. This includes
having navigation controls and clearly marked sections (titles)
which make using the app feel more natural.
URL A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the unique internet
address to access a file or other resource on the Internet. For
example, https://www.google.co.uk/. A common way to get to a
website is to enter the URL of its home page file in your web
browser's address line.
Use case Term that describes how a user uses a system to accomplish a
particular goal. For example, whether you chose a hybrid or
native app will depend on who will be using the app and what you
want the app to achieve (i.e. your use cases).
User interface A user interface, also called a "UI" or simply an "interface," is
(UI) what the user can see, interact with and control for a software
application or hardware device. A good user interface provides a
"user-friendly" experience, allowing the user to interact with the

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 software or hardware in a natural and intuitive way. Nearly all
software programs have a graphical user interface or GUI. This
means the program includes graphical controls, which the user
can select, for example, menu bar and buttons.
User manual A user manual (also referred to as a user guide) is a document
intended to give assistance to people using a particular system or
device.
Virtual reality A technology which artificially generates a copy of a real-world
(VR) 3D image or environment that seems real and can be interacted
with if using special electronic equipment such as glasses, helmet
or controls with sensors. An example of a piece of equipment
with which you can play VR games is an Oculus Rift.
Wearable Wearables are digital devices that can be worn as accessories or
technology clothing. Wearables can connect to the Internet, enabling data on
your activity to be recorded and measured. Examples of
wearables include smart watches like the Apple Watch, and sport
trackers like FitBits.
Wireframe A visual guide to simply show what an app or web page will look
like. It suggests the structure of a page, without including all the
details about how the final design will look or function. A
wireframe is made up of simple lines and boxes and can map the
interactions on a page and where each section links to.
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi allows computers, smartphones, or other devices to connect
to the Internet or communicate with one another over a wireless
signal (without connecting via cable) within a particular area.

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