C

C SHARP

Microsoft's 'kill off Java' programming language, based on C++ and Java. Microsoft has relinquished control of C# and so today it is an open standard. Microsoft has its own version called Visual C#.

CIO

Chief Information Officer. Traditionally this role involved being in charge of all IT related matters. This changing as the users take charge to some extent at one end and the Cloud service provides taking charge tat the other.

Ideally it should stand for Chief Innovation Officer, with less emphasis on technology management.

CLIENT

In technology terms the client is the device through which the user accesses IT related services. Smartphones and tablets are two examples.

CLOUD COMPUTING

A conceptual term relating to the provision of IT related services via the web. Online banking and Amazon would be early examples of this. Today it embraces everything from word processing to complete data centre services. Some see it as a way for technology vendors to circumvent the IT function and deal directly with the users.

COLLABORATION

Is a term that describes the need for people to work together. Increasingly this includes people who are geographically dispersed. A whole technology industry is emergring focused on the provision of collaborative technologies.

CTO

Chief Technology Officer. The top technical person in the IT department. In IT service companies and in web-centric businesses the CTO may well be part of the senior management team.