Explainers
Illustration showing an explainer hub with insights and learning material on top tech topics and technologies
Featured topics Demystify transformative technologies. Decode tech topics with content crafted by IBM experts. What is data mining?

Learn how data mining combines statistics and artificial intelligence to analyze large data sets to discover meaningful insights and useful information.

Learn about data mining
What is a vector database?

Use a vector database for storing, managing and indexing huge quantities of high-dimensional vector data efficiently for generative AI use cases and applications.

Explore vector databases
What is a chatbot?

Explore chatbot technology to understand how chatbots simulate human conversation, often using NLP to parse inputs and generative AI to automate responses.

Find out how chatbots work
What is a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack?

Find out how a DDoS attack floods websites and other network resources with malicious traffic, disrupting normal activity and denying access to legitimate users.

Understand DDoS attacks
What is phishing?

Uncover and understand how phishing tricks users into divulging sensitive data, downloading malware, and exposing themselves or their organizations to cybercrime. 

Learn about phishing
What is quantum computing?

Study the basics to learn how this technology uses quantum mechanics to solve complex problems beyond classical computers’ capabilities and its potential to impact many industries.

Explore quantum computing
AI and machine learning What is artificial intelligence?

Understand how AI enables computers to think and make decisions like humans, explore its history and the types of AI, and uncover the ways it impacts our lives.

What is machine learning?

Gain insight into how ML leverages data and algorithms, its use cases and associated concerns to empower responsible and innovative use of the technology.

What is deep learning?

Discover how deep learning simulates our brain, helping systems learn to identify and perform complex tasks with increasing accuracy unsupervised.

What is the k-nearest neighbors algorithm?

Learn about the k-nearest neighbors algorithm, one of the popular and simplest classification and regression classifiers used in machine learning today.

What is natural language processing (NLP)?

Dive into how NLP enables machines to understand and respond to text or voice data and learn about various NLP tasks to obtain optimal results.

What are neural networks?

Learn how neural networks allow programs to recognize patterns and solve common problems in artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning.

Analytics What is business intelligence?

Know how to harness business data by understanding how business intelligence processes data to gain actionable insights and inform decision-making.

What is linear regression?

Master this analytics procedure to become skilled at generating predictions, using an easily interpreted mathematical formula and applying it to various domains.

What is logistic regression?

Predict outcomes more quickly and make better decisions by mastering the logistic regression method and by knowing which type of logistic regression to use.

What is Monte Carlo simulation?

Learn how to run a Monte Carlo Simulation, a computational algorithm, by using repeated random sampling to estimate the possible outcomes of an uncertain event.

What is exploratory data analysis?

Know about exploratory data analysis to effectively analyze and summarize data sets, helping one to discover patterns and anomalies, and generate a hypothesis.

What is data science?

Leverage data science to unlock business insights from an increasing amount of data, accelerate digital transformation and data-driven decision making.

Asset management What is visual inspection?

Master visual inspection of equipments to detect defects both in person and remotely using digital images to maintain quality and safety standards.

What is preventive maintenance?

Implement preventive maintenance by combining regular maintenance tasks with ML, data analytics and predictive asset health monitoring to prevent downtime.

What is a CMMS?

Enhance maintenance efforts with a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) for efficient scheduling, managing, and tracking of maintenance tasks.

What is a digital twin?

Explore how digital twins create a virtual copy of an object or system by integrating real-time data, simulation, ML and reasoning to support decision-making.

What is field service management?

Learn field service management to effectively coordinate resources, employees and equipment, in work activities and operations off company property.

Automation What is automation?

Leverage automation for using technology, programs, robotics or processes to perform tasks and achieve better outcomes with minimal human input.

What is robotic process automation (RPA)?

Leverage robotic process automation (RPA) to use software robots to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up human resources to prioritize more complex tasks.

What is a workflow?

Discover how workflow systems enable enterprises to optimize their efficiency through the use of business process management systems and automation.

What is an API?

Simplify software development and innovation with API integration by enabling applications to exchange data and functionality easily and more securely.

What is a REST API?

Ease software development processes by using REST APIs to facilitate flexible integration with applications and the orchestration of microservices.

What is interactive voice response?

Learn how interactive voice response (IVR) integrates computer and telephony technology to create an automated system for callers to access information.

Compute and servers What is high-performance computing (HPC)?

Find out how HPC uses powerful processors to process massive amounts of data and solve today’s most complex computing problems in real time or near-real time.

What is SaaS – software-as-a-service?

Understand how SaaS works as a software delivery model to reap the benefits like cloud computing, cost savings, scalability and accessibility via a web browser.

What is cloud computing?

Learn how cloud computing enables access to intranet-based infrastructure and applications, eliminating on-site maintenance and enhancing agility and efficiency.

What is Kubernetes?

Learn Kubernetes—an open-source container orchestration platform—to manage and scale containerized applications, improve availability and reduce costs.

What is serverless?

Explore what developers and IT leaders like about serverless computing, a simpler way to build and run cloud-native applications, paying only for what you use.

What is a mainframe?

Learn how mainframes are able to process billions of calculations and transactions daily in real-time, with the highest levels of security and reliability.

Databases What are NoSQL databases?

Discover how NoSQL ,also referred to as “non-SQL”, enables the storage and querying of data outside the traditional structures found in relational databases.

What is the CAP theorem?

Look into the CAP theorem that states a system can only deliver two of three key characteristics: consistency, availability, and partition tolerance.

What is a database schema?

Find out how database schema create definition and organization of data within a relational database and how it maintains data quality and integrity.

What is etcd?

Learn more about etcd, the fault-tolerant open source key-value database that serves as the primary data backbone for Kubernetes and other distributed platform.

What is a relational database?

Use a relational database which provides a structured way to organize data in rows and columns that form a table, maintaining data consistency and integrity.

DevOps What is DevOps?

Learn how DevOps combines and automates software tasks to speed the delivery of high-quality software, and its synergy with site reliability engineering (SRE).

What is DevSecOps?

Automate the integration of security at every phase of the software development lifecycle, with DevSecOps, short for development, security, and operations.

What is software development?

See how software is developed and how it can help your business compete. Discover software development essentials, innovations and technologies.

What is software testing?

Find software errors and verify that an application or system is fit for use, preventing bugs, reducing development costs and improving performance.

What is Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)?

Find out how PaaS, or Platform-as-a-Service, provides a complete, flexible, and cost-effective cloud platform for developing, running, and managing applications.

What is site reliability engineering (SRE)?

Automate IT operations tasks that would otherwise be performed manually, accelerate software delivery, and minimize IT risk with site reliability engineering.

Infrastructure What is IT Infrastructure?

Learn why Information technology infrastructure is important and how do all the components work together to manage enterprise IT services and environments.

What is virtualization?

Use virtualization to divide hardware resources into multiple virtual computers—called virtual machines—to improve utilization and be cost-effective.

What is IT management?

Use IT management solutions to efficiently manage hardware, software and network services and help maintain a robust and resilient IT infrastructure.

What is data storage?

Leverage data storage to store and preserve a range of digital information on magnetic, optical or mechanical media for ongoing or future operations.

What is file storage?

Explore how to store data in files, organize files in folders, and organize folders in directories and subdirectories, making it easy to locate and manage files.

What is block storage?

Learn about block storage which consists of storing data files on storage area networks (SANs) or cloud, offering fast and reliable data transfer.

Middleware What is middleware?

Learn how middleware speeds development of distributed applications by simplifying connectivity between applications, components and backend data sources.

What are microservices?

See how microservices architecture breaks down a monolithic application into smaller deployable services, enabling agility and scalability.

What is mobile application development?

Gain an introductory understanding of mobile application development, which involves making software for smartphones, tablets and digital assistants.

What is Java Spring Boot?

Learn how Java Spring Boot simplifies development of web applications and microservices with an open-source framework referred to as the Java Spring Framework.

What is three-tier architecture?

Separate applications into three logical and physical computing tiers, making it easy to maintain and scale each tier as needed without impacting the other tiers.

Network What is network security?

Use network security solutions to protect network infrastructure, resources and traffic from internal and external security threats and cyberattacks.

What is load balancing?

Understand how to distribute network traffic efficiently among servers to optimize application availability and maintain a positive end-user experience.

What is a network operations center?

Explore the ways network operations centers help organizations maintain optimal performance and how AI plays a role in delivering more reliable network service.

What is a virtual private cloud (VPC)?

Explore how virtual private clouds offer enterprises the ability to establish a private cloud-like experience within a public cloud infrastructure.

What is Software-Defined Networking?

Learn how SDN as a network architecture enables network virtualization, greater flexibility and efficiency compared to traditional networking approaches.

What is a content delivery network (CDN)?

Explore how a CDN, consisting of a network of geographically dispersed servers, improve customer satisfaction by optimizing website and mobile app performance.

Security and identity What is cybersecurity?

Stay informed about cybersecurity technology, types of threats and best practices to protect your critical systems and sensitive information from cyberattacks.

What is malware?

Learn how malware or “malicious software", such as ransomware, Trojan horses and spyware can harm computer systems or their users by compromising data security.

What is CAPTCHA?

Discover how CAPTCHA , or "Completely Automated Public Turing Test” , authenticates users as humans to prevent threats posed by malicious bots.

What is SIEM?

Find out how SIEM software helps organizations recognize and address potential security threats and vulnerabilities before they disrupt business operations.

What is cloud security?

Secure your cloud environment with cloud security, a collection of procedures and technology, to address external and internal threats to business security.

What is a Security Operations Center (SOC)?

Explore how an SOC unifies and coordinates all cybersecurity technologies and operations of an organization to improve threat detection, response and prevention.

Sustainability What is inventory management?

Learn how inventory management involves the tracking of inventory from manufacturers to warehouses and from these facilities to a point of sale.

What is order management?

Understand how order management systems track orders from inception to fulfillment and manage the people, processes and data connected to the order.

What is energy management?

Explore how energy management helps businesses proactively monitor, control and optimize energy consumption to converse use and reduce energy costs.

What is electronic data interchange (EDI)?

Learn how electronic data interchange (EDI) is used to exchange business information, saving time and eliminating costly errors caused by manual processing.

What is managed file transfer?

Facilitate secure, reliable and automated exchange of file-based data over the internet with managed file transfer (MFT) technology to meet compliance needs.

What is the TCFD?

Find out how the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) seeks to keep investors better-informed about companies' climate-related risks.

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