SAM

Service Assembly Module. Used for diagnostic purposes on the HR 500 Film Scanner.

SAP (SERVICE ACCESS POINT)

In the OSI Reference Model, a SAP is a well-defined location through which an entity at a particular layer can provide services to processes at the layer above. SAP is also the name of a hot new software product from Germany that incorporates all the corporate accounting and other legacy system functions into one integrated system.

SATURATION

The amount of gray in a color. More gray means lower saturation; less gray means higher saturation. If a color has no saturation, it is a shade of gray. It's also the degree to which a color is undiluted by white light.

SCALABILITY

The ease with which computing systems can grow in size without becoming unwieldy or unstable. In web systems, which may start small and develop rapidly, scalability is a key issue.

SCALABLE

Refers to the ability to enlarge or reduce the size of an image. A document management system is said to be 'scalable' if its capabilities can be increased to support additional users or platforms.

SCALING

Technique using an algorithm to uniformly convert a bit-map of one density into a bit map of another proportional density. NOTE: Scaling usually involves enlarging or contracting an image.

SCAN BATCH

A collection of documents that are fed into a scanner for the purpose of being converted into digital or electronic documents.

SCAN SIZE

Dimensions (length and width) of the part of a document that can be digitized.

SCAN TIME

Total time to convert text or graphical information to electronic raster form.

SCANLINE

A group of characters in a single line, printed in an OCR readable font. Usually contains one or more check digits.

SCANNER

Device that electro-optically converts a document into binary (digital) code by detecting and measuring the intensity of light reflected or transmitted See also binary code. A hardware device that reads text, images, and barcodes, and converts them into a digital code. An electronic device that digitizes and converts photographs, slides, or other two-dimensional images into bit mapped images. Different methods of illumination transmit light through red, green and blue filters and digitize the image into a stream of pixels. Once an image is converted into digital form, it can be stored and manipulated on computers. A device for capturing a digital image. There are many types of scanners, such as flatbed scanners, drum scanners, slide scanners, and microfilm scanners.

SCANNER INTERFACE BOARD

A piece of hardware that enables software programs to communicate with various models of scanners.

SCANNER THRESHOLD

Setting that determines whether a pixel is white or black. See also pixel.

SCANNING

1. Operation which precedes digitization whereby the surface of a document is analyzed for characters and graphics, and analog signals are produced corresponding to the optical density of the sampled points. See also analog, digitization, document. 2. OCR scanning is the conversion of printed or other symbolic information from paper or microform into ASCII code. See also intelligent character recognition, optical character recognition. 3. The systematic examination of data (ISO). See Image Capture. The conversion of human readable images to electronic bit maps. The process of digitizing paper and microforms.

SCANNING WINDOW

The whole area in front of the output port of a non-contact scanner in which characters can be read. The scanning window increases in proportion to the distance from the output port, up to the maximum depth of field of the scanner.

SCENIC CHECK

A type of check that portrays a scene or colorful background pattern.

SCF

Sectional Center Facility.

SCHEDULING

An automated capability to schedule meetings and/or resources (such as meeting rooms, projectors, etc.) by looking at online calendars.

SCREEN

The surface of a monitor on which information can be viewed.

SCRIPTABLE AND RECORDABLE

Software that enables you to automate repetitive computer tasks. You can instruct a 'script' to open one program, carry out a task, close that program, open a new program, carry out a new task, and so on until the project is completed. Or, you can 'record' a series of steps as you perform them, and save those steps as a single script.

SCROLL

To move all or part of the display image vertically or horizontally to view data otherwise excluded. Scrolling can be performed with a mouse in the horizontal/vertical bars on each window or by using the page up/down, home/end or arrow keys.

SCROLLING

Moving information on and off a CRT screen in order to view a data display that is larger than the screen.

SCSI (SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEM INTERFACE)

A computer connection that is preferred for digital imaging because of its high speed and standard interface.

SEARCH

Means of paging through input on a disk.

SEARCH ENGINE

Used to describe an application on the World Wide Web that lets users search for information, typically to locate a web site. Examples include: Google (www.google.com) and Yahoo (www.yahoo.com).

SECOND LINE EMBOSSING

The ability for clients to have their cards embossed with a second name under the cardholder's name. Some examples of commonly used information are division name, department name, plant number, etc.

SECOND-CLASS MAIL

Formerly called Periodicals. The name change took place during the USPS Classification Reform on July 1, 1996.

SECTIONAL CENTER FACILITY (SCF)

A postal facility that serves as the processing and distribution center for post offices in a designated geographical area defined by the first three digits of the zip codes of those offices. The sectional center facility is used for presort and makeup of certain classes of mails, computation of certain postal charges, distribution and dispatch.

SECTOR

The smallest addressable unit of an optical disc's track. Contains 512 bytes. The smallest space on the surface of a disk that can be addressed. Each track on a disk is subdivided into many sectors.

SECURE SOCKETS LAYER (SSL)

A protocol designed by Netscape Communications to enable encrypted, authenticated communications across the Internet. SSL is used mostly (but not exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web servers. URLs that begin with "http" indicate that an SSL connection will be used. SSL provides 3 important things: privacy, authentication and message integrity. In an SSL connection each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate, which each side's software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it sends using information from both sides' certificates. This ensures that only the intended recipient can de-crypt it, that the other side can be sure the data came from the place it claims to have come from, and that the message has not been tampered with.

SEEDING

Placement of dummy names on a list to trace list usage.

SEEK TIME

Seek time is the time required for the (read) head of the optical drive to move from one random track to another.

SEGMENT

The intermediate unit of information in a transaction set. Segments consist of a predefined set of functionally related data elements that are identified by their sequential position within the segment.

SEGMENT DELIMITER

A special character that marks the end of a segment. Also called a Segment Terminator.

SEGMENT DIAGRAM

The schematic that depicts the format and composition of a segment.

SEGMENT DICTIONARY

Provides the purposes and formats of the segments used in the construction of transaction sets. The directory lists each segment by name, purpose, identifier, the contained data elements in the specified order, and the requirement designator for each data element.

SEGMENT IDENTIFIER

A pre-defined code that identifies the segment.

SEGMENT NAME

A name that identifies the segment.

SEGMENT QUALIFIER

A data element that gives the segment a specific meaning.

SEGMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Distinct attributes of a segment, including structure and content.

SEGMENT TERMINATOR

See Segment Delimiter.

SELECT

To specify where the next action will occur. You click a screen area or drag through text to select an item. A selected item is usually highlighted.

SELF CHECKING

Denoting a scan line or field using a checking algorithm (check digit) which can be applied to each character in the code; substitution errors can then only occur if two or more separate printing defects occur within one character. Fields in a scan line that are not self-checking usually have a check character added to the encoded data.

SEMANTIC NETWORK TECHNOLOGY

An underlying technology of sophisticated text retrieval software. It offers you a built-in 'dictionary' of 400,000 word meanings and over 1.6 million word relationships. It recognizes phrases like 'real estate' and 'kangaroo court' as single units of meaning, not individual words. It also recognizes words with multiple meanings such as 'concrete'. To choose the meaning appropriate for your query, you simply click on the meaning you intend. Semantic Network Technology helps to insure that you find the documents you are looking for quickly and easily.

SENSOR

Any device that acts as the eyes, ears, feelers or other detectors for a computer.

SEQUENTIAL ACCESS

Also called serial access. A method of storing information so that the computer reads each character in sequence. For example, in sequential memory, in order to locate a particular item of data, it is necessary to pass over all the information preceding it. This is similar to the method of finding a particular song on an audiocassette (contrast with RAM).

SERIAL

A method of sending or retrieving information one bit at a time (contrast with parallel).

SERIAL NUMBER

Used to refer to the sequential check or document number found in the Auxiliary On-Us Field of commercial checks and the On-Us Field of personal checks. Often called the check number. This number is not required and is primarily for the convenience of the maker's records, although it may be used by the Financial Institution to respond to an inquiry or in processing a stop payment.

SERVER

Most generally, a server is an entity that provides some type of network service. The server may be hardware, such as a file server in a network, or software, such as network level protocol for a transport level client. The services may be access to files or devices, transport or translation facilities, and so on. A computer or a software package that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software, such as a WWW server or to the machine on which the software is running. A single server machine could have several different server software packages running on it, thus providing many different servers to clients on the network.

SERVICE BUREAU

A company that receives information from customers, processes that data in its computers, and returns reports or other computer output to the customer.

SERVICE, SERVICE PROVIDER

See Internet Service Provider (ISP).

SGML

Standard Generalized Markup Language.

SGML (STANDARD GENERALIZED MARKUP LANGUAGE)

The IS0 standard for text-description language.

SGMP

Simple Gateway Management Protocol. SNMP's predecessor.

SHADOWING

A form of replication in which well-defined units of information are copied to several DSAs.

SHAREWARE

Protected by copyright. The holder allows copies to be made and distributed under the condition that those who adopt the software after preview pay a fee to the holder of the copyright. Derivative works are not allowed. Archival copies may be made.

SHELL

A term that usually refers to the user interface of an operating system. A shell is the command processor that is the actual interface between the kernel and the user. The C shell or the Bourne shell is the primary user interface on UNIX systems. Contrasts with the kernel, which interacts with the computer at low levels. The name for the command interpreter on UNIX operating systems.

SHIFT-CLICK

Standard MACINTOSH key combination you can use to select multiple items in Composite Editor layouts.

SHOW INFO WINDOW

Area in the layout window where you enter text, and the area which displays information associated with items in the layout pop-up menu.

SHOW-THROUGH

The property of a substrate or packaging material to allow light to pass through, causing underlying markings or other matter to affect the reflectance of the substrate.

SHUFFLE

To reorganize a number of items so that they appear in the correct order.

SIGNATURE AREA

The Signature Area is located in the bottom right portion of a check. The signature(s) that are entered authorize the bank to disburse the funds.

SIGN-ON

This is done to start any function on a computer (for example, keying in operator code number).

SIMPLE MAIL TRANSFER PROTOCOL (SMTP)

The Internet electronic mail protocol. It is a server-to-server protocol; other protocols are used to access messages.

SIMPLE NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL (SNMP)

A set of standards for communication with devices connected to a TCP/IP network. Examples of these devices include routers, hubs and switches. A device is said to be SNMP compatible if it can be monitored and/or controlled using SNMP messages. SNMP messages are known as or Protocol Data Units. SNMP compatible devices contain SNMP "agent" software to receive, send and act upon SNMP messages. Software for managing devices via SNMP are available for every kind of commonly used computer and are often bundled along with the device they are designed to manage. Some SNMP software is designed to handle a wide variety of devices.

SINGLES

This refers to a transaction that consists of one coupon and one check. Single transaction can be a full payment or a partial payment.

SKEW

In imaging system when document is scanned in crooked. Some software has a deskewing feature that corrects this problem. The amount of variation from vertical of a MICR character with respect to the bottom edge of the document, measured, in degrees. The maximum allowable Skew is 1.5 degrees. The misalignment or slant of a character, bar, line of characters or barcode with respect to the bottom edge of the mail piece.

SLAVE

Any device under the control of another device.

SLIP

Serial Line Internet Protocol. A standard for using a regular telephone line (a serial line) and a modem to connect a computer as a real Internet site. SLIP is gradually being replaced by PPP (Point to Point Protocol).

SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEM INTERFACE (SCSI)

Pronounced "scuzzy." Industry standard for connecting peripheral devices and their controllers to a microprocessor. SGSl is a high-speed, parallel interface standard that supports hard disks and provides a generic interface for other devices, such as scanners, CD-ROM drives, and other hard disks. SCSI can support drives with very high capacities of more than a gigabyte (GB). A SCSI interface can support up to eight devices in a single expansion slot.

SMART CARDS

A plastic card incorporating an embedded microchip. In extensive use in France and Germany. Stored data cards. Plastic cards with embedded integrated computer chips (hence they are often called "IC Cards" for "integrated circuit cards"), which are capable of storing data, including monetary value that can be electronically read or replenished. When they carry a monetary application, they are also often called "Stored Value Cards." Magnetic stripe cards that access sophisticated systems are NOT smartcards.

SMTP

See Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

SNA (SYSTEMS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE)

SNA is an architecture designed to enable any IBM machine to communicate with any other. in particular, SNA was developed to enable various machines to communicate with IBM's mainframes. Although SNA was originally introduced in 1974, various capabilities and components have been added over the years. SNA is both complex and powerful. It can be used to connect machines or networks with very different architectures, provided that both support SNA. It can also be used to pass data between two non-SNA networks.

SNMP

See Simple Network Management Protocol.

SOCKET

A pairing of an IP address and a port number.

SOFT COPY

An electronic version of a file, usually in computer memory and/or on disk; as opposed to hard copy, the paper printout.

SOFTWARE

Instructions to the computer comprised of system software and application programs.

SOFTWARE PACKAGE

A pre-written group of commercially available programs designed to serve a specific need, such as word processing, inventory control, database management, etc.

SOFTWARE TOOL

A program that is employed in the development, repair or enhancement of other programs. Tools include editors, compilers and linkers. Also refers to utilities, such as formatters and file utilities.

SOM

Start of message. A special character used in some computers to indicate where the computer will start reading the next input.

SONET (SYNCHRONOUS OPTICAL NETWORK)

SONET is a high-speed, fiber-optic system, which provides. an interface and mechanism for optical transmission of digital information. At the interface, signals are converted from electrical to optical form (and back to electrical form at the destination). It is an ANSI standard.

SORT

To arrange a set of items in sequence according to keys. For example, to arrange the records of a personnel file into alphabetical order by using the employee names as sort keys.

SORT PATTERN

A program that defines how the coupons and checks will be sorted into pockets.

SPAM (OR SPAMMING)

An inappropriate attempt to use a mailing list as if it was a broadcast medium by sending the same message to many people who didn't ask for it.

SPECIAL MENU

Contains miscellaneous commands that are not related to a specific composite.

SPECIFICATIONS

A detailed description of what the purchaser requires and, consequently what a bidder must offer to be considered for an award.

SPOOL

Simultaneous Peripheral Operations On-Line. A scheme that allows multiple devices to simultaneously write output to the same device such as multiple computers printing to the same printer at the same time. The data are actually written to temporary files while a program called a spooler sends the files to the device one at a time.

SPOOLING

A technique for scheduling input/output to or from slow peripherals intermittently so that the CPU, which is much faster, can perform as many tasks as possible.

SPOT

Ink or dirt mark or other area of low reflectance relative to the background reflectance criteria within the space element of a scan line or the background of OCR characters. Spots can abut the bar elements or OCR characters, distorting their shape or they can be free standing. Distorted OCR characters and large spots in the background might result in a misread or non-read character.

SPREADSHEET

Software program that allows mathematical calculations, such as budgeting, keeping track of investments or tracking grades.

SQL

Structured Query Language. Standard Query Language used by many programs to manipulate and manage large databases.

SQL (STRUCTURED QUERY LANGUAGE)

Pronounced "see quill" is a language used to integrate and process data from a relational database. It is the defacto standard in the database query and permits different applications and platforms to exchange database information. A database access language that originated on mainframes and minicomputers, and which is now popular on PCs.

SSL

Secure Sockets Layer.

STALE-DATED CHECK

Check bearing a date that is more than six months old or older than a period stipulated on the check, such as "Void after 60 days."

STAND-ALONE

A device, which operates by itself, requiring no other equipment.

STANDARD

A document that establishes engineering and technical limitations and applications of items, materials, processes, methods, designs and engineering practices. It includes any related criteria deemed essential to achieve the highest practical degree of uniformity in materials or products or interchangeability of parts used in those products.

STANDARD A MAIL (FORMERLY THIRD- CLASS MAIL)

Mail with delayed handling (first-class and periodicals are processed first) requiring a minimum of 200 pieces or 50 pounds per mailing. To qualify as third class, each piece of mail must weigh less than 16 ounces. Most direct mail promotional material is sent by third-class mail.

STANDARD B MAIL (FORMERLY FOURTH- CLASS MAIL)

USPS designation for parcels (non-letter mail) weighing 16 ounces or more.

STANDARD MAIL

A class of mail consisting of mailable matter that is not mailed as First- Class Mail or entered as Periodicals. Standard Mail includes matter formerly classified as third-class and fourth-class mail.

STANDARDS

Established format for transmitting inter-company business documents in a uniform manner.

START/STOP CHARACTER

Typically a character is included in a scan line to indicate the beginning (start character) and end (stop character) of a field or scan line to the scanner.

STATEMENT

A record of all transactions made on an account over a specified period of time. Account statements are distributed on a regular basis to all checking account and statement savings customers. In programming, a descriptive phrase that generates machine language instructions to the computer.

STITCHING

Combining parts of a scanned image into a single larger image.

STOP PAYMENT

An order issued by a checking account customer instructing the bank to refuse payment on one or more checks (s) he has written.

STOP-LOSS CARRIER

An insurance issuer that agrees to insure a self-insured sponsor against health care claims in excess of a specified dollar amount. This helps limit the sponsor's liability in the event of catastrophic claims.

STORAGE

A device or medium that can retain data for subsequent retrieval.

STRING

A sequence of characters.

STRIPING

Disk striping copies blocks, bytes or bits across multiple disks in such a way that if one disk is lost, the data can be created using the blocks or bits on the remaining disks.

STRUCTURED QUERY LANGUAGE (SQL)

ANSI standard data manipulation language used in most relational database systems. A language for requesting data from a relational database.

STUB

The tear-off portion of an invoice or statement, which is returned with the check.

STYLE

It's special effects such as boldface, italic, outline, etc. that are applied to text in the Composite Editor.

SUBSAMPLING

Using an algorithm to derive a lower-resolution image from a higher-resolution image.

SUBSTITUTE CHECK

See Image Replacement Document.

SUBSTITUTION ERROR

A character that is wrongly decoded when a scan line character (OCR, MICR, ICR) is read.

SUBSTRATE

The material or medium upon which printed matter such as OCR characters or a coating is imposed.

SURFING

Netspeak for wandering, whether one is surfing through cable stations or surfing the Internet.

SURROGATE IMAGE

A representation of the original image, used for study.

SUSPEND

The PIE command you use to temporarily stop Imagine Engine operations.

SVGA (SUPER VIDEO GRAPHICS ARRAY)

Screen resolution of 800 x 600, not considered high resolution in the imaging industry.

SWAP

To exchange two items so that each appears where the other was originally.

SYMBOL

A special El 3-B character used to separate fields (or separate digits within a field) on the MICR Line. The four symbols of the El 3-B font are called Amount, On-Us, Transit and Dash.

SYMBOL SET

A unique collection and ordering of all the characters available in a Font. For example, the MICR Symbol Set contains only the numerals 0 through 9 and the four special symbols used for encoding the MICR Line on checks.

SYNCHRONOUS

Sending information over a communication line at regularly timed intervals. Each bit transmitted is expected at the receiving end at a specific time Contrast with Asynchronous.

SYNTAX

Specific rules, which govern the use of program instructions.

SYSTEM

Organized collection of hardware, software, supplies, people, maintenance, training and policies to accomplish a set of specific functions.

SYSTEMS PROGRAMS

The programs typically provided by the hardware manufacturer to make the system run.