Glossary (A)

Air Interface
The standard operating system of a wireless network. Air interface technologies include: AMPS, TDMA, CDMA and GSM.

AMPS- (Advanced Mobile Phone Service)
An analog cellular radio standard that serves as the foundation for the U.S. cellular industry. AMPS represents the first generation of wireless networks.

Analog
The traditional method of modulating radio signals. Most U.S. cellular phones use analog but are migrating to digital technologies. AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation) are the two most common methods of analog modulation.

API- (Application Program Interface)
A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system or some other system or control program such as a database management system (DBMS) or communications protocol. APIs are implemented by writing function calls in the program, which provide the linkage to the required subroutine for execution. Thus, an API implies that a program module is available in the computer to perform the operation or that it must be linked into the existing program to perform the tasks.

ASP- (Application Service Provider)
An organization that hosts software applications on its own servers within its own facilities. Customers access the application via private lines or the Internet. ASP is also called a "commercial service provider."

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