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Sales	Selling a product or service to customers. Sales is an element of the marketing process.
Scanner	A device that can transfer analogue images, such as photographs, into digital computer files. Scanners can also use OCR software to transfer printed text into word processing files.
Search engine	A tool for sifting and locating specified information stored anywhere on the internet.
Security (computing)	The practice of securing information stored on computers from unauthorised users. Firewalls, virus protection software, encryption and password protection are key tools in computer security.
Security (financial)	A charge that a money lender places over an asset owned by a borrower as security for money being lent. If the borrower defaults on payments, the lender can recover its money through disposal of the asset.
Self assessment	The UK tax regime under which individuals are responsible for calculating and submitting their annual tax returns to the Inland Revenue.
Server	Refers to a computer providing a specific function for "client" computers linked over a network. Examples include a file server which enables all computers to access a store of data it is holding, a print server through which all computers send data to be printed and a communications server which provides a "gateway" to services such as the internet.
SLA	A service level agreement sets out the minimum level of service that a supplier is contracted to provide to a customer, eg an Internet Service Provider could commit to making its service available 99% of all time - if it did not achieve this, it would be breaking the service level agreement.
SGML	Standard Generalised Mark-up Language is the basis for HTML and other mark-up languages. Developed before the introduction of the internet, SGML provides a logical structure for document content.
Share	Companies issue shares as a means of raising capital. In return for purchasing a share, the share owner usually receives the right to vote on the business of the company as well as any dividends paid by the company.
Share option	A scheme which enables employees to acquire shares in the company for which they work, often at a lower price.
Shareware	Software that is distributed via bulletin boards, the internet, trial CDs and between users themselves. Often developed by individuals, educational or non-profit-making establishments, shareware programs are either free or require users to send a small fee to support the developer. Shareware ranges from useful PC utilities to help users handle a specific task to larger, more complex programs - likewise the quality ranges from poor to superb, proving that large software developers do not necessarily offer the best products.
Site map	A site map acts as a detailed index to the content of a web site and can often be used like the index at the back of a book to find where in the site reference is made to a specific topic.
Small Business Service	A Government agency established to provide a comprehensive advice service to UK small and medium-sized enterprises. Visit the Small Business Service web site at www.sbs.gov.uk for further details.
Smart card	Usually the size of a credit card, a smart card can hold sensitive information, such as a user’s password or identity, in programmable read-only memory. Offering a variety of functions, some government authorities are introducing smart cards to enable citizens to access local services, such as libraries and leisure facilities. When proffered the card will identify the holder as a resident entitled to use those services.
SME	Small and medium-sized enterprises are defined are businesses with between 1 and 249 employees.
SMS	Short Messaging Service or text messaging enables paging or text to be transmitted to a mobile phone from another mobile phone or PC. Although SMS limits the length of messages to between 160 and 255 characters, text messaging has caught on fast in Europe and is being adopted by some businesses as a serious communications tool.
SMTP	The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) controls how email messages are transmitted across the internet. Sometimes referred to as the Simple Mail Transport Protocol.
Social networking	In business, social networking tends to refer to structured groups or events enabling business people to meet each other to promote their business interests and provide support for each other. It also refers to online networks where people 'connect' with each other to form virtual business relationships, such as ecademy, LinkedIn, betternetworking, twitter and facebook.
Software	The programs or instructions which enable computers to operate. The term "software package" is commonly used to denote ready made, proprietary software that can be purchased off-the-shelf.
Sole trader	An individual who sets up and runs a business on their own.
Spam	The practice of sending unsolicited emails to users - an electronic version of junk mail.
Spin-off	The creation of a separate independent company from a department or division of an existing company.
Spoofing	Spoofing refers the practice of making an email appear to have been sent from one source while concealing the true identity of the originator. Spoofing can be used to trick people into responding with sensitive information such as passwords.
Stamp duty	Most commonly applied to the transfer of land or property, stamp duty is collected when the legal documents are stamped.
Storage	The facility to keep information, so that it can be retrieved and used at another time. Most PCs store information in files on their hard disk, but other storage media include diskettes, removable hard disks, Syquest, optical disks, tape and CD.
Standing instructions	A permanent instruction that a certain action must take place when specific criteria are met, eg money transferred from one bank account to another or a customer paid regularly on a specified day each month or year.
Strapline	A memorable phrase or slogan - often used in conjunction with a logo - which communicates the character or purpose of a company or a brand, such as Zarywacz's "elegant & exciting communications".
Streaming	Displaying video while it is being transmitted over a computer network, so that the beginning of a video recording starts playing before the entire video file has been received. The benefit of streaming video or multimedia is that the audience does not have to wait and there is no pause before playback begins.
SWOT	SWOT analysis involves examining Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats applicable to a specific business topic to determine future plans or action.