Data

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What Does Data Mean?

Data, in the context of computing, refers to distinct pieces of digital information. Data is usually formatted in a specific way and can exist in a variety of forms, such as numbers, text, etc. When used in the context of transmission media, data refers to information in binary digital format.

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Techopedia Explains Data

Data is a broad term in computer technology, but it is often used to identify and separate information from mere bits.

In telecommunications, data often refers to digital, rather than analog, information. Unlike analog transmissions, which require a hard-line connection for the duration of a transmission, digital data is sent in packets.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.