vBNS

Very high speed Backbone Network Service. An experimental WAN backbone produced by MCI and sponsored by the NSF serving as a platform for new high-speed Internet technologies. See also: WAN, Backbone, NSF, Network, and Internet.

Vector-Based

A type of printer font that is a graphics image represented by complicated, outline-oriented images. See also: Font.

VGA

Video Graphics Array. A standard graphics display system for computers that uses an analog signal instead of a digital signal. See also: XGA, Analog, and Digital.

Virtual

Something that is conceptual rather than something that is physical. 

Virus

A program that is loaded onto a computer without the knowledge of the user and runs unknowingly and typically maliciously. See also: Program.

VOIP

Voice Over IP. The ability to make telephone calls and send faxes over IP-based data networks while maintaining a suitable QoS. See also: IP, Network, and QoS.

VPN

Virtual Private Network. Uses the Internet as a conduit, through which a secure connection can be established between a remote client and a private LAN, without incurring long distance charges that might result from dialing in to the LAN's server directly. See also: Internet, Client, Server, Host, and LAN.

VRAM

Video RAM. This type of memory is used by video adapters and can be accessed by two different devices at the same time. See also: RAM and WRAM.

VRML

Virtual Realty Modeling Language. A specification for presenting three-dimensional images within Web sites. See also: World Wide Web, Web Page, and Web Site.