[Term of the Day]: ATM
Term of the Day
"Asynchronous Transfer Mode"
What is Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)?
ATM stands for Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a networking technology where data is transmitted not in bits or frames, but in packets called cells. These cells are fixed in length and are composed of two parts: the header and the payload (5 bytes for the address header and 48 bytes for the payload). These extremely small cells can be processed through an ATM switch fast enough to maintain data transfer speeds of over 600 mbps. The technology was designed to be a fast, general-purpose transfer mode for multiple services from basic graphics to full-motion video. Because the cells are so small, ATM equipment can transmit large amounts of data over a single connection while ensuring that no single transmission takes up all the bandwidth.
It also allows Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to assign limited bandwidth to each customer. While this may seem like a downside for the customer, it actually improves the efficiency of the ISP's Internet connection, causing the overall speed of the connection to be faster for everybody.