Analog Line
A regular Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) voice line.
Adjustment Message
This message allows only the florist that sent the order to report an error on an outgoing order.
Answer Ask Message
This message allows you to respond to a question, comment or price change. Answer Ask messages are only to used to respond to Ask About Order messages.
Ask About Order Message
This message allows you to ask the florist who sent you a question about the order. You may also use it to request price change. If the Ask About Order message is used to indicate a price change, it must be sent in the same calendar month as the original order. Sending the Ask About Order message within the same calendar month allows the program to correct the price for the Clearing House billing. If the filling florist requests a price change, the sending florist must send and Answer Ask message stating the NEW price. Only then will the price be adjusted on the Clearing House billing.
Bits per Second (BPS)
The rate of data transfer over a communication line. The data rate of a modem is measured in kilobits per second.
Cancel Order Message
This message allows you to request that a florist you have forwarded an order to, or the Host Computer cancel an order you have sent. If the Cancel Order message reaches the Host Computer before the order is processed, the Host will cancel the order (the computer will not forward the order to the filling florist) and send you a confirmation of the cancellation.
However, if the Cancel Order message reaches the Host Computer after the order is has been processed and sent to the filling florist, the filling florist may either send a Confirm Cancellation or Deny Cancellation message.
Confirm Cancellation Message
This message allows you to confirm a Cancel Order message request. For example, you may receive a Cancel Order message requesting that you not fill an order. To confirm you will not fill the order, you must send a Confirm Cancellation message.
To adjust Clearing House billing, the CONfirmation message and CANcellation message must be sent during the same calendar month as the original order. IF a DENy message is sent after a CONfirmation was sent for the same order, the DENy overrides the CONfirmation.
Credit Card Message
This message allows you to report your credit card sales (customer purchases and outgoing wire orders) to the FTD Clearing House for payment. You may make credits or cancel an individual Credit Card Message over the FTD Mercury Network. If you wish to file an adjustment against a Credit Card Message, type CREDIT in the Authorization No. field.
Dedicated Line
A telecommunications line that lets your computer have a direct, permanent connection to the Internet or other sites; in contrast with a dialup connection which is only opened for temporary use. A dedicated line is assigned to only one purpose, and is always connected to the same equipment.
Deny Cancellation Message
This message allows you to refuse to cancel an order sent to you by another florist. When this message is sent in response to a Confirm Cancellation message, the order in question is reported to the appropriate Clearing House. If a Confirm Cancellation message is sent after a Deny Cancellation message for the same order, the Confirm Cancellation message overrides the Deny Cancellation message.
Dial-Up Connection
Most commonly used to access the Internet, it is a connection between two computers using a telephone line.
Ethernet
The most popular type of local area network, which sends its communications through radio frequency signals carried by a cable (usually a Category 5 cable). Each computer checks to see if another computer is transmitting and waits its turn to transmit. If two computers accidentally transmit at the same time and their messages collide, they wait and send again in turn. Software protocols used by Ethernet systems vary, but include IPX and TCP/IP.
Fast 100 MHz bus
This describes the speed in MegaHertz that the computer sends information (data) from the CPU to the peripheral devices within the computer case (hard disk drives, Random Access Memory [RAM], etc.). So, if a PC has a processor (CPU) that is rated @ 500MHz (the speed at which it performs instructions), and the PC's bus speed is 66MHz, the processor will always wait for the bus to finish its workload.
Forward Order Message
This message allows the filling florist to forward an order to another florist for delivery. When you select another florist, the Network routes the order and billing to that florist. You may forward orders to other Mercury florists. Please remember that you may not forward Mercury orders by telephone.
General Message
This message allows you to use Mercury Direct to communicate with other Mercury Direct florists or FTD Headquarters in Downers Grove, IL. The transmission charge for sending a General Message to another florist is based on the transmissions priority you select. There is not transmission charge for sending a General Message to FTD Headquarters.
Hyperlink
An underlined word or phrase on a Web page that can be clicked on by a mouse in order to access another area on the same page or another page altogether.
Internet
A network of networks; a group of networks interconnected via routers. The Internet (with a capital I) is the world's largest internet.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
Digital telecommunication lines that can transmit both voice and digital network service up to 128K, and are much faster and more reliable than high-speed analog modems. Many telephone companies offer ISDN lines.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
The company that allows you to connect to the Internet.
Internet Protocol Address (IP Address)
A series of four numbers separated by periods, that represent each computer on a network. Each IP Address is unique on the network, and will resemble 132.152.187.5 in format.
Link
See Hyperlink.
Local Area Network (LAN)
A limited-distance (typically under a few kilometers) high-speed network (typically 4 to 100 Mbits/s) that supports many computers.
Marketplace Order Message
This message allows you to use your Mercury Direct program to orders products from the Marketplace Division of FTD. The Marketplace Order message provides you with a copy of your product order.
Megabyte (MB)
A Megabyte is a data storage measuring unit. For example, 1 Megabyte is equal to 1024 Kilobytes of storage space.
Mercury Direct Dialer/Printer (MDDP)
This is a program that automatically checks your orders.
Operating System
Your Operating System is the software that runs your PC. For example, Microsoft Windows is one of the most common operating systems used today. UNIX and DOS are other examples of Operating Systems.
Order Message
This message allows you to send an order to another Mercury Direct florist.
Received Order Message
This message allows you to report Mercury orders that you receive by telephone, to the FTD Clearing House. All Mercury orders received through the FTD Mercury Network are reported automatically. Do not report a Mercury order using this message.
There is no transmission charge to the filling florist who submits a Received Order message. If the sending florist uses the Received Order message to report an order, a transmission fee is charged.
Reject Order Message
This message allows you to reject an order sent to you by another florist. Only a filling florist may reject an order. You must send the Reject Order message in the same calendar month as the date of the original order. This ensure the accuracy of the Clearing House statement.
Remote Access Server (RAS)
A computer hooked up to a network, with several modems attached to it, allowing the computers to connect to it via telephone lines.
Resume Message
This message allows your program to receive orders earlier than the date and time you specified in your Suspend message. Mercury Direct will continue to process administrative messages while the Suspend is in effect.
Static IP Address
A static or dedicated IP Address is a type of address where a computer is assigned the same IP Address at all times. It is used most often for security purposes.
SUSpend Message
This message allows you to suspend your Mercury Direct system temporarily from receiving orders or messages. Administrative messages will continue to be received during the suspension period. The Host Computer automatically forwards orders sent to your system to other Mercury florists. Orders that have a delivery date after the suspension period will be transmitted to your store.
TCP/IP
This long acronym stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This is a very popular data communications protocol, since it is available for most operating systems and hardware platforms -- so these computers can communicate.
Title Bar
The blue bar in the top, left hand corner of the window.