What does QoS stand for, and why is it important?

QoS stands for Quality of Service, which is crucial in network design and management as it refers to the overall performance of a network. Specifically, QoS is important because it prioritizes different types of traffic on a network, ensuring that more critical data packets, such as voice calls or video streams, are given precedence over less time-sensitive traffic like file downloads or email. By managing bandwidth allocation, latency, packet loss, and jitter, QoS helps maintain a consistent and reliable experience for users, particularly in environments where managing real-time applications is essential. This prioritization is key to maintaining performance levels that meet user expectations and service level agreements (SLAs).