User Principal Name, a login format used in computer networks that resembles an email address (user@domain.com). Also formerly referred to the United Paramount Network, a television network that operated from 1995-2006.
As a computing term, coined in the 1990s by Microsoft for Windows networking, combining 'user' + 'principal' (main identifier) + 'name.' The TV network acronym stood for United Paramount Network, formed from the merger of Paramount and Chris-Craft Television.
The UPN format revolutionized computer login systems by making them more intuitive - instead of remembering cryptic domain codes, users could log in with something that looked like their email address. This seemingly small change made corporate networks much more user-friendly and reduced help desk calls dramatically.
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