Stands for "Windows, Apache, MySQL, and PHP." WAMP is a variation of LAMP for Windows systems and is often installed as a software bundle (Apache, MySQL, and PHP). It is often used for web development and internal testing, but may also be used to serve live websites.
The most important part of the WAMP package is Apache (or "Apache HTTP Server") which is used run the web server within Windows. By running a local Apache web server on a Windows machine, a web developer can test webpages in a web browser without publishing them live on the Internet.
WAMP also includes MySQL and PHP, which are two of the most common technologies used for creating dynamic websites. MySQL is a high-speed database, while PHP is a scripting language that can be used to access data from the database. By installing these two components locally, a developer can build and test a dynamic website before publishing it to a public web server.
While Apache, MySQL, and PHP are open source components that can be installed individually, they are usually installed together. One popular package is called "WampServer," which provides a user-friendly way to install and configure the "AMP" components on Windows.
Updated: May 23, 2013