Telemetry is the automatic recording and transmission of data from remote or inaccessible sources to an IT system in a different location for monitoring and analysis. Telemetry data may be relayed using radio, infrared, ultrasonic, GSM, satellite or cable, depending on the application (telemetry is not only used in software development, but also in meteorology, intelligence, medicine, and other fields).

In the software development world, telemetry can offer insights on which features end users use most, detection of bugs and issues, and offering better visibility into performance without the need to solicit feedback directly from users.