MIS - Chapter 7: Telecommunications, Internet and Wireless

Describe the features of a simple network and the network infrastructure for a large company

A simple network consists of two or more connected computers. Basic network components include computers, network interfaces, a connection medium, network operating system software, and either a hub or a switch. The networking infrastructure for a large company relies on both public and private infrastructures to support the movement of information across diverse technological platforms. It includes the traditional telephone system, mobile cellular communication, wireless local area networks, videoconferencing systems, a corporate Web site, intranets, extranets, and an array of local and wide area networks, including the Internet. This collection of networks evolved from two fundamentally different types of networks: telephone networks and computer networks

Define an analog and a digital signal

Analog: a continuous waveform that passes through a communications medium and has been used for voice communication. Traditionally used by telephone handsets, computer speakers, or earphones. Digital: a discrete, binary waveform, rather than a continuous waveform, represented by strings of two states: one bits and zero bits, which are represented as on-off electrical pulses. Computers use digital signals and require a modem to convert these digital signals into analog signals that are transmitted across telephone lines, cable lines, or wireless media.

Name and describe the principal technologies and trends that have shaped contemporary telecommunications systems

Client/server computing, the use of packet switching, and the development of widely used communications standards such as TCP/IP are the three technologies that have shaped contemporary telecommunications systems. Client/server computing has extended to networking departments, workgroups, factory floors, and other parts of the business that could not be served by a centralized architecture. The Internet is based on client/server computing. Packet switching technology allows nearly full use of almost all available lines and capacity. This was not possible with the traditional dedicated circuit-switching techniques that were used in the past. TCP/IP is a suite of protocols that has become the dominant standard of network communications. Having a set of protocols for connecting diverse hardware and software components has provided a universally agreed upon method for data transmission.

Distinguish between a LAN, MAN, and WAN.

LAN (Local Area Network): a telecommunications network that is designed to connect personal computers and other digital devices within a half-mile or 500-meter radius. LANs typically connect a few computers in a small office, all the computers in one building, or all the computers in several buildings in close proximity. LANs require their own dedicated channels. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): a network that spans a metropolitan area, usually a city and its major suburbs. Its geographic scope falls between a WAN and a LAN. WAN (Wide Area Network): spans broad geographical distances—entire regions, states, continents, or the entire globe. The most universal and powerful WAN is the Internet. Computers connect to a WAN through public networks, such as the telephone system or private cable systems, or through leased lines or satellites.

Define RFID, explain how it works and describe how it provides value to businesses.

Mobile wireless technology facilitates supply chain management by capturing data on the movement of goods as these events take place and by providing detailed, immediate information as goods move among supply chain partners. Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems provide a microchip that contains data about an item and its location. The tags transmit radio signals over a short distance to special RFID readers. The RFID readers then pass the data over a network to a computer for processing. RFID gives businesses an opportunity to further automate their supply chain networks. The technology allows more data on an RFID chip than typical barcodes. RFID systems track each pallet, lot, or unit item in a shipment. The technology helps companies improve receiving and storage operations by improving their ability to "see" exactly what stock is stored in warehouses or on retail store shelves.

Define Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMax, and 3G and 4G networks.

Standards for wireless computer networks include Bluetooth (802.15) for small personal area networks (PANs), Wi-Fi (802.11) for local area networks (LANs), and WiMax (802.16) for metropolitan area networks (MANs). Bluetooth can link up to eight devices within a 10-meter area using low-power, radio-based communication and can transmit up to 722 Kbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Wireless phones, keyboards, computers, printers, and PDAs using Bluetooth can communicate with one another and even operate one another without direct user intervention. Wi-Fi is useful for creating wireless LANs and for providing wireless Internet access. Its access range is limited to anywhere between 300 feet and three miles. Hotspots are public access points individuals use to obtain high speed Internet access. WiMax has a wireless access range of up to 31 miles and a data transfer rate of up to 75 Mbps, making it suitable for providing broadband Internet access in areas lacking DSL and cable lines. The 802.16 specification also has robust security and quality-of-service features to support voice and video. 3G is a short term for third-generation wireless technology, especially mobile communications. Cellular networks have evolved from slow-speed (1G) analog networks to high-speed, high-bandwidth, digital packet-switched, third-generation (3G) networks with speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to more than 2 Mbps for data transmission. 4G is short term for fourth-generation wireless technology. It is entirely packet switched and capable of 100 Mbps transmission speed (which can reach 1 Gbps under optimal conditions), with premium quality and high security. Voice, data, and high-quality streaming video are available to users anywhere, anytime.

Define the Internet, describe how it works and explain how it provides business value

The Internet is a vast network of computers that connects millions of people all over the world. The Internet uses the client/server model of computing and the TCP/IP network reference model. Every computer on the Internet is assigned a unique numeric IP address. No one owns the Internet, and it has no formal management organization. However, worldwide Internet policies are established by organizations and government bodies, such as the Internet Architecture Board and the World Wide Web Consortium. The Internet must also conform to the laws of the sovereign nation-states in which it operates, as well as the technical infrastructure that exist within the nation-state. The Internet enables employees to gain remote access to the company's internal systems through its Web site. They are able to better service customers and suppliers, improve operational efficiency, increase productivity, lower operational costs, have a broader market base, and reach more individual customers on a global scale by establishing a Web presence. The cost of e-mail and other Internet services tend to be far lower than equivalent voice, postal, or overnight delivery costs, making the Internet a very inexpensive communication medium. It is also a very fast method of communication, with messages arriving anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds or minutes.

Explain how the Domain Name System (DNS) and IP addressing system work.

The Internet is based on the TCP/IP networking protocol suite. Every computer on the Internet is assigned a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, which currently is a 32-bit number represented by four strings of numbers ranging from 0 to 255 separated by periods. A domain name is the English-like name that corresponds to the unique 32-bit numeric IP address for each computer connected to the Internet. The Domain Name System (DNS) converts IP addresses to domain names so that users need to specify only a domain name to access a computer on the Internet instead of typing the numeric IP address. DNS servers maintain a database containing IP addresses mapped to their corresponding domain names. When a user sends a message to another user on the Internet, the message is first decomposed into packets using the TCP protocol. Each packet contains its destination address. The packets are then sent from the client to the network server and from there on to as many other servers as necessary to arrive at a specific computer with a known address. At the destination address, the packets are reassembled into the original message.

Compare Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.

Web 2.0 refers to second-generation interactive Internet-based services that enable people to collaborate, share information, and create new services online. Web 2.0 is distinguished by technologies and services such as cloud computing, software mashups and widgets, blogs, RSS, and wikis. These software applications run on the Web itself instead of the desktop and bring the vision of Web-based computing closer to realization. Web 2.0 tools and services have fueled the creation of social networks and other online communities where people can interact with one another in the manner of their choosing. Web 3.0 focuses on developing techniques to make searching Web pages more productive and meaningful for ordinary people. Web 3.0 is the promise of a future Web where all digital information and all contacts can be woven together into a single meaningful experience. Sometimes referred to as the semantic Web, Web 3.0 intends to add a layer of meaning atop the existing Web to reduce the amount of human involvement in searching for and processing Web information. It also focuses on ways to make the Web more "intelligent," with machine-facilitated understanding of information promoting a more intuitive and effective user experience. Web 3.0 will use cloud computing, software-as-a-service, ubiquitous connectivity among mobile platforms and Internet access devices, and transformation of the Web into a more seamless and interoperable whole.

Define WSNs, explain how they work, and describe the kinds of applications that use them

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of interconnected wireless devices with some processing and radio-transmitting capability that are embedded into the physical environment to provide measurements of many points over large spaces. Wireless sensor networks are valuable for monitoring environmental changes, traffic patterns, security incidents, or supply chain events. Wireless sensor networks can be placed in the field for years without any maintenance or human intervention. That reduces costs to businesses using them.

Describe the capabilities of each and for which types of applications each is best suited.

• Bluetooth: Access very limited; useful for creating small personal area networks. • Wi-Fi: Access is limited to 30-50 meters; useful for creating small local area networks • WiMax: Access is limited to a range up to 31 miles: useful for creating wide area networks • 3G networks: Access is available on major cellular telephone carriers that have configured their networks for 3G services. 4G networks: Provides premium quality for voice, data, and streaming video from cellular telephone carriers.

List and describe the principal Internet services

• E-mail—person-to-person messaging; document sharing. • Newsgroups—discussion groups on electronic bulletin boards. • Chatting and instant messaging—interactive conversations. • Telnet—logging on to one computer system and doing work on another. • File Transfer Protocol (FTP)—transferring files from computer to computer. World Wide Web—retrieving, formatting, and displaying information (including text, audio, graphics, and video) using hypertext links.

List and describe alternative ways of locating information on the Web.

• Search engines are a facility on the Web that helps you find sites with the information and/or services you want. Examples: Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. • Intelligent agent shopping bots use intelligent agent software for searching the Internet for shopping information. Examples: MySimon and Froogle. • Blogs are informal yet structured Web sites where subscribing individuals can publish stories, opinions, and links to other Web sites of interest. • Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a simple way for people to have content they want pulled from Web sites and fed automatically to their computers, where it can be stored for later viewing. It's commonly used with blogs. • Wikis are collaborative Web sites where visitors can add, delete, or modify content on the site, including the work of previous authors. • Web 2.0 provides second-generation interactive Internet-based services that enable people to collaborate, share information, and create new services online. Web 2.0 software applications run on the Web itself instead of the desktop and bring the vision of Web-based computing closer to realization. Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) reduces the amount of human involvement in searching for and processing Web information. It's still in its infancy but promises to establish specific meanings for data on the Web, categories for classifying the data, and relationships among classification categories.

Define and describe VoIP and virtual private networks and explain how they provide value to businesses

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enables Internet technology to be used for telephone voice transmission over the Internet or private networks. VoIP offers the advantage of avoiding tolls charged by local and long-distance telephone networks. VoIP provides businesses an opportunity to reduce costs because they no longer have to maintain separate networks or provide support services and personnel for each different type of network. It gives organizations flexibility because phones can be added or moved to different offices without rewiring or reconfiguring networks. Virtual private networks are secure, encrypted, private networks that have been configured within a public network to take advantage of the economies of scale and management facilities of large networks, such as the Internet. VPNs are low-cost alternatives to private WANs. VPNs give businesses a more efficient network infrastructure for combining voice and data networks.