Ch 4. Telecommunications, the Internet, Intranets, and Extranets

Supply chain management might use telecommunications and networks the most among all business functions

• Telecommunications are electronic transmission of signals for communications
• telecommunications medium: any material substance that carries an electronic signal to support communications between a sending and receiving device
• Telecommunications devices relay signals between computer systems and transmission media

Channel Bandwidth: is the rate at which data is exchanged.

Broadband communications are telecommunication systems that can exchange data very quickly

Communications Media: are the means of delivering and receiving data or information

Guided transmission media types include:

• Wireless technologies
• Microwave transmission
• 3G/4G wireless communications
• Worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX)

Wireless technologies: Wireless telecommunications involves the broadcast of communications in one of three frequency ranges → microwave, radio, and infrared

Microwave transmission: high frequency (300MHz-300GHz) signal sent through the air

3G wireless communications: supports wireless voice broadband speed data communications in a mobile environment

4G wireless communications: 4G will also provide increased data transmission rates in the 20-40 Mbps range

• Worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX)
• Operated like wifi, only over greater distances and at faster transmission speeds

Telecommunications Hardware: Smartphones:

• Have their own software operating systems
• Applications are developed by: manufacturers, operators of the communications network on which they operate, third-party software developers
• Modem, Fax modem, Multiplexer, PBX, Front-end processor, Switch, Bridge, Router

Networks and Distributed Processing

• Computer network: consists of communications media, devices, and software needed to connect two or more computer systems or devices
• Can transmit and receive information to improve organisation effectiveness and efficiency

Network types:

1. Personal area networks (PAN): support interconnection of information technology within a range of about 33 feet
2. Local area network (LAN): connect computer systems and devices within a small area (office/home)
3. Metropolitan area networks (MAN): connect users and their devices in a geographical area that spans a campus or city
4. Wide area networks (WAN): connect large geographic regions

• In a typical LAN, all network users within an office can connect to each other's devices for rapid communication.

Telecommunications software

1. Network Operating system (NOS): systems software that controls the computer systems and devices on a network
2. Network management software: protects software from being copied, modified, or downloaded illegally

• Located telecommunications errors and potential network problems

Use of the Internet/How it works:

• ARPANET: ancestor of the internet
• Internet Protocol (IP): enables computers to route communications traffic from one network to another
• IP Protocol: set of rules to pass packets from one host to another
• IP Address: 64-bit number that identifies a computer on the internet
• Uniform Resource Locator (URL): web address that specific the exact location of a web page
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN):
• Responsible for managing IP addresses and the internet domain names
• Has authority to resolve domain name disputes

Domain Name ID: The internet routes data packets over the network backbone from route to route to reach their destinations

• Com → business sites
• Gov → government sites
• Net → networking sites
• Edu → educational sites
• Org → non-profit organisation sites
• Mobi → mobile-compatible sites for smartphones

Accessing the Internet: access method determined by the size and capability of your organisation or system

• Connect via LAN server:  business LAN servers are typically connected to their internet at very fast data rates
• Connecting via internet service providers: an ISP is any organisation that provides internet access to people

Cloud Computing: Computer environment in which software and storage are provided as an internet service and accessed with a web browser

• Extremely scalable and often takes advantage of virtualisation technologies

Advantages to businesses:

• Businesses can save on system design, installation, and maintenance
• Employees can access corporate systems from any internet-connected computer

World Wide Web & How it Works: Originally created as an internal document management system, and has become:

• Primary source of information and news
• Indispensable conduit for commerce
• A popular hub for social interaction, entertainment, and communication

The Internet: made up of computers, network hardware such as routers and fiber-optic cables, software, and the TCP/IP protocol

The Web: consists of server and client software, the hypertext transfer protocol (http), and mark-up languages that combine to deliver information and services over the internet

It works using:

• Hyperlink: highlighted text or graphics in a web document that, when clicked, opens a new web page
• Web browser: web client software such as internet explorer, firefox, and safari used to view web pages
• Hypertext markup language (HTML): standard page description language for web pages
• HTML tags: tell the web browser how to format text
• Extensible markup language (XML): markup language for web documents containing structured information
• Cascading style sheet (CSS): markup language that defines the visual appearance of content in a web page

Web Programming Languages:

1. Java:

• Object oriented programming language from sun microsystems based on C++
• Allows small programs (applets) to be embedded within an HTML document

1. Other documents: JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX
2. Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP)

Web services: Standards and tools that streamline and simplify communication among web sites

• XML: the key to web services

Developing Web Content:

• Web publishing tools: .NET, Bubbler, Homestead QuickSites, and JobSpot
• Mashup: named for the process of mixing two or more hip-hop sings into one song

Popular uses for the Internet and Web:

• Publishing information
• Assisting users in finding information
• Supporting communication and collaboration
• Building online community
• Providing software applications
• Providing a platform for expressing ideas
• Delivering media of all types
• Providing a platform for commerce
• Supporting travel and navigation \n

Online Information Sources:

• Business information: businesses often use internet and web-based systems for knowledge management
• Search Engines: enable you to find information on the web by specifying keywords (example: google)

Rich Internet Applications: software that has the functionality and complexity of traditional application software but does not require local installation and runs in a web browser

• Result of continuously improving programming languages and platforms designed for the web

Intranet: internal corporate network built using internet and world wide web standards and technologies

Extranet: network that links selected resources of a company’s intranet with its customers, suppliers, or other business partners