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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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.

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1. Distributed Processing:

   • Centralised processing: all processing occurs in a single location or facility
   • Decentralised processing: processing devices are places at various remote locations
   • Distributed processing: processing devices are placed at remote locations but are connected to each other via a network

2. Client/server systems:

   • Client/server Architecture: multiple computer programs are dedicated to special functions

   • Server: distributes programs and data to other computer (clients) on the network as they request them

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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)

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• 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

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• 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

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