Telecommunications

Chapter 8
Telecommunication :
Strategic Considerations
Telecommunication is a term that refers to any system in
which data or information is sent over a some type of
transmission media (wire or air).
Telecommunication activities are pervading in many
organizational activities.
There are two fundamentally different types of
telecommunications networks: telephone networks and
computer networks, which are slowly merging into a
single digital network using shared Internet technology
and equipment
Traditional landline phone, Cellular phones, Email , voice
mail, video conferencing, bulletin boards ,intranets.
An application framework of
Telecommunication
Compressing time
Work can be done faster
Execute many tasks same time
Decision maker can get information at right time
Overcoming geographical location
Geographically dispersed organizations function as they were at a
single location.
Large geographical area could be served without significantly increase
staffing cost from single logical office.
New markets can be explored and served
Restructuring business relations
Better management of customer relationship. (CRM,PRM)
Provide customer service from central location.
Experts knowledge can be captured electronically.
Strategic alliances
Through EDI , standard business documentation
Saves time and cost. (printing, paper handling, postage)
EDI examples burger king , Wal-Mart
Distributed Processing Systems
Distribute transaction processing operations to multiple sites.
Advantages of distributed systems
Quicker response time : due to close link with user
Lowers costs :data need not to sent long distance
Improved data integrity : spot errors quickly
Reduced host processor costs :by off-loading, the productive cost of
central system will increase.
Increased reliability: if one or few systems fails in network it will not
effect the efficiency.
Resource sharing: costly equipment can be shared
Disadvantages
Shortage of MIS professionals
Standardization
Data integrity
Security
Communication Media
Types of media :
Networks use different types of physical transmission
media.
Physical lines
Twisted wire: Pairs of copper wires used mostly for
analog voice signals but also sometimes for data.
Twisted wire is the oldest medium.
Coaxial cable is thickly insulated wire that is faster
and more interference-free than twisted wire.
Fiber optic A fast, light, and durable transmission
medium consisting of thin strands of clear glass fiber
bound into cables. Data are transmitted as light
pulses.
Communication Media
Wireless media:
Wireless transmission uses radio frequencies or infrared
signals to transmit data wirelessly.

Microwave systems (terrestrial and satellite) transmit high-

frequency radio signals and are used for high-volume, long-
distance, point-to-point communications.
Microwaves follow a straight line, and transmission stations or
satellites are used as relay stations for long distance signals.
Cellular telephones use the 800-2000 MHz radio spectrum to
communicate with radio antennas (towers) placed within
adjacent areas, or cells. Older cellular systems are analog, while
contemporary systems are digital, supporting data transmission
as well as voice transmission.
Media Signals
Electronic signals in a telecommunications network can be analog
or digital.
Modem :A device for translating a computer's digital signals into
analog form for transmission over ordinary telephone lines, or for
translating analog signals back into digital form for reception by a
computer.
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is an older telephone
standard for voice, video, image, and data transmission over
twisted-pair telephone lines.
Serial versus parallel transmission:
Serial : the bits of each byte sent along a single path one after another
Parallel: separate parallel path corresponds to each bit of a byte

Asynchronous versus synchronous transmission: The way data

is packed as they were sent along a communication path.
Networking Alternatives
Hierarchical networks: A host computer at the top of
hierarchy and several workstations are at bottom.
Star networks: A network topology in which all
computers and other devices are connected to a central
host computer. All communications between network
devices must pass through the host computer.
Bus networks: Network topology linking a number of
computers by a single circuit with all messages
broadcast to the entire network.
Ring networks: A ring network links all computers by a
closed loop and passes data in one direction from one
machine to another.
Switching Alternatives
Circuit switching
A single circuit is used for entire communication
Message switching
An entire message is moved through network, is
cheaper and faster than packet switching because it
does not use error correction routines.

Packet switching :
Technology that breaks messages into small, fixed
bundles of data and routes them in the most
economical way through any available
communications channel.
WAN protocols, Architecture, Software
and Hardware
Hub: Simple devices that connect network components,
sending a packet of data to all other connected devices.
Switches : Device to connect network components that
has more intelligence than a hub and can filter and
forward data to a specified destination.
Routers :Specialized communications processor that
forwards packets of data from one network to another
network
Multiplexer : Hardware device that enables several low
speed devices to share the same high speed line.
Gateways : Collection of hardware and software facility
that enables devices on one network to communicate
with devices on other.
Wide Area Network
Leased lines : T lines are expensive, high-
speed data lines leased by large corporations
from communication providers, typically long-
distance telephone companies. A T1 line has 24
64-Kbps channels that can support a total data
transmission of 1.544 Mbps, and a T3 line can
support up to 45 Mbps.
Value added networks: Organizations that
provide service to public over common carrier
facilities.
High quality services with low cost, Western Union
Wide Area Network
Protocol
A set of rules and procedures that govern transmission
between the components in a network.
Open System Interconnection (OSI)
This model consist of seven layers
TCP/IP
Dominant model for achieving connectivity among
different networks. Provides a universally agree-on
method for breaking up digital messages into packets,
routing them to the proper addresses, and then
reassembling them into coherent messages.
TCP/IP
The Wireless Revolution
Devices that support wireless or mobile communication
and computing include:
Cell phones
Personal digital assistants (PDAs): Small, handheld
computers featuring applications such as electronic schedulers
and address books
E-mail handhelds: A special type of handheld that is optimized
for wireless text messaging
Smart phones: Hybrid devices combining the functionality of a
PDA with that of a digital cell phone
Digital cellular service uses several standards that are
Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)
Short message service (SMS)
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
Personal area networks (PANs),
Bluetooth,