Information Technology in Business: Telecommunications, Networks and Internet Basics

Learning Objectives
When you finish this chapter, you will:
Recognize why successful managers must be familiar with telecommunications concepts and terminology. Know the principles of communication within a computer system and among computers. Be able to identify the major media and devices that are used in telecommunications.

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Learning Objectives
Be able to list and explain the functions of different network layouts and the concept of protocols. Understand how telecommunications can improve operations in organizations. Know the latest developments in telecommunications media and transmission speeds. Understand the historical development of the Internet Understand the main structural components of the Internet Understand how HTML, HTTP, browsers and servers work together to form the WWW
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Telecommunications in Business
Telecommunications
Any form of long distance communication, including telephone, television and radio

Telecommunications has improved business in three main ways:

Better communication Higher efficiency Better distribution of data MIS 221

What is Data Communications?

Data Communications
Any transfer of data within a computer, between a computer and another device, or between two computers

Integration
Business are increasingly integrated in their use of computers, telephony, video and data networks

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What is a Telecommunications System?

Compatible hardware and software used to communicate information from one place to another
Will include voice, text, graphics, documents and video

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A Generalized Telecommunications System

Hardware (Host computer, front end communication processor, modem, multiplexor) Communications media (Cable or wireless) Communications software Data communications providers Communications protocols Communications applications (EDI, videoconferencing, EFT, etc.) MIS 221

Electronic Signals
Analog
Information imbedded in the changing characteristics of the wave
Amplitude or frequency based

Digital
Information imbedded as 1 or 0, on or off

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Modulation

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Figure 6.8 Signal modulation

Modulation
Amplitude Modulation (AM) Frequency Modulation (FM) Phase Modulation

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Multiplexing

Figure 6.9 Multiplexing

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Communications Devices
Modems
Devices that modulate and demodulate signals, converting from analog to digital and digital to analog

Multiplexers
Devices that allow several telephones or computers to transmit data through a single line Frequency-division multiplexing Time-division multiplexing

Front End Processors

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Channels and Media

Communication Channel
Physical medium through which data can be communicated.

Channel Capacity
Narrow band Broadband
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Channels and Media

Media
A medium is any means by which data can be transmitted.

Transmission speed
A mediums capacity is determined by the range of bits per second at which it can operate.
Baud Repeater
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Channels and Media

Twisted Pair
Telephone line made of a pair of copper wires twisted to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI)

Coaxial Cable
Commonly used for cable television transmission More expensive than twisted pair Greater transmission rate than twisted pair Much less susceptible to EMI
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Channels and Media

Microwaves
High-frequency, short radio-frequency (RF) waves Terrestrial microwave Satellite microwave

Optical Fiber
Fiber-optic technology uses light instead of electricity to transmit data.

Cellular and Wireless

Radio frequency technologies Fixed or mobile
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Channels and Media

Figure 6.5 Transmission speed measurement unit

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Channels and Media

Figure 6.6 Telecommunications transmission speeds of different media

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Channels and Media

Figure 6.7 Characteristics of channel media

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A Variety of Services

Figure 6.15 Services offered by telecommunications firms

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What is Data Communications?

Figure 6.1 Parallel and serial transmission

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Communication Direction
Three Modes of Communication Between Devices
Simplex One direction only Half-Duplex Both directions, but only one at a time Full-Duplex Simultaneous in both directions

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Communication Direction

Figure 6.2 Simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex communication

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Communication Direction
Asynchronous Communication
In asynchronous transmission, the devices are not synchronized by any timing aids. Advantage Does not need sophisticated and expensive timing hardware Disadvantage Overhead, time spent transmitting bits that are not a part of the primary data
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Communication Modes

Figure 6.3 The character D transmitted in asynchronous mode

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Communication Modes
Synchronous Communication
In synchronous communication, data are transmitted using timing devices.

Messages are transmitted in packets.

Advantage of synchronous communication Overhead in synchronous communication is significantly smaller than in asynchronous communication.
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Communication Modes

Figure 6.4 Synchronous transmission

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Protocols
Definition
Rules and procedures governing transmission across a network
Line access Collision avoidance

TCP/IP
Standard protocol of the Internet and intranets Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Designed for sending large files across unreliable networks Utilizes packets of information
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OSI Standard
Seven Layer Model
Governs peer-to-peer communication between software at each layer From physical layer (how bits are transmitted over a channel) To application layer (file transfer, security, etc)

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Open Systems Interconnect Model

Figure 6.14 The seven layers of the OSI model

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Networks
LANs (Local Area Networks)
Networks within a building, or within a group of adjacent buildings

WANs (Wide Area Networks)

Networks across significant distances, either within a single organization or spanning multiple organizations Value-added networks (VANs) Wireless communication

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Network Topology

Figure 6.12 Network topologies

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Networks Devices
Bridge
Connects two networks at the data link layer

Router
Connects two networks at network layer Provides intelligent routing, some network management functions and security

Gateways
Connect networks using different protocols

Switches
Incorporate features of bridges and gateways
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Other Standards (or lack thereof)

Operating Systems
No standard exists

Graphical User Interface

X Windows

Software Applications
No standard for programming language, DBMS, etc.
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Client/Server Computing
Enabled by proliferation of powerful desktop computers and decentralized servers Principle
Processing functions divided between to separate, distinct computers One requests services of a server (the client) One delivers a service upon request (the server)
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Example of Client/Server Computing

Email
Email client (Outlook) sends request to POP server for messages POP Server receives and validates request to download email Client processes data received (formats, displays, stores messages)

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Example of Client/Server Computing

Database Transaction
Client program running on PC sends query to DBMS running on central server DBMS on server parses and executes the query DBMS assembles resulting data (or status result) and sends it to client Client receives data and processes it (displays it, sends message to user, etc)
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Benefits of Client/Server Computing

Potential to reduce cost
By offloading computing cycles to cheaper and underutilized desktop PC

Improved performance
Has enabled high-performing graphical user interfaces

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