Chapter 7: Networks, Telecommunications, and mobile Technology
1. Network Basics
a. Local area network (LAN) - is designed to connect a group of computers in close proximity to each other, such as in an office
building, a school, or a home.
b. Wide area network (WAN) - spans a large geographic area, such as a state, province, or country
c. Metropolitan area network (MAN) - a large computer network usually spanning a city
2. Business Advantage for using Networks and Telecommunications
a. Voice over IP (VoIP) - uses TCP/IP technology to transmit voice calls over long-distance telephone lines
b. Networking businesses
i. Transparent exchange of information with suppliers, trading partners, and customers
ii. Exchange information reliably and securely either internally or externally
iii. Virtual Private Network (VPN)- a way to use the public telecommunication infrastructure to provide secure access to an
organization’s network.
iv. Total integration of businesses multiple systems, including databases,clients and servers.
v. Scalable processing power and networking capacity to meet high demand
vi. Framework for digital businesses and allows brick and mortar companies to integrate into the digital world
c. Increasing the speed of business
i. Bandwidth - is the difference between the highest and the lowest frequencies that can be transmitted on a single medium,
and it is a measure of the medium's capacity.
ii. Broadband - refers to high-speed Internet connections transmitting data at speeds greater than 200 kilobytes per second
(Kbps)
d. Securing business networks
i. Organizational concerns include identification of users, authorization of network access, control of access, and protection of
data integrity.
3. Mobile Technology and Business
a. Mobile means the technology can travel with the user, but it is not necessarily in real-time
b. Wireless gives users a live (Internet) connection via satellite or radio transmitters
c. Increase productivity, speed delivery to the market, and reduced operating costs for businesses
d. Infrastructure: Uses radio waves, microwaves, and satellites to transmit data on high frequency radio ranges that connect to
wired media.
4. Drivers of Wireless Technology
a. Universal access to information and applications
b. Automation of business practices
c. User convenience, timeliness, and ability to conduct business 24x7x365
5. Cellular Technology and Business
a. Cellular telephones use radio waves to communicate with radio antennas (or towers) placed within adjacent geographic areas
called cells
b. Message sent to local cell of sender and then sent from cell to cell until it reaches the receiving cell.
c. Personal digital assistants (PDA)- are small, handheld computers capable of entirely digital communications transmission
d. Smartphone - combines the functions of a cellular phone and a PDA in a single device
e. Bluetooth – a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal
digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection
6. Satellite Technologies and Business
a. Satellite - a big microwave repeater in the sky; it contains one or more transponders that listen to a particular portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum, amplifying incoming signals, and retransmitting them back to Earth
b. Microware transmitter - commonly used to transmit network signals over great distances
c. Location-based services (LBS) - are wireless mobile content services which provide location-specific information to mobile
users moving from location to location
d. LBS Market Reach: Emergency Services, Navigation Services, Tracking Services, Location Advertising, Gaming, Workforce
Organizations, and Security
e. Global Positioning System (GPS) - is a "constellation" of 24 well-spaced satellites that orbit the Earth and make it possible
for people with ground receivers to pinpoint their geographic location
f. Geographic information system (GIS) - is designed to work with information that can be shown on a map
g. GIS is used to locate sources nearby, route information, location based alerts, and to map densities and quantities.
7. Wireless Technology and Business
a. Wireless fidelity (wi-fi) – a means of linking computers using infrared or radio signals
b. Advantage is for people on the go that need constant connectivity to the internet.
c. Used in cell phones, laptops, satellite TVS, etc.
d. WiMAX - is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, from
point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. Consists of two parts:
i. A WiMAX tower - A single WiMAX tower can provide coverage to a very large area - as big as 3,000 square miles
ii. A WiMAX receiver - The receiver and antenna could be built into a laptop the way Wi-Fi access is today
iii. Benefits: Long range, low cost, wireless, high bandwidth, and service
e. Radio frequency identification (RFID) - use active or passive tags in the form of chips or smart labels that can store unique
identifiers and relay this information to electronic readers
f. RFID tag - contains a microchip and an antenna, and typically work by transmitting a serial number via radio waves to an
electronic reader, which confirms the identity of a person or object bearing the tag
All Information above compiled from below reference
Gordon, B., & Ducham, P. (2011). Information Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
a. Local area network (LAN) - is designed to connect a group of computers in close proximity to each other, such as in an office
building, a school, or a home.
b. Wide area network (WAN) - spans a large geographic area, such as a state, province, or country
c. Metropolitan area network (MAN) - a large computer network usually spanning a city
2. Business Advantage for using Networks and Telecommunications
a. Voice over IP (VoIP) - uses TCP/IP technology to transmit voice calls over long-distance telephone lines
b. Networking businesses
i. Transparent exchange of information with suppliers, trading partners, and customers
ii. Exchange information reliably and securely either internally or externally
iii. Virtual Private Network (VPN)- a way to use the public telecommunication infrastructure to provide secure access to an
organization’s network.
iv. Total integration of businesses multiple systems, including databases,clients and servers.
v. Scalable processing power and networking capacity to meet high demand
vi. Framework for digital businesses and allows brick and mortar companies to integrate into the digital world
c. Increasing the speed of business
i. Bandwidth - is the difference between the highest and the lowest frequencies that can be transmitted on a single medium,
and it is a measure of the medium's capacity.
ii. Broadband - refers to high-speed Internet connections transmitting data at speeds greater than 200 kilobytes per second
(Kbps)
d. Securing business networks
i. Organizational concerns include identification of users, authorization of network access, control of access, and protection of
data integrity.
3. Mobile Technology and Business
a. Mobile means the technology can travel with the user, but it is not necessarily in real-time
b. Wireless gives users a live (Internet) connection via satellite or radio transmitters
c. Increase productivity, speed delivery to the market, and reduced operating costs for businesses
d. Infrastructure: Uses radio waves, microwaves, and satellites to transmit data on high frequency radio ranges that connect to
wired media.
4. Drivers of Wireless Technology
a. Universal access to information and applications
b. Automation of business practices
c. User convenience, timeliness, and ability to conduct business 24x7x365
5. Cellular Technology and Business
a. Cellular telephones use radio waves to communicate with radio antennas (or towers) placed within adjacent geographic areas
called cells
b. Message sent to local cell of sender and then sent from cell to cell until it reaches the receiving cell.
c. Personal digital assistants (PDA)- are small, handheld computers capable of entirely digital communications transmission
d. Smartphone - combines the functions of a cellular phone and a PDA in a single device
e. Bluetooth – a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal
digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection
6. Satellite Technologies and Business
a. Satellite - a big microwave repeater in the sky; it contains one or more transponders that listen to a particular portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum, amplifying incoming signals, and retransmitting them back to Earth
b. Microware transmitter - commonly used to transmit network signals over great distances
c. Location-based services (LBS) - are wireless mobile content services which provide location-specific information to mobile
users moving from location to location
d. LBS Market Reach: Emergency Services, Navigation Services, Tracking Services, Location Advertising, Gaming, Workforce
Organizations, and Security
e. Global Positioning System (GPS) - is a "constellation" of 24 well-spaced satellites that orbit the Earth and make it possible
for people with ground receivers to pinpoint their geographic location
f. Geographic information system (GIS) - is designed to work with information that can be shown on a map
g. GIS is used to locate sources nearby, route information, location based alerts, and to map densities and quantities.
7. Wireless Technology and Business
a. Wireless fidelity (wi-fi) – a means of linking computers using infrared or radio signals
b. Advantage is for people on the go that need constant connectivity to the internet.
c. Used in cell phones, laptops, satellite TVS, etc.
d. WiMAX - is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, from
point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. Consists of two parts:
i. A WiMAX tower - A single WiMAX tower can provide coverage to a very large area - as big as 3,000 square miles
ii. A WiMAX receiver - The receiver and antenna could be built into a laptop the way Wi-Fi access is today
iii. Benefits: Long range, low cost, wireless, high bandwidth, and service
e. Radio frequency identification (RFID) - use active or passive tags in the form of chips or smart labels that can store unique
identifiers and relay this information to electronic readers
f. RFID tag - contains a microchip and an antenna, and typically work by transmitting a serial number via radio waves to an
electronic reader, which confirms the identity of a person or object bearing the tag
All Information above compiled from below reference
Gordon, B., & Ducham, P. (2011). Information Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.