Session-8

Chapter 4

Network Computing for Collaboration

Information Technology For Management 6th Edition
Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Learning Objectives
y y y y y y

Introduction, Characteristics and standards of network computing. Business benefits of interoperability and converged networks. The network computing Infrastructure: Intranets and Extranets How intranets and extranets support SCM Role of discovery, communication and collaboration capabilities for organizations Factors determining the uses of information technologies for communication
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Learning Objectives
y
y y

Details on Discovery, Search and Customized Delivery

Search Engines and Enterprise Search Google, Blogs, WIKIS, PODCasting, RSS, XML, XBRL

y
y y y y

Network Communication
Types of Networks Types of Services Mobile and Wireless Infrastructure Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

y y y y

Messaging and Collaboration Virtual Collaboration Messaging and Collaboration Technologies Issues related to the use of network computing, messaging, and collaboration
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Network Computing Overview

y Earlier, the various information services data and documents, voice, and videos have functioned independently of each other. Traditionally, they were transmitted using different protocols and carried on different networks. y Example
Data, documents Packet N/w TCP y Voice Circuit N/w TCP y Video streams Packet UDP (User Datagram)
y

y As of 2006: 75% of internet traffic using TCP y 20% using UDP

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Network Computing
y To prepare data and document for transmission, they are converted into digital packets based on the Internet Protocol (IP) and sent via computer (i.e. packet-switched) networks or LANs. Packets are transferred using the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which provides a reliable, connection-oriented method of packet delivery. This combination of protocol is referred to as the TCP/IP model. y Voice is sent as analog signals over circuits on telephone (circuit-switched) networks. Videos streams are compressed and sent as IP packets using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). This combination of Protocol is referred to as UDP/IP model. UDP provides no error recovery services, but also does not have the overhead that 6 a connection-oriented protocol like TCP has.

Network Computing
y Multiple networks were needed because of the lack of interoperability or connectivity between devices. Problems stemming from the lack of interoperability (the ability to provide services to and accept services from other systems or devices) include limited access to information, computing and communications resources. y Convergence of various types of networks into a single network based on packet technology y Various level of maturity y Watching video on mobiles: transmission problems, impact on battery s life
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Network Computing
y But today, data, voice, and video networks are converging into a single network based on packet (such as IP and VoIP) technology. The convergence - various stages of maturity and completion and the quality has been improving y Packet technologies: an enabler Packet technologies convert voice, video, and data into packets that can be transmitted together over a single, high-speed network eliminating the need for separate networks. High speed networks can be wireline, wireless, or both. These networks are more commonly called broadband, which comes from words broad bandwidth.
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Network Computing
y When all information services are handled the same way by

one high-speed packet network using either wireline or wireless, the technical barriers to collaborative work are eliminated. y No longer difficult to use multimedia applications simultaneously because the network would not restrict the kind of computing devices that could be used. y For example, users would access the company network from the home through a desktop computer and wireline connection or be on the move with a laptop or PDA via a wireless connection. y With secure access through converged networks, exciting new forms of business communication and collaboration using multimedia applications and digital devices become possible.

Network Computing Converged Networks

Converged Networks: A Powerful Architecture: Internet revolution: Two opposing forces: Chaos and Convergence A converged network is a powerful new architecture that enables the enterprise-wide convergence and integration of voice, data, video, and other communication applications. Improved collaboration along the entire supply chain partners, suppliers, and customers is possible. With a single converged network, companies can improve their business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) processes.

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Network Computing to connect, to start

y Global System for Mobile Communications Services (GSM) is an internationally accepted standard for digital cellular communication is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. y SIP (Session Initiation Protocol): With converged networks, management of their interface becomes a key factor. Users need easy and intuitive access to the network from any device, anywhere, anytime, seamlessly. The protocol and industry standard for doing this is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

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Benefits of converged networks

y Fewer networks to maintain and support y Cost of integration of applications is lower
y Traffic is consolidated over one network

y Save travel costs associated with inter

organizational meetings y On a higher scale, CNs can increase productivity and economic growth y IP telephone Network carriers one pipeline
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The Internet and WWW Difference?

y Many people think that the web is synonymous with the internet, but that is not the case. y The internet functions as the transport mechanism, and the web (WWW) is an application that uses those transport functions. Other applications also run on the internet, with e-mail being the most widely used. y The web is a system with universally standards for storing, retrieving, formatting, and displaying information via client/server architecture. y The web handles all types of digital information, including text, hypermedia, graphics and sound. y It uses graphical user interfaces, so it is very easy to use.
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Internet (commercial) application categories

y With the commercialization of the internet in the early 1990s, we have seen an explosion of commercial applications. The internet supports applications in the following categories: y Discovery: Discovery involves browsing and information retrieval. Discovery is automated by software agents since the amount of information on the Internet and intranets is growing rapidly. y Communication: Business comm, Marketing channels, SCM y Collaboration: Electronic collaboration between individuals, groups, and organizations id becoming common. Numerous tools and technologies are available ranging from online meetings with screen sharing to videoconferencing and group support systems.
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The network computing Infrastructure: Intranets and Extranets

In addition to Internet and the Web there are a few other major infrastructures of network computing: value-added networks (VANs), intranets and extranets.

y Intranets: An Intranets is a network designed to serve the internal

informational needs of a company, using internet concepts and tools. It is a network confined to an organization for its internal use. It provides easy and inexpensive browsing and search capabilities.
y Intranets also support communication and collaboration. They are

frequently connected to the Internet, enabling a company to conduct ecommerce activities. y Using screen sharing and other groupware tools, intranets can also be used to facilitates the work of groups. y Intranets are used in all types of organizations, from manufactures to health care providers to government agencies to educational institutions.

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The network computing Infrastructure: Intranets and Extranets

y Extranet: An extranet is a private (company-owned) network that uses Internet technology and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business s information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses. Extranets may use virtual private networks (VPNs). VPNs are, in effect, private tunnels within a public network (typically, the internet) created by encryption.
y Basically, an extranet is a means of networking two or more

companies so they can securely share information.

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More on Extranet
y Extranet is a extension of the company s intranet y To connect to a customer or a trading partner for B2B commerce y United Rentals: equipment rental company - 750

locations around US, Mexico and Canada

y Usually have a central server storing

y Data y Documents y Applications

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More on Extranet
y Authorised users can access from anywhere

individual HD capacity y To protect and to provide security

y Secure communication lines y Encryption technologies y Access and authentication control

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Types of Networks

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Local Area Network (LAN)

y LAN consists of the following components:

y

LAN file server is a repository of various software and data files for the network Nodes are the client machines on the LAN Wired or wireless communication media that connects the devices

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Local Area Network (Continued)

y LAN network interface card (NIC) is a special adapter that links an individual device to the communication medium and specifies:
y The rate of data transmission; y The size of the message units; y Addressing information attached to each message y The network topology

y Network operating system (NOS) manages the server and routes and manages communications on the network.
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Wide Area Network (WAN)

y Wide area networks (WANs) are networks that cover large geographic areas.
y WANs typically connect multiple LANs y WANs have large capacity and combine multiple channels

(fiber optic, satellite, microwave, etc.) companies (Sprint, AT&T, etc.)

y WANs are provided by common carriers, such as telephone

y Value-added network (VAN) are private, data-only networks managed by outside third-parties that provide these networks to multiple organizations.
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Going Wireless
y Wifi - simple wireless networks y WLAN - expanding the wireless connection y WiMax - Long-range wireless

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Network Topologies
y Star, all network nodes connect to a single computer, typically the file server y Bus, all network nodes connect to the bus, which is a single communications channel, such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, or fiber optic cable y Ring, network nodes are connected to adjacent nodes to form a closed loop

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Star Topology

Ring Topology

BUS Topology

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Enterprise Networking
y Enterprise network is an organization s interconnected network of multiple LANs and also can include multiple WANs y Backbone networks are corporate high-speed central networks to which multiple smaller networks such as LANs called embedded LANs and smaller WANs connect

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Problems - Information Overload

y Information is enormous y Generation of data from on-line, web, . y Information is scattered across . y Accessing relevant, accurate and complete

information y Answer: Usage of Information Portals

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Information Portals
y Introduced in 1997 y Web-based personalised gateway to information

and knowledge in network computing y Minimizes the information through the use of advanced indexing and search techniques (extension of existing DB techniques) y News, stock quotes, E-mail accounts, y There are about seven types of information portals
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Information Portals - Types

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Corporate/Enterprise Portals Commercial Portals Decision Portals Publishing Portals Mobile Portals Voice Portals Vertical Portals/Vortals

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1. Corporate/Enterprise Portals
y Gateways to corporate web sites that enable
y Communication y Collaboration y Access

To company information

y Personalised, single point of access through a web

server y Helps in
y Cost cutting y Productivity improvement y Profitability increase
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Information Portal Types

2. Commercial Portals: Gives general information to the public y Google, Yahoo, MSN, 3. Decision Portals y Provides team members with models they can use to evaluate
y Decision criteria y Objectives y Alternatives

from their desktops

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Information Portal Types

4. Publishing Portals: y Communities with specific interest y Little customization of content y Extensive on-line search capabilities y Interactive capabilities y technews.net, zdnet.com 5. Mobile Portals: y Accessible from mobile devices y NTT DoCoMo s i-mode portal (42 million)
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Information Portal Types

6. Voice Portals: y Web portals with audio interfaces y Accessible via a cell phone y Advanced speech recognition; text-to-speech techniques y Retrieve e-mail, credit/debit card info, travel information, . 7. Vortals: y Specific markets y Stock information, industry event calendars, list of vendors, y Example: Pharmaceutical online

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Integration of Portals
y Many huge organization

multiple corporate

portals y Independent or dependent sharing content accessing same applications, databases y WebSphere Portal IBM multiple portals as one unit
y Three different portals to be used by a single company

B2B, B2E, B2C

y Internet, intranet cost of not finding information

50%; 40%
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Factors determining the uses of information technologies for communication

y Communication is an interpersonal process of sending and receiving

symbols with messages attached to them. Through communication, people exchange and share information as well as understand and influence each other. Most manager spends as much as 90 percent of their time in communicating. y On the web we distinguish three communication modes: 1. People-to-people: This was the earliest mode of network communication, when people used e-mail and newsgroups. They also discovered information on bulletin boards and communicated there. 2. People-to-machine: This was the next step, when people conducted discovery on the web, searching and finding information. 3. People and machine-to-machine: This mode occurs when applications need to talk to applications, either in complete automation or in automation but including people.

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Factors determining the uses of information technologies for communication

y Several factors determine the information technologies that could be

used to provide communication support to a specific organization or group of users. The major one are the following: y Participants: The number of people sending and receiving information can range from two to many thousands. y Nature of sources and destinations: Sources and destination of information can include people, databases, sensors, and so on. y Media: Communication can involve one or several IT-supported media, such as text, voice, graphics, video, pictures, and animation. Using different media for communicating can increase the effectiveness of a message, expedite learning and enhance problem solving. Working with multiple media may, however, reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of the system (its speed, capacity, quality) and may significantly increase its cost.
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Factors determining the uses of information technologies for communication

y Place (Location): The sender(s) and receiver(s) can be in the same room (face-to-face) or at different locations. y Time: Message can be sent at a certain time and received almost simultaneously. Such synchronous (real-time) communication is provided by telephones, instant messaging online, teleconferencing, and face-to-face meetings. Asynchronous communication, on the other hand, refers to communication in which the receiver gets an answer sometime after a request was sent. E.g. email and electronic bulletin boards.

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Summary
y y y y y y

Introduction, Characteristics and standards of network computing. Business benefits of interoperability and converged networks. The network computing Infrastructure: Intranets and Extranets How intranets and extranets support SCM Role of discovery, communication and collaboration capabilities for organizations Factors determining the uses of information technologies for communication

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