INTERNET IN BUSINESS

Traffic Jams  Internet was not planned for its current users.  It was meant only for government sites, research and defense contracting community.  Today we have millions of users, some surfing for hours at a time and sending high-volume multimedia data.  The speed problem affects every aspect of business on the internet.  Bandwidth is a measure of the capacity of a communication link --- expansion of pipes for more data to flow through.  Alternatives to a 56kbps modem are satellite, ISDN, DSL and its variations.

Traffic Jams

 Satellite service is wireless and widely available --- expensive and may be clogged in peak hours.  ISDN kbps --- requires special equipment.  Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) uses advanced electronics - -- conventional telephone lines --- digital to analog conversion.  DSL spreads the analog signals over a large range of frequencies, acting as if dozens of modems were sending signals at the same time --- lacks industry standards.  Cable modem --- coaxial cables, normal TV reception, always on and does not require dialing.  Major links that tie internet servers across wide geographical areas are called backbone, e.g. Sprint, MCI WorldCom.

Traffic Jams  Internet Congestion --- no charge on usage.  A heavy user should pay more than an occasional browser.  Streaming –It is the most usable bandwidth user --- downloading of audio, video and animation. –Streamed content can be seen and heard while being downloaded. But the price of this convenience is quality. –The browser plug-in like RealPlayer lets streaming begin within seconds of a user’s click. The site, on your click checks your browser for an audio-video plug-in.

Traffic Jams  Multicasting –Sending a document (containing text, graphics, audio and video clips) over a network. –Sending a separate copy to each --- wastage of bandwidth --- Unicasting –Sending the same copy to every computer on the network --- Broadcast –Sending one copy to only recipients --- Multicasting

Traffic Jams  Push Technology –Businesses have to wait for the users to pull data from their sites. –Push technology, often called webcasting gathers up customized information for you from various sites automatically, i.e. you don’t have to browse and search. –The concept was pioneered by PointCast Inc. which delivers information in the form of a screen-saver. –You download the free software from the company’s web site and install it. –Push software’s update button gives you the latest information. –This technology is bandwidth-hungry. PointCast uses multicast model --- sending files down the line just once for all users on the same server.

Traffic Jams (a) Note the briefcase image in the upper-left corner, indicating that the category Companies has been clicked. Users can keep a list of their own stocks. Shown here is a graph with statistics with Electronic Data Systems. Screens also show commercials; note the Continental Airlines ad in the upper-right corner. (b) The umbrella image in the upper-left corner indicates that the category Weather has been clicked. Predictions for major cities drift up the top half of the screen; below are enlargeable maps. The stars in the lower-left corner are part of an advertisement.  Push Technology

Intranets  An Intranet/Intranet is a private Internet-like network internal to a certain company. Its growth is partly due to the ease of setting up.  Setting up an Intranet –Hardware: servers and computers –Software: TCP/IP protocols, browser  Intranets at Work –Personal information can be instantly viewed and printed –Typical applications are internal job openings, vacation requests, corporate policy information, and perhaps company training courses  Intranets at Work –Some parts of a intranet can be linked together --- extranet –Some customers and suppliers can be handled more easily with extranet than with traditional EDI systems

Virtual Private Networks  VPN provides technology that uses the public internet backbone as a channel for private data communication.  VPNs are based on Tunneling/Encapsulation --- transfer data between two similar networks over an intermediate network.  Although there is no standard protocol for tunneling, Microsoft, 3Com and several others are using PPTP. The original protocol is the standard TCP/IP.  VPN uses encryption of packets before encapsulation

Consolidation of the Web  Broadening the scope of the usage of Web.  Internet has become the preferred medium for all kinds of ideological, political, cultural, and entertainment persuations.  America Online brought Netscape in 1999, the first consolidation on web.  Mom-and-pop stores, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Blockbuster Entertainment are the other examples.