BBCM 1023 Management Information System

Effective communications are essential to organizational success

◦ Define the terms communications and telecommunications and describe the

components of a telecommunications system

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 2

An unmistakable trend of communications technology is that more people are
able to send and receive all forms of information over greater distances at a
faster rate

Identify broad categories of communications media and discuss

the basic characteristics of specific media types
Describe how a modem works
Explain the types of telecommunications carriers today and the
services they provide

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 3

◦ Identify the benefits associated with a telecommunications network
◦ Define the term network topology and identify five alternatives
◦ Discuss the different communications protocols and devices used for
telecommunications
◦ Name three distributed processing alternatives and discuss their basic
features
◦ List some telecommunications applications that organizations are benefiting
from today

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 4

 An Overview Of
Communications Systems
Communications: the transmission of a signal by way of a medium from a
sender to a receiver

Signal contains a message composed of data and information

In telecommunications, sender transmits a signal through a transmission

medium such as a cable

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 5

Figure 6.2: Communications and
Telecommunications

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 6

 An Overview Of
Communications Systems
(continued)
Communications can be synchronous or asynchronous

◦ Synchronous communications: the receiver gets the message instantaneously

◦ Asynchronous communications: the receiver gets the message some period of time
after it is sent

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 7

 Telecommunications
Telecommunications: electronic transmission of signals for communications, via
telephone, radio, television, etc.
Data communications: subset of telecommunications that refers to the
electronic collection, processing, and distribution of data, typically between
computer system hardware devices
Telecommunications medium: anything that carries an electronic signal and
interfaces between a sending device and a receiving device

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 8

Figure 6.3: Elements of a
Telecommunications System

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 9

Communications Channels: Basic
Communications Channel
Characteristics
Communication channels can be classified as simplex, half-duplex, or full-
duplex
◦ Simplex channel: can transmit data in only one direction

◦ Half-duplex channel: can transmit data in either direction, but not simultaneously

◦ Full-duplex channel: permits data transmission in both directions at the same time

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 10

 Channel Bandwidth and
Information-Carrying
Capacity
Bandwidth: the range of frequencies that an electronic signal occupies on a
given transmission medium

Shannon’s fundamental law of information theory: states that the

information-carrying capacity of a channel is directly proportional to its
bandwidth

Broadband: telecommunications in which a wide band of frequencies is

available to transmit information

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 11

Types of Media
Guided transmission media: communications signals are guided along a
solid medium

Wireless media: communications signals are sent over airwaves

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 12

Table 6.1: Transmission Media Types

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 13

Table 6.1: Transmission Media Types
(continued)

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 14

Modems
A typical telephone line can only accommodate an analog signal (a
continuous, curving signal)

A computer generates a digital signal representing bits

Modem: a device that translates data from digital to analog and analog
to digital

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 15

Figure 6.8: How a Modem Works

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 16

Multiplexers
Multiplexers: devices that allow several telecommunications signals to
be transmitted over a single communications medium at the same time

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 17

Figure 6.9: Use of a Multiplexer to
Consolidate Data Communications
onto a Single Communications Link

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 18

Front-End Processors
Front-end processors: special-purpose computers that manage
communications to and from a computer system

Connect a midrange or mainframe computer to hundreds or thousands

of communications lines

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 19

Figure 6.10: Front-End Processor

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 20

 Carriers and Services
Local exchange carrier (LEC): a public telephone company in the United States
that provides service to homes and businesses within its defined geographical
area

Competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC): a company that is allowed to

compete with the LECs, such as a wireless, satellite, or cable service provider

Long-distance carrier: a traditional long-distance phone provider, such as AT&T,

Sprint, or MCI

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 21

Switched and Dedicated
Lines
Switched line: a communications line that uses switching equipment to
allow one transmission device to be connected to other transmission
devices

Dedicated line: a communications line that provides a constant

connection between two points; also called a leased line

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 22

Voice and Data Convergence
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP): the basic transport of voice in the
form of a data packet using the Internet protocol

IP telephony is the technology for transmitting voice communications

over a network using an open standards-based Internet protocol

Voice and data convergence: the integration of voice and data

applications in a common environment

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 23

WATS
Wide-area telephone service (WATS): a fixed-rate long-distance
telecommunications service for heavy users of voice services

IN-WATS service

OUT-WATS service

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 24

ISDN
Integrated services digital network (ISDN): a set of standards for
integrating voice and data communications onto a single line via digital
transmission over copper wire or other media

ISDN requires special adapters at both ends of the transmission line

ISDN Basic Rate Interface

ISDN Primary Rate Interface

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 25

Figure 6.12: ISDN Network
Switching

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 26

T-Carrier System
Introduced in the 1960s to support digitized voice transmission
Uses four wires and provides duplex capability
T-1 carrier is capable of carrying 1.544 Mbps over copper wire;
commonly used in U.S., Japan, and Canada
T-3 line is capable of transmitting data at a rate of
44.736 Mbps

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 27

Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL)
Digital subscriber line (DSL): a telecommunications technology that
delivers high-bandwidth information to homes and small businesses
over ordinary copper telephone wires

Provides a transmission rate of 512 Kbps to 1.544 Mbps from the

central office to the subscriber

Provides a transmission rate of about 128 Kbps from the subscriber to

the central office

Can carry both data and voice signals

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 28

Wireless Mobile

Table 6.3: Some Wireless Data Communications Options

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 29

Networks
Computer network: the communications media, devices, and software
needed to connect two or more computer systems and/or devices

Network nodes: the computers and devices on the networks

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 30

Network Types
Personal area network (PAN)

Local area network (LAN)

Metropolitan area network (MAN)

Wide area network (WAN)

International network

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 31

Network Topology
Network topology: logical model that describes how networks are structured
or configured

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 32

Figure 6.15: The Basic Network
Topologies

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 33

 Terminal-to-Host, File
Server, and Client/Server
Systems
Classifications based on how computers on the network connect and
interoperate
◦ Terminal-to-host: application and database reside on one host computer, and the
user interacts with application and data using a “dumb” terminal
◦ File server: the application and database reside on one host computer (file server)
◦ Client/server: multiple computer platforms are dedicated to special functions such
as database management, printing, communications, and program execution

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 34

Figure 6.18: Client/Server
Connection

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 35

 Interconnecting Networks:
Communications Protocols
Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Systems Network Architecture (SNA)

IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet)

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 36

Communications Protocols
(continued)
Frame Relay

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)

FireWire

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 37

Wireless Communications
Protocols
Bluetooth

IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)

IEEE 802.11g

IEEE 802.16 (WiMax)

IEEE 802.20 (MBWA)

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 38

 Wireless Communications
Protocols (continued)
1G

2G

2.5G

3G

Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS)

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 39

Network Switching Devices
Private branch exchange (PBX): an on-premise switching system owned
or leased by a private enterprise that interconnects its telephones and
provides access to the public telephone system
Bridge: a device used to connect two or more networks that use the
same communications protocol
Switch: a telecommunications device that routes incoming data from
any one of many ports to a specific output port that will take the data
toward its intended destination

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 40

Network Switching Devices
(continued)
Router: a device or software in a computer that determines the next
network point to which a data packet should be forwarded toward its
destination

Hub: a place of convergence where data arrives from one or more

directions and is forwarded out in one or more other directions

Gateway: a network point that acts as an entrance to another network

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 41

 Network Basics: Basic
Processing Strategies
Centralized processing: all processing occurs in a single location or facility

Decentralized processing: processing devices are placed at various remote

locations

Distributed processing: computers are placed at remote locations but

connected to each other via a network

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 42

Communications Software
Network operating system (NOS): systems software that controls the
computer systems and devices on a network and allows them to
communicate with each other

Network-management software: enables a manager on a networked

desktop to monitor the use of individual computers and shared
hardware, scan for viruses, and ensure compliance with software
licenses

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 43

Telecommunications
Applications
Linking personal computers to mainframes and networks

Voice mail

Electronic software distribution

Electronic document distribution

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 44

 Telecommunications
Applications (continued)
Call centers

Telecommuting

Videoconferencing

Electronic data interchange (EDI)

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 45

 Telecommunications
Applications (continued)
Public network services

Electronic funds transfer (EFT)

Distance learning

Specialized systems and services

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 46

Summary
Communications: the transmission of a signal by way of a medium from
a sender to a receiver
In telecommunications, the sender transmits a signal through a
transmission medium such as a cable
Transmission media types: twisted-pair wire cable, coaxial cable, fiber-
optic cable, microwave, cellular, and infrared
Telecommunications carriers can be divided into local exchange
carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, and long-distance carriers

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 47

 Summary (continued)
A computer network consists of the communications media, devices, and
software needed to connect two or more computer systems and/or devices
Network types: personal area network (PAN), local area network (LAN),
metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), and
international network
Network topologies: ring, bus, hierarchical, star, and hybrid
Options for how computers on a network connect: terminal-to-host, file
server, and client/server

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 48

Summary (continued)
Communications protocols include the Open Systems Interconnection
(OSI) model, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),
IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), etc.
Network switching devices: private branch exchange (PBX), bridge,
switch, router, hub, and gateway
Examples of telecommunications applications are voice mail, electronic
software distribution, telecommuting, videoconferencing, electronic
funds transfer, and distance learning

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 49