ICT Infrastructure Used By Organisations

1. ICT Infrastructure Used By Organisations

2. Session Objectives • Understand key ICT developments which companies can utilise to enhance performance • Know how to identify benefits and drawbacks offered by ICT infrastructure used • Know the impact of email, internet and other emerging technologies on an organisation

3. Key ICT Developments • LAN (gigabit, wifi) • System Integration • EPOS • WAN • Internet • Intranet • Email • Videoconferencing • Sensors • Swipe cards, chip pin and other biometric devices • SMS

4. LAN • Local Area Network – development from mainframe technology. • Computers which can communicate with one another on one building or site • Linked together using a communication medium • Used to share files, apps, printers, and communicate • Made up of clients (computers) and servers • Security is key to prevent loss of data • Allow communication internal and externally via email • Peer-to-peer / Client Server • EPOS and System Integration make use of LAN

5. WAN • Wide Area Network • A network which consists of several sites or offices linked together using the public telephone network or other communicate medium • Allows different offices in different towns/cities/countries to communicate perhaps via electronic conferencing or even video conferencing • Has similar benefits to LAN but is more open to attack as data transferred over public lines.

6. Internet • Allows companies to advertise and trade their goods on an electronic platform (eCommerce) • Little companies can compete with the big boys and trade on a global basis – find new markets • Three different internet models to adopt • #1: “Basic presence” • #2: “On line catalogue” • #3: “Full blown trading platform” • The oldest companies who have been trading for years have adopted this model • Online banking service is a benefit to all as companies can transfer money, accept payments and pay suppliers online.

7. Intranet • Internal networks provide companies with the opportunity to set up an intranet site • Uses the same technologies to distribute information as the internet but tends to be “behind shut doors” – you can only access the site from the companies internal network - not from the outside • Purpose of an intranet site is to disseminate information to employees in an electronic format – like an electronic notice board • Typical features of an intranet include: company news, job vacancies, company policies, access to documents, reports and a wide range of other information • Some organisations provide limited access to their intranets from outside the organisation using the internet. This is known as an extranet.

8. Email • Internal email requires a computer network and external mail requires a connection to the internet and for each person to have their own email address an “email server”, • Email is popular because: • Messages from managers / interdepartmental communication can be sent to large numbers of people simultaneously, • Quicker than sending a letter to suppliers / customers, • Easy to reply and response can be seen almost immediately, • Very cheap micro pence per message! • Can check if person has read it / received it • Major disadvantages of email are spam, getting ride of unsolicited mail and employees abusing email facilities.

9. Video Conferencing • Ability to see and hear people who are in two different locations using a computer system • Two or more people may be connected together and can interact with one another simultaneously • Requires each person to have a high spec PC, video camera, microphone, speakers and an internet connection – higher the speed the better • Enables business meetings and interviews to take place without the expense of time and travel • Initial cost of equipment will be returned quickly.