The Role of Communications

The Need for Communication Communication between devices is necessary to:

• Share information

• Use shared devices (peripherals)

Communication requires:• Appropriate hardware

• Suitable software

• Compatibility

Communication can also be necessary between software applications on the same system• Transferring a set of calculations in a spreadsheet into a table in

a word processor.

The Need for Communication For effective communication protocols are needed

• A protocol is a set of rules used to ensure the proper transfer of information between computers and between application packages

If information is being exchanged between applications then a compatible format can be found.

• For example, to import data from a database into a spreadsheet, the format CSV could be used. This would be compatible as an export from the Database and as an import into the Spreadsheet.

Forms of Communication Many forms of communication, examples

include:• Fax

• E-Mail

• Bulletin Boards

• Tele/Video Conferencing

• WWW

• FTP

• Telephone

• Courier

Relative Merits Discussion of Merits should be based on:

• Download Speed / Speed of delivery

• Access to Resource

• Hardware requirements

• Software Requirements

• Security

• Quality of end product

Fax The use of voice quality telephone lines to send

copies of documents, which may include drawings as well as text

• Needs a fax machine and an available line

• Not secure

• Quality is variable

• Document is not editable

• Can be colour if sending and receiving equipment is capable of colour and compatible

E-Mail Sending a message from user to user through

computer communication.

• Multiple recipients, carbon copies (CC), blind carbon copies (BCC)

• Digital signatures giving security

• Documents are editable

• 24 hours service – not location or machine dependent

• Depends on hardware working

Bulletin Boards Equivalent of a short term notice-board carrying

items that may be of interest to a wide number of people.

• Not secure

• Many recipients

• Always available

• Documents are editable

• Accessible from anywhere in the world

Tele/Video Conferencing The use of communication links to conduct

meetings between at least two people who are geographically separate

• Pictures – static and moving, text and voice

• Can transfer files

• Very secure

• Need specialist software and hardware for full video conferencing

• Netmeeting is a cheaper alternative but not secure or fast.

WWW The facility to link computers worldwide and

share information – both graphics and text.

• Can be made secure

• Available worldwide

• Documents editable

• Download speed is variable

FTP Movement of files from one location to another

• Secure – passwords required

• Documents are editable

• Specialist software

• Available worldwide

Future Developments Comparison of various communication media is

not finite New developments occurring all the time

Need to keep up to date.