{"id":231,"date":"2018-09-24T15:08:25","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T15:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-osintrobus\/chapter\/linking-up-computer-networks\/"},"modified":"2018-10-12T17:18:53","modified_gmt":"2018-10-12T17:18:53","slug":"linking-up-computer-networks","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-herkimer-osintrobus\/chapter\/linking-up-computer-networks\/","title":{"raw":"Linking Up: Computer Networks","rendered":"Linking Up: Computer Networks"},"content":{"raw":"
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  1. Why are computer networks an important part of today\u2019s information technology systems?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Today most businesses use networks to deliver information to employees, suppliers, and customers. A computer network<\/strong> is a group of two or more computer systems linked together by communications channels to share data and information. Today\u2019s networks often link thousands of users and can transmit audio and video as well as data.<\/p>\r\n

    Networks include clients and servers. The client<\/em> is the application that runs on a personal computer or workstation. It relies on a server<\/em> that manages network resources or performs special tasks such as storing files, managing one or more printers, or processing database queries. Any user on the network can access the server\u2019s capabilities.<\/p>\r\n

    By making it easy and fast to share information, networks have created new ways to work and increase productivity. They provide more efficient use of resources, permitting communication and collaboration across distance and time. With file-sharing, all employees, regardless of location, have access to the same information. Shared databases also eliminate duplication of effort. Employees at different sites can \u201cscreen-share\u201d computer files, working on data as if they were in the same room. Their computers are connected by phone or cable lines, they all see the same thing on their display, and anyone can make changes that are seen by the other participants. The employees can also use the networks for videoconferencing.<\/p>\r\n

    Networks make it possible for companies to run enterprise software, large programs with integrated modules that manage all of the corporation\u2019s internal operations. Enterprise resource planning systems run on networks. Typical subsystems include finance, human resources, engineering, sales and order distribution, and order management and procurement. These modules work independently and then automatically exchange information, creating a company-wide system that includes current delivery dates, inventory status, quality control, and other critical information. Let\u2019s now look at the basic types of networks companies use to transmit data\u2014local area networks and wide area networks\u2014and popular networking applications such as intranets and virtual private networks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    Connecting Near and Far with Networks<\/h3>\r\n

    Two basic types of networks are distinguished by the area they cover. A local area network (LAN)<\/strong> lets people at one site exchange data and share the use of hardware and software from a variety of computer manufacturers. LANs offer companies a more cost-effective way to link computers than linking terminals to a mainframe computer. The most common uses of LANs at small businesses, for example, are office automation, accounting, and information management. LANs can help companies reduce staff, streamline operations, and cut processing costs. LANs can be set up with wired or wireless connections.<\/p>\r\n

    A wide area network (WAN)<\/strong> connects computers at different sites via telecommunications media such as phone lines, satellites, and microwaves. A modem connects the computer or a terminal to the telephone line and transmits data almost instantly, in less than a second. The internet is essentially a worldwide WAN. Communications companies, such as AT&T<\/span>, Verizon<\/span>, and Sprint<\/span>, operate very large WANs. Companies also connect LANs at various locations into WANs. WANs make it possible for companies to work on critical projects around the clock by using teams in different time zones.<\/p>\r\n

    Several forms of WANs\u2014intranets, virtual private networks (VPN), and extranets\u2014use internet technology. Here we\u2019ll look at intranets, internal corporate networks that are widely available in the corporate world, and VPNs. Although wireless networks have been around for more than a decade, they are increasing in use because of falling costs, faster and more reliable technology, and improved standards. They are similar to their wired LAN and WAN cousins, except they use radio frequency signals to transmit data. You use a wireless WAN (WWAN) regularly when you use your cellular phone. WANs\u2019 coverage can span several countries. Telecommunications carriers operate using wireless WANs.<\/p>\r\n

    Wireless LANs (WLAN) that transmit data at one site offer an alternative to traditional wired systems. WLANs\u2019 reach is a radius of 500 feet indoors and 1,000 feet outdoors and can be extended with antennas, transmitters, and other devices. The wireless devices communicate with a wired access point into the wired network. WLANs are convenient for specialized applications where wires are in the way or when employees are in different locations in a building. Hotels, airports, restaurants, hospitals, retail establishments, universities, and warehouses are among the largest users of WLANs, also known as Wi-Fi. For example, the Veterans Administration Hospital<\/span> in West Haven, Connecticut, recently added Wi-Fi access in all patient rooms to upgrade its existing WLAN to improve patient access, quality, and reliability. The new WLAN supports many different functions, from better on-site communication among doctors and nurses through both data transmission and voice-over-internet phone systems to data-centric applications such as its Meditech clinical information system and pharmacy management.[footnote]Jason Newton and Jesse Gosselin, \u201cVA Looks to Install WiFi after News 8 Story,\u201d WTNH News 8, http:\/\/wtnh.com, February 20, 2017. Documenting the Future[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    catching the entrepreneurial spirit<\/h3>\r\nDocumenting the future<\/strong>\r\n

    Potential customers of Captiva Software didn\u2019t share company cofounder and chief executive Reynolds Bish\u2019s belief that paper wasn\u2019t going away. They held to the idea that personal computers and the internet would make paper disappear, and they weren\u2019t going to invest in software to organize their documents. That almost caused Captiva to go under. \u201cWe really were afraid we weren\u2019t going to make it,\u201d said Jim Berglund, an early investor in Captiva and a former board member.<\/p>\r\n

    But Bish asked investors for another $4 million commitment\u2014on a bet that paper was here to stay. Bish recalls a board member telling him, \u201cFive years from now people are going to either think you\u2019re a genius or a complete idiot.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    That conversation took place 20 years ago. Captiva Software was named one of the fastest-growing technology companies in San Diego in the early 2000s for its 172 percent increase in revenues. The company was then acquired by EMC Corp.\u2014the sixth-largest software company in the world and top maker of corporate data-storage equipment, with projected annual revenues of more than $9 billion\u2014for $275 million in cash, rewarding embattled early Captiva investors with 10 times their money back. (In 2016, Dell acquired EMC for more than $67 billion.)<\/p>\r\n

    Captiva began its journey to the big time in 1989 in Park City, Utah, as TextWare Corp., a small data-entry company. Cofounder Steven Burton\u2019s technical expertise, Bish\u2019s business background, and a credit card helped them get the business going. \u201cIt was pure bootstrapping,\u201d Bish said. \u201cWe did everything from going without a salary for a year or more to using up our credit cards.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    Bish and Burton quickly saw the need for employees to enter data more directly and accurately. The software they developed still required clerks to type information from a paper document, but it could check for inaccuracies, matching zip codes to cities, for instance. In 1996, TextWare produced software that could \u201cread\u201d typewritten words on a scanned piece of paper, which significantly reduced the number of data-entry clerks needed. It found popularity with credit-card processors, insurance companies, shipping companies, and other corporations that handled thousands of forms every day.<\/p>\r\n

    TextWare acquired or merged with five firms, went public, changed its name twice, and in 1998 set up its headquarters in San Diego, California, after buying Wheb Systems, which is based there. In 2002, the company merged with publicly held ActionPoint, a San Jose, California, document-processing company, and changed its name to Captiva.<\/p>\r\n

    An estimated 80 percent of all information is still paper-based, according to market research firm Forrester Research. Captiva\u2019s flagship products, InputAccel and FormWare, process over 85 million pieces of paper worldwide every day, leaving no doubt that Bish\u2019s vision was on target. Paper is indeed here to stay.<\/p>\r\n

    Sources: \u201cWhy Captiva?\u201d https:\/\/www.emc.com, accessed February 21, 2018; EMC corporate website, \u201cAbout Us,\u201d https:\/\/dellemc.com, accessed February 21, 2018; \u201cLucera Uses Connectivity Routes of Chicago, New York, London and Tokyo as a Trading Hub in Trading Increases,\u201d BSO<\/em>, https:\/\/www.bsonetwork.com, October 19, 2017; Ron Miller, \u201c$67 Billion Dell\u2013EMC Deal Closes Today,\u201d Tech Crunch,<\/em> https:\/\/techcrunch.com, September 7, 2016; Brian Sherman, \u201cInput Management and Opportunities for the Reseller Channel: An Interview with Wayne Ford, VP of Partner Alliances at Captiva,\u201d ECM Connection<\/em>, http:\/\/www.ecmconnection.com, December 27, 2005; Kathryn Balint, \u201cCaptiva\u2019s Paper Chase Paying Off,\u201d San Diego Union-Tribune,<\/em> December 9, 2005, pp. C1, C5.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    Critical Thinking Questions<\/strong><\/div>\r\n
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    1. What role did co-founders Reynolds Bish and Steven Burton play in the evolution of tiny TextWare into hugely successful Captiva?<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. What other unique factors were responsible for the company\u2019s remarkable growth?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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      An Inside Job: Intranets<\/h3>\r\n

      Like LANs, intranets<\/strong> are private corporate networks. Many companies use both types of internal networks. However, because they use internet technology to connect computers, intranets are WANs that link employees in many locations and with different types of computers. Essentially mini-internets that serve only the company\u2019s employees, intranets operate behind a firewall<\/em> that prevents unauthorized access. Employees navigate using a standard web browser, which makes the intranet easy to use. They are also considerably less expensive to install and maintain than other network types and take advantage of the internet\u2019s interactive features such as chat rooms and team workspaces. Many software providers now offer off-the-shelf intranet packages so that companies of all sizes can benefit from the increased access to and distribution of information.<\/p>\r\n

      Companies now recognize the power of intranets to connect employers and employees in many ways, promoting teamwork and knowledge-sharing. Intranets have many applications, from human resource (HR) administration to logistics. For instance, a benefits administration intranet can become a favorite with employees. Instead of having to contact an HR representative to make any changes in personnel records or retirement plan contributions or to submit time sheets, staff members simply log on to the intranet and update the information themselves. Managers can also process staffing updates, performance reviews, and incentive payments without filing paperwork with human resources. Employees can regularly check an online job board for new positions. Shifting routine administrative tasks to the intranet can bring additional benefits such as reducing the size of the HR department by 30 percent and allowing HR staff members to turn their attention to more substantive projects.[footnote]Toby Ward, \u201cTechnology, the Intranet, and Employee Productivity,\u201d Prescient Digital Media, http:\/\/www.prescientdigital.com, accessed February 21, 2018.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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      Enterprise Portals Open the Door to Productivity<\/h3>\r\n

      Intranets that take a broader view serve as sophisticated knowledge management tools.<\/p>\r\n

      One such intranet is the enterprise portal,<\/strong> an internal website that provides proprietary corporate information to a defined user group. Portals can take one of three forms: business to employee (B2E), business to business (B2B), and business to consumer (B2C). Unlike a standard intranet, enterprise portals allow individuals or user groups to customize the portal home page to gather just the information they need for their particular job situations and deliver it through a single web page. Because of their complexity, enterprise portals are typically the result of a collaborative project that brings together designs developed and perfected through the effort of HR, corporate communications, and information technology departments.<\/p>\r\n

      More companies use portal technology to provide:<\/p>\r\n\r\n