Week 7 - Wireless Technology and Computer Network

1. Explain the business benefits of using wireless technology.

Wireless technology has been taking over businesses in recent years. The benefits that can be gained from using wireless technology includes the gaining of productivity as the employees have access to the businesses resources from anywhere allowing employees to work anywhere at all times, changing the way that organisations run.

Wireless Technology. Source: Google.com

2. Describe the business benefits associated with VoIP

VOIP stands for voice over IP. This allows for phone calls, faxes, voice mail, e-mail and web conferences communication over digital networks.

VOIP saves business organisations money and can be beneficial in a number of different ways:

§  VIOP runs over the existing computer network

§  Calls over the internet do not attract telecommunications charges

§  Customers can port their numbers between carriers

§  Can have face-to-face communication

An example of VIOP communication is Skype. Skype changes analogue communications to digital. It allows for VIOP to flatten the world communications and bring us closer together.

Skype. Source: Google.com

3. Compare LANs and WANs

LANs stands for Local area network. Local Area Network is where computers are in the same geographical area, sharing filers and printers in the same area. WANs stands for Wide area networks. These connect computers at different geographic sites. Through the internet the whole business can share and connect to on another.

4. Describe RFID and how it can be used to help make a supply chain more effective.

RFID is Radio frequency identification. Tags such as an e-tag, use radio waves to transmit data and are heavily used in inventory tracking and will in the future to replace barcodes on products. RFID’s can be used to make a supply chain more effective because staff would not have to check inventory, as the radio frequency identification will show on databases exactly where stock is at any time.

Some examples of RFID include the chips in passports that are enabled to instantly transmit data to a national security database concerning the time, data and place of people entering or leaving the country. An e-tag is also another example and is placed in cars to act as a passive reader that will transmit toll charges to the bank account/e-tag account of its user.

Example of RFID. Source: Google.com



5. What is one new emerging technology that could change a specific industry?

Smartphones are a new emerging technology that can change a business industry. Smartphones are a wireless device that enable its user to have access to cellular telephony, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Digital camera, email access, short message services such as instant, text and video messaging, a global position system, an organizer, scheduler, address book, calculator, MP3 player, video player, and internet access. Smartphones enable people within industry to have access to all kinds of data, all over the world, at any given time. This means that employees can work whilst away from the working environment, and access the data that they need to continue with their work, increasing productivity.

Apple iPhone. Source: Google.com

Smartphones and consumers. Source: Google.com